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Chapter 171: Warring States Endgame, The Cave Battle Begins! 

"What an Itachi Uchiha... it seems I can't let you live!" 

Just as Itachi, struggling to express himself clearly, was pondering his next words, Nagato's voice filled the cave. It was accompanied by the faint sound of wooden wheels rolling on sand and stone from a wheelchair. 

"Nagato..." Hearing Nagato's voice, the previously distraught Konan snapped back to reality. When she heard Nagato's words, her heart tightened. But after a moment's thought, her autumn eyes turned to glance at Itachi, saying nothing, and walked over to Nagato's side. She had lost her composure just now. Did she truly only see Itachi as a comrade? Perhaps since the young man blocked her sensei for her, perhaps after he stood her up, perhaps after he foiled her first mission in years, this young man had transformed from a question mark to an exclamation point in her heart, becoming different from ordinary people. She herself wasn't sure, nor did she want to understand this inexplicable feeling. After all, if it were just an ordinary person who betrayed her, she wouldn't have such complex emotions, would she? 

A Challenge Issued 

"Nagato... long time no see. How about it? Come back with me, let's stir things up in the present day. Messing around in history isn't something a real man does." Looking at Nagato in his wheelchair, the tenderness in Itachi's eyes vanished, replaced by an overbearing sharpness. 

"Heh heh, Itachi Uchiha. Who gave you the courage to speak to me like that? Is it your so-called strongest Third Hokage? Or your delicate, frail physique?" Seeing the sharp glint in Itachi's eyes, Nagato felt annoyed. Over the years, he had already become transcendent. He wanted to see awe in Itachi's eyes, not disdain. 

The Uchiha Reveal 

"You'll pay the price for speaking so loudly in a moment... And, Obito-senpai, don't hide anymore..." Itachi ignored Nagato's words; he was ready for a full-blown battle, intending to drag these disobedient comrades back. 

"Obito?" Itachi's words made Nagato slightly pause, murmuring in confusion. No new figure appeared in the cave. Clearly, Obito, who was hiding and preparing for a sneak attack, wasn't ready to show himself. Though Obito had many questions in his heart, he suppressed them. If his identity was exposed, he believed the only possible issue was... Kakashi. After all, because of his mercy... he had delayed taking Kakashi's eye back. And Kakashi's dōjutsu should have awakened too... his Kamui space always seemed to have some inexplicable things appearing in it. The most infuriating thing was the golden excrement that would appear. He didn't understand what that useless Kakashi was thinking, using such a powerful dōjutsu for that. 

"Obito Uchiha, originally named Obito Uchiha, a former member of Minato's squad... Should I continue?" Itachi stared blankly ahead, his gaze somewhat hollow, his tone a little stiff. It was as if he was recalling information that wasn't his own memory and repeating it. 

"Kid, this old man's name is Madara Uchiha, I have no former name. And Nagato, if you're not going to act now, when will you?!" Obito's figure appeared on a side rock wall. He stood with his arms crossed, looking down at Itachi. On this trip, he had lost a Mangekyo, but he had discovered some new things. And upon realizing Nagato was becoming restless and planning to target the Tailed Beasts, he came out again, even if he was a bit reluctant. After all, this kind of thing was best personally supervised. That's why Itachi spent a year researching how to return, and Obito didn't cause any trouble. Obito, unable to defeat Itachi, had prepared to band together with Nagato, and he also thought Nagato's plan to collect Tailed Beasts was ingenious. Unfortunately, the nine Tailed Beasts hadn't been fully collected yet, and Nagato, who had established a connection with the Gedo Statue, hadn't successfully summoned it. The Nine-Tails hadn't been found either, and he hadn't even gotten around to beating the One-Tail. Then Itachi arrived. And, upon arrival, he was ready to fight, with tension rising rapidly. 

A Fiery Start 

"Heh heh." Itachi scoffed at Obito's explanation but didn't bother to continue. 

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Seeing that neither of them intended to make the first move, unwilling to reveal weaknesses, Itachi opened his mouth and spewed a massive Great Fireball. Unlike another method that resembled a flamethrower, this one involved a single, large expenditure of chakra, transforming into scorching fire energy that rushed towards Nagato, Obito, and Konan. 

