After Sailing with the Pirate King, I Returned to Konoha - 193

Chapter 193: No Time to Mourn Nagato, Next to Arrive on the Battlefield is...

The two figures appearing before Konan were the mysterious masked man calling himself Uchiha Madara, and their organization's most elusive member, Zetsu.

Konan had never trusted "Uchiha Madara." She even believed Yahiko's death at Salamander Hanzō's hands years ago was connected to him. As for Zetsu—she'd added him to her suspect list quite early. The current scene confirmed her suspicions.

Looking at it this way, truly dedicated members of Akatsuki were few and far between. Orochimaru had defected, Kakuzu had died early, while Deidara and Sasori were still on assignment. Nearly everyone else was a mole. The infiltration rate was staggering.

"Stop wasting words. We don't have much time."

The masked Obito coldly cut off Zetsu's attempt to continue speaking. Honestly, Naruto Uzumaki had completely exceeded his expectations. That inhuman appearance, and that power seemingly capable of affecting even the Kamui dimension—

"It's you! You want to take the Rinnegan?!"

Konan's gaze locked onto them both. Paper sheets had already transformed into wings floating behind her, ready for all-out combat at any moment. Currently, Nagato's body was nearly exhausted. She was all he had left.

"Heh—fool. I gave him those Rinnegan in the first place."

Obito laughed disdainfully, then without another word, charged forward.

Atop the tower, Nagato's life entered its final moments.

Below, Naruto's blade completely severed all five Pain puppets, thoroughly ending this battle. One side's power depleted while the other's continued growing, making the battle's conclusion somewhat anticlimactic.

As the puppets fell, Naruto's floating coat hem slowly descended. The gravitational forces acting around him had completely dissipated. Naruto had tried to "recreate" that power within his body but ultimately failed due to lacking certain key factors.

"That chakra..."

He recalled the sensation after absorbing that chakra. Within it were several distinctly higher-level powers.

Suddenly, Naruto's gaze turned toward the distant tower, as if he could see what was happening inside.

At this moment, Karin flew back with Jiraiya and Sasuke. Unfortunately, they were still a step too late—Naruto had claimed all the kills himself. In every sense.

"Naruto-san, are you alright?"

Karin rapidly shrank from her Garuda form, returning to human shape, looking worriedly at Naruto. When they'd been thrown out earlier, she thought Naruto would be sealed in stone.

Jiraiya silently looked at Yahiko's separated body on the ground, quietly exiting Sage Mode.

Only Sasuke sensed something wrong. Not only did he remain in beast form, he pulled the two behind him, staring at Naruto with wary eyes.

"Naruto, what's really wrong with you?"

At this moment, in the Misfortune Wolf's vision, Naruto's body was wrapped in indescribable "calamity." Such intensity shouldn't even appear around a single person. This level of calamity could only arise from national—or even world-level—crises.

In other words, the most dangerous threat was no longer Akatsuki. It was Naruto Uzumaki.

Hearing this, both Karin and Jiraiya were confused about why Sasuke would say such things.

Naruto looked expressionlessly at Sasuke, as if viewing a stranger.

"Nothing has happened. Let's go. We still have unfinished business."

Even Karin and Jiraiya, oblivious as they'd been, could now see Naruto's abnormal state. That demeanor—just like the Pain who'd first appeared before them. As if everything in the world were mere insects beneath his notice.

Naruto's attitude made it clear he didn't want to waste time on explanations. In his perception, that masked man had already appeared.

He vanished instantly from his position, golden afterimages trailing his form as he shot toward the tower top. Unable to use gravity manipulation, he'd rely on Moon Walk instead.

Though Jiraiya and the others felt worried, they couldn't force Naruto to do anything. They could only follow him toward the tower. For now, dealing with Akatsuki was more important. Everything else could wait until after the battle.

Naruto was fast, but Obito was faster.

Though Konan's seemingly endless supply of explosive tags could briefly threaten Obito, with Nagato's weakened body nearby, she couldn't fight at full strength. And Obito's purpose here wasn't to defeat Konan.

The Rinnegan.

That was why Obito had revealed himself.

Honestly, after witnessing the true power of that unpredictable variable named Naruto Uzumaki, his confidence in realizing the "Moon's Eye Plan" had wavered. The kid had grown impossibly strong—almost inhuman.

Though Nagato could still barely use the Rinnegan's power through his main body, his defeat was only a matter of time. Therefore, Obito had to change his plans and retrieve the Rinnegan—the most crucial piece—early. As for who would wield these eyes without Nagato... in the worst case, a White Zetsu clone would suffice.

Countless paper sheets swirled madly inside the room, continuously slashing at Obito's body. But with his real body hidden in the Kamui dimension, he didn't care about such attacks, charging straight toward Nagato.

Naturally, Nagato sensed Obito's approach. He barely raised his head, Rinnegan staring fixedly at the masked man.

"Shinra Tensei—"

"Useless. Your attacks can't touch me."

Beneath his mask, Obito's face twisted in mockery. He'd possessed the Rinnegan even longer than Nagato had. He knew every weakness of this ability intimately. Once the repulsive force faded, he'd reclaim what was rightfully his.

Sure enough, when Shinra Tensei struck Obito, nothing happened. He continued his unhurried approach.

But Nagato's purpose in using this technique wasn't to attack.

"Run, Konan."

The repulsive force launched Konan out of the room. Nagato took one last look at his companion. He'd always known—Konan wasn't like him. She didn't enjoy killing. She only stained her hands with blood because of him.

Now, with formidable enemies present and himself nothing but a burden, there was no need to sacrifice another life.

When Naruto burst through the wall, he saw Nagato—eyes closed, face covered in blood, barely clinging to life. And Obito standing beside him, hands still stained with fresh blood.

"Is it him?" Naruto asked.

"It's him," Kurama answered from within the sealed space.

The next moment, Naruto's fist had already pierced through his opponent's body.

"It's useless—"

Obito's words cut off abruptly.