"The battle is over…"
"Yes, thanks to our prior arrangements. Otherwise, there was no guarantee Nagato wouldn't have failed."
"Nagato was still somewhat careless. The Rinnegan isn't invincible either. If it were, why would we need to waste time accumulating power? These eyes are merely the key to open the door; they don't represent the true treasure behind it."
"No, it's more accurate to say the eyes aren't invincible in Nagato's hands. But if it were that person…"
"Ah, that person… True. These were his original eyes, after all."
"We borrowed the Demonic Statue's power this time. Setting aside the Statue's damage, could this arouse Nagato's suspicion?"
"Nagato? Heh heh, he didn't sense my presence at all. The stronger individuals are, the more they tend to believe in themselves. They're convinced they can manifest crucial power exceeding their usual limits in critical moments. If one cannot achieve self-transcendence, they cannot be called strong, can they? Nagato is like that, and so was Madara Uchiha."
There was truth to that statement. Confidence and arrogance were often separated by a razor-thin line. Take Madara Uchiha, for instance. Until Black Zetsu delivered that backstabbing blow, he remained utterly convinced that Black Zetsu was his creation, a part of his own psyche, bound to obey his every command.
Madara saw Black Zetsu as merely a tool, but in reality, the proud Madara, believing he controlled everything, was little Black Zetsu's tool.
Madara only saw the orderly inheritance recorded on his ancestral stone tablet; he never considered that the tablet had been altered by Black Zetsu from the very beginning.
Even in the previous battle, Habara himself had made the mistake of reckless advance. He saw it as a chance to eliminate Nagato once and for all, yet failed to consider Black Zetsu as a influencing factor… In truth, he was referencing the battle between Naruto and Pain, which wasn't wrong in itself, but the problem was he "referenced" it a bit too closely.
Putting aside Black Zetsu's influence, the two battles were inherently different… For the Uzumaki clan, the redder the hair, the more abundant the chakra, and the greater the combat strength.
For Nagato, continuously eroded by the Demonic Statue, being younger likely meant possessing stronger chakra.
Regardless, Habara ultimately hadn't managed to completely deplete Nagato's chakra.
"Is that so? In that case, we should hurry back to our respective posts."
"Of course, of course. We never truly left… However, before that, we still need to report this matter to Obito."
"Right. Let's go. Is there… still something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing. Just a fleeting sensation."
Black Zetsu felt that the dissipation rate of Habara's remaining chakra at the moment of death seemed unusually fast. But upon reflection, he dismissed it as an illusion… When a ninja died, their chakra naturally dispersed quickly; there was no 'fastest', only 'faster'. It was quite normal.
Zetsu concluded his "monologue." His entire figure submerged into the earth of the Land of Rivers, vanishing without a trace.
When they reappeared, they were inside a dark, gloomy cave. This was one of Uchiha Obito's numerous hiding places, and Obito was currently present.
Tap, tap. Unhurried footsteps echoed from the darkness. A faint lamp flame slowly approached Zetsu. His hoarse voice preceded his visible form, "What was the result? That Jonin Habara?"
"Dead," White Zetsu replied in a light, downward-inflected tone.
"I see. That's not unexpected. It seems Nagato's usage of the Rinnegan is quite proficient… Although, that presents another kind of trouble down the line." Uchiha Obito's tone was remarkably calm, as if he truly could predict everything flawlessly. In reality, the news Zetsu brought allowed him to breathe an inward sigh of relief.
"One couldn't quite say that. The battle process was extremely perilous. After all, the opponent was a formidable user capable of Sage Mode."
White Zetsu then proceeded to describe the previous battle to Obito. Naturally, he omitted the part involving Black Zetsu's participation, presenting it as if Nagato had defeated the enemy entirely on his own.
Obito remained silent for a good while before finally speaking, "This is fine too. We've managed to gather comprehensive intelligence regarding the Rinnegan abilities Nagato can utilize. More importantly, with that ninja dead, we can ensure the plan proceeds according to schedule. Troublesome individuals like him must eventually be eliminated one by one."
