As he spoke, Ryuji Hyuga's hand not covered in shadow reached toward the spiral-patterned orange mask, carrying the pressure of life and death. "What are you doing?" Obito Uchiha demanded.
Ryuji Hyuga did not answer. His hand was steady without the slightest tremor as his fingertips touched the cold spiral of the mask.
"Nagato!" Obito roared. "What are you waiting for?"
Nagato still did not answer, only watching in silence. Fear, rage, and a hint of madness from a plan collapsing gathered in Obito Uchiha's crimson Sharingan.
The mask could not be removed. Exposure meant total collapse. This face could not be seen by anyone.
"I will kill you, no matter who you are," Obito Uchiha roared.
The hidden left eye beneath the mask spun wildly, blood vessels bursting as a thick red tear slid down. Izanagi.
Under Nagato's gaze, something strange happened. Obito's grievously injured body dissolved before their eyes, as if erased from existence itself.
When his figure vanished completely, the Ghost Shadow Ninja sank back into its own shadow. Ryuji Hyuga looked up at Nagato.
Nagato stared at the scene, his Rinnegan calm on the surface. Yet his slightly clenched fist betrayed the turmoil beneath.
Even without removing the mask, the answer was already clear. The so-called Madara Uchiha was nothing but a fake.
And the Rinnegan he possessed were the product of someone else's scheme.
The objects at the tips of the ten massive tails on the stone statue were like fuses that ignited desire, instantly shattering the silence inside Underground Palace. Someone shouted a low command, and the heavy pressure broke apart at once. Several figures shot forward like arrows, running along the enormous statue as they rushed upward toward their chosen targets.
Besides a few well known powerhouses, there were also some lucky intruders from Kumogakure and Konoha Ninja, along with several Bounty Ninja whose backgrounds were still unclear. There was no such thing as sharing evenly, whether it was Zetsu or anyone else, it was impossible. The only choice was to rely on one's own strength to kill and seize.
The once silent Underground Palace turned again into an arena of desire and slaughter because of the stone statue and the ten treasures. Screams rang out almost at the same time, sharp and miserable. Blood sprayed as bodies fell before many could even react.
Zhe Long burst forward with terrifying speed, a black short spear in his hand howling as it tore through the air. He slashed out in a deadly arc, grinning wildly as he moved. A Kumogakure Ninja ahead of him turned back in panic, raising a Kunai too late to block fully.
The immense force sent the man flying backward, weapon and body together, his chest split open in a spray of blood. Zhe Long laughed madly, paying no attention to what rested atop the tail he had chosen. He rushed straight toward the most crowded tail, swinging his spear like a lunatic despite the blood still pouring from his own body.
His red eyes looked like those of a demon as he pounced toward a Konoha Ninja ahead, fearless and even savoring pain. The terrifying sight made several people in front freeze in sheer panic. Compared to him, Kakuzu was precise and greedy, choosing the tallest tail in the center without hesitation.
In his view, whatever was highest must be the most valuable. He briefly recalled the name he had seen earlier and frowned in confusion. The strange name was quickly dismissed as he focused on moving forward.
Two arms linked by black threads shot out, grabbing two figures moving at similar speeds. With a brutal swing, he smashed them into the ground like sacks of trash. Only two figures remained ahead of him now, and he happened to know both.
One was of course Yugito Nii from Kumogakure, also known as Yugito Nii, moving upward on all fours with feline agility. The other made his eyes narrow slightly. "Kakashi Hatake?" he muttered.
He recalled the bounty on Kakashi Hatake, images from the Underground Black Market flashing through his mind like a spinning slot machine until the price appeared. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Only a single Sharingan, not worth much. If it were Byakugan, that would be better.
There was also a kid from Hyuga nearby, probably from the Branch Family, not even worth as much as Kakashi Hatake. Thinking of this, Kakuzu glanced toward the white clad Hyuga boy on the adjacent tail. He froze when he saw lightning coils winding around the boy's body like snakes.
The boy's speed was even faster than Kakashi Hatake and Yugito Nii. "Isn't that guy from the Hyuga Clan? What is this Lightning Release Ninjutsu?" Others who had chosen the same tail as Ryuji Hyuga were just as stunned.
