Outside the Root base, the Akatsuki members were already prepared.
"The One Tail has erupted, we should move out too."
Nagato felt the Chakra continuously growing stronger and murmured, but Itachi frowned.
"Aren't we waiting a bit longer? That guy hasn't returned yet, and Hiruko and Hidan aren't here either."
"No need to wait for him, he'll come on his own."
Nagato shook his head and said in a low voice.
"As for Hiruko and Hidan, they have their own missions and will gather later."
Hiruko was once a member of Konoha after all, and they also didn't trust Orochimaru.
Therefore, it was normal to have him keep an eye on Orochimaru and also monitor the situation in Konoha.
As for Hidan…
He talked too much, and everyone else was annoyed by him, so they simply let him go with Hiruko.
"Itachi, what are you worried about?"
Kisame suddenly asked with a smile at this moment, which made Itachi frown.
Then, Itachi spoke indifferently, "There's nothing to worry about. After all, that Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki is not simple. But speaking of which, I'm curious if he will come."
"I hope he comes. After all, I want to see if he's as powerful as you all say."
Nagato shook his head, but his focus was more on Konoha. Kakuzu, feeling his Wind Release heart pulsating, said, "I'm also very curious. Who is it that makes you all remember him so vividly? How does he compare to Takemi?"
"You're asking about that?"
Kisame smiled without speaking. He suddenly looked up at the sky and then spoke softly, "You'll know very soon."
"Hmm?"
Kisame's words made everyone pause, and then they all looked up.
At this moment, they suddenly realized that the clear blue sky over Konoha had, at some point, gathered dark clouds.
A figure stood in the sky!
The figure scanned them once, and the next moment, he took a step forward.
And in that instant, he had already appeared before the Akatsuki members.
This person was dressed in a white robe, his silver hair flowing in the wind.
He wore a mask on his face, and his entire body appeared mysterious and terrifying.
"This is…"
The Akatsuki members' expressions changed slightly. Even Nagato felt incredibly unbelievable at this moment.
He had never imagined that someone would act in such a way, and he could faintly sense that the guy in front of him contained unimaginable power.
"You are…"
After a while, Nagato finally spoke in a low voice.
"Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki?"
"I suppose your friends told you."
Takemi's voice was clear and melodious. He calmly looked at the people in front of him, his blue eyes like brilliant stars, dazzling.
After receiving the intelligence from Kisame, he had already made preparations long ago. And now, he could finally move a bit.
"I was wondering why I felt a strange power attracting me. So this is what it was about."
"A power attracting you?"
The other Akatsuki members didn't understand what he meant, but Nagato seemed to have realized it.
His face became incredibly grim, and he stared at Takemi, saying in a low voice, "You mean, the Rinnegan?"
"Indeed."
Takemi nodded, he seemed to be smiling.
"These eyes are something that mutated from the God tree fruit. Even for me, they hold some attraction. I never expected to encounter them here. I wonder if you can give them to me?"
"Give them to you?"
Nagato's gaze changed, he felt that this guy was more than just arrogant.
Kakuzu and Sasori exchanged glances. It was their first time seeing someone so arrogant, while Itachi and Kisame both looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
"Truly absurd, just like Orochimaru. If you really want them…"
Nagato seemed to have calmed down, but his voice at this moment became cold and filled with killing intent.
The next moment, he suddenly raised his hand, and an invisible, immense repulsive force instantly erupted from his palm.
"Then take them with your own ability!"
Buzz—
Almost instantly, an boundless, vast repulsive force, overwhelming, surged towards Takemi.
"Hmm?"
Takemi raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if Nagato was using the White Zetsu outer shell at this moment, but this 'Shinra Tensei' seemed even more violent than expected.
Under Nagato's control, the invisible repulsive force seemed to become tangible.
The erupting power even caused distortions in the air, and under the sunlight piercing through the dark clouds, there were even faint halos surrounding it.
"It seems you haven't learned any lessons."
However, although Takemi was surprised, he remained perfectly calm.
Feeling the violent repulsive force, he slowly raised his right hand.
"Actually, I've always wondered something. Why are you inferior beings always so confident? Is it because you've mastered Chakra?"
Before he finished speaking, an incredible power suddenly appeared on Takemi's body. His body also glowed with silver, like moonlight.
His eyes were dazzling to the extreme at this moment, and his power erupted at this instant.
"But unfortunately, mastering Chakra doesn't mean you can fight me, just like the sky…"
Buzz—
A tremendous repulsive force suddenly generated, like an overwhelming tide, meeting Nagato's Shinra Tensei.
Almost instantly, at the intersection of these two repulsive forces, the entire space became even more distorted.
Bursts of explosive sounds echoed as the two repulsive forces continuously intersected, the ground seemed unable to bear it any longer.
Boom—
Almost visibly, the ground was furiously torn apart, followed by spiderweb-like cracks continuously spreading.
The next moment, the ground collapsed with a roar, and a gigantic, deep chasm quietly appeared, dragging down the surrounding trees and debris into a frantic descent.
And Takemi also suddenly exerted his strength at this moment, his violent power instantly pouring towards Nagato.
"This…"
At this moment, the ground collapsed even more severely. Nagato was caught off guard and was instantly sent flying.
The few Akatsuki members behind him were also sent flying backward almost simultaneously.
And at this moment, Takemi's voice sounded again.
"The sky is actually colorless. It didn't deceive you, only your own eyes deceived you."
"Even with Chakra, you are not qualified to fight me, you inferior beings…"