After reporting the intel, Shisui Uchiha couldn't hide the worry on his face.
Unlike their previous encounters with Orochimaru and Sasori inside Uzushiogakure, this time the village was completely exposed to the eyes of every major nation. There was no hiding anymore—even if they wanted to.
Orochimaru and Sasori were dangerous, sure—but they were just rogue ninjas. No backing, no army, just individual monsters.
The Great Ninja Villages, however, were a different beast entirely.
They didn't just have Kage-level fighters—they had thousands of ninjas. Just the numbers alone could bury Uzushiogakure, not to mention economic pressure and sanctions.
Naruto—Menma—didn't seem bothered at all.
Neither Iwagakure nor Kumogakure were real threats in his eyes.
"As long as we show enough strength," he thought, "they'll adjust their attitude."
Besides, daimyo and ninja villages had never truly been united anyway. There was always tension beneath the surface.
Right now, Naruto was more concerned about something else—
Nagato.
The leader of the Akatsuki had arrived in the Land of Waves.
Unlike the other sneaky rats hiding around the country, Nagato didn't bother concealing his chakra at all. The moment he entered the territory, Naruto had already sensed that massive, overwhelming presence.
But strangely… Nagato didn't come looking for him.
Instead, he was just… wandering around.
Like a tourist.
What the hell is he planning…?
Naruto turned to Shisui, his tone turning serious for once.
"We've got a guest."
"I'll go entertain him. You keep an eye on the other rats—don't let them cause trouble. I'll be back soon."
"Guest?" Shisui blinked, stunned.
Anyone Naruto called a "guest" definitely wasn't normal.
"Menma-sama… is it one of the Five Kage?"
Naruto smirked slightly.
"Better."
"I'm going to meet the leader of the Akatsuki… arguably the strongest man in the ninja world right now."
The room instantly went silent.
Shisui, Zabuza Momochi, and Haku all felt their expressions stiffen.
Stronger than the Five Kage?
That wasn't something they could even properly imagine.
After a brief hesitation, Shisui spoke:
"Menma-sama… do you need our help?"
Naruto shook his head.
"No. If things go south, just be ready to run."
And with that, he vanished in a blur.
The three of them could only sigh.
They knew he was right.
A battle at that level… they'd just be cannon fodder.
Zabuza glanced at Shisui.
"So… who do you think wins? Menma or Akatsuki's leader?"
Shisui shook his head.
"No idea."
"I hope Menma-sama wins… but someone at that level isn't weak."
"In short… we won't know until someone's bleeding on the ground."
Zabuza stared at him.
"…That's just a fancy way of saying you don't know shit."
Shisui ignored him and added:
"Maybe they won't even fight. There's no real conflict of interest between us and Akatsuki. No reason to go all-out."
"Yeah… but that'd be boring," Zabuza muttered, clearly disappointed.
The only time he'd seen a Kage-level fight was when Naruto completely crushed the Fourth Mizukage.
That wasn't a fight—it was a one-sided beating.
He wanted to see a real clash this time.
Meanwhile…
Walking through the streets of the Land of Waves, Naruto tried to pinpoint Nagato's real body.
As a transmigrator, he knew the truth—
The Deva Path was just one of the Six Paths of Pain. The real Nagato was hiding somewhere nearby, controlling everything like a puppeteer. The control range wasn't huge—probably within a dozen kilometers.
But no matter how hard he searched…
He couldn't find him.
"And Konan's probably with him…" Naruto muttered.
That made things worse.
Konan, with her Paper Release, was no joke—definitely Kage-level.
Naruto frowned slightly and spoke internally:
"Kurama… can you locate him?"
The Nine-Tails shook its head.
"I can sense him… but not precisely."
"And he doesn't seem hostile."
"Maybe he didn't come because of the tailed beasts… but because of your identity as Uzushiogakure's leader."
Naruto paused.
"…That actually makes sense."
But then again—why come all the way here?
There were no tailed beasts in the Land of Waves.
Was he sightseeing?
Or did Obito push him to make a move?
Just then, Minato Namikaze's voice echoed in his mind:
"Wait… isn't Akatsuki's leader supposed to be the masked man?"
Naruto replied calmly:
"No. The real leader is someone else—Pain. A ninja with the Rinnegan."
"Rinnegan…" Minato muttered, recalling something.
"Jiraiya-sensei once took in three war orphans… one of them had those eyes."
"But they supposedly died…"
Naruto snorted lightly.
"People don't die that easily in this world. Especially not someone with the Rinnegan."
"If you don't believe me, ask Kurama."
Kurama scoffed, flicking its tail.
"He's right. That kind of power doesn't just disappear."
"Maybe he just changed his identity… like you."
Naruto grinned.
"Exactly. Fake deaths are basically a ninja tradition at this point."
"I mean, I faked Shisui's death. You think others wouldn't do the same?"
"Hell, that masked guy might just be some Uchiha brat playing dress-up."
"And Akatsuki's leader? Probably Jiraiya's former student."
Minato fell silent.
His thoughts drifted… to one person.
Obito Uchiha.
"…No," he muttered, shaking his head.
That didn't make sense.
There was no way Obito could grow that strong in such a short time.
No way he could control the Nine-Tails.
No reason to attack the village.
But then—
His expression slowly changed.
"…Unless…"
If Obito had changed after Rin's death…
If everything he'd done—Kirigakure, the chaos, the Nine-Tails attack—was revenge…
Minato's face darkened.
If that was true—
Then Obito wasn't just a lost student anymore.
He was the man who brought disaster upon Konoha.
And that…
Was unforgivable.
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