Nagato was the executor of Obito's plan, and also Obito's potential target for elimination, much like Obito was the executor of Madara's plan, and also Madara's target for elimination… This sequence of nesting dolls could even continue further.
In short, it was necessary for Obito to understand the specifics of Nagato's abilities and strength. Nagato having pushed himself to the limit and deployed all his techniques was, for Obito, a favorable outcome.
"In a certain sense, we should even thank that Konoha ninja for his performance. His death had meaning," Obito added.
"Hehe, that's rather cruel way to put it…"
Regardless, for the villains—neither cute nor charming—Habara's death was unequivocally a good thing, almost good enough to warrant celebrating with promotions and applause.
After Konan secretly returned with Nagato to Amegakure, Nagato naturally went into hiding to recuperate. His body desperately needed to recover, and his weakened state could not be witnessed by anyone.
Konan, however, had much to do. Besides temporarily handling Akatsuki's internal affairs for the incapacitated Nagato, she also had to assist with repairing and supplementing the Pain puppets. The other puppets destroyed by Habara had already been disposed of by Konan, their remains obliterated. But they wouldn't easily destroy Yahiko's body. Instead, they brought it back to Amegakure village, intending to repair it as much as possible.
Yahiko's body bore numerous injuries, the most severe being his neck, which Habara had snapped. If a living person's neck were broken, recovery would be impossible for the rest of their life. But if a corpse's neck was broken, it was a different matter entirely… The severed bones could potentially be mended using puppetry techniques and mechanisms.
After repairing the Deva Path and changing its clothes, Konan placed it in a room deep within Amegakure. She then left and ascended to the highest tower at the village's center.
This was a place strictly forbidden to ordinary Amegakure shinobi.
The Six Paths of Pain had been completely destroyed. Four new bodies were needed to replenish them. Why only four? Because one suitable body was already available… In terms of attack, defense, and overall combat potential, it was highly suitable.
After a fight, one expects some kind of drop. If there's no loot, then at the very least, the corpse should be contributed.
Habara would never defect, but Habara's body could certainly join Pain.
Konan picked up a surgical scalpel and began processing the corpse. Thinking back, a significant factor contributing to Pain's disadvantage in the battle was the immediate elimination of the Hell Path, which possessed the ability to restore the other puppets. If the Hell Path itself had possessed greater combat capabilities, the situation might have unfolded very differently; at the very least, Nagato's main body would likely not have been exposed so easily.
Following this line of reasoning, Konan's approach to processing the body wasn't merely based on the standard procedure for creating Pain puppets. She also incorporated principles for manufacturing combat puppets… much like Sasori of the Red Sand's creation of the Third Kazekage puppet.
Just as Konan was concentrating on her work, a small snake silently slithered up a pipe to the upper level of the room. Initially, it paid no attention to the corpse—studying bodies was, after all, a common occurrence. However, when it registered the identity of the corpse, it instantly froze! The small snake's body went completely rigid, nearly causing it to fall from the ceiling.
Uh… Am I seeing this right? This… You…
A thousand thoughts coalesced into a single sentence: "You had this coming?"
It should be known that Orochimaru hadn't joined Akatsuki for any so-called grand plan. His objective from the start had been those Rinnegan eyes. Given this premise, he naturally engaged in occasional minor machinations within Amegakure. Furthermore, in his quest to uncover the secrets of the organization's leader, he would secretly conduct various reconnaissance missions within the village. Today, he had finally managed to infiltrate this forbidden high tower, only to witness such a visually impactful scene.
So, Habara had kicked the bucket? Killed by the Rinnegan? The organization had only recently decided to eliminate Habara, and Habara himself had been remarkably cooperative, it seemed. 'You dare to kill me, so I dare to die,' was that it? What happened to those eyes that always seemed to see through the very essence of the ninja world? Did they fail you during the battle?
