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"Enemy attack—!"
Almost the moment the alarm sounded, Zetsu and Nagato heard the crisp sound of blades being drawn from all directions, and dense footsteps like drumbeats pounded in their hearts, incredibly fast.
Not only the Anbu hidden throughout the Hokage Building, but even the barrier itself, which had long been operating at low power, began to change.
The originally transparent and invisible barrier circle changed color the moment Zetsu stepped through the door, turning into a light blue membrane in their vision, enveloping the entire Hokage Building.
At the same time, Black Zetsu also keenly noticed that his black and white body, under the interference of this visible barrier, was stained with a luster like a raincoat, making it impossible to hide even in the shadows, like a small player marked with a red name in a game.
"What is this thing?!"
Without time to think, Black Zetsu's body suddenly dove down, instantly burrowing underground.
Just as he was about to flee outwards, he saw two full teams of Anbu Ninja rushing towards him with swords drawn, forming an arc that completely enveloped the empty space at the entrance of the Hokage Building, rapidly contracting like a net.
Left with no choice, he immediately turned and rushed deeper into the Hokage Building.
However, even so, the pursuing forces came one after another.
It was only because this newly built Hokage Building covered a vast area and the Zetsu Spore Technique was flexible enough that Black Zetsu's figure was able to continuously shuttle through the shadows.
But, he suddenly discovered that this fluorescent-like outer layer on him not only marked his position but also had some guiding effect for Perception Ninja.
"Over there!"
With just one shout, three or four Anbu Ninja behind him clung tightly to his footsteps.
Asuma wore a mask and an Anbu uniform, his sharp gaze piercing through the mask, tightly following the figure enveloped in 'Chakra fluorescence', his footsteps quickening as he pursued.
Unlike his peers who were still enjoying the Genin game, Asuma, bearing the name of the previous Hokage's son and having a reason to become strong, had been transferred by Lord Fourth from his squad to the Hokage's direct Anbu team shortly after graduating from the Ninja Academy, beginning to perform missions as an Anbu member and becoming a shadow protecting this Village.
Although he might not be as strong as Kakashi and others in terms of raw power, in terms of being a Ninja, he was already far beyond what those students of the same age could compare to.
Perhaps because he was too young when his biological father, Sarutobi Hiruzen, became a vegetable, he hadn't formed a complete impression, only leaving the impression of 'he was a responsible Hokage who fought fiercely against his enemies until this point.' He also continuously moved towards the image of 'father' and 'Hokage' in his heart.
Therefore, at this point in time, Asuma's performance was almost completely opposite to that in the original work.
In the words of Lord Fourth Hokage, this was a child with Hokage-level thinking.
"Wind Release: Shave!"
The Chakra flames that suddenly erupted multiple times from his feet supported Asuma's body like thrusters, allowing his slender physique to catch up to the fluorescent-wrapped shadow at an incredibly fast speed.
Several shuriken shot out swiftly, drawing continuous lines in mid-air, bending to pin down Black Zetsu's path.
However, the escape ability of an old fox who had been lurking in the Ninja World for a thousand years was beyond what this little guy could imagine.
With just two or three swift evasions, the shadow weaved through the dense net of shuriken.
Just as a subtle sneer inadvertently appeared on Black Zetsu's face, in his peripheral vision, he saw the kid behind him suddenly raise a strange 'L'-shaped device from his waist.
"Secret Art: Eight Consecutive Sealing Shots!"
"Bang bang bang bang bang—!"
Deafening roars sounded in Black Zetsu's ears, and the surging fire from the device's muzzle lit up the dark corridor inside the Hokage Building, as copper-surfaced bullets, intricately etched with sealing patterns, flew towards Black Zetsu's rushing path at supersonic speeds impossible to catch with the naked eye.
He instinctively dodged them one by one as before.
In fact, upon realizing that this loud projectile only had this level of power, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
However, when those bullets landed on the ground.
He saw that on the ground, walls, and ceiling planes, centered on the bullet impact points, a large expanse of deep sealing marks spread out like ink, and even the surrounding space seemed to be interfered with, causing Black Zetsu to feel a clear obstruction.
'What is this thing?!'
In that instant of hesitation, Asuma had already thrown away the empty gun in his hand.
He ignored the pain in his wrist from the intense recoil and, with a cold expression, completed the hand signs even faster.
