Some time ago, Kakashi came here to scout and almost lost his life.
Now, a single Shigeo floated above like a deity. Each stroke of Raiton (Lightning Style) plunged down and made the whole of Amegakure tremble. This was the gap between shinobi.
Konan's Shikigami no Mai (Dance of the Shikigami) strained to shield the village. Sheets of paper fluttered like sprites—one moment merging into a giant umbrella to catch the falling lightning, the next forming a massive shield to block the strikes. "Shigeo, calm down!"
Her voice came again through the air. This time not a threat, but almost a plea for negotiation.
Pain knew well what offending Shigeo would bring. But Uchiha Madara—Obito—had already moved, and there was no stopping him. Right now Amegakure served as Shigeo's outlet for rage. Even so, Akatsuki would not hand Fu over.
Pain had agreed to Madara's plan. For the sake of Mugen Tsukuyomi (Infinite Tsukuyomi), they were prepared to sacrifice the Rain Village.
Konan disagreed. She was making a final stand.
To Obito, any price was acceptable for the goal. But to her and to Nagato and Yahiko, this village was the source of everything they had fought for. If they could not protect their own home, then what was the point of all their struggles?
Nagato had already been swayed by Obito. He was promised that once the remaining Tailed Beasts were gathered and Mugen Tsukuyomi (Infinite Tsukuyomi) activated, all his wishes would be fulfilled: Yahiko resurrected, Amegakure rebuilt, and raised into the greatest shinobi village in the world—ending war forever.
Such a beautiful future. Even Pain, who wished to make people understand suffering, had begun to yearn for that promised day.
Now, in the village they were ready to abandon, only Konan resisted. Layer upon layer of paper spread like protective parasols, fighting to shield Amegakure. She knew she was no match for Shigeo, but she refused to stop.
Suddenly, Shigeo halted his destruction. He had seen Konan.
On the highest rooftop in the village, she stood taut, commanding tens of billions of paper sheets against the lightning.
Pain was absent. She was giving everything she had to protect the village.
And Fu was not here.
"Let's make a trade," Shigeo said, turning once—and in the next instant appeared before Konan.
Behind him, rolling black clouds glowered. Lightning flickered within. Though the lightning storm over the village had ceased, those deep sea-blue Rinnegan and the way he looked at her made her heart seize. This man was extremely dangerous.
"What kind of trade?"
"I'll spare Amegakure. In return, you join Monin Village."
It was a deal. Leveling Amegakure gave Shigeo nothing. By contrast, if he could draw Konan into his ranks, it would benefit him, Monin Village, and the entire shinobi world.
As for Pain and the rest of Akatsuki, who knew where they were now? His summoning link to the Gedō Mazō (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) had been severed by Pain, and Shigeo had sealed many avenues besides. At this moment he could no longer locate them by sensing the statue. That meant the Tailed Beast inside Fu could no longer be saved.
Recruiting Konan would not only change her fate, it could also make her the new representative of Amegakure in the future. Of course, before all that, he would bind her to him.
Konan watched him. Her fingers trembled slightly. If she detonated tens of billions of paper bombs at point-blank range… what then?
The thought flashed and vanished. She knew it wouldn't kill him. He was too strong. If he chose not to spare the village today, Amegakure would certainly die.
"Why do you want me to join Monin Village?" she asked.
He chuckled. "Because I don't want you to die. Is that acceptable? Or do you think I'm trying to sleep with you?"
Shigeo pivoted and rose back into the sky, gaze circling the horizon. In his mind, she would accept.
Sure enough, seeing him move—afraid he might change his mind and attack the village—she blurted, "Fine!"
A black rod appeared in Shigeo's palm. He tossed it to her. "You should be familiar with this. Choose."
Konan looked at the black rod in her hand, then across the village. Nagato believed in Obito. She did not. Perhaps everyone in this world deserved to die, but Amegakure could not be allowed to vanish.
She clenched her jaw. The black rod slid into her heart. From that moment, she belonged to Shigeo.
"Remember. From now on, your life is mine," he said. A whirl of air opened, and Shigeo vanished.
Through the link of the black rod, Konan understood: though he had accepted her, he was not asking her to leave with him now. She would remain within Akatsuki for the time being. From here on, she would do everything to protect Nagato. If she could, she would safeguard Amegakure and, at the same time, keep him alive to fulfill Yahiko's wish.
She looked up. The black clouds parted and sunlight spilled down. Then she turned and disappeared.
The instant the rod entered Konan's body, Shigeo learned Pain's location. If he could find them, he could save Fu.
Normally, extracting a Tailed Beast took three days. Only one had passed. Even if the beast could not be saved, he would at least save Fu's life.
With the rough position in mind, Shigeo flew south. Entering the northern reaches of the Land of Rivers, he soon heard thunderous explosions, earthshaking and deafening.
He veered east. Less than thirty li later, he saw Uchiha Itachi and Deidara locked in battle.
In the sky, Deidara hurled down C3 No. 18, a massive clay effigy packed with the strongest chakra from his own body, plummeting toward Itachi.
"I'll kill you…"
"I'll kill you…"
Both spoke at once.
Had Deidara not defected to Monin Village, Shigeo would have left them to it. But Deidara was his man now. If he could not protect his own, what was the point of recruiting them?
"Stop. Itachi! Deidara is my friend!" Shigeo appeared in the air and shouted.
C4 swelled even larger and crashed downward. Itachi flickered aside, eyes shifting as the Mangekyō Sharingan blossomed. "From the start, you were already a failure at my hands."
The ground erupted. The C4 detonation gouged a vast crater from the forest; the mountains shook. Itachi's form blurred, genjutsu foam shimmered, and a storm of crows burst into the sky.
(End of Chapter)
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