Various thoughts flooded Orochimaru's mind, but ultimately, he confirmed one thing: those Rinnegan were the real deal. The leader's strength far surpassed his previous estimations; even Habara had been easily disposed of.
However, such excellent experimental material falling into this woman's hands was truly a waste…
Orochimaru was just about to observe how Konan intended to handle the corpse when footsteps approaching from outside startled him. He suspected it might be the leader arriving. To avoid exposing himself, he had to leave at the fastest possible speed.
Although Orochimaru himself wasn't physically present, the discovery of a mere snake in such a location would immediately cast suspicion upon him. Therefore, if one wanted to frame Orochimaru within Akatsuki, the method was simple: just toss some snakes into restricted areas. Orochimaru would undoubtedly find himself unable to argue his innocence.
In reality, Orochimaru was being overly nervous. The "leader" he knew—the Deva Path Yahiko—couldn't possibly appear here at this time. The sounds he heard were actually from a team of Amegakure shinobi… Ordinary ninja were certainly forbidden here, but this team was transporting bodies this way.
Orochimaru was essentially mistaking a rope for a snake, like a startled bird frightened by the mere twang of a bowstring.
In any case, Habara's death didn't particularly concern him.
"Missing?" Tsunade's voice was filled with disbelief.
Tenzo had returned to the Land of Fire and reported the events that transpired in the Land of Rivers to the Hokage.
"Judging from the traces left at the scene, the battle must have been incredibly intense. Habara likely held the advantage at some point, but the final outcome…" Tenzo shook his head. The outcome, at the very least, was not Habara's victory.
If Habara had won, then he would have been the one cleaning up the battlefield, and he would have had no reason not to return to the village.
Tsunade studied Tenzo's expression, then said, "The outcome 'missing' is indeed not good, but you must have some faith in Habara. He's not an ordinary ninja, after all… The Rinnegan, hmm? Those are the legendary eyes belonging to the Sage of Six Paths. For such eyes to appear in the current ninja world is definitely not a good sign. Can they truly cause such immense destruction?"
Tsunade had heard of the Rinnegan, but only heard. Even she didn't know the specifics, as such eyes only appeared in the creation myths surrounding the Sage of Six Paths. To the average person, they belonged to the realm of legends and folklore.
Tenzo nodded without the slightest hesitation. Both the massive crater left on the ground and the giant sphere that had appeared in the sky testified to the enemy's power being beyond imagination.
After thinking for a moment, Tenzo explained using a more easily understandable analogy, "Although I don't know why that enemy targeted Habara, one can imagine that, based on their abilities, they are capable of destroying the entire village of Konoha with a single strike… Just one single strike."
There was no helping it; Pain's destructive power was just that straightforward and direct.
"…"
This statement silenced Tsunade. It wasn't that she didn't believe Tenzo—he had no reason to lie about such a matter. However, the description still felt somewhat incredible. Destroy Konoha in a single blow? Could that unknown enemy's strength truly rival that of her grandfather, the First Hokage? "Thinking about it this way, distributing Konoha's strength between two locations… turned out to be the correct decision, even if by accident," she couldn't help but murmur to herself afterward.
Then, she regained her composure and addressed Tenzo, "Tenzo, you will continue to be responsible for searching for Habara's whereabouts… The news of his disappearance and the intelligence you brought back are now classified as top village secrets. Besides those directly involved, only a handful of people currently know. To prevent unnecessary unrest, your mission is of paramount importance. You must act swiftly."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Tenzo nodded, accepting the assignment.
After Tenzo departed, Tsunade found herself unconsciously biting her nails. This period had truly been tumultuous; it felt as though Konoha was caught in a streak of bad luck.
