For ninja capable of traveling anywhere on the continent within a week at full-speed Body Flicker, the ninja world is a very small place.
Especially since most of its landmass is divided among the Four Great Nations, it seems smaller still.
As a result, whenever something big happens in these nations and their hidden villages, word spreads like wildfire to every corner of the land.
It was true back when the Uchiha clan was annihilated, and it is true now with the Konoha Crush and the deaths of two "Five Kage."
Because they wanted the Sand Village to pay a high price and because both sides hoped to avoid coming across as the villain or weakening their negotiation stance, Konoha and the Sand did not hide any details.
Instead, they made the information publicly available. After organizing and comparing each side's statements, the gist of the account went like this:
[Konoha's S-rank rogue ninja, Orochimaru, assassinated the Fourth Kazekage of the Sand Village and impersonated him, unilaterally violating the alliance treaty between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. Orochimaru then collaborated with the mercenary group Akatsuki—leading some Sand shinobi and Sound ninjas from his own Otogakure—to launch the "Konoha Crush" during the Chūnin Exams.]
[In the ensuing battle, Konoha's Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was killed in action. The entire Root faction was wiped out, and its leader, Danzo Shimura, also died. The killers were revealed to be Sasori of the Red Sand, as well as a mysterious figure possessing the fabled Rinnegan—foremost of the Three Great Dōjutsu—who wielded unlimited powers of repulsion and attraction.]
After killing Danzo and destroying Root, this individual infiltrated the Hokage Building, abducted Yamato, and stole the Scroll of Seals and other scrolls.
He could fly, vanish from sight, and had a repulsive force that left no trace or scent behind. Meanwhile, the puppet master—identified as Sasori—apparently needed no chakra strings to control his puppets. The duo also seized many corpses, presumably to create puppets.
The sole Root survivor, whom Izayoi deliberately spared, was Sai—an artist skilled at drawing. He produced a lifelike sketch of the so-called "Tendo Pain."
Konoha's top brass promptly placed huge bounties in the black markets on Sasori and Tendo Pain, offering sums that would tempt even Kakuzu.
They also released detailed intel on how Sasori can freely control numerous puppets without chakra threads; how the Rinnegan user can repeatedly generate repulsive and attractive forces; that Hanzō the "Demi-God" may have died at their hands; and that the Akatsuki base is located in Amegakure.
In short, the information was like a stone dropped in a lake, creating countless ripples. Whether people believed Konoha or not, the revelations about the legendary Rinnegan—"the Sage of Six Paths' eyes"—along with Hanzō's alleged downfall and the location of the Akatsuki stronghold, shifted many factions' attention toward the small Land of Rain.
Suddenly, Nagato and Sasori found themselves center stage in the ninja world, caught completely off guard.
"Nagato, you've gone too far!"
"Yes—if Danzo was part of that old incident, you've waited this long, why not wait a bit more?"
Uchiha Obito and Zetsu confronted Tendo Pain directly, accusing him. If Tendo Pain had simply killed Hiruzen Sarutobi or any other notable from Konoha, Obito and Zetsu wouldn't have believed it.
But with Danzo specifically killed, it seemed plausible Nagato must have held a grudge against Danzo—and might even have forgiven Orochimaru just to strike that target.
After all, that ring, "Sky (空, Ku)" was still in Orochimaru's possession, meaning Orochimaru could contact Nagato.
Though Tendo Pain was but Nagato's remote-controlled body, he maintained his austere demeanor. Yet even that body language almost cracked under Obito's criticisms. Striving to appear composed, he spoke without emotion:
"It wasn't me. I haven't left Amegakure since the day we failed to ambush that mysterious figure."
From the shadows, Konan stepped forward:
"I can confirm that neither Nagato nor Pain has left Amegakure."
"Meaning the 'mysterious figure' acted alone?!" Obito's face (beneath his mask) darkened. He didn't suspect Tendo Pain of lying—powerful figures of this level had no need for such deceptions.
