"Nagato!" Konan cried out in anguish.
Yahiko said nothing. His expression was firm, his resolve unwavering — he would never abandon his comrades to save himself.
Seeing that Yahiko and the others still refused to run, Nagato felt a deep surge of emotion… but he wished they would just leave him behind.
"Hmph… pointless sentiment among the weak."
Madara didn't even consider the possibility that Nagato would actually destroy the Rinnegan. He had prepared far too many contingencies for that.
Had it not been for the enormous amount of chakra he had lost in his battle against Mitsuki, he would have wiped out every one of these "rats" the instant he appeared.
But now, after a brief moment to recover, Madara was ready to end it. Just as he prepared to unleash a devastating jutsu—
Nagato roared again, voice trembling with fury.
"Almighty Push!
A colossal repulsive force burst outward from Nagato's body.
The massive building above them, already weakened from the fight, finally gave way and collapsed.
Tons of rubble crashed down, burying both Nagato and Madara beneath the ruins.
"Nagato!!"
Yahiko and Konan immediately leapt down into the wreckage, frantically digging through the debris.
But both the monstrous statue and the enemy who had summoned it were gone—completely vanished along with Nagato.
They thought perhaps he had been buried underneath, but no matter how long they dug, they found no trace.
On the ruins, the surviving Akatsuki members stood in silence, heads lowered, lost in despair.
Konan fell to her knees amid the rubble, her hands mechanically clawing through shattered stone and dust.
Her fingernails had long since torn away, the skin on her hands split and bleeding—but she kept digging as if she couldn't feel the pain at all.
Yahiko couldn't bear to watch any longer. He knelt beside her, trying to soften his voice.
"That's enough, Konan… Nagato… he's been taken."
He knew the truth all too well.Whoever that man was, he had captured Nagato and escaped.
The person Yahiko cherished most—his brother in all but blood—was gone.
And he… he couldn't do anything to stop it.
Yahiko's fists clenched tightly, his face twisted in anguish.
It was all because he was too weak. He couldn't protect his family, his comrades—and yet he had dared to speak of saving the world.
How arrogant. How utterly foolish.
Konan's shoulders trembled. Hearing Yahiko's trembling voice snapped her back to reality. She slowly lowered the piece of rubble in her hands, covered her dust-streaked face, and wept bitterly.
"Nagato… why… why?"
At the same time—on the far side of the ocean—Mitsuki had already set out once more.
After half a day of travel, he arrived at one of the most secretive of the Five Great Hidden Villages: Kirigakure.
Originally, he'd planned to storm right through the front gate. But after witnessing Madara's "teachings" firsthand, Mitsuki decided it was time to adopt a new principle in life — Caution above all. Be steady. Don't act rashly.
So, in true shinobi fashion… he decided to play it sneaky.
Hidden outside the village perimeter, Mitsuki formed several hand seals.
"Shadow Manipulation!"
A small Flying Thunder God marker appeared, cloaked by the jutsu, and began creeping stealthily toward Kirigakure's gates.
It stopped at the entrance—Kirigakure had a sensory barrier surrounding it. Not as refined as Konoha's, but strong enough that Mitsuki didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.
He waited patiently. After about ten minutes, a squad of Mist shinobi returned from a mission.
Mitsuki guided his hidden marker to latch onto the sole of one of their sandals, hitching a ride. Effortlessly, he slipped into the village along with them.
Inside, he moved the Flying Thunder God mark to a secluded alleyway, then reached into his ninja pouch for some disguise tools.
He made a few quick adjustments in a small mirror. His transformation skills weren't perfect — but no matter how much he altered his face, he was still annoyingly handsome.
He tugged open his jacket slightly, letting Shukaku crawl inside to hide. Then, with a flick of his hand, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique again — and in an instant, he teleported deep into Kirigakure.
Now it was time to mark key locations.
First target…
Mitsuki strolled down the streets like an ordinary villager, occasionally brushing his hand against walls, posts, and signs—quietly leaving behind Flying Thunder God seals.
He wasn't worried about being discovered.In his mind, moving too cautiously was more suspicious than walking confidently.
And he was right. So far, no one had noticed his infiltration.
Of course, that was also because he avoided the village's critical facilities. With the Shadow-Crawling Curse, he could leave seals from a distance and let them slither to their targets.
Next on the list — Kirigakure's Central Bathhouse!
No, not for that reason. This was just a diversion. His real target was the gray building next to it—the Mission Hall, where vital intelligence was stored.
Why the bathhouse had been built right beside it… Mitsuki had no idea.
He only knew that if he walked straight into the Mission Hall as an ordinary civilian, he'd be arrested in seconds.
So instead, he approached the bathhouse.
At the entrance, he brushed his hand along the pillar, leaving behind a Flying Thunder God seal—and just as he turned to leave, a sharp, youthful voice called out behind him:
"Hey! What are you doing, sneaking around here?"
Mitsuki turned his head. A girl stood there—around his age, maybe a year or two older.
Bright turquoise eyes. Reddish-brown hair curled in crossing waves.
Her physique didn't quite match the image Mitsuki remembered of the future Fifth Mizukage…but that face and those eyes—there was no mistake.
Mei Terumi
When she saw him clearly, Mei covered her mouth in surprise, whispering, "He's… so handsome…"
Then she snapped back to herself, cheeks flushing.
"No! That's not the point!" she said, pointing accusingly at him. "You're standing at the bathhouse entrance but not going in! Are you trying to peek?!"
Mitsuki froze.
"What? Seriously?"
Did he really look that suspicious? Damn it—he'd spent too much time around Jiraiya-sensei.
Composing himself, Mitsuki smiled effortlessly. "I… forgot my money."
A flawless universal excuse.
"Hm… fine, I'll let you off," Mei said, narrowing her eyes but eventually nodding.
After all, peeping was something only some greasy, middle-aged loser would do. This white-haired pretty boy? Clearly a misunderstanding.
Seeing that the situation had defused, Mitsuki quickly said,
"Haha, glad we cleared that up. I'll be on my way, then."
But as he turned to leave—
"Wait."
Mei's voice stopped him in his tracks.