227 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

Black Zetsu separated from White Zetsu, staring at Nagato with a face full of regret.

"I didn't expect you to be so cautious. Truly unexpected. I never thought you would still be wary of me."

Nagato let out a cold snort, his voice icy. "How could I possibly trust mysterious individuals who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?"

Looking at Black Zetsu, Nagato sneered mockingly.

"Surprised? The precautions Madara left within me activated the moment I became the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. I noticed it right away."

"So, it's the effect of the Six Paths' power, huh? That man truly ended up shooting himself in the foot," Black Zetsu replied, regret evident in his tone.

If it weren't for the precautions Obito had taken when transplanting Hashirama's cells, Black Zetsu might have succeeded just now.

No matter how intricate the plans, fate had a way of turning them on their heads.

Nagato's gaze was full of killing intent as he stared at Black Zetsu and asked sternly,

"Who are you, really? And what exactly were you trying to do just now?"

"Who I am is none of your concern!" Black Zetsu retorted, his body flowing like liquid as he seeped into the cracks in the ground.

"Don't even think about escaping!" Nagato's Rinnegan flared coldly as he raised his hand and growled, "Banshō Ten'in!"

The gravitational power of the Rinnegan erupted, shaking the air. Black Zetsu, who was trying to seep underground, was forcibly dragged back, his fluid-like form unable to resist.

Squelch!

Behind Nagato, four of the Truth-Seeking Orbs transformed into black rods, shooting out and piercing Black Zetsu's limbs, pinning him firmly to the ground.

"It seems the Truth-Seeking Orbs don't affect you like they do others. You really are unique. Any normal person who touched them would've been obliterated," Nagato remarked, surprised as he observed the pinned Black Zetsu.

"Heh…" Black Zetsu let out a mocking laugh. "Truth-Seeking Orbs? That's all? If you want to kill me, you'd better give up. You're incapable of doing so!"

"Incapable?" Nagato raised an eyebrow, a cold smile forming on his lips. "I don't need to kill you. For someone like you, a schemer and manipulator, there's a method far more fitting."

As he spoke, a black sphere the size of a fist materialized in the palm of Nagato's right hand.

The black sphere floated into the air, rising rapidly.

Moments later, the ground beneath them shattered as massive chunks of rock were uprooted, drawn toward the black sphere as if they were mere straw being swept up by the wind.

Seeing the forming Chibaku Tensei, Black Zetsu's expression changed dramatically, fear overtaking him.

Nagato smirked coldly at the sight, then waved his left hand lightly. Black Zetsu, still pinned by the Truth-Seeking Rods, was pulled up by an invisible force and hurled toward the sky.

Watching Black Zetsu drift higher and higher, Nagato said indifferently,

"Who you are and what your intentions are no longer matter."

In mid-air, Black Zetsu looked down at Nagato, despair written all over his face. He hadn't expected Nagato to be so cautious, refusing to use the powers of the Naraka Path to extract information.

If Nagato had used the Naraka Path, he would have fallen into the trap.

Black Zetsu wasn't just anyone whose memories could be read. As the third child of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, he was far beyond the reach of Nagato's incomplete Ten-Tails powers.

If Nagato had used the Naraka Path, Black Zetsu could have taken the opportunity to possess him, paving the way for Kaguya's resurrection.

'How unfortunate… Thankfully, I prepared for this possibility,' Black Zetsu thought bitterly.

Boom!

As rocks collided and merged, the sky was soon dominated by a massive spherical construct, spanning several kilometers in diameter.

Thanks to Nagato's deliberate chakra links, Konan and the others weren't affected by the terrifying gravitational pull of the Chibaku Tensei.

Looking at the giant sphere in the sky, Nagato raised his hands and shouted, "Shinra Tensei!"

This time, the repulsive force wasn't the sudden, overwhelming burst used in combat but a steady, continuous wave.

Under its influence, the massive stone sphere ascended rapidly, shrinking into the distance.

Within mere breaths, it had become a tiny black dot, and moments later, it disappeared from sight entirely.

Nagato finally lowered his hands, gazing at the empty night sky with a cold smile. He muttered to himself,

"Zetsu, you schemer with an unknown origin, you can drift forever in space."

Nagato's words left everyone present stunned.

If his statement was true, the stone sphere containing Black Zetsu had been pushed into outer space!

What kind of power was this? Such a feat was far beyond the realm of ordinary shinobi.

Kakuzu glanced at the sky, where dark clouds were once again gathering, and sighed.

"What a pitiful guy."

"It's exactly what he deserved," Konan replied coldly, her expression still tense. Black Zetsu's sudden attack had startled her earlier, but knowing Nagato had deliberately baited him into acting gave her a sense of relief.

Turning to Nagato, she asked, "Nagato, should we head straight to Konoha now, or deal with Uchiha Hikari first and recover the Ten-Tails from her?"

At her words, the other members of the Akatsuki turned to Nagato, awaiting his decision.

After a moment of thought, Nagato replied, "Let's head to Konoha first. We can't let Uchiha Hikari beat us to the Nine-Tails. If she absorbs it and strengthens her Ten-Tails further, she'll be even harder to deal with."

Looking at the group, Nagato warned, "This time, I'll go alone. Stay hidden. Hikari's unpredictable nature means she might target you. Be vigilant."

"Understood," Konan nodded solemnly.

Satisfied, Nagato raised his hand, and a mysterious ripple spread out.

In an instant, large white lumps formed on Konan and the others, transforming into multiple White Zetsu clones.

With a gesture, Nagato absorbed the chakra from the clones, ensuring they wouldn't pose a threat. Then, specks of white light emanated from him, entering the bodies of his companions.

"This should do it," Nagato said. "Even without White Zetsu's camouflage, the Spirit Transformation Technique won't be able to detect you."

With everything in place, Nagato leapt into the air, becoming a streak of light as he sped toward Konoha.

...

Land of Fire, Konoha

Tsunade, Uchiha Fugaku, and Uchiha Shisui stood before the village gates, their expressions grim as they looked toward the Land of Rain.

Their faces were tense, their gazes seeming to pierce through space to the distant land over a thousand kilometers away.

Tsunade's voice was serious as she said, "The commotion in the Land of Rain is enormous. It doesn't seem like something caused by the Ten-Tails' revival. It's more like an unimaginably intense battle just took place."

With the power of the Six Paths strengthening them, their sensory abilities had reached extraordinary levels. Even from over a thousand kilometers away, they could vaguely perceive the chaos.