In an instant, the more they fought, the faster he moved. Behind him, the three-person group gave chase.
After the brief initial exchange, Yuji began deliberately retreating while making it appear like a genuine attempt to escape. But Yahiko naturally could not allow him to leave. Their stronghold in the Land of Rain could not be relocated on short notice.
If they had any other option, they would not have chosen to confront the mysterious figure head-on. Furthermore, there were a large number of wounded members who needed treatment and could not be moved quickly. Engaging him directly had been a last resort.
The Hidden Rain Village had already been thoroughly investigating this battlefield area. Knowing that the mysterious person had discovered their stronghold location, they had no choice but to control him first to prevent any information from leaking.
The naturally swift figure was not operating at his peak condition, intentionally giving Yahiko and the other two enough opportunity to keep pace.
Bang.
Suddenly Nagato launched a preemptive strike, accelerating and appearing in front of the figure unexpectedly, extending his hand toward him. With a quiet exertion, an invisible wave detonated between the two of them instantly. The powerful force sent the airborne figure flying.
Like a projectile, he was launched toward Yahiko and Konan.
"Although the Rinnegan has not yet been fully awakened, it is already approaching a mature stage. While the power cannot compare to what it becomes in later generations, the ability, application, and intensity are still quite formidable."
His clothing was partially damaged from the impact. With his arms crossed in a defensive posture, he rapidly retreated through the air and assessed the situation.
Behind him, Konan was surrounded by swirling white paper. Yahiko, even faster, lunged proactively toward him as he was losing his balance in midair.
Bang.
Yuji demonstrated powerful body control in midair, twisting his waist and landing on the ground with his feet digging deep into the earth to neutralize the residual force of the impact. Using the sliding momentum, he immediately launched forward and began a taijutsu exchange with Yahiko. Their fists and kicks clashed, their bodies shifting and repositioning constantly.
"Comparing the three of them, Yahiko's taijutsu is the strongest among them. His chakra level is also very dense and substantial."
He observed while fighting.
Meanwhile Konan was providing support, pressuring from the side. Her Paper Ninjutsu was uncommon in the ninja world and carried a distinctly unpredictable quality that made it genuinely difficult to fully defend against. Nagato also quickly moved to fill in the gaps.
In an instant, Yuji found himself in a genuine three-on-one situation.
Boom.
Yahiko deployed a Water Release technique, and several enormous columns of water surged upward from the ground and spiraled around. Combined with Konan's and Nagato's simultaneous attacks, his available space was compressed sharply, and he was thrown directly by the water current.
"Beyond the Paper Ninjutsu, Konan also possesses multiple chakra natures and her ability with weapons and thrown projectiles is particularly outstanding."
"But Nagato is the one who concerns me most."
In the air, completely soaked from the water, he registered what he was dealing with.
The Rinnegan's ability was genuinely abnormal. Simply by utilizing the gravitational attraction and repulsion effects, Nagato could completely distort his opponent's movement trajectories during close-range combat.
Beyond the universal push and pull, he had also discovered during the exchange that his chakra was being slowly absorbed through direct limb contact. This was clearly the ability of the Hungry Ghost Path.
Of course, whether it was the universal pull or the Hungry Ghost Path's chakra absorption, both were very weak at this stage and nowhere near comparable to the Six Paths of Pain in later years. But even at this level, they revealed a genuine glimpse of the power that lay beneath the surface.
Bang.
Taking advantage of being launched by Yahiko's Water Release, Nagato immediately moved to intercept again, accelerating toward the flying figure and activating the Rinnegan's power simultaneously.
But this time, Yuji had prepared considerably earlier. The moment Nagato extended his hand, he was sent flying by a precise kick. Several of Yuji's movements had already surpassed Nagato's predicted tactical responses, including a brief flash of spatial displacement when he activated his chakra.
"Nagato!"
Konan and Yahiko's expressions changed sharply.
Bang.
Konan leaped onto a tree and immediately hung upside down from a branch, maintaining a downward position, and formed hand seals instantly. Yahiko reacted with equal speed, reading Konan's rhythm and following her lead immediately.
The two of them, one above and one below, activated the same technique simultaneously.
"Water Release: Water Turbulent Waves!"
Konan and Yahiko shouted together.
A second later, two powerful streams of pressurized water erupted and clashed in midair. For a moment, surging waves spread in every direction. The upper position naturally held the greater advantage in a collision of this kind.
Very quickly, the two currents locked briefly in a struggle and then transformed entirely into a spreading tide that swept everything below it. But the tree trunk where Konan was positioned above also exploded in that same instant.
Konan had stealthily attached several explosive tags to the back of the tree trunk using her paper talismans. The blast enveloped the figure in black smoke and sent him tumbling through the air before he crashed to the ground.
Fire and thick smoke rose up.
"Almost there," he thought to himself.
It was time to let these three achieve their goal of subduing him.
Through this exchange, he had developed a thorough understanding of their current combat capabilities. He also understood that the trio had just come through a major battle before this. Their condition was already depleted and they were carrying injuries.
Furthermore, their goal was not to kill him but simply to restrain and capture him. Even though he had limited himself to taijutsu, Water Release, and Earth Release during the entire exchange, performing them in a way that made it difficult to detect the Red Scale enhancement or his eye techniques, the fact that these three could fight him to this extent while in a weakened state was genuinely impressive.
In terms of technique variety he had been holding back considerably. But in terms of combat experience, situational reading, and tactical adaptation, he had not held back at all. His mind had been working constantly throughout the exchange. He had taken this battle seriously.
The paper rustled.
The equally soaked Konan appeared behind him. White paper fluttered around her, beginning to fold and connect into a single continuously expanding sheet. Just as she was about to close in, he leaped forward in an instant and reached out to grab her neck.
At the exact moment his fingertips touched Konan's skin, Yahiko and Nagato appeared simultaneously, one on each side.
"Well done. To be able to coordinate this precisely, I will admit it openly. You two are excellent."
He spoke from beneath the mask.
A second later, Yahiko and Nagato's attacks landed on him simultaneously.
Half an hour later, he was completely covered in paper, his hands and feet bound. Like a prisoner, he was fixed against a tree. Standing opposite him were Yahiko and his two companions, panting heavily and visibly pale, along with the other Akatsuki members who had rushed over.
They believed they had finally captured the masked man after a fierce and genuinely dangerous battle that had pushed all three of them to their limits.
"I miscalculated. I did not expect you would actually manage to get me."
"But I was genuinely trying to help you," Yuji said, his tone carrying a trace of mock regret.
"We said we would not harm you," Yahiko said, having recovered his composure. He took a few steps forward.
"Excuse me."
He reached out to remove the mask.
But just as he moved to do so, blood began pouring profusely from beneath the edges of the mysterious figure's face.
Yahiko was startled and stopped immediately.
"This is a specially constructed mask. If you insist on removing it, I will die. All you will see is a face without recognizable features, a bloody and decayed mess."
Yuji said it matter-of-factly.
This statement made even the surrounding Akatsuki members visibly uneasy.
"I apologize," Yahiko said quietly.