"…As expected, there's a problem. Good thing I watched Kenja no Magu in my previous life… oh wait, I mean Cautious Hero."
In less than two days, Izanami, along with his shadow clone monitoring the Land of Fire, noticed something unusual. He spotted a familiar figure—someone he had once glimpsed using his Reincarnation Eye while in the Land of Rivers, near the Land of Rain.
It was Konan, Jiraiya's disciple, the angel of Amegakure, and the White Tiger of the Akatsuki.
She was riding a large, sharp-beaked bird, soaring into the Land of Fire, heading toward an unknown destination. Konan had been leaving Amegakure less and less since Nagato's health began deteriorating. She hadn't taken any solo missions since all the Akatsuki members had gathered; instead, she stayed by Nagato's side, helping with his tasks and watching over his well-being.
But now, Konan was here, in the Land of Fire, and she wasn't sightseeing.
Izanami's gut told him she was likely after him.
Half a day later, his suspicion was confirmed.
Fifty kilometers northwest of the Black Market, on a small hill, Konan leapt off the back of the Eight-Span Crow. Her body cracked as sheets of paper detached from her and formed two wings on her back, allowing her to descend like an angel into the forest below.
The Eight-Span Crow swooped down, landing gracefully, and transformed into a massive cloud of white smoke. As the smoke dissipated, a giant paper tree appeared, its branches sprawling wide.
The tree then seemed to paint itself, transitioning from paper to a real, vibrant tree. It perfectly blended with the surrounding forest.
Through the Reincarnation Eye, Izanami could see that the tree was covered in blue Chakra, and from this Chakra, tadpole-like runes appeared, creating a barrier that nullified all sensory techniques. Even the Mind's Eye of the Kagura would likely fail to sense it.
But the Reincarnation Eye wasn't so easily fooled.
Izanami's gaze locked onto eight distinct Chakras within the tree—Konan, Nagato, and the Six Paths of Pain.
"Hiding inside the bird's mouth... so that's how they moved. I thought it was summoned by Konan's lip studs," Izanami murmured to himself, a grin creeping onto his face.
He couldn't help but complain, "The strongest people in the current Ninja World are personally coming for me. Are they overestimating me?"
But soon, Izanami fell silent, his focus sharpening as he watched the scene unfold.
The tree split open, and Tendo Pain emerged, floating into the air. A few moments later, a distortion in space appeared beside him, and a black hole the size of a fist materialized.
Two figures emerged from the black hole: Uchiha Obito and the filial son—Uchiha Itachi.
Izanami stared at the trio, their ominous presence forming an iconic image. He couldn't help but give a wry smile and greet them in his hometown dialect: "Ding nei goh fai."
Super-Kage-level fighters: Six Paths of Pain, Uchiha Itachi with his Mangekyo Sharingan and countless trump cards, and Uchiha Obito, who could use Kamui endlessly without fear of blindness... Even Ōnoki, at the peak of the Five Kage, would have no hope against such a combination.
These three could take on the combined forces of the Five Kage and win.
What could he possibly have done to deserve facing such an overwhelming lineup?
Suddenly, Izayoi heard the voice of his shadow clone, speaking in Mandarin: "Look, there's movement on the Black Market side."
At once, Izanami shifted his attention to the Black Market. Through his eyes, he saw a middle-aged man in a suit pierced through the body by a branch. In the next instant, a white creature morphed into the middle-aged man's likeness.
"Ephemeral Technique... as expected, even the Reincarnation Eye can't detect it," Izanami murmured, his expression turning serious.
His shadow clone spoke again: "His disguise technique doesn't show any flaws either. Truly, it's the strongest Transformation Technique in the Ninja World."
"If the Reincarnation Eye completes its second fetal movement—or its final evolution—and still can't see through it, then we'll need to give the Mind's Eye of the Kagura the ability to sense good and evil," the shadow clone suggested.
