Beneath her pale lavender eyeshadow, Konan's amber eyes fixed on Obito.
With a teasing tone, she said,
"So… even the face under your mask can show this kind of awkward expression?"
"By the way, should I call you Madara… or Tobi?"
"…"
Obito stood there stiffly, completely unable to respond.
Back then, the battle of the Paper Sea in Amegakure…
Without exaggeration, it had been the closest he had ever come to death.
On the surface, he had looked calm and in control.
But even now, thinking back on it made cold sweat run down his spine.
Six hundred billion explosive tags…
And she had rehearsed it several times.
This woman's methods were simply insane.
If she had been even more obsessive and pushed it to a trillion…
Obito would've been reduced to dust long ago.
No—probably not even dust.
He would've been completely erased.
"Oh?" Madara crossed his arms, lips curling upward, clearly enjoying the show.
So that girl was someone Obito had tricked while pretending to be me…
Judging from his guilty face, she must've gotten revenge too.
Interesting.
"Auntie Konan~~!"
Yue's childish voice suddenly rang out.
Obito felt as if he had been granted amnesty.
Konan lowered her gaze.
Looking at the little head rubbing against her waist, she gently stroked Yue's neat bangs and smiled.
"It's been half a year, hasn't it? You've grown taller, Yue."
"Heehee! My goal is to be as tall as you someday, Auntie!"
"Then you have to listen to your parents and eat well, okay? Proper nutrition is important~."
Kaori stepped forward and handed over a beautifully wrapped gift box.
"Sister Konan, this is a little souvenir for you~"
Then she leaned in and whispered,
"It's the latest model, not available on the market. Akira got it through internal channels. The effect is amazing. Try it when you get back…"
Konan's eyes lit up.
"Oh~! This is too precious!"
"Sigh, Akira rarely comes here. You've been handling everything in Anyin."
"This is just a small token of appreciation—something for beauty and health."
"Then I'll gladly accept it."
Konan took the gift and nodded to Akira.
"I still need to discuss funding with Kakuzu."
"So I won't disturb your outing."
"Please, take these two… distinguished guests and show them around."
Akira smiled and nodded.
"Mm. Go ahead."
"Rustle—"
Konan spread her arms and dissolved into countless paper sheets.
"Hah…"
Only then did Obito finally relax.
He turned to Akira with a blank expression.
"Little brother… explain."
Akira patted his shoulder.
"Come. Let's walk and talk."
They followed a shaded path.
"In fact, you probably guessed already."
"When you fought Konan, my brother and I were there."
"After she died, you reversed her time with Yumotaryu, didn't you?"
Akira's gaze drifted into memory.
"Yes. But back then, my power was limited."
"I could only rewind three minutes."
"After you escaped with Izanagi, you pierced her with black rods."
"Then you talked and fought for over five minutes."
"Even rewinding couldn't restore her uninjured state."
"And…"
He paused.
"Time reversal can't undo mental states."
"The genjutsu you used to interrogate her caused severe psychological trauma."
"Combined with her wounds, she was on the brink of death."
"And neither my brother nor I specialized in medical ninjutsu."
Obito asked quietly,
"Then how did she survive?"
Akira still remembered watching her bleed endlessly into the water.
Helpless.
He hadn't wanted her to die.
"My brother had a sudden idea."
"He suggested amplifying my ability."
Obito realized at once.
"Ah… that dojutsu you used to boost Edo Tensei on me and Madara."
Akira nodded.
"Exactly."
"'Overcompensation' was unlocked then."
"Yumotaryu's deeper ability—"
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"Time freeze…"
"Correct."
"In simple terms, it stops an individual's time flow."
"Like this."
Akira stopped beside a paulownia tree.
He placed his hand on its bark.
Crimson light erupted from both eyes.
"Mitobane·Yumotaryu!"
"Crack—crack—"
Frost spread from his palm.
Across trunk, branches, and leaves.
Movement froze instantly.
Even where ice hadn't reached yet.
Ten seconds later…
The entire tree was sealed in absolute stillness.
With a soft crack, it vanished in cold mist.
Leaving a deep pit behind.
Akira withdrew his hand.
"That's time freeze."
"Maintain contact for ten seconds."
Madara reflected.
Ten seconds of contact…
Almost impossible in real combat.
Unless the enemy was fully restrained.
He asked,
"Where did the tree go?"
"To the Doryu Time Zone."
"You've been there."
"Oh. That white space with grid-like rooms."
"Yes. Those rooms store frozen objects."
Madara lowered his gaze.
"Wait, Akira…"
"Isn't this strange?"
"If this is an overcompensation effect…"
"Why does the Time Zone already exist in your eyes?"
Akira sighed.
As expected of Madara.
He noticed the flaw instantly.
"I've thought about it too."
"I don't understand it either."
Madara's mind flashed.
A hypothesis formed.
Maybe time freeze had always existed…
Just not within the Mangekyō's category.
Mitobane merely unlocked it early.
If that were true…
Then after Akira awakened the Rinnegan…
And amplified it again…
It might go even further.
Only time would tell.
Obito returned to his main concern.
"After you froze Konan… then what?"
Akira resumed walking.
"She was preserved in a dying state."
"Normal medics couldn't save her."
"We needed someone who could."
"Fast."
Obito thought.
"There are very few such people."
"And none you could approach openly."
Akira's eyes darkened.
"Exactly."
"That's why Kotoamatsukami exists."
"To be honest…"
"Two of the Legendary Sannin are under it."
"I didn't enslave them."
"I only set conditions."
"They won't obstruct me."
"And will help when necessary."
"That's all."
Obito asked,
"Did you use it on Konan?"
"No."
Akira smiled.
Obito thought silently.
Interesting…
Before dying, she'd declared herself darkness and Naruto hope…
Yet she still chose you.
He didn't press further.
Partly because he didn't want to dwell on Konan.
Partly because something else came to mind.
The Legendary Sannin…
Which reminded him of another battle in Amegakure.
"The last one…"
"He sank into the Rain Village's sea."
"Akira."
"He isn't here too, is he?"
They turned a corner.
Jiraiya…
Akira smiled faintly.
And spoke.
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