When Setsuna led the Akatsuki's members and the Iwagakure's captives back to the base in the Land of Grass, what greeted their eyes was a shocking sight.
The once orderly tents were scattered everywhere, the ground covered with huge claw marks and craters.
The air was filled with the smell of scorching and blood, black smoke still rising from several campfires in the distance.
Medical-Nin moved among them, bandaging the wounds of injured Ninja.
"Onoki has been here." As soon as Rasa saw Setsuna, he hurried over to meet him. His usually neat clothes were now covered in dust. "Just three hours ago, they launched a surprise attack."
Setsuna frowned tightly: "What about Kitsuchi and the other captives?"
"They were all rescued by him." Rasa's face was grim. "Onoki led the team personally. Their actions were extremely swift. After succeeding, they withdrew immediately, not engaging with us at all."
"Never expected to be outmaneuvered by him this time." Setsuna was quite surprised. He thought he had anticipated Iwagakure's move to recruit Amegakure, but it seemed Onoki had in turn anticipated his actions.
"But, was it really worth it?" Setsuna shook his head slightly. Trading one group of captives for another, the only difference being the important hostage changed from Kitsuchi to the Four-Tails' Jinchuriki.
From the perspective of a successor, it was certainly worth it. But how other Ninja would view this issue was hard to say.
Minato's gaze swept over the camp, his clear blue eyes filled with doubt: "Rasa-sama, you still had eight thousand Ninja stationed here. How could...?"
"It wasn't Onoki." Rasa suddenly interrupted, his voice carrying a trace of barely detectable fear. "This devastation was caused by a monster that appeared later."
"What monster?" Pakura couldn't help but ask.
Rasa took a deep breath, as if recalling something terrifying: "A black monster that could speak human language, about as big as a Tailed Beast, with four very sharp fangs. It said we had released its prey, and then it began slaughtering indiscriminately."
"That monster's body was clearly huge, yet our attacks just couldn't hit it." A Sunagakure's Jonin interjected, his right arm wrapped in thick bandages. "It was as if… it always knew in advance where we were going to attack."
"That monster could also fly, and its Chakra was terrifyingly vast." A Konoha's Jonin added.
Hearing their descriptions, Setsuna was inwardly astonished and suspicious: 'Could it be that monster called 'Satori' from the Box of Ultimate Bliss in Hozuki Castle?'
'But this made no sense at all. In the original story, the Box of Ultimate Bliss needed to absorb Chakra on the level of Naruto's to open. Without a Jinchuriki, even sacrificing all the prisoners in Hozuki Castle shouldn't be enough to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss, right?'
"Thanks to the Uchiha Clan's head." Rasa's tone became complicated. "At the critical moment, he used an indescribable power, transforming into a purple giant. Just standing there gave an immense sense of pressure."
"Huh?" Setsuna was even more bewildered, 'Was this reasonable? Since when could Uchiha Fugaku awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan?'
'Why did the plot progression seem less and less understandable?'
Rasa forced a bitter smile: "Konoha truly has an abundance of talent."
He had once overestimated himself, wanting to invade Konoha. Now it seemed that even without Setsuna taking action, just the power Fugaku displayed would be enough to kill him.
Setsuna looked around and asked: "Where is Fugaku?"
"His son was eaten by that monster. He chased after it to seek revenge." Rasa said rather sorrowfully. If it were his own son eaten by a monster, he would probably be just as enraged, right?
'Ah? Uchiha Itachi is just gone like that?' Setsuna felt a moment of dizziness. Now he understood why Fugaku could awaken the Mangekyo.
'Could it really be due to the butterfly effect I brought about? I don't think I did anything particularly special, did I?' Setsuna felt somewhat guilty. He had only destroyed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen formation, annihilated Sunagakure, killed Kakuzu, killed Hanzo, and prevented the Akatsuki from turning dark.
All in all, Itachi's death should have nothing to do with him… right?
'Wait, why am I feeling guilty?' Setsuna quickly snapped out of it. After all, for the Uchiha Clan, this was a good thing. Fugaku should even thank him.
"Which direction did they go?" Setsuna asked.
"Southwest." Rasa pointed with his finger.
Following the direction Rasa pointed, Setsuna transformed into a streak of white light and shot off.
Several kilometers away in the forest, a purple Susanoo was locked in combat with a pitch-black behemoth.
The black monster was massive, its two feet even gripping a huge box, yet its movements were extremely agile, almost as if it were toying with its opponent.
"Damn beast, give me back my Itachi!" Fugaku screamed, nearly insane.
"You know what? Everyone I eat, their memories become one with mine. But in that little one's thoughts, I couldn't sense any emotion towards you at all. It was like you were a stranger." Satori taunted mockingly.
'Damn it! Haven't I already awakened the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan? I should have reached the same height as Uchiha Madara! Why can't I even defeat a monster!' Blood streamed from the corners of Fugaku's eyes as he pushed his Ocular Power again. 'I have no choice but to use the other power housed within the Mangekyo: Amaterasu!'
Black flames fell upon the pitch-black monster, causing it to let out a piercing shriek.
"What are these flames? Why can't they be extinguished!" Satori howled in agony.
Fugaku, covering his eyes, laughed maniacally: "Amaterasu is an inextinguishable black flame. It will cling to you until the moment you die."
"Haha, just kidding! You actually believed that?" Satori sneered, severing its own arm that was tainted with the black flames.
The next moment, another arm sprouted from its body.
"How can this be?" Fugaku couldn't believe his eyes, 'Amaterasu was countered just like that?'
"Heheh, you wasted one of my arms. I'll make up for my loss with your Chakra!" Satori's gaze was greedy. The Chakra in those eyes was simply too tempting.
"You deliberately lured me out here?" Fugaku felt his limbs turn cold.
"Obviously. Did you really think I was afraid of these eyes of yours?" Satori chuckled, launching attacks from various angles.
Fugaku, already nearing his limit, was toyed with from all sides, his Susanoo on the verge of shattering.
"Come, don't resist. Become one with me, just like your son-"
Just as Satori opened its bloody maw, ready to devour Fugaku, a blue-white energy beam violently blasted it away.
Satori let out a piercing screech, as its newly regenerated arm was shattered once again.
It stared in horror towards Setsuna's direction, 'This human actually harbored no fear whatsoever in his heart, not even the fear of death that all living beings possess.'
Without fear, Satori couldn't predict the trajectory of Setsuna's attacks.
"Chiaki Setsuna! Chiaki Setsuna!" Satori roared once, then turned and fled, vanishing over the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Setsuna was left dumbfounded, 'Why was this monster so cowardly, running away the moment it saw me?'