As the fireball approached, Nagato sat in his wheelchair, his expression unchanged, making no moves. Even Konan watched silently. It was as if such a seemingly powerful yet low-level jutsu wasn't even worth their attention. However, this was all just a facade. The reality was that Nagato had been tricked by Obito many times and was unwilling to act first. What if he and Itachi were fighting intensely, and that scumbag Obito decided to fish in troubled waters and launch a sneak attack? Their alliance might seem like a powerful union, but it truly lacked trust. 

"Such a low-level ninjutsu... This isn't playing ninja games, Itachi Uchiha..." Obito made his move. He hung upside down from the cave wall, his robes falling around him. As he unleashed his signature jutsu, Uchiha Return (likely a mistranslation of "Uchiha Reflection" or a similar technique to deflect/absorb the fire, or perhaps "Fire Release: Exploding Flame Bombs" based on context), a burst of intense flames spewed from his mouth. The cave instantly became incredibly hot. The fireballs collided, expanding and exploding, but they were suppressed by the two, preventing the flames from coming towards them. Thus, the flames were squeezed and distorted, rushing towards both ends of the cave. The rock walls were instantly charred black by the powerful flames and quickly turned red, like hot coals. 

The Amaterasu Unveiled 

"Oh..." Itachi responded indifferently, watching his released chakra burn out completely. This guy certainly had something. His chakra was incredibly powerful now, yet Obito could still easily resist his Fire Style. This showed that Obito was no ordinary opponent. Itachi responded calmly, without any further movement. Obito, however, was already fully focused, his Mangekyo spinning delicately in his eyes. The Itachi before him was no longer the pushover he once was. 

"I've always had a question..." Itachi began, looking at the serious Obito, while his peripheral vision noted Nagato's disinterest in intervening. Then, the pattern of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan instantly appeared in his eyes, spinning rapidly as if powered by a small motor. The cave instantly plunged into darkness. Just as Obito was wondering and about to ask, seeing this scene, his pupils contracted sharply. This young man had no sense of honor at all... 

Black flames descended, instantly engulfing the entire cave in an indiscriminate, full-map attack. 

"Ah! What the hell is this?!" A piercing scream and a few cold snorts echoed through the cave. This made Itachi pause slightly. It seemed he had accidentally hit something. However, Itachi didn't stop. Because the bound and chakra-sealed Tailed Beasts had nowhere to hide, and Itachi didn't want his dōjutsu to show any weaknesses. Besides, even if a Tailed Beast was killed, it would revive after a while, so he had nothing to worry about. Even if this plan failed and he destroyed the Tailed Beasts, Nagato would be helpless. 

Chapter 172: Great Battle 

"Can Katon really not kill someone?" 

Looking at the cave filled with Amaterasu's black flames, the walls rapidly melting… Of course, his own chakra was being consumed too. But for him, with his seemingly endless chakra, this was just a minor expenditure. Seeing these terrifying black flames, Obito immediately activated his Kamui. Only a fool would directly take on a jutsu of this scale. Obito, now ethereal, didn't speak, fearing he might draw their attention to himself. So, Obito just stood there, as if he had been instantly incinerated the moment he appeared… 

"Fire Release can kill people, but why do you think shinobi gather intelligence before going on a mission?" 

Facing the arrogant Itachi Uchiha, Nagato shielded Konan behind him. Although Amaterasu was just a dōjutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan, this was a mutated and enhanced version of it. Even with his Rinnegan, he couldn't directly absorb this jutsu. Fortunately, he had personally experienced this ninjutsu before, and knowing that he would likely have a major battle with Itachi, he had already researched Itachi's various techniques and ways to counter them. 

"Fūka Hōin!" 

Nagato's fingers moved slightly, and a scroll appeared on the ground in front of him. The black flames in front of him seemed to be pulled by an invisible giant hand, forcibly stuffed into the scroll. However, although this sealing jutsu was perfectly compatible with his Uzumaki physique, greatly increasing its power, this jutsu was still only a B-rank ninjutsu. And these all-encompassing Amaterasu flames were clearly too much for it to handle. After all, the Amaterasu he had researched previously was just a small fire that covered his body, not the sea of flames it was now. 