"Transformation Jutsu requires a reference," said Black Zetsu in a rasping voice. "Our leader rarely shows himself; anyone who's seen him either joined us or died. Theoretically, that mystery man should never have witnessed Pain's true appearance. Unless…"
"Unless he could see us while we couldn't see him," Konan added, looking equally grim. "That means, on the day we left to ambush that man and failed, he never actually left. He continued watching us in secret, witnessing our return to Amegakure."
"Maybe even more than that," Obito said tensely. "He knew about Hanzō as well, implying he's known about us for a while. He just chose now to act. Possibly he really does possess a second set of Rinnegan."
Zetsu kept quiet but internally deduced the person to be that rumored being from the moon: the unknown dojutsu evolved from the Byakugan, with advanced far-sight and x-ray vision.
Maybe he was watching them even now, as a twisted form of payback. The notion weighed heavily on Zetsu's mind—an enemy who could see you when you couldn't see them was terrifying.
After all, that was Zetsu's signature tactic. If not for Zetsu's unique camouflage, a confrontation would be unavoidable. At least it still possessed its "living shadow technique" state, an intangible existence produced by Yin-Yang Release—Mother's child, the primordial chakra.
Only Kaguya's "sons" had that. With Hamura definitely dead by now, this "descendant" must be a more recent upstart. If he remained ignorant of Zetsu's true identity, Black Zetsu could still manipulate events from the shadows.
Regardless, that threat needed to be located and neutralized soon—lest it derail the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan. Possibly Zetsu might have to deploy its White Zetsu clones in full. Unless the culprit retreated to the moon at once, those clones, spread like a net across the land, would catch him the instant he reemerged.
Shortly thereafter, Sasori showed up:
"Leader, any sign of that guy?" he asked excitedly. "He's an utter genius—how else could he control so many puppets without chakra threads? This is different from your puppetry or mine; the fellow must be a born artistic!"
Sasori couldn't have cared less about being framed and slapped with a big bounty by Konoha, or having the organization's base exposed.
Like Deidara, he only expressed intense admiration for that unseen puppet-user. The man was a kindred spirit—a connoisseur of fleeting and eternal beauty!
"No idea," Tendo Pain answered coldly. Obito, Zetsu, and Konan all fell silent. Since Sasori was present, they refrained from discussing the Rinnegan or the mysterious man. Black Zetsu inquired instead:
"We're now the focus of the ninja world. Regardless whether they fully believe it, every faction will send spies to investigate. If we capture or kill them, that confirms the story. Should we relocate our base?"
"No need," Tendo Pain replied flatly. "No matter who comes, they die."
Zetsu and Obito gave no argument. Pain's Six Paths were strong enough to hold off anything short of an entire great village's combined force.
Unless some enormous army depleted Nagato's chakra, any small team—even a group of Five Kage—would perish if they tried infiltrating Amegakure. Except maybe that mysterious second Rinnegan user. And Obito himself only dared show up thanks to Kamui's invincibility.
…
Morning in Konoha. At a certain inn, a heavy knock pounded on the door, rousing Izayoi from slumber.
"Who's that?" he grumbled, annoyed. "Knocking this early?!" He surmised it wasn't Hinata or Hanabi, who would gently awaken him or pull some playful trick, so it must be someone else.
Sure enough, the doorknob turned. In stepped a black-haired boy dressed in a dark-blue short-sleeved shirt and white shorts. He scowled at Izayoi:
"It's already nine-thirty. Why're you still asleep, Izayoi? You're too careless."
It was Sasuke Uchiha.
"Haah…couldn't get comfortable in a strange bed," Izayoi yawned, lazily putting on his shoes.
"Hmph," Sasuke snorted, leaning against the door with arms crossed in typical tsundere fashion. "I heard you've become homeless. Want to move in with me? My clan compound has plenty of empty rooms."
