Deep within Amegakure's tallest tower, the light was dim and the air heavy with moisture.
Rainwater seeped through cracks in the ceiling and trickled slowly down the walls, gathering into thin streams across the stone floor.
In the darkness, a gaunt figure sat beneath an enormous mechanical apparatus.
His emaciated body had almost become one with the complex network of tubes surrounding him.
Long orange hair hung across most of his face, but his Rinnegan gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the gloom.
It was Nagato.
Konan stood silently beside him.
Her blue hair drifted gently in the breeze, and the folded paper flower in her hair trembled slightly.
Her gaze seemed to penetrate the tower's many walls as she stared at the distant sky, illuminated by the flames of battle.
Her dark orange eyes were filled with concern.
Firelight flickered behind the curtain of rain, while the distant explosions sounded faint and muffled.
"Nagato, are you certain you can handle so many powerful enemies at once?"
Her voice was soft, almost as though she feared disturbing something, but her concern was unmistakable.
"Hmph…"
Nagato suddenly sneered.
His smile carried an arrogance that placed him above everyone else.
"None of the villages sent their Kage. They only sent a few jōnin."
His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest in a slow, steady rhythm, as though he were playing a melody only he could understand.
"Kakashi from Konoha, Darui from Kumogakure, Akatsuchi from Iwagakure…"
"They may have impressive reputations, but before me, they're no different from ants."
"Oh, the Two-Tails' jinchūriki and the One-Tail's jinchūriki are here as well. This is the perfect opportunity to recover their tailed beasts."
Konan frowned slightly.
She certainly believed in Nagato's strength.
The power of the Rinnegan was unrivaled, and the Six Paths of Pain seemed impossible to overcome.
But that Kazekage…
She remembered Teizawa's unfathomable eyes.
She remembered his bizarre abilities.
Most of all, she remembered the terrifying amount of intelligence he possessed about Akatsuki.
She had never encountered anyone like him.
Nor had she ever felt this uneasy before.
That man seemed to know everything.
The thought left a persistent sense of foreboding in her heart.
He was simply too strange—and far too dangerous.
"He destroyed my paper clone," Konan said, her voice strained. "That Kazekage is extremely unusual. He seems to know our abilities inside and out."
After a brief pause, she added, "He didn't come here merely to test us. He came specifically for us."
Nagato's brow shifted slightly.
Of course he knew Teizawa had come for Akatsuki.
That name had been placed on his blacklist the moment he persuaded Deidara and Sasori to betray the organization.
A man capable of stealing away Akatsuki's core members, publicly auctioning a tailed beast, and uniting the Five Great Ninja Villages in an assault against Amegakure…
Such a person was either insane or truly dangerous.
"Hmph…"
Nagato snorted and stared into the darkness beyond the window, shrouded beneath the rain.
"I knew this day would come from the moment Deidara and Sasori betrayed us."
"The man calling himself Madara said he would handle it."
He paused, a mocking curve appearing on his lips.
"But judging by the current situation… Hmph."
Konan knew exactly whom he meant.
The masked man who called himself Madara.
He always hid in the shadows and never fought openly.
He had promised to deal with Sunagakure.
He had promised to silence that Kazekage.
He had promised to resolve every problem.
But what had actually happened?
White Zetsu clones had disappeared one after another.
The masked man himself hadn't even appeared recently.
They didn't know whether he had taken any action at all.
Now the Kazekage had already united powerful shinobi from the great villages and brought them straight to Amegakure's doorstep.
What exactly was that man calling himself Madara doing?
Was he taking this matter seriously at all?
Or had he simply been using Akatsuki, using Nagato, and using everyone else from the very beginning?
"Should we call Itachi and Kisame back?" Konan suggested.
Itachi and Kisame were among Akatsuki's strongest combatants.
If they could return to provide support, the situation would become much easier to manage.
Nagato hesitated briefly before shaking his head.
"There's no need. Itachi…"
He did not finish, but Konan understood what he meant.
Itachi was a rogue ninja from Konoha.
However, no one could be certain how loyal he truly was to Akatsuki.
His reason for joining the organization had always been a mystery.
The secrets hidden within his Sharingan were no fewer than those concealed by the masked man.
Allowing him to participate in this battle would be equivalent to exposing Akatsuki's most important secrets before him.
The risk was too great.
"Don't worry…"
Nagato's voice returned to its usual calm arrogance.
"They're merely a handful of shinobi. I can handle them."
…
Within the shadows at the top of the tower, Obito leaned against the railing.
His exposed Sharingan watched the rain below, illuminated by the flames of battle.
His severed left arm had already been replaced using White Zetsu's cells.
However, the newly grown limb remained somewhat stiff, and a dull pain ran through his fingers whenever he clenched his fist.
Teizawa's slash had cut deeply.
It had nearly severed his entire shoulder.
White Zetsu's cells could regenerate limbs, but the process required time and a considerable amount of chakra.
Black Zetsu emerged halfway from the floor. No emotion could be seen on his twisted face.
"Are we really not going to help?"
His voice was low and hoarse, like frigid air seeping from deep underground.
Obito shook his head.
Nagato was currently at the height of his power.
The Six Paths of Pain were more than capable of crushing those jōnin.
Obito had no need to intervene.
More importantly, he shouldn't intervene.
He needed to remain hidden and wait for Teizawa to appear.
He would wait until the man who had severed his arm exposed an opening.
Then he would kill him with a single strike.
"There's something very strange about Teizawa."
Obito lowered his voice until only Black Zetsu could hear him.
"He knows all of my abilities—Kamui, Izanagi, even White Zetsu."
"I don't know where he obtained that intelligence, but he knows everything…"
"So I'll let Nagato fight him first. Then I'll find an opportunity to kill him."
Black Zetsu remained silent for a moment.
"What about Nagato? You aren't going to warn him?"
"No."
Obito shook his head, a cold glint flashing through his Sharingan.
"The less he knows, the better."
In Obito's eyes, Nagato was nothing more than one of his pawns.
Lately, however, that pawn had become increasingly difficult to control.
This was the perfect opportunity to let him suffer a little.
The rain grew heavier.
Across the different battlefields, Nagato's Six Paths of Pain overwhelmed the elite shinobi from every village.
Obito remained hidden in the darkness like a venomous snake waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Meanwhile, Teizawa and Mei were rapidly approaching the tower.
(End of Chapter)
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