Rain Country.
Nagato lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky.
Konan was treating Nagato's injuries.
Uchiha Itachi stood nearby, scanning the surroundings, trying to find any trace of Naruto.
Suddenly, Itachi noticed a sound cutting through the air above his head.
He looked up and saw a human-shaped golden light standing in the void.
"Uzumaki Naruto?" Itachi's expression changed slightly, then he calmed down and asked Naruto, "Why did you leave Konoha?"
Naruto didn't want to answer this question.
Itachi closed his eyes slightly, then opened them again, revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Naruto looked into Itachi's eyes calmly, without the slightest fear.
What about Mangekyō Sharingan?
Naruto's current state is at its peak.
Whether Sage Mode or Nine-Tails Chakra Mode—both are immune to genjutsu.
Naruto didn't waste time. He raised his hand to form a seal, then aimed the Mind-Body Switching Technique gesture at Uchiha Itachi.
Naruto floated high in the sky and said to the Itachi below, "This thing is also an illusion, but I haven't named it yet. Let's test it on you."
Hearing this, Itachi—who was about to dodge—stopped.
Genjutsu?
He had Mangekyō Sharingan—why should he fear illusions?
Although Itachi carried the Will of Fire, he was still a member of the Uchiha clan.
The Uchiha clan's bad habit was still present in him:
Blind confidence in the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Of course, the Mangekyō was powerful.
But neither Izuna—who was calmer and harder to counter—nor Itachi were exceptions. They all trusted their Mangekyō blindly.
But…
This time, something unexpected happened.
Naruto's "illusion" didn't target Itachi's body—it copied his body.
Itachi's true nature, manifested by the technique, appeared beside Naruto.
It must be said—it showed how powerful Itachi was.
Because he truly lived according to his heart.
Having faced a choice between family and village, his heart's decision was his true nature.
Thus, Itachi's manifested "true self" was the embodiment of his original intent.
People like this were extremely strong.
And it had another benefit:
He wouldn't need a literal waterfall to control Tailed Beast chakra—
But unfortunately, Itachi wasn't a Jinchūriki.
Naruto took out a kunai containing the soul of Dongxiong (flag: name uncertain) and ordered him to control Itachi's true nature.
Itachi's manifested self opened its eyes, revealing the scarlet Sharingan.
He said proudly, "I am you. I have your strength and combat experience. Let's see how you defeat me!"
Naruto: "?"
Uchiha Itachi: "…"
Isn't it normal for Snow Country ninjas to reveal their abilities before fighting?
Why did he have to be this stupid?
Fortunately, after Dongxiong declared his ability, he stopped talking and immediately activated the Sharingan.
Waves of substantial energy formed around Itachi's manifested self.
Soon after, a red giant appeared.
Below, Uchiha Itachi looked at the scene in shock.
His opponent…
Was himself?
After the initial shock, Itachi quickly calmed down.
He immediately found two solutions:
First: Attrition.
Itachi understood his condition.
He couldn't maintain Susanoo for long.
As long as he relied on his experience to deal with his manifested Susanoo, once the chakra of his manifested self ran dry, he would activate his own Susanoo and finish it.
Second: Growth.
If he suddenly achieved an epiphany and his strength improved beyond the manifested self, he could defeat it.
Itachi considered both options and made his decision.
He chose the first.
Because sudden enlightenment was far too unrealistic—and too risky.
As a result, Itachi was chased relentlessly by the manifested Susanoo controlled by Dongxiong.
Naruto noticed Itachi's intention but didn't care.
Originally, Itachi was meant to be killed by Sasuke.
Naruto was only playing with him.
With Itachi restrained, Naruto shifted his attention to Nagato and Konan.
Konan sensed Naruto's gaze and immediately stood up, looking at him cautiously.
"I don't need to spare your lives," Naruto said calmly. "If I try to persuade you, you'd still hide Nagato. It's too troublesome. Better to kill all of you."
Konan looked at Nagato's miserable condition and felt deep torment.
She knew Nagato wouldn't live long and was drowning in despair.
Hearing Naruto's provocation, Konan finally couldn't hold back.
Her expression turned cold and her body transformed into sheets of paper as she tried to kill Naruto.
"Courting death?" Naruto's expression didn't change as he raised his palm.
A Rasengan larger than a house formed instantly.
Konan had given up—she didn't fear it.
She rushed toward Naruto without hesitation.
At that moment, a voice shouted from the distance:
"Naruto! Wait!"
Naruto recognized Jiraiya's voice and diverted the Rasengan at the last moment.
The shockwave blew Konan out of her paper form, sending her crashing weakly to the ground.
Naruto watched from above and couldn't help feeling a sense of irony.
In the original, this was how Pain slammed Hinata.
Now it was Konan standing up for Nagato—
And being just as easily defeated by him.
Next, was Nagato going to explode?
But unfortunately—
Nagato was already unconscious, his life fading rapidly. If not for his Uzumaki vitality, he would've been dead already.
In the distance, Jiraiya finally arrived.
He shouted to Naruto, "Naruto, these two aren't bad people—leave them to me!"
In the sky, Naruto looked down at Jiraiya and muttered, "It doesn't matter. I was only going to kill them to stop them from bothering me."
At the same time, a spatial ripple appeared beside Nagato.
A masked man appeared, swiftly removed the Rinnegan, and vanished.
Naruto landed and frowned. "Huh?"
Because Nagato's eyes were hollow.
The Rinnegan had vanished.
Naruto activated Kagura's Mind's Eye and concluded from the chakra traces:
It was another Uchiha.
Someone who could suddenly appear unnoticed, take Nagato's Rinnegan, and leave instantly.
In Naruto's memory, only Obito could do that.
Tsk~
He had been a bit careless.
Naruto hadn't sensed Obito's chakra with Kagura's Mind's Eye, which made him frown slightly.
In truth, the greatest threat in the Akatsuki wasn't Nagato.
It was Obito and Black Zetsu.
Because Obito was the true leader of Akatsuki.
Trained by Madara—
Madara's backup plan.
Obito and Black Zetsu would definitely return.
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