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
A sudden gush of wind carried large amounts of Chakra-infused ash, sweeping through the entire corridor, surging like mist and filling everyone's vision.
The next moment, with a sudden burst of light, this large cloud of dust exploded.
The entire corridor surged and rolled like waves, and intense high temperatures, carrying fragments of wall plaster and floor, shattered and surged forward.
"Got him!"
The high-temperature air blew back on the young man's mature face, but Asuma showed no sign of discomfort, instead his face was filled with excitement.
However, the Perception Ninja squad leader, who had been by his side, showed a puzzled expression after placing his hands on the ground.
"Incorrect."
"No corpse."
Asuma beside him couldn't help but be startled.
The Anbu squad leader, however, paid no mind to his feelings and loudly said to the surrounding squad members:
"Everyone! Expand the search area!"
"That guy must still be inside the building's barrier; dig three feet deep and drag him out for me."
"Yes!"
The surrounding squad members responded in unison.
Only Asuma's expression darkened slightly.
A move that should have been fatal, but because its spread was too wide, it instead provided him with cover for escape?
I've caused trouble for everyone again.
The young man followed behind the other team members, sighing in his heart.
Father.
How far is the distance between you and me?
Just as he was sighing in his heart, the squad leader in front suddenly perked up and shouted: "Chakra fluorescence detected! He went to the fourth floor!"
"Pursue!"
Hearing the command, Asuma quickly reined in his emotions and followed closely behind the team with swift steps.
It wasn't until the footsteps from above gradually faded that Zetsu, lurking underground, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"What was that thing just now?"
Nagato, hidden within Zetsu's body, asked with a frown.
He had never seen such a tracking method in his life.
If it weren't for Zetsu's quick thinking, taking advantage of the cover from that Fire Release Ninjutsu to swiftly transfer the outermost skin in the form of White Zetsu, they probably wouldn't have escaped.
Even a monster like Zetsu struggled so much; if it were him...
Nagato tried to put himself in Zetsu's shoes.
No matter how he thought about it, he felt that this infiltration would definitely turn into a forced entry.
"Who knows, it's definitely something that monster Sawara Kiri came up with," Black Zetsu muttered to himself.
"Hey, kid."
"It's not too late for us to leave now."
Hearing him say that, Nagato's expression changed again, and he said firmly: "Since we're already exposed, why don't we just go directly and get Konan out!"
"If Sawara Kiri is really here, he should have come out as soon as we broke into the Hokage Building!"
"Since he hasn't now, how can we miss this opportunity?"
Although Black Zetsu scoffed at this idea in his heart and had no intention of explaining how difficult it would be to force their way through Konoha's blockade with another person, the ease with which they shook off the pursuers inside the Hokage Building made him involuntarily entertain some suicidal thoughts.
What if, he was just saying what if.
Sawara Kiri, perhaps, wasn't as omnipotent as he imagined?
Black Zetsu himself actually wanted to test it out.
Supported by this thought, the two, enveloped in the Zetsu Spore Technique, slowly avoided the encirclement of everyone in the entire building, continuously shuttling along shadows, and gradually arrived at a room on the top floor of the Hokage Building, following the Chakra guidance Nagato provided.
Through Black Zetsu's body, Nagato looked out and could just see an office where the lights were still on.
This faint light, at this moment, seemed to ignite the hope in his heart, causing Nagato's heartbeat to quicken a few beats.
His intuition told him that Konan was here now.
However, Black Zetsu seemed to have discovered something, and a sense of vigilance inexplicably rose in his heart.
Something's not quite right.
The commotion downstairs was so loud, why was this floor so quiet?
But they had already come this far; if Black Zetsu suddenly turned and left now, Nagato's wood clone would probably go crazy on the spot.
Therefore, even though he knew something was wrong, Black Zetsu, as usual, slowly infiltrated the office that was still lit, following the shadows.
The moment the two entered the room.
They saw a tall, slender woman with short, dark blue hair, wearing only a dark, form-fitting long dress that perfectly outlined her figure and black stockings, standing quietly in front of the desk. She was currently looking at a data summary in her hand while writing and drawing on a piece of paper with a pen, seemingly recording something, her brows slightly furrowed, as if completely unaware of the sounds of battle coming from downstairs, fully concentrated.
