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"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, the memories from the scattered Wood Avatars flooded Nagato's mind, along with the immersive near-death experience and the discomfort from using Wood Avatars for such an extended period for the first time.
The Nagato who had been fine just a second ago suddenly bent over, his breathing becoming rapid, and a strange gripping pain seizing his heart.
Only when all these memories were fully absorbed did his condition improve slightly.
Yahiko, who was beside him, immediately noticed his companion's unusual reaction and quickly supported his arm:
"Nagato? Are your injuries…?"
"No."
"It's Konan's side."
Hearing Yahiko's question, Nagato subconsciously shook his head and spoke, his breathing momentarily catching again.
Although it was a memory transmitted from a clone, the brief, high-speed battle and the scene of Sawara Kiri standing before him like a deity, looking down on him from above, made it feel as if he had truly experienced it, leaving a deep impression.
At the same time, what impressed him even more was Konan, who had completely obeyed Sawara Kiri's commands, letting him hold her in his arms like a maid without the slightest resistance, and even at the moment he was blasted away, she didn't dare to meet his gaze.
This momentary scene left a deeper impression on Nagato than Sawara Kiri easily tearing apart his Wood Clone.
His pessimistic nature, cultivated by a tragic life, made him uncontrollably entertain thoughts that he couldn't believe yet had to consider at this moment.
Had Konan betrayed them?
Had she already revealed their plans, various information, and past events to Sawara Kiri?
Why would she do that?
She wasn't supposed to be that kind of person.
What kind of spell did Sawara Kiri cast on her?
Konan, why didn't she make a move?
The pain of being 'betrayed' by a close comrade is far deeper and more impactful than ordinary people can imagine.
Although his emotional reasoning made him instinctively unwilling to believe this fact, just a little rational thought revealed that a powerful individual like Sawara Kiri would never lack women by his side.
It was absolutely impossible for her to stand calmly in the Hokage Building's top-floor office, like an ordinary clerk reviewing documents and approving files, simply based on her looks.
Even a regular Konoha Jonin wouldn't have such qualifications.
Thinking about it more carefully, today's operation itself seemed incredibly bizarre.
Konan should have known they would try to rescue her, but when they caused such a huge commotion on the lower floors of the Hokage Building, she still remained in the office as if nothing had happened—it was almost as if she was waiting for something.
'Konan, could she have used them as a pledge of loyalty?'
This thought almost uncontrollably arose in Nagato's mind.
Just as shown in the original storyline.
An extreme personality like Nagato's either burns himself to destroy the world or sacrifices himself to save the world.
Once he fixed on an idea, even if he knew it was impossible, he would be stubbornly unyielding.
At this moment, as soon as this possibility arose in Nagato's mind, the intense pain brought by the betrayal began to grow vigorously like weeds in the deepest shadows of his heart.
On the other hand, when Yahiko heard this, a hint of joy appeared on his face, and he asked excitedly:
"You saw Konan?"
"Is there a chance to get her out?"
"Zetsu is quite capable, isn't he!"
The moment he heard this, Nagato's arm, which Yahiko was supporting, recoiled as if shocked, making a 'slap' sound.
The strong aversion almost spilled onto his face.
Only when he snapped out of that emotion did his movements suddenly halt, and his voice even dropped a few octaves:
"Yahiko, I'm sorry."
"I didn't mean to."
Hearing his subdued tone, Yahiko, whose arm had been flung away, seemed to suddenly realize something and stared at him blankly.
After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice somewhat low:
"Did something happen?"
"…"
Nagato was silent for a few seconds, opening his mouth with some difficulty.
But in the end, he couldn't bear to tell Yahiko the 'truth' he had imagined.
After a long while, he finally heard him say:
"I don't know either."
Seeing his heavyhearted expression, even though Yahiko himself felt a leaden weight in his heart, he still managed a faint smile:
"Well, then, let's wait until Zetsu comes back to talk about it."
"Speaking of which, how is he?"
"…Sorry."
Nagato also didn't know.
He hoped he could escape from Sawara Kiri's hands.
As he thought, he unconsciously clenched his fists.
In that memory fragment, the scene of Sawara Kiri defeating him in one blow, like a deity, left too profound an impression, so much so that Nagato even felt a sense of powerlessness that he couldn't possibly match.
This feeling was something he had never experienced since he gained the Rinnegan.
Even in the battle with Namikaze Minato, he had never harbored such a cowardly thought.