Izayoi perked up at the offer. "Oh yeah, I nearly forgot: you're the 'clan head' of the Uchiha clan."
A few years back, that remark would have riled Sasuke. Now he merely bristled, grumbling: "You'll have to pay rent."
"Money's trivial," Izayoi waved dismissively, posture easygoing.
"But I don't want money." Sasuke's dark eyes fixed on him. "I want your ultimate moves!"
"Aha, so that's your real objective." Izayoi chuckled wryly. "Which do you want? My 'Judgment,' or 'Maser Light Cannon'?"
"I want them all!" Sasuke demanded greedily. "Including that Fire Style 'Gaia Force.'"
"In that case, your rent would be sky-high," Izayoi teased. "I might as well stick to the inn."
At that, Sasuke caved. "I'll do anything if you teach me. Name it, you've got it!"
"Mmm, still not sincere enough." Izayoi snorted. Then he ducked into the private bathroom to wash up.
Sasuke stood at the door, mentally re-checking what he'd just promised. Everything he owned was on the table—even the entire Uchiha compound, if Izayoi wanted it. He'd do anything, be his subordinate—whatever. How was that lacking "sincerity?"
Suddenly, he recalled one other possibility. His expression stiffened, a look of reluctance crossing his face. But remembering that unstoppable Fire Style move, the monstrous Storm Release laser, and the terrifying Roaring Light Cannon, Sasuke clenched his fist. He had no choice.
Izayoi emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later to see Sasuke standing stiffly, face twitching. At last, the proud boy stammered:
"On—Onii-san—uh, no, b-boss—!"
Izayoi froze, blinking in surprise. Seeing how Sasuke was nearly sparking with static from embarrassment, he also got goosebumps. But underneath the awkwardness, he felt amused.
"Ahem." He coughed, nodding approvingly. "That's the kind of sincerity I'm talking about. But the wording needs more flair."
"Huh?" Sasuke asked, confused.
A mischievous glint flickered in Izayoi's eyes as he adopted a formal posture, arms folded as if paying respects. "You should say something like: 'I have wandered many years without meeting a worthy brother—if you won't mind my company, I humbly pledge myself to you!' Or, 'If you do not reject me, I'll follow you always. I might even call you father, though we're the same age. I wouldn't mind having a new 'son.'"
Sasuke flushed scarlet, steam practically jetting from his ears like a cartoon. "I-IZAYOI, I'LL KILL YOU!" he roared, making the entire inn quake.
Like his old spats with Naruto, he pounced on Izayoi, and they scuffled briefly. But Izayoi's banter had effectively broken the tension, letting Sasuke's vow pass as mere joking. Eventually, Izayoi conceded to teach him the ultimate moves, and Sasuke—sporting multiple bruises—grudgingly let it go.
After packing his belongings in sealing scrolls and checking out, Izayoi left the inn alongside Sasuke. On the road, Izayoi asked:
"Got any food at your place?"
"Nope," Sasuke shrugged. "It's far from the market, so if I get hungry, I usually catch fish or hunt. …We can do some shopping, though." He nodded, recalling how Hinata's appetite alone would devour half a day's worth of fish if they tried a campsite cookout. To keep pace, he'd have to gather enough food to feed the unstoppable black hole that was Hinata.
"Then let's buy groceries," Izayoi declared, "plus new cookware and spices. You never know when Hinata might come over."
The mention of Hinata reminded Sasuke of her insane appetite. Grimacing, he fell silent. Indeed, the next time they trained and ate together, if he didn't haul in a monstrous beast, he wouldn't get anything to eat.
Still, he scoffed at her enormous chakra reserves—so what if her capacity exceeded his, or if she'd mastered Lightning Release acceleration slightly sooner than he had?
He was sure once he honed his lightning shape transformation and learned Izayoi's ultimate moves, Hinata would no longer be a match.
~~~
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