A slight shadow appeared between Nagato's eyebrows. He felt a bad premonition; the start of this fight was already rough. He had originally thought that his Fūka Hōin would clear at least a fifth of the black flames in the cave. It seemed impossible to deal with these flames with minimal cost. Nagato felt a little downcast. However, the intense heat was growing stronger, rapidly approaching him and Konan, and even the wheelchair beneath him began to melt. Without his wheelchair, his combat effectiveness would be hampered… 

A transparent, bubble-like chakra barrier erupted from Nagato, enveloping him and Konan. Although the Rinnegan couldn't devour Itachi's strange flames, protecting himself by consuming a large amount of chakra was not an issue. The Fūka Hōin was his attempt at a small gamble for a big gain; now, using the Rinnegan to counteract the opponent's chakra was a head-on clash. The chakra consumption would naturally be different. 

"Kid, stop! My head hurts like hell!" Just as Nagato was contemplating a solution, he heard the Tailed Beasts howling again, and his heart tightened. He remembered that these Tailed Beasts currently had no chakra protection… Now, it was either break Itachi's jutsu, or release the Tailed Beasts? Otherwise, if a Tailed Beast was accidentally killed, it would take at least several years to revive it. How much more time would that delay things? At this moment, he didn't want to postpone anything for a second longer. 

Itachi had no idea what Nagato was thinking. Seeing that Nagato had defended against his flames and Obito had used his Kamui, he already understood that this dōjutsu seemed to be of little use. As for burning the Tailed Beasts to death… The Tailed Beasts were beloved by nature; killing them with fire wasn't that simple. They had incredibly tough hides. Furthermore, he couldn't put all the pressure on the Tailed Beasts. He didn't have Kagutsuchi, so his control over Amaterasu wasn't as masterful as Sasuke's. Thinking this, the rotation of Itachi's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan slowed down, gradually coming to a halt. He didn't intend to consume more chakra to extinguish the flames he had unleashed; he'd just let them die out naturally. And Amaterasu, reputed to burn anything, would lose much of its power without the continuous boost of his dōjutsu and chakra. This was a jutsu that could change terrain. 

The thinned black flames began to disperse, and streaks of light appeared above their heads… The cave ceiling had been burned through by Itachi. This was a massive mountain; the cave was located at the central bottom of it. One could imagine how fast the black flames burned ordinary matter in such a short time. Calling it the "blaze of destruction" didn't seem too far-fetched. 

Seeing Itachi stop his fire attack, Nagato breathed a sigh of relief. He secretly sighed again, thinking that the heavens were still on his side. After all, Itachi was indifferent, but he couldn't just stand by. Although he was relieved, Nagato's face remained impassive. Showing emotion during a battle was a sign of a rookie. If his expression changed, Itachi's overwhelming black flames would surely descend again. And he would then have to protect seven Tailed Beasts and Konan simultaneously; the sheer chakra consumption alone could drain him dry… Of course, this was just an estimation, and he didn't know if Itachi's consumption was higher than his. 

Sensing that Obito had hidden himself again, Nagato felt an urge to get rid of that annoying rat first. After just one Fire Release attack, he was playing hide-and-seek again… Nagato, being sensitive, always felt that Obito had ill intentions. Although Nagato thought this, he didn't act on it. With a mere thought, the black chains and rods binding the Tailed Beasts were drawn to him, loosened, and flew back. He prepared to release the Tailed Beasts first, lest they be accidentally killed… To others, the Tailed Beasts were ferocious, but to them, they were merely pets… well, pets with a lot of chakra… 

Itachi calmly watched Nagato, and when he sensed Nagato's movements, his heart naturally tightened. However, through his sensory abilities, he soon understood what Nagato had done. He didn't hesitate. A handful of kunai appeared in his hand, roughly seven or eight of them. Itachi didn't pause, forcefully throwing the kunai, imbued with chakra, towards Nagato. He certainly wouldn't let Nagato succeed in what he intended to do. 

"Shinra Tensei!" 

Hearing the sounds of the kunai cutting through the air, the cautious Nagato immediately unleashed a Shinra Tensei. He hadn't forgotten Itachi's other ability, Hiraishin no Jutsu. 