The title of the strongest in the Ninja World was truly well-deserved.
No wonder even a lunatic like Uchiha Hikari suffered a setback at this man's hands.
"Since Konan is temporarily safe, let's think about what to do next."
Nagato let out a long sigh, his expression taut as he spoke: "Do you think the power Zetsu mentioned is real?"
Seeing his stiff attempt to change the subject, the sense of heaviness in Yahiko's heart grew even more pronounced.
He knew that Nagato must have discovered some significant clue during this reconnaissance, which was why he was so deliberately avoiding topics related to Konan.
But what exactly could have happened?
Yahiko couldn't understand.
Facing Nagato's question, he could only force a smile and try his best to reassure him:
"Zetsu is in the same situation as us."
"I guess there shouldn't be a problem, right?"
His voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
After all, even he found it hard to imagine what kind of extraordinary power could exist on the desolate moon.
However, Yahiko, who hadn't met Sawara Kiri, didn't know Nagato's current feelings.
Hearing him say this, Nagato immediately felt as if he had clutched a lifeline and let out a low sigh:
"You're right."
As for Konan?
Konan could no longer be fully trusted.
"Collection Squad, there's another trace here!"
"Where are your chemical protection tools? Who told you to come in without protection!"
"The road ahead is temporarily closed. Reopening time is undetermined. Please take a detour."
"Scientific survey team, place the collected items here, and be careful!"
"Civil Engineering Squad! Where are the Civil Engineering Squad members?"
At the intersection of the first rays of morning sunlight and the dim earth, most Konoha civilians were still asleep, but the members of the scientific survey team were already busy.
The entire street in front of the Hokage Building was completely sealed off, and street vendors were guided elsewhere by the Konoha Police Force, who maintained order.
Members of the Sealing Squad and Civil Engineering Squad, rushing from afar, were swiftly moving across rooftops like fleas, even disregarding traffic rules, causing pedestrians on the ground to point and whisper.
Sawara Kiri and Orochimaru stood in the center of the battle-scarred street, watching the others busy themselves.
No, to be precise, only Sawara Kiri was idly bored.
At this moment, Orochimaru, as if he had found some rare treasure, picked up his portable scientific Ninja tools right there on the street and began to research the fragments of dark matter that, though shattered, still seemed alive.
He occasionally gasped, his pale face showing an excitement rarely seen before.
Not only Black Zetsu's body, but also the Chakra traces left by Nagato's Wood Clone were collected by numerous Ninja of the scientific survey team and piled up at a designated storage area by the Sealing Squad.
"Where on earth did you find something like this?"
Only after the initial round of testing was complete did Orochimaru look up, his face flushed, and ask Sawara Kiri.
How could this kid always encounter such outrageous things that he, Orochimaru, would rarely see in his entire life?
For a researcher, Sawara Kiri's 'bad luck' was his greatest treasure.
"I can't decide such things myself, Lord Orochimaru."
Sawara Kiri said with a wry smile.
After all, he couldn't very well say that he was a transmigrator who knew the plot and had been eyeing Kaguya's third son ever since he captured Konan, could he?
It was just a pity that he couldn't achieve complete success.
"Can you tell what this is?" Sawara Kiri asked while speaking, "Although a part of it escaped, the sealing properties and abnormal Chakra characteristics of this body itself should have some research value."
Although Black Zetsu's own strength was not great, there were truly very few substances in this world that could withstand the spatial properties of Limitless and still manage to seal him for several minutes.
Sawara Kiri's title of 'strongest in the world' wasn't just for show.
Only this kind of unconventional 'enemy from above' could pose a certain threat to him.
"I don't know."
Orochimaru shook his head, his tone full of excitement: "However, this highly dense and stable physical and chemical Chakra property cannot be achieved even by Ōnoki's Dust Release."
"Perhaps, only Chakra beings like Tailed Beasts can compare to it, or even fall short."
"I have a premonition that this should be a higher form of Chakra than Tailed Beasts."
"That is, All-Encompassing Bloodline!"
By the end of his words, Orochimaru's tone was excited to the point of fanaticism.
For a researcher who attempts to acquire all knowledge in the world throughout their life, what could be more appealing than a substance that already contains all the truths of the world?
"Tell me the truth, did you encounter 'those guys' again?"
When Orochimaru said this, he even subconsciously grabbed Sawara Kiri's arm.
Sawara Kiri didn't mind the slight impulsiveness of this top Konoha scientist and joked: "If it were 'those guys,' what you're seeing now wouldn't just be this small scene."
