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For a moment, the air in the room stood still, and then, all at once, the chaos erupted.
Obito blurred forward, his figure vanishing into his own spiraling Kamui as he attempted to warp through space, intent on catching the hooded intruder off guard.
But before the spiraling void could close in around his target, the mysterious man was gone.
In a blink, he teleported away, disappearing from his spot like a ghost and appearing behind Konan like a shadow stepping out of a mirror. His breath touched the shell of her ear, warm and sudden.
"You're even more beautiful up close," He whispered with a teasing smile, his voice a velvet caress.
Konan's body froze for a fraction of a second, her eyes widening in surprise. Her breath hitched.
"He moved… faster than my eyes could register. That wasn't Body Flicker. That was... something else…"
Her cheeks burned red, a mixture of embarrassment and fury crashing inside her chest.
Her fingers moved sharply.
Shhhh…
The papers exploded from her sleeves, slicing through the air with deadly grace, surrounding the man in a vortex of white wings and blades. The storm of paper formed a dome around him, closing in, suffocating, pressurized to crush him from every side.
But the hooded man simply looked around with mild curiosity and then snapped his fingers.
Fwoosh!
All the paper fluttering in the air caught fire.
They all ignited into brilliant blue flames that swirled around him like a dance of spirits, consuming Konan's technique in a magnificent bloom of ashes.
For a breathless second, the entire room was still as snow-like cinders fell across the dark floor, glowing in soft light.
Konan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"He… ignited my chakra-infused paper?... But how does he do that..."
"Not bad," He said, stepping out of the fading embers. "You're talented, precise, and beautiful. What a deadly combo!... But still…"
He smirked, voice low, edged with unshakable confidence.
"…not enough to beat me."
Behind him, a shadow moved.
Click!
The sound of metal joints.
Sasori had already launched his puppets, four crimson forms, dancing mid-air, threads nearly invisible as they closed in from behind. One puppet lunged forward with bladed arms extended to pierce through the stranger's spine.
But the man didn't turn. He simply shifted by tilting his body and waved his hand.
CRACK!
As his fist connected with the puppet, it shattered into splinters, its torso violently collapsed as if struck by a steel beam. Fragments of wood and chakra-bound metal scattered across the floor like bones.
The mysterious figure didn't even glance back.
"Too fragile," He murmured.
Sasori's brows twitched. "That puppet had a chakra-forged iron core."
"You should build stronger toys," The man replied in a mocking tone.
Kakuzu moved next.
Without warning, his cloak flew open, black tendrils whipping out from his back like monstrous serpents. Each strand lashed out toward the figure, intending to rip and drain him dry.
The hooded man crouched low and vanished again from his spot.
He simply wasn't there anymore.
Kakuzu spun around in time to see a bare hand catch his tendrils in mid-air.
Then, he pulled it with force.
Kakuzu stumbled forward as he had been overpowered by sheer physical power.
The stranger's hand glowed a faint red. He slammed his palm into Kakuzu's gut, and a blast of invisible force sent the earth-natured shinobi flying backward like a cannonball, crashing into the far wall, cracking stone and leaving a deep crater.
"Built to steal hearts, huh?" The stranger muttered. "I'll remember that trick."
Hiss...
Orochimaru slithered through the air like a serpent, appearing from above with his elongated neck stretching unnaturally, mouth unhinged like a viper ready to strike.
He aimed straight for the man's throat, fangs glinting with paralytic poison.
But the stranger reached up lazily, caught Orochimaru's neck in mid-air and slammed him into the ground, cracking the floor beneath them.
Orochimaru coughed, eyes widening for the first time in years.
"I didn't even sense his motion…"
Kisame was already moving. His blood roared with excitement, Samehada unwrapped and shrieking for chakra. He swung the massive blade with both hands, aiming to cleave the man in half.
Clang!
It was sound of a sharp ring of metal.
The man caught the sword with one hand. His bare fingers dug into Samehada's jagged scales.
The blade screamed in pleasure, trying to devour him.
But just a moment later, it whimpered in pain as if it had encountered a beast who was more powerful than itself.
The beast-like sword pulled away, retreating slightly, almost afraid.
Kisame grinned wide, sweat rolling down his temple. "Heh… now that's interesting."
The man turned his head slightly. "You've got spirit. I like that."
Kisame leapt back as a wave of chakra pulsed from the stranger's body, blowing dust across the room like a cyclone.
All five Akatsuki members stood back panting, each one of them wary and slightly intimidated by the sheer power of the mysterious man.
He… hadn't even used a real technique yet.
The mysterious man stood at the center of the wrecked hall, barely scuffed, barely out of breath. His smile grew wider as he watched their reactions.
"You're strong," He said, nodding with genuine approval. "All of you. But you're still playing in puddles… dreaming of oceans."
He spread his arms and shouted. "This strength… isn't enough to shake the world."
His voice echoed across the stone, thunder rumbling outside as if responding to his words.
It made the faces of the Akatsuki's members contracted and flushed in embarrassment and anger.
But before they could attack again, a voice that cut through the silence.
"Stand down."
The remaining Akatsuki members froze and turned their heads, only to see Pain stepping forward as his Rinnegan eyes were calm but burning.
"Enough. This is no longer your battle."
"But Pain—" Konan started.
"Stand down, Konan," He repeated.
Even though they were reluctant, but they still obeyed.
Pain walked forward. His cloak fluttered gently, and he stopped just a few feet away from the hooded man.
"You dare walk into my domain and challenge my rule. You've insulted the foundation I built. You think yourself a king? A god?"
He raised a hand toward the heavens, his tone growing louder, more messianic.
"I am God. I bring pain to purge this world of illusion. I have seen the depths of despair. I have walked through death. I am the will of the divine!"
The hooded man stared at him in silence.
And Pain clenched his hand into a fist.
"You will suffer for your arrogance."
He opened his palm.
"Almighty Push."
The force of a mountain exploded outward as the air collapsed around the point of impact like a small localized apocalypse. The walls cracked and the wind howled.
The other Akatsuki members shielded themselves from the raw pressure as the entire hall shook.
The dome of force engulfed the hooded man, only for it to stop right in front of him.
There was no movement... no flying body... or broken bones.
The stranger stood perfectly still, completely unaffected by the powerful move.
Pain's eyes widened a fraction. That same god-like face didn't flinch, but his mind reeled.
"He withstood… Shinra Tensei… but how? It's impossible!"
The hooded man tilted his head slightly. "That tickled."
Pain said nothing, but his lips pressed into a thin line. His hand dropped to his side, and then he waved it.
From the back of the chamber, four more figures appeared in rapid succession, flickering into the hall.
The other Paths of Pain had been summoned.
Five Rinnegan eyes now stared at the hooded intruder.
Pain spoke again, his voice darker. "You've had your fun. Now you face judgment."
But the stranger only smiled wider as he cracked his knuckles, sighing.
"Good. Now it's finally getting interesting."
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