"There is no need for atonement, for it simply does not suit you. Besides, the things you've done over the years cannot be atoned for. What you must do is seek revenge. Continue to use anger and hatred as your fuel, and strike back at those who once harmed you."
Allen ruthlessly cut off the sentimental mood that Obito had struggled to build up.
Atonement?
That depended entirely on the nature of the crime!
Someone like Obito, who decided to retaliate against the entire world simply because his crush died, and who spared not even his own kindest teacher and mentor's wife, was not worthy of sympathy or forgiveness at any time.
Specifically, in Allen's eyes, even Nagato had the right to seek atonement, but this man certainly did not.
Obito clearly sensed this. He immediately pulled back his previous expression and nodded silently. "Understood. I will do as you say, ignite a quagmire of a war that sweeps through the entire shinobi world. I will drag every hidden village into the depths, making them sink further and further until they can no longer crawl out."
"Very good. Also, remember to keep an eye on Black Zetsu. Do not let your guard down, and certainly do not treat him as a normal human. Fundamentally, he isn't even human; he is an entity of consciousness created by Kaguya. Aside from his attachment to his creator, he is devoid of emotion. If he attempts to secretly use Reanimation Jutsu to resurrect Madara, notify me immediately."
With that, Allen used a space-time ninjutsu and vanished without a trace.
A second later...
He reappeared near a forest.
Nearby, Neji and Karin were extracting the Six-Tails from its Jinchuriki, while Sasuke stood to the side, keeping a cold watch on a captured blonde girl.
The girl was none other than Hotaru, the granddaughter of the Tsuchigumo clan's leader.
Being a typical case of "straight-man syndrome," Sasuke was clearly not going to go easy on her just because she was a pretty girl. If Hotaru made even the slightest suspicious move, he would immediately release lightning-natured chakra to paralyze her instantly.
After several rounds of this, the young girl had learned her lesson through bitter pain and no longer dared to scream as she had before.
"How is it? How much longer until the Tailed Beast is extracted?" Allen asked bluntly.
"Probably another two or three hours," Neji responded, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Better make it fast. I have no desire to get involved in the affairs of the Tsuchigumo clan, and I especially don't want to run into the Konoha crowd here," Allen urged in a low voice.
"The Tsuchigumo clan has ties to Konoha?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yes. They struck a deal with the Hokage to seek aid from Konoha if attacked by external enemies. Furthermore... this woman's identity and lineage are very sensitive. One could even say her very existence is a weapon of staggering power," Allen explained, staring at the girl who was glaring at him with pure resentment.
"A weapon? Just her?" Sasuke glanced at Hotaru.
Allen nodded seriously. "Correct. Remember the Senjutsu I taught you recently? The Tsuchigumo clan utilizes a certain method to absorb massive amounts of natural energy and release it outward from their own bodies. The more energy they absorb, the greater the power, enough to instantly level a Great Ninja Village. The only drawback is likely the charging time."
If one were to rank the ninjutsu of the shinobi world by destructive power, obtaining the Rinnegan and mastering the Six Paths' power would undoubtedly be the top tier. The forbidden jutsu of the Tsuchigumo clan, however, was fully qualified to sit in the second tier, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Sage Mode and the Mangekyo Sharingan's Susano'o.
This was precisely why Konoha placed such high importance on their alliance with the Tsuchigumo.
Because every single one of these people was, without exaggeration, a strategic-grade weapon.
Unfortunately, Allen had long since moved past such crude methods of utilizing natural energy.
"Unbelievable. Who would have thought this woman, the one who treats the Six-Tails Jinchuriki as her master, had such a background? Why don't we just take her with us?" Sasuke asked, his tone uncertain.
Allen replied without hesitation: "Because there's no need. The Tsuchigumo forbidden jutsu is only suitable for wars between ordinary shinobi, and it requires a large number of personnel for protection during the casting process. We are going to face gods. A ninjutsu that requires such a long preparation time is effectively useless in that context. We might as well leave it to Konoha as a trump card."
Although he couldn't recall exactly how much natural energy Hotaru absorbed when she unleashed the forbidden jutsu, the duration certainly exceeded several minutes.
It was only because no one present at the time truly wanted to kill her that she survived; otherwise, she would have died a thousand deaths.
Thus, while the destructive potential of the Tsuchigumo forbidden jutsu was terrifying, Allen had zero interest in it.
His only interest lay in the Six-Tails currently being extracted.
However, as the saying goes, the thing you worry about most is exactly what will happen.
In the blink of an eye, several familiar figures appeared on the hillside.
Leading them was the Jonin of Team 3, Might Guy. Behind him followed Tenten, Rock Lee, Naruto, and Sakura.
"Allen! It really is you! Release the granddaughter of the Tsuchigumo chief immediately!" Might Guy demanded unceremoniously.
Even with his intellect, he could see that the primary objective of the group was the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata.
"Hand her over," Allen ordered without looking back.
Sasuke didn't waste words; he grabbed the blonde captive and threw her toward them with force.
Sakura stepped forward instantly, catching Hotaru steadily. She performed a quick medical check to ensure there were no major injuries before turning to nod at Might Guy.
The latter breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as he was preparing to retreat with the mission objective, the blonde girl struggled out of Sakura's arms and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Wait! You haven't saved my Master yet!"
"Your Master?"
Might Guy froze, looking at the Jinchuriki whose Tailed Beast was being extracted.
As far as he knew, Utakata was a rogue ninja who had fled from the Hidden Mist. How had he become the master of the Tsuchigumo chief's granddaughter?
Before Hotaru could explain, Allen spoke up with a warning: "I suggest you don't meddle in business that doesn't concern you. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind releasing the Nine-Tails right here. I've picked up quite a bit of knowledge regarding sealing jutsu lately and was just looking for a test subject. Besides, the Six-Tails is the property of the Hidden Mist. Even they haven't said a word, what right do you have to interfere?"
"You bastard! If you've got the guts, try it!" Naruto was instantly enraged.
After all, this wasn't the first time Allen had used him as a leverage point, and it had worked every single time.
"Hmph! Idiot. Go home. This is no place for you to play your little house-ninja games," Sasuke mocked with a cold sneer.
Hearing this, Naruto became even more agitated. If Sakura hadn't been holding him back, he likely would have charged forward to settle things then and there.
Unfortunately, until he gained the full acknowledgement of the Nine-Tails, his very existence was a ticking time bomb.
A slight interference from a Mangekyo Sharingan would be enough to send him into an instant state of rampage.