"Headquarters has been breached... Have the people of New Eridu really reached this point already?"
The returning slices, summoned by the true body, stared at the scene before them, struggling to believe their eyes.
Since the Exaltists were founded over a decade ago, their headquarters had never once been breached. The current devastation was both shocking and horrifying—especially to them.
"They say it was that Uchiha guy who led his subordinates here... No wonder he's considered our greatest enemy," one of the slices muttered. He had the appearance of a harmless young boy.
But anyone who had encountered him knew just how cruel his methods truly were.
"His subordinates aren't easy to deal with either. Especially Airi, that traitor... Bringing enemies here? She needs to be torn to pieces!" another slice growled, his form that of a middle-aged man in his forties, exuding immense pressure.
"This isn't as simple as you think," said the third slice, a man appearing to be in his early twenties. "Uchiha knowing the location of our headquarters wasn't something he could've learned by conventional means. We need to tread carefully."
This particular slice stood out from the others—he had almost no combat capability. His only ability was the power to manipulate minds.
Nearly all core Exaltist members had been personally brainwashed by him.
And once brainwashed, betrayal became unthinkable—this was what made him so terrifying.
"Enough talk. Let's move before those people really turn this place inside out."
After exchanging glances, the three slices rushed into the base, splitting up and heading toward the Akatsuki members wreaking havoc inside.
...
"The slices are back? But according to Ling, the real one is an old man. That means... he still hasn't shown up." In a command room, Zhong Yan watched the three returning slices appear at the entrance through surveillance feeds.
Once he confirmed the true body wasn't among them, he didn't hesitate. He created three shadow clones, storing them in Kamui space to be deployed as reinforcements for Airi and the others if needed.
Elsewhere in the base, the three Akatsuki members had encountered their respective enemies.
Airi faced off against the enraged middle-aged man. Chi confronted the boy-like slice. Ying's opponent was the one with the power to manipulate minds.
A battle was about to explode.
The first clash occurred on Airi's side. Her opponent wasted no time, grabbing a chunk of shattered wall and hurling it toward her with all his strength.
Seeing it coming, Airi quickly sank into a patch of ether crystal embedded in the floor.
The massive wall chunk smashed through the crystal, but Airi's figure swiftly emerged from the scattered shards.
"It's you?" Airi's expression tightened at the sight of her attacker.
She clearly remembered him. When she had escaped from the Exaltists' base, this man had been one of her pursuers.
Back then, he'd chased her through Hollow Zero for several months alongside a subordinate.
In the end, that subordinate was slain by Airi, and the man himself was seriously injured—humiliated during the chase.
Had reinforcements not arrived when they did, Airi might've killed both of them.
From that day on, his hatred for her had grown to its peak. He thought of nothing but finding a way to torture her to death.
Now, he finally had the chance—and he wouldn't let it slip away.
"You filthy rat... You remember how you humiliated me in the Hollow, don't you? Today, you'll pay the price!" he roared, as a dense network of ether crystals erupted from his body.
Within seconds, he was completely encased—transformed into a man of crystal. Despite the heavy mass, he moved with terrifying speed and lunged toward Airi.
Seeing this, Airi's expression darkened. Having fought him before, she knew full well just how dangerous he was.
The only reason she defeated him last time was because she had used the terrain of the Hollow to her advantage. In this confined base, she had no room to maneuver.
But she wasn't about to back down. After coming this far, if she didn't personally witness the fall of the Exaltists, everything she had endured would be meaningless.
With that resolve, she extended her hand and summoned a bow out of thin air.
Just as she nocked an arrow, the space in front of her twisted without warning.
A hand shot out from the distortion and, before the stunned slice could react, pulled him into the swirling vortex.
As the scene stabilized, Zhong Yan emerged before the slice, staring him down with icy calm.
The slice froze in shock, only to suddenly feel black flames erupt over his crystalized body.
The searing heat was so intense, even the hardened ether crystals began to melt.
In moments, his crystalline armor had completely dissolved, exposing his true form underneath.
"Uchiha... You really intend to fight the Exaltists to the death?" the middle-aged man rasped, now fully aware that he stood no chance against his opponent.
His only hope was to negotiate.
But Zhong Yan, knowing the future that awaited, would never spare these people.
"What a stupid question," he said, then activated Amaterasu again—completely incinerating the slice.
And still, the question lingered in Zhong Yan's mind: Did the leader really not know that sending these slices back was a death sentence?
He had pondered this for a long time—unable to find a rational answer, even after consulting Zhong Ling within Kamui space.
But perhaps... this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Maybe it was simply a sign of desperation.
After all, why else would he refuse to show himself?