After sealing Uchiha Kagami with Planetary Devastation, Diarmuid was about to turn around and speak to Kakuzu and Sasori when he suddenly sensed something odd.
Inside the Planetary Devastation, the Dark-Dark Fruit seemed to be devouring... chakra?
The essence of Susanoo was effectively a massive concentration of chakra. At this moment, the darkness of the Dark-Dark Fruit was voraciously consuming that energy.
Diarmuid looked genuinely surprised. He had assumed that in this world, while the Dark-Dark Fruit kept its other properties, its ability to nullify powers would be useless since there were no other Devil Fruit users. He hadn't dwelled on it much for that reason.
But why was it suddenly devouring chakra?
It felt very similar to how it used to steal abilities from other power users. Could it be that the fruit had been "assimilated" or altered by the logic of this world?
He had used these powers when sparring with Kakuzu before, but it hadn't shown this effect then. This change was new, likely something that had only started manifesting recently, and he just hadn't tested it until now.
"What's wrong?" Kakuzu asked. Seeing Diarmuid pause and look back, he thought Kagami was still putting up a fight.
Diarmuid shook his head. "It's nothing."
Sasori's gaze toward Diarmuid had lost its previous coldness. He spoke naturally, "What now? This... Planetary Devastation? Can we move it? If we delay any longer, I'm afraid Konoha or Kumo reinforcements will arrive, and things will get messy."
Diarmuid gave Sasori a curious look. The puppet master's tone and attitude had shifted dramatically. By asking what they should do, he was effectively handing the initiative to Diarmuid. In a way, it was a subtle sign of "submission."
Perhaps he really was shocked by that display of power, Diarmuid thought. He didn't let the realization change his demeanor; he didn't look down on Kakuzu or Sasori just because he knew he was stronger.
Remaining as friendly as ever, he said, "Give me about five more minutes."
He didn't explain why, but neither Kakuzu nor Sasori objected. Sasori had already accepted Diarmuid in his heart, feeling that following him was a viable path. This was the prerogative of the strong, what some might call the "Aura of a Ruler."
As for Kakuzu, he had favored Diarmuid from the start. Diarmuid was generous, and now that his strength had proven to be even greater than expected, it meant Diarmuid's future was bright. Following him meant plenty of opportunities to make a fortune.
After five or six minutes, Diarmuid withdrew the power of the Planetary Devastation. The sphere of earth crumbled away, revealing an unconscious Uchiha Kagami.
During those few minutes of sealing, Diarmuid's Dark-Dark Fruit had drained Kagami's chakra completely dry. A ninja without chakra is severely handicapped; most of their techniques become unusable. The process of having chakra forcibly extracted was clearly agonizing, which was why Kagami had fallen into a deep coma.
"The Uchiha are nothing special after all," Sasori sneered, looking at the downed man.
Kakuzu glanced at him. "Without Diarmuid, you might not have been his match."
"Hmph." Sasori let out a dissatisfied grunt but didn't argue.
Diarmuid then spoke up, "How are you going to handle your 'Human Puppet' project? Do you want him alive or dead for now?"
"He'll die eventually, but I need to preserve some vitality for the process," Sasori replied. He slid a syringe out of his sleeve, it looked crude but effective.
He stepped forward and administered a shot to Kagami. He then hoisted the man onto his shoulder. "Without my antidote, even if he wakes up, he won't be able to mold chakra, nor will he have an ounce of strength. Let's go."
After a brief pause, he looked at Kakuzu and Diarmuid. "Do you two have a place to go?"
"Does the Exchange Point in the Land of Bears count?" Diarmuid joked.
"I haven't had a fixed residence in decades," Kakuzu said calmly.
Sasori nodded. "Then why not come with me for now? I have a secret base in the Land of Birds."
"A secret base, huh..." Diarmuid murmured with a slight smile. It had been a long time since he'd heard that phrase. It reminded him of his childhood, finding a nook with friends and calling it their "secret base." He'd almost forgotten that ninjas did that too.
The Land of Birds was located between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, acting as a buffer zone between the great powers. It was a small, obscure nation. To the east of it lay the "Graveyard of Empires," the Land of Rain.
Speaking of the Land of Rain, it was a remarkably resilient country. At its peak, it had nearly become the "Sixth Great Power." The Lands of Wind, Fire, and Earth almost always dragged the Land of Rain into their conflicts, yet during its prime, the Land of Rain had even dared to declare war on the great nations themselves.
Over the years, the three major powers had all suffered heavy losses within its borders. While buffer states like the Land of Rice, the Land of Birds, and the Land of Grass had mostly been pacified and now relied entirely on the great powers, even dismantling their own hidden villages, the Land of Rain was different. It fought back. Its current leader, Hanzo of the Salamander, was known as the "Demigod." He was a legend in the shinobi world; the very title of "Sannin" had been "bestowed" by him upon Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
The conflicts surrounding the Land of Rain would eventually involve the entire shinobi world and cause the Five Great Nations endless grief. Hanzo would later conspire with Danzo for personal gain, leading to the entrapment of the Akatsuki. The original leader, Yahiko, would be killed, and Nagato would be left crippled.
