The border of the Land of Fire.
A vast waterfall thundered down from the cliffs above, crashing violently into the lake below. On either side of the water stood two towering statues—weathered gray stone warriors in armor from the Warring States Era, each scarred by time and battle alike. These statues depicted the legendary founders of Konoha: the leaders of the Senju and Uchiha clans.
Senju Hashirama.
Uchiha Madara.
Their expressions were calm, serene even, as they held opposing hand seals—two halves of the "Opposition Seal," symbolizing not the clash of enemies, but the ideological conflict of comrades who once dreamed of the same village.
Uchiha Hikaru stood atop the head of Madara's stone image, facing Tendo Pain standing across from him on Hashirama's.
"Finally, you're here. I've been waiting for you for a long time, Tendo."
Hikaru had arrived half a month earlier.
Not to set a trap. Not to ambush Nagato.
He simply wanted to change the scenery and continue honing his chakra and Sage training somewhere else. Practicing day after day in the Forest of Death was too dull. A change of atmosphere wouldn't hurt, right? (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
So for the past half month, Hikaru sat atop Uchiha Madara's head every day, focusing on refining his chakra and absorbing nature energy.
Whether it was the environment or the stone effigy of Madara beneath him, he found his chakra refinement speed increase by nearly ten percent, and his absorption of natural chakra became noticeably smoother.
Just like that, Hikaru and Saya had spent half a month here—carefree days of sparring, training beneath the waterfall, and… occasionally playing in the water together like overly affectionate lovebirds (⁄⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄⁄).
Hikaru had taught Saya more than a few "useful" postures—oh wait, he meant training stances. Probably. Maybe.
Today, however, Hikaru had stopped his training early. He sat at Madara's stone crown, waiting.
Nagato, through Tendo Pain, stared at Uchiha Hikaru. It was their first time meeting in person, yet the impression was unforgettable—Hikaru's youthful, sharply handsome appearance, his tall figure, and his calm, collected aura.
Though Hikaru only looked about twenty, something about him—the intensity, the presence—made Nagato instinctively feel he was one of the strongest shinobi alive.
But that thought vanished quickly. Nagato reassured himself:
It's fine. I'm using Tendo Pain. Even if I'm not as handsome or charming as him… the difference is barely noticeable.
Thank you, Yahiko…
"Since you're here," Tendo Pain announced solemnly, "you've agreed to our wager."
"It's not shameful to lose. What's shameful is running away afterward."
"You know exactly what I mean."
His tone carried the weight of a self-proclaimed god—"I alone stand above the world," "kami da," and all that exaggerated dramatism.
Hikaru found it… incredibly entertaining. Almost soothing.
Nagato's "righteous deity voice" rang in his ears like a flawless 36D surround performance:
"Hum↘ha↘sei~↗"
"Spicy↘stuff↘!"
"Eh~eh↗ eh~eh↗ eh~eh↗ eh~eh↗ eh↘"
Godly moans, godly shouts, godly vibes.
Amazing! Delicious! Seasoned to perfection!
Hikaru adjusted his chakra and responded by perfectly imitating Uchiha Madara's voice—micro-expressions, eye movements, tone, even the subtle arrogance—it was flawless. So flawless that Madara himself would've cried at taking second place in the "Madara Impersonation Contest."
"o ma e mo ma u ka?"
"o re ni to do ki ma senn, iya ri go to ki ga."
"As long as there is a winner, there must be a loser. The desire to preserve peace gives birth to war. Wanting to protect love creates hatred. All things are bound together by cause and effect."
"In this battle, the winner becomes the ruler, and the loser the rebel. If you lose, don't complain."
Two lines of pure, elite-level chuuni power—followed by two lines so profound they left Nagato utterly stunned.
Nagato had two thoughts:
First: I've met my own kind! A fellow stand user! A man with true Chuunibyou spirit! My destined best friend!
Second: Why can he say such cool things!? Why can't I sound that suave!? Why does this hurt so much!?
A new, primal male instinct bloomed inside Nagato—
He wanted to win.
Not for peace.
Not for the world.
But because this was now personal.
Behind Tendo Pain, Konan quietly wiped two beads of sweat from her forehead.
Why… why is Hikaru like this too…?
Yet unlike Nagato, Konan didn't feel second-hand embarrassment at Hikaru's theatrical lines.
Instead, heat bloomed under her cheeks—a desire to be overpowered, pinned down, maybe even ravaged (⁄⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄⁄).
She suppressed it quickly, but the spark remained.
In the forest around the lake, the Akatsuki had gathered. A rare group activity.
Sunflower seeds, drinks, chilled watermelon, sweet dango skewers, mineral water—everything.
Deidara had prepared snacks for himself, eager to witness either the perfect explosion or the perfect art of destruction.
When he reached for the sweet dango—his fingers found only an empty plate. Behind him:
"Bah, bah, bah~"
"Ummmmm, miamiamia~"
"This sweet dango is sooo good~, little Dudu, want one?"
"Hmph, you can't afford it."
"I didn't buy it. I just picked it up from that plate. A gift from nature, I guess."
Kakuzu suddenly snatched the two skewers from Hidan's hands. His mask lifted slightly, black tendrils of Earth Grudge Fear spread open, and he swallowed both skewers whole.
"HAHAHAHA—!"
"Yes. Truly a gift from nature. Free food always tastes best."
Biwa Juzo silently used Silent Killing to swipe a slice of watermelon while Deidara's killing intent focused on the dango thieves. He returned the rind, having eaten the entire sweet, icy center without a sound.
"Hidan! Kakuzu! You ate my favorite dango!"
"You like sticky things? Fine! I'll give you explosive clay!"
"C1—detonate!"
…
…
…
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Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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