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Konan's words caught Obito somewhat off guard, but after a moment of reflection, he supposed she had every reason to be so cautious. Ever since Yahiko's death, the only person Konan truly trusted—the one individual she cherished above all others—was Nagato. With each successive use of his techniques, even Nagato, despite possessing the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan, found his physical condition deteriorating further and further.
Going into this decisive battle against the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Nagato had already resigned himself to the very real possibility of death. After all, standing in open opposition to the combined might of the Five Great Nations and then managing to escape unscathed was, by any realistic assessment, a nearly impossible feat. Unless, of course, they could somehow locate the Six-Tails and fuse the Ten-Tails into existence. That was likely the thought running through not only Nagato's mind but Konan's as well. Obito mused silently, yet his gaze never once strayed from Konan.
"Nagato's body is in terrible shape. I find it hard to imagine how he would manage without you at his side. Even if you did manage to locate the Six-Tails' jinchuriki, do you genuinely believe Nagato could fuse the Ten-Tails on his own?" Obito asked.
"Do not underestimate Nagato." Konan's expression turned icy, and a sudden, powerful updraft whipped her long robes around her body. "Ever since Yahiko was murdered by Hanzo, Nagato and I have faced every imaginable hardship together! Whether I remain at his side or not, nothing will ever cloud his judgment! You, Uchiha Madara—do not presume to look down on us!"
"It makes no difference to me either way. The outcome will be the same regardless," Obito replied, his tone infuriatingly casual. With the fully realized power of his Kamui at his disposal, he could not fathom how Konan could possibly hope to kill him.
"Before you die, there is something I want to understand. After all, dead men tell no tales," Konan stated.
Obito chose not to quibble over her choice of words. "I can't guarantee I'll have an answer for you."
"Why did you choose to cooperate with us?" Konan asked.
"I had expected your question to be rather more pointed," Obito remarked. Seeing that Konan had no intention of responding, he shrugged and continued. "We were using each other, weren't we? I was using you to locate the nine tailed beasts, and you were, in turn, making use of me. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement."
"But why us, specifically?" Konan pressed.
"It wasn't 'you' I chose. It was Nagato. As for you... you were expendable. No, perhaps it would have been far more convenient if you had simply died back then," Obito said, a cold smile curling beneath his mask.
The one who had originally made contact with Nagato and Konan was Madara. Obito had only joined the operation partway through. Perhaps Zetsu understood Madara's reasoning better than he did. But none of that mattered anymore. Madara was dead. Madara's will was not his will. He answered to no one but himself.
Konan offered no further response. The ground beneath her, and even the rock of the mountain itself, began to disintegrate, crumbling into a flurry of paper that scattered and swirled upon the mountain wind. She hovered in the air, supported by a pair of large, white paper wings, staring down at Obito on the summit.
As the mountaintop rapidly transformed into paper, the ground beneath Obito's feet began to crumble and collapse, and he found himself dropping lower and lower, the distance between him and Konan widening. The only thing that frustrated Konan was that the "Madara" before her was still wearing his mask. She could not read the fear or panic in his expression. It robbed her of a certain satisfaction.
"What is this..." Obito muttered, watching the paper swirling around him. He was not surprised. The ability to convert chakra into paper was Konan's unique power. Likewise, she could transform that paper into all manner of physical forms. That was precisely why the mountain had appeared so unusually tall. In an instant, a vast, staggering volume of paper took to the air, blotting out the sky and completely surrounding Obito.
His gaze swept over the sheets of paper as they floated past his eyes. Each one was inscribed with a series of intricate symbols—symbols that any shinobi would recognize instantly. Explosive tags. The sheer number of them was enough to level an entire mountain. This meant Konan fully intended to kill him. It also meant that Nagato was nowhere nearby. Otherwise, given how fiercely protective Konan was of Nagato, she would never risk drawing him into the blast.
Since Nagato was not in the immediate vicinity, the list of possible locations where he could be hiding was remarkably short. "It seems you came prepared. Was all of this just to deal with me?" Obito asked.
"How could that possibly be?" Konan shook her head. "This is our final operation. If we fail, there will never be another chance. Nagato is the core of the Akatsuki, and I must ensure his safety at all costs. Whether it is you standing before me today or anyone else, the outcome would be the same."
"Aren't you worried that someone might simply bypass this place and go directly after Nagato?" Obito questioned.
"If they know the secret of the Rinnegan, how could they possibly ignore this location?" Konan countered.
Obito's eyes grew cold. Nagato required both chakra and receivers to control the Six Paths of Pain. As such, he was extremely particular about his physical positioning. Typically, Nagato would select the highest point in any given area. That was precisely why Obito had assumed Nagato would be at this mountain's summit. And it wasn't just Obito. Anyone aware of the Rinnegan's operational limitations would instinctively seek out the tallest vantage point. Konan had exploited this assumption to her advantage, using an enormous quantity of explosive tags to artificially "increase" the height of the mountain.
"I see now. You are far more ruthless than I gave you credit for," Obito said, his gaze locked onto Konan with barely concealed malevolence.
"To prepare for unknown enemies, I deliberately stockpiled seven hundred billion explosive tags... Enough to annihilate the entire Allied Shinobi Forces!" Konan extended her finger towards Obito. The sky-darkening swarm of explosive tags began to rotate at high speed, completely enveloping Obito. Sheet after sheet overlapped and interwove, binding together into a massive, solid sphere. With a powerful beat of her paper wings, Konan soared higher into the sky. The sphere, which had seemed like a small mountain only moments before, now appeared no larger than a clenched fist from her elevated vantage point.
"DIE!"
The "fist-sized" sphere suddenly ignited. A cataclysmic explosion erupted, unleashing an immense wave of heat and a concussive shockwave that spread outward in all directions at terrifying speed. The mountain peak where she had previously stood was obliterated, disintegrating under the deafening roar of the detonation. The resulting cloud of dust and superheated air surged towards the heavens. Simultaneously, the colossal shockwave tore across the landscape, carrying with it boulders and debris like a raging tsunami, swallowing the surrounding trees and hills.
The entire cataclysmic process lasted a full six minutes. The explosion seemed to tear the very sky asunder, and the earth, subjected to continuous, violent tremors, appeared on the verge of complete collapse. The scorching heat washed over Konan's body. Even through her thick cloak, she could feel the searing temperature of the air. No living thing caught within the blast radius of those explosive tags could possibly survive.
What a pity. To expend so many explosive tags on just a single person. Konan lowered her gaze, surveying the still-chaotic landscape below. She allowed herself a small sigh of relief, then turned and began flying eastward.
"Cough, cough... Konan... You truly are merciless..."
A dark void suddenly materialized in the sky, and from within that swirling portal, Obito stepped forth. He watched Konan's receding figure as she flew into the distance.
"I hope Kabuto and Utakata are still alive," Obito muttered, his gaze dropping to the mountain that had been utterly scoured away by the force of the explosion. A flicker of unease stirred within him. Kabuto was down below. Though he had not been at the epicenter of the blast, he could easily have been caught in the peripheral shockwave. His fate was now uncertain.
"Damn it. I'm running out of time!" Obito hissed through clenched teeth. The colossal explosion would inevitably draw others to the area—the Allied Shinobi Forces, or perhaps even Itachi. His window of opportunity was closing rapidly. He would have to leave the task of locating Kabuto to Zetsu. Right now, his priority was following Konan and finding Nagato. Without wasting another moment on deliberation, Obito broke into a run, moving swiftly in the direction Konan had flown.