But Hanzo never accounted for Madara's Rinnegan, and thus the Demigod would meet his end in the Land of Rain. For a long time after, the country would remain isolationist. News of Hanzo's death was suppressed, and the Akatsuki became the actual rulers, transforming from a peace-seeking organization into a group of extremists wanting to "make the world feel pain."
The shift in power didn't weaken the country; if anything, it became more formidable. The Akatsuki became a name that struck terror into the hearts of ninjas everywhere.
But none of that had happened yet.
Currently, it was still the Third Great Ninja War. The Battle of Kannabi Bridge, led by Minato, hadn't occurred. Kakashi hadn't become the "Copy Ninja," and Obito was still just an innocent, lovestruck boy.
It would be after the Third Great Ninja War that Obito, acting as "Madara" under the real Madara's instructions, would approach the Akatsuki to sway Nagato and the others. At that time, Yahiko was still alive, so Nagato naturally refused.
From this, it could be inferred that Hanzo's conspiracies and the Akatsuki's descent into darkness were post-war events.
"Will this interfere with my money-making?" Kakuzu asked Sasori.
"No. The Land of Birds is a buffer zone between Wind and Earth. It's a war zone now. There's no shortage of money to be made. Whether you want to collect bodies or act as a mercenary for the two nations, the choice is yours," Sasori said coolly.
That was all Kakuzu needed to hear; he had no further objections.
Diarmuid asked with a grin, "Inviting us to your secret base... does that mean you've considered my proposal?"
Sasori was silent for a moment before saying, "I simply haven't found a reason to refuse yet."
"Hahaha!" Diarmuid laughed. It was a classic tsundere response, but it was an admission nonetheless. In high spirits, Diarmuid said, "Alright then, to the Land of Birds. I'm quite curious about the Sharingan myself. I'd like to see how you set up your Human Puppet, if you don't mind me watching."
"That shouldn't be a problem," Sasori nodded.
With that, the trio set off toward the Land of Birds, carrying the unconscious Kagami.
About half a day after they left, Konoha ninjas arrived at the battlefield. They were baffled to find that Kagami and the vanguard had vanished. Naturally, the blame was shifted onto Kumogakure.
Reinforcements from Kumo arrived shortly after and clashed with the Konoha search party. The battle ended inconclusively, with Kumo assuming Konoha had wiped out their men. After all, they arrived to see Konoha ninjas scouring the area as if cleaning up a battlefield... If it wasn't you, then who?
Meanwhile…
Diarmuid felt that the size of this world couldn't compare to the world of One Piece. Traveling on foot, even at ninja speeds, from the Land of Rice through the Land of Rain to the Land of Birds took less than half a month. In the world of One Piece, half a month might not even be enough to sail to the next island!
After ten or so days, the three entered the Land of Rain. To save time, they had skirted the border of the Land of Fire, a bold move, but given their collective strength, they encountered no issues. Still, running through the Land of Fire with Kagami in tow was an act of extreme audacity.
The Land of Rain was perpetually shrouded in a light drizzle. Diarmuid, Kakuzu, and Sasori sat around a stone table under a pavilion. A long, wrapped bundle lay at Sasori's feet. It was the still-unconscious Kagami. During the journey, Sasori had regularly injected him with drugs. Using some unknown method, Sasori had kept Kagami alive all this time without food, water, or even the need for a bathroom.
"Kannabi Bridge?" Diarmuid stroked the beard on his chin, looking curiously at the map on the table.
As a newcomer, his knowledge of local geography was sparse. He knew the general layout of the Five Great Nations, but details eluded him. He vaguely recalled Kannabi Bridge being a vital supply route for Iwagakure during their war with Konoha, a strategic chokepoint.
He had thought Kannabi Bridge was in the Land of Grass or the Land of Waterfall. He was surprised to see it was actually between the Land of Birds and the Land of Rain, closer to the Land of Wind.
Looking at the map, Diarmuid quickly analyzed the situation. The Battle of Kannabi Bridge marked the end of the Third Great Ninja War and secured Konoha's victory over Iwagakure. From a strategic perspective, it seemed both sides were fighting for control over the chaos within the Land of Rain. Iwagakure's invasion route hadn't come from the northeast, but rather the northwest.
By crossing Kannabi Bridge from the Land of Birds and pushing through the Land of Rain, one could either strike at Konoha or hold the Land of Rain as a defensive buffer. Furthermore, Kannabi Bridge wasn't just a threat to the Land of Fire; attacking the Land of Wind from there offered a significant geographical advantage as well.
It was the core element of Iwagakure's two-front war strategy. And Sasori's secret base in the Land of Birds was not far from Kannabi Bridge at all.
Thinking of this, Diarmuid glanced at Sasori and wondered silently, Are you by any chance neighbors with Madara?
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