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Staring at the puff of white smoke before him, Nagato Uzumaki's expression froze.
"Shadow Clone?!" Nagato exclaimed in disbelief.
Though the Shadow Clone Technique was famously undetectable even by the Byakugan or Sharingan, with the Rinnegan, Nagato could have spotted the telltale signs if he had been paying close attention.
But the earlier situation had been too urgent, scattering Nagato's focus to the point that he hadn't realized the figure before him was merely a clone.
Now, Nagato pushed aside his anger at being deceived and quickly began scanning the flow of chakra around him.
"Where… where did they go?! Konan, Konan, you can't be hurt!"
At this moment, Nagato had completely lost his composure. Meanwhile, Konoha's reinforcements had arrived.
The Six Paths of Pain had never been the primary target of this operation. Thus, the incoming ninja forces showed no mercy, unleashing powerful offensive jutsu without hesitation.
"Damn it!"
The Human Path attempted to evade, resist, and rescue Konan, but under the overwhelming barrage of attacks, it could only meet its end in frustration.
The abilities of the Six Paths were indeed monstrous, but once their weaknesses were exposed, they became easy to counter. This was why Maruboshi Kosuke had been assigned to restrain the Human Path from the start.
The Human Path's strength lay in its ability to directly attack souls in close combat, but long-range ninjutsu was its Achilles' heel.
"Mission objective: Konan captured."
As Yamanaka Inoichi announced the successful outcome, the command center erupted in sighs of relief, followed by cheers.
Though the intelligence operatives hadn't been on the front lines of battle, they had fulfilled their duties as intelligence ninjas.
Deep underground, Nagato's face darkened with an ominous expression.
Nagato slowly straightened his body, pulling his hands out of the stabilizers in front of him. His gaze fell blankly upon his own body.
Again…
This feeling of helplessness…
Even after turning myself into this grotesque form, must I still repeat this tragic fate?
A surge of hatred and anger flared in Nagato's eyes.
"Konoha… you've truly enraged me!"
By now, the Asura Path had returned, carrying Nagato's corpse.
"Yahiko…"
Gazing at Yahiko's lifeless body, Nagato's eyes filled with sorrow, which gradually hardened into resolve.
"I will keep my promise, Yahiko. No one will harm Konan."
Meanwhile, Konan had already been taken outside the barrier to the Konoha forces' location. She was bound by numerous seals of varying sizes.
However, since she was a key target, the Konoha shinobi didn't want her dying prematurely. They carefully treated her injuries, stabilized her condition, and then left her alone.
Regaining some clarity from her chakra exhaustion, Konan felt utterly drained, unable to move even a finger.
In her dazed state, she overheard a conversation that caught her attention.
"These enemies are monsters. Even with such detailed intel, they still managed to push Hokage-sama and the others into a tough fight."
"You're telling me. Earlier, I saw those chakra readings at the intel division—they were massive, like a tailed beast's."
"Enough, both of you. We're still on a mission. Have you forgotten the rules of a Konoha shinobi?"
"Yes, Captain! ×2"
"Keep a close eye on this target. If she dies here, none of you will escape punishment. Stay focused on your work."
"Yes ×2."
*Clatter clatter*
Amidst the sounds of equipment, Konan felt her body being moved around.
But at this moment, she paid no heed to the possibility of being violated. Her heart was consumed with worry.
"The intel has been leaked! Nagato is in even greater danger now. Please don't come for me, Nagato! I'm not worth saving twice!"
Unfortunately, Konan's mouth had been sealed shut, leaving her only able to emit pained moans. Her writhing on the bed startled the attending medical ninja, who rushed over to check on her condition.
Meanwhile, a powerful figure approached the outer perimeter of the Konoha forces.
Seeing Jiraiya, dirty and bloodshot-eyed, Nara Shikaku raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Jiraiya-sama, what brings you here? You weren't informed about this operation."
Jiraiya remained silent for a moment, too embarrassed to admit that Orochimaru had told him about Konan and the others just to get rid of him.
But these were his former students. With a complex expression, Jiraiya asked,
"How is the mission progressing?"
Shikaku paused mid-motion as he held the intelligence report. "Jiraiya-sama, you know the ninja regulations. This mission has nothing to do with you. Please refrain from prying into classified information."
Never before had Jiraiya been so bluntly rejected in Konoha. His face flushed awkwardly, but knowing this was Kakashi's era, he couldn't argue much. The ingrained obedience in him made him stutter for a while.
"I-I didn't mean anything. I just wanted to ask—"
After watching Jiraiya struggle to articulate his purpose for a long while, Shikaku sighed.
"Jiraiya-sama, this mission is about capture, not annihilation. That's all I can say. Please don't interfere with my work."
Hearing this, Jiraiya's expression brightened slightly. At least no one had died.
Jiraiya failed to notice the strange look on Shikaku's face. After all, the Akatsuki targets couldn't be killed—yet—but many comrades had perished in this battle. Could this matter really end so simply?
Kakashi wasn't the type to win a war and walk away without demanding reparations.
*Boom—*
A fierce explosion echoed from afar. Shikaku's expression shifted.
"A high-density chakra signature detected. Target: Nagato Uzumaki has left his lair. All units, be on alert!"
As the announcement spread, the frontline fighters within the barrier tensed up.
The real battle was just beginning.
Nagato Uzumaki emerged from underground, his upper body bare, his gaze calm yet suffocating.
"There are tens of thousands of them outside Konoha's perimeter. Even for me, a direct assault is unrealistic."
Nagato surveyed his surroundings. Though he lacked the Uzumaki clan's Kagura Shingan perception, his innate sensory abilities were still quite sharp.
"This chakra… is Hatake Kakashi here?"
Nagato exhaled softly. His legs had been crippled during his battle with Hanzō, blown apart by explosive tags and scorched by flames, leaving him permanently disabled.
"Asura Path: Mechanized Armor." Nagato's legs shifted, and in the next moment, he transformed into a rocket-like figure, blasting toward Kakashi.
The reason Nagato could stand now was thanks to the Asura Path's special summoning technique, which temporarily modified his body using the power of the Rinnegan. Previously, due to the immense strain, Konan had always forbidden him from using it. But now, with the situation dire, Nagato no longer cared about the consequences.
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