"Roar…" 

The black rods Nagato had half-pulled out stopped, naturally causing the Tailed Beasts, impatient with pain and unused to suffering damage, to roar in agony. Seeing the speed at which the kunai flew back, Itachi didn't move. There was no need to dodge a Shinra Tensei of that magnitude. His physique, including his bones, had long been completely renewed. Even taking a full-powered Shinra Tensei at close range might not be fatal. Of course, if it were fatal, he wouldn't know… Overall, his Shikotsumyaku had strengthened his bones, and Hashirama's cells had greatly enhanced his physique. While the Hashirama cells weren't fully integrated yet, his current physique was leagues beyond his old one. No longer would he cough blood and fall to the ground from a slight touch… 

It seems like Itachi and Nagato are truly clashing, with Nagato's use of Shinra Tensei and Itachi's improved durability. What do you think will happen now that the Tailed Beasts are no longer bound? And how will Obito's presence affect this intense battle? 

Chapter 173: Those Annoying Crows 

The repulsive force field collided with Itachi's body. Itachi was sent flying ten meters back. This was just a casual Shinra Tensei from Nagato, a technique usually reserved for deflecting kunai. Itachi felt only a slight tightness in his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Indeed, he had gotten much stronger! 

Feeling no internal injuries, Itachi extended his hands from his long sleeves, his ten fingertips wriggling and rapidly elongating. "Bone Style: Ten Vein Divine Swords!" Ten bone joints loaded like bullets, propelled by Itachi's chaotic chakra, shot towards Nagato. Itachi even improvised a new name for the technique right there on the spot. 

A New Technique, A Disgruntled Opponent 

And as the bone bullets fired, he even thought of a brand-new move. Nagato looked at the chakra contained in the bone joints and their trajectory, disdain forming in his heart. This Itachi, playing these childish games again... A transparent barrier appeared, perfectly catching Itachi's childish trick. Nagato's gaze shifted slightly, giving Itachi a look of contempt, thoroughly humiliating him. 

Itachi remained unfazed by Nagato's cold stare; he was simply testing a new jutsu. At least it didn't backfire, that was the biggest success. New techniques always had a breaking-in period, after all. And his current opportunities to fight were pitifully few; if he fought others, he'd accidentally dispatch them in an instant. Only against an opponent like Nagato could he actually practice and increase his proficiency. 

This time, Itachi didn't shout out the technique's name with youthful enthusiasm. The original name wasn't good, and he had no inspiration to change it or coin a new one. Compared to the ten quick-fire bone bullets from before, this time Itachi extended bones from his fingertips but didn't fire them immediately. There were only two or three this time. 

Nagato's Frustration 

Moments later, as Nagato prepared to pull out more black receivers, Itachi lazily shot the bones from his fingers. And their accuracy was... quite moving. They flew towards Nagato's head, left, and right sides, respectively. Nagato didn't even get a chance to block them in cooperation with Itachi. 

"You... what the—" Nagato was utterly baffled by Itachi, then grew furious. In such a serious situation, was this guy trying to be funny? If so, wouldn't he, Nagato, be reduced to a clown, a mere side character? 

"Is this all you've got? Where's your giant... your Susanoo? Where are your divine tools? If this is all you have, you can become my new puppet..." After his initial anger, Nagato suppressed his fury. He watched the bones fly towards him with cold eyes, speaking calmly, his aura growing colder and sharper with each word, like a fierce tiger about to strike. 

Itachi's Taunt and Vanishing Act 

"You know quite a lot, don't you?" Hearing Nagato's words and his rapidly building presence, Itachi smiled. A graceful arc formed on his lips, making him look like a handsome young noble. 

However, in the very next second, Itachi's figure became a mere afterimage. Itachi had already moved from his spot; the lingering image was just an optical illusion. But this trick could only fool others, not just Nagato, but even Obito couldn't be deceived. 

However... Itachi's figure had genuinely vanished. Nagato instinctively looked towards the kunai he had repelled. It wasn't there. Nagato's heart sank, accompanied by the whoosh of air from behind him. When?! 

"Dance!" Itachi, whose body was now covered in white bone armor, appeared behind Nagato, a long, incredibly sharp bone extending from his palm. He thrust it fiercely towards Nagato's surprised eyes. And since Nagato was in a wheelchair, he reacted a bit slowly. He hesitated for a moment but decided instantly. 