The news of Habara's disappearance had to be suppressed. Activities already in motion couldn't simply stop, such as the upcoming, critically important joint Chunin Exams. However, the existence of the Rinnegan posed an undeniable, lethal threat. After some thought, Tsunade decided to summon Jiraiya—who was currently maintaining stability in Konoha—to discuss matters of village security… Faced with such a grave issue concerning the safety of the entire village, Tsunade felt she could only consult Jiraiya at this time.
Simultaneously, Daigo, aware of Habara's dire predicament, also began making corresponding preparations… Such an event naturally couldn't be hidden from her; after all, Tenzo's team had already communicated via her network when the incident occurred… The concrete manifestation was that her chakra suddenly began to flow only inwards, no longer outwards. She started accumulating power.
Daigo possessed immense faith in Habara's abilities. Even during their weakest times years ago, Habara had accomplished many incredible feats. With Habara's current strength, he absolutely shouldn't encounter any misfortune… Yet, even as Daigo continuously reassured herself, she couldn't erase the deep-seated unease lurking in the core of her being.
By the time Jiraiya traveled from Konoha to Shadow Leaf, Tsunade explained Habara's current status as missing and the extraordinary enemy he had encountered.
"Rinnegan?"
Upon hearing that Habara's attacker possessed the legendary eyes, Jiraiya abruptly fell into silence.
"What is it, Jiraiya? Do you have some clue?" Seeing Jiraiya's sudden silence, Tsunade immediately pressed him.
"No…" Jiraiya quickly shook his head. "I want to investigate the scene myself. While searching for Habara's trail, I can also look into the enemy's identity."
The word "Rinnegan" had plunged Jiraiya into memories, but he was uncertain whether those three kind children with bright ideals could possibly commit such acts… More importantly, according to intelligence gathered by Konoha, those three children had died long ago during the Great Ninja War.
Jiraiya now suspected that Nagato's Rinnegan had fallen into someone else's hands.
However, the current situation could arguably be summed up as "entirely Jiraiya's fault." If he hadn't insisted on teaching ninjutsu to children from an enemy nation, perhaps certain tragedies might have been averted… Alright, that was just a jest. Black Zetsu and Obito watching over Nagato—that was the true source of the misfortune.
Yahiko's death, too, was orchestrated by these dark hands.
Tsunade nodded. "The enemy is extraordinary. Be careful above all else. Prioritize your own safety."
At this moment, Jiraiya had no inclination for idle talk. He stated succinctly, "Relax, I know what to do."
Given the immense threat posed by the Rinnegan, it would be far too passive for Konoha to simply sit and wait. Therefore, having Jiraiya investigate the enemy's identity and origins was the correct course of action. To put it bluntly, actively seeking out the danger, even if risky, was far better than passively waiting with one's neck bared for slaughter.
Jiraiya and Tsunade conferred briefly for a little longer, after which he departed, preparing to head towards the Land of Rivers to conduct his on-site investigation.
"I wonder if you've ever heard the story of a mushroom man named Ethan? Simply put, this Ethan always believed himself to be an ordinary human, yet he had long since transformed into a mushroom man."
"I thought about it afterward. Forbidden techniques are called forbidden because they are techniques that ordinary people must not use lightly, as no one can truly ascertain the consequences of their use. To put it simply, perhaps after using certain forbidden techniques, I long ago became different from ordinary ninja, from ordinary people… So, is my fundamental essence that of a ninja, or is it chakra merely wearing a ninja's skin?"
Within the seal space created by the Eight Trigrams Seal—an ambiguous realm blurring reality and illusion—deep within its dim darkness, the form of the Nine-Tails remained prone.
Because its tail had been eroded by another consciousness and chakra, it hadn't been particularly happy lately. The opponent was like chewing gum stuck fast in its fur; the Nine-Tails simply couldn't shake it off for the time being.
However, what the Nine-Tails didn't know was that over the past day or two, subtle, imperceptible changes had occurred within the seal space.