"You're right."
Helplessly, Orochimaru finally let go of his hand, letting out a long sigh as if greatly disappointed.
"Alright, you go back first."
"I'll watch over things here, no need to worry."
"However, you'll have to wait a while for the relevant results."
Orochimaru seemed to be caught in some kind of happy dilemma, remarking with emotion: "There are too many projects lately, and my time is getting a bit overbooked."
"Even that child Kimimaro hasn't recovered yet."
"It's fine." Sawara Kiri didn't seem to mind, "You'll just have to work hard for a while."
He had always held sufficient respect for such explorers on the path of humanity.
This had nothing to do with the level of strength.
Orochimaru himself cared even less about this minor matter.
After saying what needed to be said, he continued to direct others to transport the materials sealed in capsules back.
As the personnel gradually gathered, Sawara Kiri stood on the street, and as if suddenly sensing something, he turned his head behind him.
Then, he saw Konan, who had appeared at the Hokage Building entrance at some unknown point, staring blankly at him.
Sawara Kiri gave her a gentle smile, then turned and walked towards his home, as if he didn't care at all.
Konan stood rooted to the spot until all the members of the scientific survey team had left, the sealed street reopened, the surrounding crowd gradually thickened, the Hokage Building was quickly repaired by the Civil Engineering Squad members, and the entrance once again bustled with people.
Only then did she turn around in a daze, following muscle memory towards the direction of her 'home'.
As a prisoner clearly in a period of re-education through labor, she naturally couldn't live with Sawara Kiri, and Sawara Kiri himself didn't have time to trick her every day.
Her assigned residence was a 'single cell' near the Hokage Building—in reality, it was a former Hidden Mist spy safe house.
Due to multiple experiences of being led to escape and then return by Kyōka Suigetsu, Konan had long given up the idea of escaping alone while her Chakra was sealed.
Although she had started to suspect as soon as Nagato appeared.
However, it wasn't until she personally saw the lingering battle traces on Konoha's streets, the repaired Hokage Building, and Sawara Kiri's indifferent expression that Konan clearly realized…
Everything she experienced last night was not Kyōka Suigetsu.
This time, Nagato and the others truly came to rescue her.
It wasn't until she returned to the small house, closed the door, and confined herself to the narrow space that Konan's brain seemed to suddenly unlock.
A torrent of thoughts continuously flooded her mind.
It's over.
This time it's real.
How is Nagato now?
I didn't see his corpse just now, did he escape?
Did Yahiko come too?
What will they think? Will they think I've betrayed them?
That puddle on the ground just now must have been Zetsu, right?
Is he dead?
It's all, all Sawara Kiri's fault! It's because I fell for Kyōka Suigetsu's tricks so many times, that's why—
Will they still come to rescue me? Will it be fake again?
What should I do?
Konan hugged her knees, curled up in the shadow of the bed shielded by curtains, her mind filled with chaotic thoughts.
The intense sense of contradiction suddenly generated strong self-denial, and she even felt a faint urge to vomit.
When she was captured, she had clearly never thought of Yahiko and Nagato coming to rescue her; in fact, she wished they would just assume she was dead.
But now, just thinking about her complete distrust and her delayed reaction until the very end, Konan's heart involuntarily began to tremble, as if she had done something wrong.
But as she thought, Konan's thoughts began to shift uncontrollably again.
Her memory's perspective inexplicably returned to the office last night.
It lingered on the moment she cried out 'No,' and Sawara Kiri turned his head, his azure eyes meeting hers.
—At that moment, did Sawara Kiri stop his pursuit because of me?
This brief memory, combined with the highly self-hypnotic impulsive thought, made Konan feel as if she had suddenly grasped a lifeline, replaying it repeatedly in her mind.
As if this could free her from that intense guilt.
'Does Sawara Kiri truly value me that much?'
This thought, carrying a hint of doubt, was immediately suppressed by her instinct as soon as it arose.
'Yes.'
'He values my existence very much.'
Konan subconsciously kept telling herself this.
She didn't know why such self-comforting thoughts arose deep within her, or why she felt better because of them.
If she had some understanding of Stockholm Syndrome, she might then comprehend this self-protective impulse originating from the body under immense physiological and psychological stress.
But unfortunately, she didn't understand it very well.
Naturally, Konan also couldn't perceive that her mindset was pushing her step by step towards the abyss named 'Sawara Kiri'.
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