"Shinra Tensei!" 

Two figures were sent flying backward. Not only Itachi, but Konan's graceful figure too. Although Nagato feared harming Konan and didn't use much force, Konan had no idea Nagato would attack her. She flew backward with a startled expression, a touch of crimson appearing at the corner of her mouth. Her opponent was Itachi, and she had no intention of fighting him, so she wasn't prepared for battle at all; she hadn't even activated her chakra. 

A Growing Annoyance 

Seeing this, Itachi's figure flickered, and the bones on his body scattered to the ground. He reached out and caught the flying Konan, then gently placed her down. He felt a bit of a waste for the chakra-created bones, but if he were to retrieve them, he'd feel they were unclean. And if he didn't break off the bones, poking holes in Konan wasn't ideal. 

"You've angered me..." Nagato looked at Itachi, who had landed, his voice cold and filled with killing intent. Especially the crimson at Konan's mouth, which was glaring in his eyes. If given another choice, he would still do the same. After all, Konan's combat ability wasn't strong. If he, in an attempt to protect Konan, ignored Itachi who had gotten so close, that would be ridiculous. Shinra Tensei also had flaws; he could only control the neutral inner circle and the outward-releasing energy of the outer circle. 

"Konan..." Obito, who had been watching the entire fight, murmured softly. It was as if he had stumbled upon a new world. Such a lovely girl like Konan... she would surely be protected, just like Rin... At this thought, a wave of sadness washed over him. And Nagato's weakness wasn't just his legs; Konan was also a mobile weakness. And Itachi seemed to have some unusual interest in Konan. Perhaps this was an opening. Obito cast aside the distracting thoughts in his mind, pondering the feasibility. He didn't care about these things. Ever since Kakashi's lightning-clad hand pierced Rin's chest, his heart had died. What was there left to care about? He had never cared about his own reputation, nor how much infamy he amassed. 

The Alluring Pull of Almighty Push 

"Universal Pull!" Nagato didn't hesitate. After speaking, he slightly bent his right fingers, aiming at Itachi and unleashing a powerful gravitational force. His left hand was also rapidly changing, tiny black threads breaking free from his wrist. Just as Itachi put Konan down, preparing for a passionate scolding and a verbal assault against Nagato, he found that Nagato didn't seem to be giving him any face. Naruto's talk-no-jutsu seemed simple in principle, but its feasibility was ridiculously low. Itachi's body felt bound by something invisible, and then he was involuntarily pulled towards Nagato. Nagato's timing for unleashing his jutsu was, undoubtedly, perfect. Itachi going to save Konan and prevent her injury was a clear opening. 

Seeing Itachi's unchanging expression, Nagato felt extremely irritated. He hated that expression! His left hand, containing high-explosive projectiles, whizzed towards Itachi and detonated without hesitation. When fighting an opponent like Itachi, it was unwise to talk too much. This young man didn't play fair. The intel said he could perform hand signs with one hand. But no matter how strong one-handed signs were, they couldn't be faster than two-handed signs, could they? Yet his one-handed signs were faster than two-handed signs, utterly ridiculous. While others hadn't even finished their two-handed signs, his jutsu was already charged and aimed. And when their jutsu was released, he was already ready with his second and third. Utterly preposterous. 

The Crows' Chorus 

"Caw, caw..." Nagato's hated sound still emerged. And his hated crows. After he created a world of peace, he swore he would exterminate all crows. For the first time, he found crows so disgusting, so annoying... 

Chapter 174: Obito's Discovery 

"You keep using the same two ninjutsu. Don't you ever get tired of it?" 

Itachi appeared again in what could still be called a cave… The ceiling hadn't completely opened up yet, but with all the falling debris, it would soon. Itachi's words left Nagato a bit confused. He didn't think he had used that missile jutsu much. Was this guy even talking to him? Despite his confusion, Itachi stopping to talk did give him a lot of time. After all, his ninjutsu had cooldowns. 

Now, Shinra Tensei was ready again, which made Nagato secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Itachi's elusive techniques were truly giving him a headache. 