It's common knowledge that the Eight Trigrams Seal isn't completely airtight; in fact, it possesses a 'seam'… The Eight Trigrams Seal is constructed from two Four Symbols Seals, one nested inside the other. These two seals aren't entirely isolated; rather, a gap is intentionally left between them.
This is an exceedingly rational design, intended to allow the Jinchuriki to better adapt to, and eventually utilize, the Nine-Tails' chakra. The Eight Trigrams Seal is an exceptionally sophisticated sealing method—originating from the Uzumaki clan, after all. Even with this gap, it was absolutely impossible for the Nine-Tails to break the seal from within.
The gap in the Eight Trigrams Seal was designed to channel the Nine-Tails' chakra outwards. Under normal circumstances, external chakra would never flow back into the seal. However, an abnormal situation was now unfolding.
Certain chakra had flowed back into this seal.
The Nine-Tails routinely resisted the spread of the erosion on its tail. In fact, its resistance was quite effective. Although it couldn't eradicate the intruding chakra, it consistently prevented its expansion. The two sides were currently locked in a stalemate. With its overwhelming advantage in overall chakra, the Nine-Tails held the upper hand in the situation.
Therefore, the Nine-Tails wasn't particularly anxious. It possessed infinite life; there was no need to rush things… At worst, it could simply wait until that ninja died of old age. Then wouldn't his chakra naturally dissipate? A few decades at most—a mere blink of an eye for a Tailed Beast.
But just as the Nine-Tails was adopting a somewhat complacent attitude towards this problem, the chakra erosion point on its tail suddenly intensified, its activity becoming extraordinarily violent.
This abrupt change startled the Nine-Tails. It immediately mobilized its will, concentrating its spirit to resist the intensified erosion.
This period of intense chakra activity lasted for roughly half an hour. Then, the force began to rapidly weaken, as if its source had been severed.
In an instant, the Nine-Tails understood. This wasn't the opponent launching a final, fatal blow. It was some kind of struggle. It reminded the fox of a term humans had invented—the word for a final burst of energy before death: the last radiance.
Sure enough, the seal separating their respective chakras showed signs of loosening. Even the Adamantine Sealing Chains bound around the affected tail lost their usual oppressive feeling.
"The chance to devour this chakra is almost here!"
Even the Nine-Tails could figure out what needed to be done next. As soon as that seal loosened, it had to instantly focus all its spiritual energy and, with the force of a thunderclap, swallow it whole. That would resolve the issue once and for all! A membrane as thin as paper naturally couldn't withstand the pressure of the ocean. Thump thump, thump thump. The Nine-Tails could almost feel its own heartbeat. The next moment…
The seal shattered.
The floodgates burst open! The Nine-Tails charged forward, instantly scattering the opposing chakra into disarray.
However, it failed to notice that amidst this immense torrent, a sliver of mental energy slipped upstream with the smoothness of an eel.
The seal remained open for only a fleeting instant before blinking shut once more.
Outside, the Adamantine Sealing Chains coiled tighter, layer upon layer, clamping down with deadly force as if intending to strangle the tail.
The "Nine-Tails" opened its eyes again. Its gaze held an unprecedented clarity. The original crimson depths of its pupils gradually took on a metallic, lead-like luster.
The fox turned its head. It opened its great maw, aiming directly at the sealed tail. Then, a brilliant flash of lightning, sharp as the most lethal blade, struck without hesitation, severing the tail completely.
Next, the fox spoke, its voice sounding strangely familiar, "Since you desire this chakra so intensely, then let us trade… What is mine shall be yours, and what is yours shall be mine."
As its words faded, the "Nine-Tails'" orange fur began to recede, bit by bit, replaced by a soft, pure white color.
Following this, even more chakra flowed back inwards through the gap in the Eight Trigrams Seal. It coalesced at the stump of the "Nine-Tails'" severed tail, forming a new, black appendage…
A blackness like forged iron.
The "Nine-Tails" certainly possessed a name, but that name would no longer be "Kurama."