They instinctively backed away when they saw his Byakugan, only to watch him surge forward in a storm of sparks and lightning. Anyone ahead of him or trying to block his path was shocked numb by the arcs around his body. He was about to reach the top of the tail.
Kakuzu thought for a moment, then decided it was not worth the trouble and looked back toward Yugito Nii. His wrist split open as dense black threads shot out toward her legs. "Trying the same trick again?" Yugito Nii snorted, dodging easily with her agile movements.
When she turned to continue upward, she was startled to see that the threads had not withdrawn. Instead, they sped past her and stabbed straight into the glowing sphere at the top. They pulled out an object effortlessly and snapped back.
"Kakuzu!" Yugito Nii's pupils shrank, then her anger exploded along with the Two-Tails's Chakra. Her fingers turned into sharp claws as she slashed at the retreating threads. Kakashi Hatake acted at the same time, Sharingan spinning as he struck with Chidori.
Several black threads snapped under their combined attack, writhing in the air like severed snakes. More threads held firm, their toughness blocking further strikes. As they prepared to attack again, Kakuzu's body arched forward.
With a tearing sound, countless black threads burst from his body like living tentacles. A white mask creature with blue markings appeared on his left shoulder, clearly representing a wind attribute Chakra heart. "Wind Release·Pressure Damage!"
The mask opened its mouth, compressed wind Chakra roaring out. A shrill hum echoed as the gale twisted into a crushing vortex that swept toward Yugito Nii and Kakashi Hatake. A Bounty Ninja was caught inside and shredded into blood mist before he could make a sound.
Both Yugito Nii and Kakashi Hatake were forced to dodge, watching helplessly as the threads carried the stolen item back. Kakuzu mocked them in a hoarse voice, calling them naive for thinking speed alone mattered. The two exchanged a glance and silently agreed to work together.
Before they could act, Kakuzu cried out in shock and anger. The object in his hand was a miserable looking sword, almost entirely covered in thick rust. Cracks spread across the blade, deep enough to reveal the dark metal beneath, and even the cloth on the hilt had rotted away.
It looked like scrap that would shatter at any moment. He tried injecting Chakra, only to hear a sharp kacha as the cracks widened slightly. Yugito Nii burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she mocked him for risking everything to grab junk.
She dashed toward another tail like a bolt of lightning, while Kakashi Hatake chose a different direction. Furious, Kakuzu threw the broken sword aside and lashed out with black threads again. This time, it failed.
With a feral roar, a blue flame like tail appeared behind Yugito Nii, smashing the incoming threads aside. Her speed surged as she tore through those blocking her path and grabbed the glowing sphere. The name of the item flashed in her mind, and her eyes went wide.
The God Beating Whip. Kakuzu glared at her as a lightning mask emerged, firing Lightning Release·False Darkness. The lightning spear screamed through the air, powerful enough to pierce solid rock.
Yugito Nii did not even look back. She pulled the item free and flung it. The lightning spear was shattered by a blue afterimage, exploding into wild arcs of electricity. Kakuzu stared in disbelief at the whip in her hand.
It was a segmented golden whip, crackling with purple lightning under her Lightning Release Chakra. Memories surfaced of its creator, capable of leveling mountains with a casual swing. Even without mastery of Lightning Release Chakra, its power was terrifying.
Grinning, Yugito Nii declared it her turn and lashed out. The whip erased the black threads and sealed Kakuzu's Chakra. With a violent pull, she yanked him off the statue and slammed him into the ground.
As chaos erupted elsewhere, treasures were claimed one after another. Zhe Long laughed madly with a black red scythe, while others secured chakra weapons. Only one glowing sphere remained, too heavy for most to lift.
Kakashi Hatake fought his way through, exhausted, and pulled out a black wooden box. He ordered the survivors of Konoha Ninja to retreat immediately. Others did the same, rushing for the exit.
Humiliated, Kakuzu chose the ignored sphere and barely pulled out a heavy one handed axe. His rage boiled as he watched others escape with priceless loot. With a roar, he unleashed countless black threads after them.