"Come back with me. I don't want to kill you…" 

It seemed Nagato's lack of response made Itachi lose patience. This kid wasn't talking, wasn't giving in, and he couldn't decisively end the battle right away either. If they could just chat a bit, make the fight more interesting… like, say some provocative things. 

"Heh… Hahahaha… You don't want to kill me… Do you mean you can just kill me whenever you want?" Itachi's arrogant words made Nagato laugh uproariously, but he stopped halfway, his expression becoming incredibly stern. No one, when treated with such disdain, could remain calm. Especially Nagato, who hadn't had a worthy opponent for a long time and had always been at the top. 

Nagato's words left Itachi a little silent. The only thing that could truly end the battle instantly was Tsukuyomi. But Tsukuyomi had too long a cooldown; he didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary, and there was a high chance it wouldn't affect the Rinnegan much anyway. Furthermore, he didn't want to use such a jutsu on these people. After all, everyone had their own charisma… Even if they were destined to be enemies, destined to be obstacles he had to clear, he wanted them to die with dignity, not have their wills twisted, turning them into pawns, living a life worse than death. Of course, this was only what Itachi would think when he wasn't in danger. If it came down to a five-point, five-point standoff where he might accidentally get killed, he wouldn't care who it was… 

Excluding Tsukuyomi, Susano'o consumed too much chakra and wasn't very practical. On one hand, he wasn't very used to it, and on the other, it felt like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. After all, Nagato had the Rinnegan. When he activated Susano'o, even one of its fingernails would be larger than Nagato, but the Rinnegan's repulsive force and ninjutsu absorption abilities truly made it difficult to deal with Nagato. This would create a very strange situation. So Itachi's idea was to use Susano'o only to break Nagato's Chibaku Tensei. Other methods would be used to exhaust Nagato's chakra. 

That's right, Itachi's current battle with Nagato felt like a boss fight… In truth, Itachi's overall strength was no longer inferior to Nagato's; he even surpassed him. But the Rinnegan was too bōgyo (broken/overpowered). It was like the distance between a mortal and a celestial being, so close yet so far. After all, using shinobi world techniques to fight a shinobi world god, the difficulty was imaginable. This was another kind of rule limitation. The rules of this world were such that lacking a pair of eyes meant a difference of a thousand ri. 

Madara couldn't defeat Hashirama because he had the Mangekyo. After Madara evolved his Rinnegan, Hashirama could no longer shake Madara… That was the oppressive power of the Rinnegan. It was just fortunate that Nagato didn't have Truth-Seeking Orbs; if Nagato could create Truth-Seeking Orbs, Itachi probably wouldn't be the one bothering Nagato right now. Instead, Itachi would be hiding in some deep mountain forest… While Senjutsu was said to be effective against Truth-Seeking Orbs, its effect was only so-so… After all, if Senjutsu could eliminate Truth-Seeking Orbs and deal with the Rinnegan, the story wouldn't have had Naruto and Sasuke elevated to that level. The gap was simply too vast; there was no way to fight. Itachi, having watched countless films (and known the future), naturally understood the nature of it. 

"There shouldn't be 600 billion explosive tags buried here, right…" Itachi glanced around, muttering softly. After all, Konan's Kami no Shishiki was also quite abnormal. Nagato was annoyed that he couldn't hear what Itachi was muttering about, even when straining his ears. This guy was so foul-mouthed a moment ago, why was he speaking so quietly now? He was very curious how Itachi would respond. However, he wasn't idle; the Tailed Beasts' seals had been removed by him. This was to prevent Itachi from fighting unfairly and going after the innocent Tailed Beasts if he couldn't win. 

"That annoying thing is finally gone!" Just as Itachi was contemplating new combat strategies, a loud voice echoed in the cave. It was the rough voice of a Tailed Beast. 

