Sasuke's eyes turned even colder, a faint scarlet glint flickering within them.
The tension between him and Karin had reached its peak—conflict was about to erupt—
Then—
BOOM!!!
An indescribable surge of chakra exploded from the very center of Konoha, like a volcanic eruption tearing through the sky!
Both of them froze.
Shock instantly replaced hostility as they turned in unison toward the source—the center of the village.
"What… is that?!" Sasuke's expression shifted from icy detachment to grave seriousness. The sheer density of that chakra far exceeded anything he had previously encountered.
"Whoa!" Karin's eyes widened—not in fear, but in excitement.
"So strong! That's amazing! This is way more interesting!"
Her entire "comfort Sasuke" plan evaporated instantly. All her attention locked onto this new, far more fascinating development.
Sasuke ignored her.
Without hesitation, he vanished in a streak of black lightning, racing straight toward the epicenter.
Only after he left did Kabuto emerge from the shadows beside Karin.
"Why didn't you act according to plan?" he asked quietly, concerned they had missed their chance to capture Sasuke.
"Plan? What plan?" Karin waved him off, eyes still glued to the village center. "Didn't you notice someone even stronger just showed up?"
She grinned mischievously.
"This newcomer might have even more research value than Sasuke! And look at Sasuke rushing off like that—he's definitely going to confront them!"
She turned to Kabuto, eyes shining.
"Now we get a real show! Let the new guy fight Sasuke! Push him into a corner—maybe that hidden thing inside him will come out!"
"Then we just watch from the sidelines. We'll observe way more that way than if we grabbed him ourselves!"
The more she spoke, the more pleased she became with her own strategy—classic wait-and-reap-the-benefits thinking.
Kabuto studied the turbulent chakra from afar, his serpentine features contemplative.
"…You're not wrong."
"Then let's go!" Karin interrupted, grabbing his cloak and dragging him toward a vantage point near the Hokage Monument.
"We need the best seat! Wouldn't want to miss this!"
Kabuto gave a helpless chuckle. "How many enemies has Konoha made? Sasuke hasn't even begun his revenge, and another one shows up."
Across the shinobi world, viewers were half-exasperated, half-amused.
"Karin really lives for chaos."
"She switched targets instantly!"
"Who on earth is in Konoha's center with chakra like that?"
All curiosity focused on one question:
Who had arrived?
The Heavenly Screen Zooms In
At the epicenter stood a lone figure.
He raised his hands calmly.
"Summoning Jutsu."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Five massive plumes of smoke exploded outward.
As the smoke cleared—
Six figures stood there.
And what seized every viewer's breath—
Their eyes.
Within each pair of eye sockets swirled concentric purple ripples—
The Rinnegan.
"Six… six Rinnegan?!"
"That's impossible!"
"Isn't that the Sage of Six Paths' legendary eye?!"
"How can there be so many at once?!"
"In the first Heavenly Screen arc, Naruto had one too—why are they everywhere?!"
The shinobi world erupted.
Six Rinnegan appearing simultaneously shattered common sense.
Konoha – Hokage's Office
Tsunade's pupils shrank.
A chill ran up her spine.
Such overwhelming power, clearly hostile, appearing in the heart of Konoha—
She whipped around and glared at Hiruzen with an expression that could kill.
Again?
How many enemies did you people make?
Hiruzen's face drained of color.
"This time… I truly don't know!" he insisted hoarsely. "The Rinnegan—there are no records in Konoha of multiple wielders! I never ordered—nor would I allow—Danzo to provoke such beings! This is beyond anything I've ever encountered!"
He looked genuinely shaken.
Tsunade remained unconvinced.
Too many prior "surprises" had traced back to his era.
But Jiraiya wasn't looking at either of them.
His gaze was locked onto one of the six figures.
The one standing at the front—
Short orange hair.
Pierced face.
Emotionless.
Jiraiya's heart slammed in his chest.
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