Aside from herself, there were no other guards in the room.
Looking at Konan's current appearance, Nagato was first startled, then somewhat bewildered, and even felt a strong sense of detachment and unfamiliarity.
The three of them had known each other since childhood, but Nagato realized that this seemed to be the first time he had seen Konan dressed so maturely, even somewhat alluringly. Most of the time, she usually kept herself completely covered, let alone wearing black stockings that could only be seen in the entertainment district.
But then, a hint of sadness welled up in his heart.
Even in the office, she was forced to dress like this; Konan must have suffered a lot during this time.
They had come too late.
With this apologetic feeling, Nagato suddenly separated from Black Zetsu's body, emerging from beneath the floor.
".Konan?"
The moment she heard an unfamiliar voice, Konan, who had just been fully focused on the report in her hand, immediately reversed her grip on the steel pen, holding it like a dagger behind her back.
But the next moment, when Nagato's figure reflected in her vision, her entire being froze, as if petrified, standing still in place.
Then, as if she suddenly realized something, she immediately tugged at her loose collar with one hand and pressed down on her short skirt with the other, her gaze unnaturally averting to one side, even her voice faintly flustered:
"Na-Nagato? How are you here?!"
Her flustered and helpless demeanor was naturally interpreted by Nagato as fear and timidity after encountering unspeakable things. They had seen too many female Ninja like this who believed they could no longer return to the Village.
Nagato's sadness grew even deeper, but he had no choice but to soften his tone as much as possible, saying gently:
"Konan, it's alright now."
"Come with us."
"We're going back to the Village."
However, the moment she heard these words, Nagato saw a somewhat perplexing expression suddenly appear on Konan's face, which had just been filled with panic.
Konan first paused, then gripped the stack of documents in her hand, and finally glanced out the window behind her, her lips tightly pressed.
It's useless.
Everything since she entered Konoha had constantly made her realize this reality.
Even now, Konan couldn't confirm whether the Nagato in front of her was a real person, or another trap created for her by that bastard Sawara Kiri using "Kyōka Suigetsu," merely wanting to toy with her, or make her put on another strange outfit.
She had already experienced similar tricks three or four times in this short week.
Nagato had come to rescue her twice, Yahiko once, and even that crazy woman Uchiha Hikari, who never paid her any mind, had come to save her once.
As a result, Konan's heart was even somewhat numb at this moment.
Moreover, even if it were real... how far could they escape?
Konan still remembered the 'crystal ball' that could see the past and future, which she had seen in Sawara Kiri's hands when she was first imprisoned.
Besides that.
She hadn't yet learned Sawara Kiri's methods for governing the Village.
If she continued as before, how long would it take to achieve her ideals?
After trying to let people achieve the peace they desired through other means, Konan painfully realized that she could no longer continue living in a daze as before.
She couldn't bear it, and also felt a bit of self-abandonment.
With various thoughts intertwined, Konan's brain gradually cooled down from the overheating of seeing Nagato again.
All of this was probably another one of Sawara Kiri's 'games', wasn't it?
Konan stood there, staring at Nagato with the same indifferent gaze she usually directed at Sawara Kiri, and slowly exhaled.
That chilling gaze made Nagato realize for the first time that the distance between him and her had suddenly become so vast.
"Konan?"
Nagato asked, bewildered.
The next moment, he heard Konan speak coldly:
"Sorry, Nagato."
"I have a reason not to leave."
In an instant, Nagato froze in place, staring at Konan in her alluring OL attire, stunned for a long time.
At a loss.
How did things turn out this way?
What had happened to Konan during this period?
"Konan!"
Just as he was about to speak further, a light footsteps sounded in his ears.
Sawara Kiri's figure slowly stepped out from behind Konan, and under Nagato's shocked gaze, he naturally wrapped his arm around the girl's waist, his tone gentle:
"Well."
"She said so, you know."
Konan's body merely paused for a moment before she was naturally encircled in his embrace, appearing even somewhat as if it were a matter of course.
Nagato watched this scene, his footsteps frozen in place, even his arms trembling uncontrollably. He bit down hard on his teeth, taking a deep breath, and from the deepest part of his throat, a voice seemed to squeeze out, carrying an unprecedented fury:
"Sa-wa-ra Ki-ri—!!"
"I'm going to kill you!"
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