"Brat, your last sneak attack doesn't count! Let this old man teach you a lesson!" A short-tempered Tailed Beast roared furiously, its eyes burning. After so many years of living freely, when had it ever suffered such a loss? It absolutely had to get revenge and make these annoying humans understand that Tailed Beasts would never be slaves and were not to be trifled with… 

"Alright, let's go! These two aren't someone we can beat, unless we call Kurama!" A Tailed Beast, knowing when to retreat, spoke softly. Although it was soft, it was still incredibly loud… 

Everyone in the cave had a black line on their face (a common Japanese expression for exasperation). The Three-Tails was a bit too arrogant… And the Six-Tails, who they had thought was a smart beast, turned out not to have such a grand vision after all… 

The Tailed Beasts rustled and scurried out of the cave. The process went smoothly; no one tried to stop them. Meanwhile, Obito opened his Kamui dimension. He suddenly remembered that he had caught a Three-Tails in his Kamui dimension. Where did Nagato catch this Three-Tails?! Obito suddenly realized the seriousness of the problem. If that was the case, then perhaps there was no meaning in being here. Even if he fought his way through the Warring States Period, what would be the point? 

The Three-Tails was indeed dejectedly waiting in his dimension. Obito fell silent… But then, he had a new idea… If he could remember this method of time travel… then wouldn't he be invincible if he collected eighteen Tailed Beasts? But before he could even imagine such a wonderful world, he discovered that the Three-Tails' chakra in his Kamui dimension was rapidly dissipating… 

So, Obito fell silent again… It was as if he had finally understood something… If there were identical things in history, and the same thing traveled across the river of time, only one would remain… and that would be the one from the current time period. He hadn't noticed it before because Kamui itself was an independent space, a small world. But his action of opening Kamui just now had connected that space to the current world… That's why the Three-Tails rapidly dissipated… The bug he had imagined seemed to have been fixed, or perhaps there was no bug or special exception to begin with. He had just been overthinking things… 

What do you think will be the immediate fallout of Obito's startling discovery about the Three-Tails? And with the Tailed Beasts now free, how will this affect the ongoing battle between Itachi and Nagato? 

Chapter 175: Wood Dragon 

Nagato felt a slight ripple in his heart, seeing Itachi still lost in thought. "You're the one who started this trouble for no reason, and you're the one who initiated the fight. Now, I've let the Tailed Beasts go, and I'm ready to go all out, yet you keep spacing out and not making a move. What's going on?" 

Nagato suppressed his dissatisfaction, casually forming hand signs. While Nagato couldn't do one-handed signs like Itachi, when he used a jutsu, he'd still go through a few quick, almost random signs. After all, most of his techniques were instantaneous, not requiring intricate hand signs. If Itachi didn't constantly use seemingly sign-less one-handed signs, Nagato would have almost forgotten that he himself usually didn't use signs at all. He only bothered with hand signs now to show Itachi some respect. And also, to subtly remind Itachi that he was about to attack, urging him to prepare himself, or better yet, expose an opening so he could finish this quickly. "I still need to check on Konan's injuries," Nagato thought to himself, a subtle relief washing over him. A high-level form of self-regulation, indeed. 

A Clash of Elements 

"Wind Style: Spiraling Air Palm!" Nagato seemed to be responding to Itachi's jab about his limited ninjutsu repertoire, unleashing a Wind Style jutsu. A massive amount of chakra condensed, forming a gigantic palm that swelled with the wind, rushing towards Itachi. It seemed Nagato intended to strike Itachi hard, perhaps giving him a concussion. The art style of the battle suddenly shifted from magical to martial arts-like. Regardless of its power, its presentation was truly impressive. This was Itachi's assessment. 

"Excellent! Take this, my Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms!" A water dragon spurted from Itachi's mouth, looking slightly... unimpressive. 

At this moment, Itachi suddenly had an idea. He pondered how to make these "dragons" emerge from his palm strikes. This battle, once started, wouldn't stop anytime soon. It could very well last for days and nights. He might as well use this time to research ninjutsu, gaining true understanding through the inspiration of real combat. 

"Hmph, it's just a Water Dragon Bullet, don't try to call it the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Have some shame!" Nagato muttered in annoyance, watching his elegant palm strike being shattered by the water dragon. When the water dragon reached him, his pale hand extended, and the water dragon was absorbed as if by a wind tunnel, or sealed by a demon-capturing master. It quickly turned into a puddle, dripping onto the ground. 

