A violent explosion tore through the area.
Not far from the shattered room, Konan stiffened, her expression instantly turning grave.
So… the Masked Man had truly made his move.
Paper scattered as Konan dissolved into countless sheets, reforming beside Nagato in the next instant.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" she demanded coldly.
"Don't you still want to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan?"
Her beautiful eyes burned with barely restrained fury. One of her arms had already transformed into razor-sharp paper, poised to strike at any moment.
"Konan."
Nagato reached out and grasped her arm, stopping her.
She turned to him—and saw it.
The resolve in his eyes.
There was no longer any possibility of cooperation. Whatever fragile balance had existed between them and the Masked Man had already collapsed.
Konan sighed inwardly. She had never expected him to act so decisively—to attack them outright.
"Hmph," Obito scoffed.
"There's no need for traitors to say anything more."
"I will carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan myself. But before that—"
"The Rinnegan must be reclaimed."
Without wasting another word, Obito moved.
The Edo Tensei body of a Hyūga was instantly commanded forward, attacking Nagato directly.
Obito had never underestimated Nagato.
That was precisely why he sent his strongest subordinate.
Hyūga Ichizoku.
A legendary figure—one rumored to be only slightly inferior to Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara themselves.
While he could not truly compare to those two monsters, that did not mean he was weak.
On the contrary—
His bloodline was terrifyingly pure.
The power of his Byakugan surpassed even most members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon.
It was a level of ocular purity that even Hinata Hyūga could not reach.
"Fire Release: Violent Whirlwind!"
Towering flames erupted, roaring toward Nagato.
Nagato snorted coldly.
The attack was instantly repelled.
The next moment—
A shadow flashed.
Before Konan could even react, Nagato had already clashed head-on with the mysterious Hyūga shinobi.
The collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
"That's impossible…!"
Konan's pupils shrank, her face filled with disbelief.
She knew better than anyone how terrifying Nagato's strength had become after fully awakening the Rinnegan.
Ever since then, no one had ever defeated him.
The only exception—
Was Naruto.
And yet now…
A Hyūga shinobi, appearing out of nowhere, was fighting Nagato head-on?
How could she not be shocked?
"Nothing is impossible," Obito sneered.
"How could you understand the power of shinobi from the Warring States Period?"
Only those who had lived through that era truly understood.
Obito had summoned many shinobi from the Warring States Period through Edo Tensei—and tested them personally.
The result?
Every one of them had earned their reputation through endless life-and-death battles.
Those whose names survived history were never weak.
There was no point in reviving the insignificant.
The Warring States Period was brutal beyond imagination.
Entire clans lived and died on the battlefield. Their combat instincts, experience, and killing intent were worlds apart from most modern shinobi.
Even members of the Kaguya Clan from that era possessed frightening strength.
And among them—
Uchiha Izuna, Madara's younger brother, was also part of the Edo Tensei plan.
Because the current situation had already diverged drastically from the original course of history, Black Zetsu knew one thing clearly:
If this chance was lost, no one knew how long it would take for the Rinnegan to be born again.
Worse still—
There were barely any Uchiha left.
This made Black Zetsu feel as if the world itself was mocking him.
Why did the Uchiha Clan have to be wiped out?
Without them, the Rinnegan might never appear again.
That realization forced Black Zetsu to gamble everything on this era.
And because of that gamble, he had revealed far too much—schemes and manipulations that had been hidden for centuries.
Those exposures had already planted seeds of suspicion in Obito's heart.
After all—
Black Zetsu claimed to be the will of Madara.
But was Madara's will truly so omniscient?
Capable of doing things even Madara himself could not?
In the end…
Who was whose will?
"Ninjas from the Warring States Period…"
Konan frowned, finally understanding.
A Hyūga shinobi powerful enough to fight Nagato—
Such strength could only belong to one person.
"The legendary ancestor of the Hyūga Clan…"
"Hyūga Ichizoku."
"Disgusting ninjutsu."
Konan's expression was filled with revulsion.
"Toying with the souls of the dead… anyone who creates such a technique will never meet a good end."
Her voice carried genuine loathing. To her, the one who invented this jutsu possessed a heart darker than the deepest night.
The Second Hokage: "..."
"This world is hell!"
Obito suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, his voice echoing wildly.
"It is darkness itself!!"
"Wouldn't it be better to create a world without war—without hatred—filled only with beauty?"
"Why did you betray me?"
"What did Uzumaki Naruto give you?!"
His tone grew sharper, more unhinged.
"This world is false. I want to create a true world—one without conflict, without suffering, where everyone can obtain what they desire!"
"If you insist on stopping me…"
"Then die."
Obito's voice turned ice-cold.
The way he looked at Konan was no different from how one would look at a corpse.
"You are darkness," Konan replied calmly.
"And in a world without light, flowers will only wither."
"Naruto… is that light."
Her eyes shone with conviction.
"He will bring light to this world. And that light—I have already seen it."
"He is a born leader. A king who protects his people."
"And it is the duty of the people to protect their king."
"To guard one another—that is how peace is born."
"Naruto made me understand something," Konan continued slowly.
"Peace is not perfect. It is not pure."
"Peace is forged step by step—through blood and fire."
"Perhaps this was the pain Nagato carried."
"There is pain on the road to peace. But pain is not something to fear—it is something to remember."
"To remember those who shed blood and sweat for the sake of peace."
Her voice was steady, her resolve unshaken.
This world was filled with despair—
But it lacked only one thing.
Light.
And now, that light had appeared.
"Hahahahaha!!!!!"
Obito laughed madly.
"Delusional woman!"
"He can't change anything!"
"Only I can bring peace to this world!!"
A world without Rin—
Had never been peaceful.
Had never known light.
Obito stopped wasting words.
In the next instant, he attacked.
Nagato was still locked in battle with Hyūga Ichizoku, leaving Konan to face Obito alone.
Konan's body scattered into countless sheets of paper, drifting away on the wind.
At the same time, Obito's form twisted and vanished into a spiraling void.
Outside Amegakure, above the endless sea—
Konan appeared.
Moments later, Obito's figure slowly emerged from a transparent spiral in the air.
"Is this the burial ground you've chosen for yourself?" Obito asked calmly, his madness now hidden beneath a composed exterior.
Konan stood silently.
Her black cloak adorned with red clouds fluttered violently in the wind. Her dark hair danced freely as sea spray filled the air.
The roar of the ocean blended with the howling gale.
Only the two of them stood there—
Between the sky and the sea.
Between light and darkness.
(End of Chapter)
💎 100 P.S = +1 Bonus Chapter
⚒️ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin
😊 Thank you for your support!