Izanami's mind began to race. He needed to think of any other abilities within the Ninja World that could pierce through such disguise techniques. It would be even better if they could also counter the Ephemeral Technique.
After all, the real danger posed by Black and White Zetsu wasn't their disguise or spiritual possession, but their Ephemeral Technique—an ability that allowed them to move at insane speeds, merge with the earth, and ignore barriers altogether.
That was a method even Sage of the Six Paths-level experts couldn't detect. The mere thought of being watched in the dark by such eyes made Izanami feel a shiver of disgust.
However, for now, he couldn't think of a way to deal with it, so he pushed the thought aside.
His Reincarnation Eye swept over the Zetsu Clone at the Black Market and then to the powerful combination on the cliff. A chuckle escaped Izanami's lips: "I originally intended to give you a little welcome gift, but after reconsidering, I realized it'd be a waste of effort. Instead, I'll let you stand here as punishment for a while."
Well, wasn't this actually good news?
The fact that Black Zetsu had set up such an ambush so openly meant that they either didn't know about the Reincarnation Eye or weren't aware of its capabilities. That was a major advantage for Izanami. And how could he let that advantage slip away?
"Fortunately, I prepared a backup plan. Otherwise, the losses this time would have been significant. I'll remember this, and when the time comes, I'll return the favor... in a big way."
Izanami took one last look at the direction of the formidable trio, then dispelled his shadow clone and headed back to the cave where Zabuza Momochi awaited.
Time passed, and three days later, at dusk, Uchiha Itachi stood silently, his gaze on the setting sun. As the last sliver of sunlight disappeared, he turned to Uchiha Obito, who was watching beside him.
"Has the target not appeared yet?"
"You'll have to ask Zetsu," Uchiha Obito replied with a low tone.
Black and White Zetsu, partially hidden beneath the ground, responded. White Zetsu spoke first: "The items have been delivered to the clone, but that guy hasn't shown up yet. And nothing's happened to the clone either."
"Could we have been exposed?" Uchiha Itachi asked, his eyes narrowing.
"It's possible," Black Zetsu responded, his mood darkening further. "If that mysterious figure is really a descendant of Hamura, his Byakugan could be more advanced than even the Hyuga Clan's. It wouldn't be surprising if his foresight surpasses the limits of their dojutsu. But we've been keeping our distance, staying hidden behind barriers and shifting through dimensions. How could we still have been exposed?"
This situation was becoming more unbelievable than the Uzumaki clan's Mind's Eye of the Kagura.
"You two wait another day. Itachi and I will move further away," Tendo Pain said coolly, before turning and walking off.
Uchiha Itachi stood up and followed closely behind, while Uchiha Obito vanished into the Kamui dimension.
Only Black and White Zetsu remained, using their Ephemeral Technique and Zetsu Clone to monitor the Black Market while expanding their search for any signs of their elusive target.
Another day passed, and still, the target didn't appear. With growing frustration, the powerful trio left, each with a sense of unease. If they couldn't catch that person this time, the next encounter would be even harder. With this level of sensory ability, they would be at a disadvantage before the battle even started.
Six days later, in a forest near the border of the Land of Fire, White returned from the Land of Rivers, carrying three large scrolls on his back. He approached Izanami and said respectfully, "Lord, these are the materials you requested. The total cost was 29,870,000 Ryo."
"Well done," Izanami replied, nodding. "You can keep the leftover money as a reward."
Using his Attraction technique, Izanami pulled the scrolls to him, then soared into the air, leaving the area behind.
Watching Izanami depart, both White and Zabuza Momochi exhaled in relief, glad that he had kept his word.
"Zabuza-sama, where do we go next?" White asked, supporting Zabuza, who had recovered enough to stand with the help of a cane.
"To rob those who rob," Zabuza Momochi said with a gleam in his eye, his voice low but determined, as if a door to a new world had opened for him.
The Demon Man, once lectured by Izanami, had clearly grown.