Nagato's Suspicions and Obito's Revelation 

If it weren't for the Six Paths of Pain situation, Nagato would truly want to deliver a brutal blow to Itachi. Itachi felt a bit helpless, seeing his magnificent and imposing Water Style jutsu disarmed so easily by Nagato. At this moment, he felt like activating Sage Mode. However, Sage Mode had a time limit, and he thought it would be better used for the finishing blow. Moreover, even with Sage Mode, Nagato was currently using genuine Rinnegan abilities, not the half-baked Preta Path's absorption, which was sluggish with Sage Mode. For example, with his Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet, even if Itachi activated Sage Mode, the effect wouldn't change at all. It would still turn into a puddle, though perhaps a slightly larger one. 

Nagato noticed that Itachi's abilities seemed rather limited today, and he hadn't seen him use any of his signature techniques, leading to a flicker of suspicion in his mind. He wondered if Itachi's bloodline illness had recurred, as such diseases rarely saw a cure. While Itachi's chakra was dense now and his physique had improved considerably, the techniques Itachi used were very few. Itachi only survived this long because of a few abilities that even Nagato feared. Yet, those abilities were nowhere to be seen, only that fire that countered the Six Paths avatars, and the Flying Raijin which he had already overcome. 

"Itachi, join me. Be my subordinate..." Nagato set aside his suspicions, deciding to observe further. If Itachi's bloodline illness truly had recurred, then perhaps he could finally deal with this troublesome brat. His plan would ultimately succeed. Even tiny stumbling blocks would eventually be shattered. 

The Wood Dragon's Debut 

Itachi didn't answer Nagato's offer. His only response was to open his palm and push it forward. Nothing seemed to change around him. But only for a moment... a faint green appeared around them. Then, it became dense, rapidly filling the space. Green sprouts quickly grew strong, greedily absorbing Itachi's chakra. In just a few moments, towering trees appeared and began to twist, transforming into dragon-like forms. As a transmigrator, Itachi was unusually obsessed with dragons. If he could, he truly wanted to transform all his techniques into dragon forms. 

The Wood Dragons writhed and roared, as if alive, charging towards Nagato. Nagato felt his scalp tingle at this sight. He wasn't bothered by just one. It was the dense, rapidly growing swarm of Wood Dragons behind that single one! Itachi maintained his pushing stance, unmoving. The Wood Dragons behind him continuously twisted, as if Itachi had imbued them with souls. Any ordinary person would be intimidated by the sight of these Wood Dragons. 

Obito's Contemplation 

"Wood Style..." Obito's wandering thoughts were interrupted by Itachi, and he stared blankly at him. Itachi now looked like a martial arts master; simply his horse stance seemed extraordinary. His legs slightly bent, an expression like he was constipated, and five fingers outstretched as if demanding five hundred ryo from someone who owed him, full of profound charm. If Itachi knew Obito's thoughts, he'd probably show Obito why flowers were so red. He was simply brimming with excitement, looking at this Wood Dragon technique, which resembled "Myriad Swords Returning to One," and his face was flushed with passion. As for constipation... what the hell, constipation? He was in a horse stance! One couldn't practice martial arts without a stable foundation. 

Obito's heart stirred, preparing for a sneak attack. However, at this moment, he had discovered the secret of transmigration from the Three-Tails and realized that whatever he did in this world would ultimately be futile, so he wanted to return. Even if there might be other viable operations, if he couldn't change the future, he had no interest. After all, even if he killed one Madara Uchiha, there would still be another Hashirama. As a child, he was powerless to change anything. Unless he could travel back to his younger self, perhaps then he could do something. But even if he could change things in that time period, would that world still be this world? Of course, if he could travel back to his childhood, that would be good... protect Rin, and besides cuckolding himself, everything else would be fine. Time travel, even though he had experienced it once, still felt unreliable to him. It could only be a backup plan. He hated such random things. 

All of this depended on whether Itachi could truly get him back smoothly. Otherwise, he would just have to create a world in this time period where Rin existed, but Kakashi and Itachi did not. In that world, he would make Rin the most beautiful, most noble, and happiest woman in the world. 

P.S. Not much inspiration, a bit of filler. Still, shamelessly asking for some support... This useless author can't afford food. I want Weilong spicy strips, I want instant noodles with an egg... 

Itachi's fighting style, filled with unpredictable moves and potent jutsu, really keeps his opponents on their toes, doesn't it?