Chapter:29

"It seems that no one else is here except White Zetsu!" Uchiha Fugaku thought to himself. Concerned that other members of the Akatsuki might show up, he didn't act immediately.

He stayed hidden in the trees, waiting for a while. After confirming that only White Zetsu had appeared, Fugaku decided it was time to act.

"Oh no, someone's here!"

Just as Fugaku was about to strike, White Zetsu became alert and quickly began sinking into the ground.

Although White Zetsu had some sensory abilities, Uchiha Fugaku, being a Kage-level shinobi, had exceptional control over his chakra and presence, making it hard for Zetsu to detect him at first. However, when Fugaku's murderous intent flared, White Zetsu finally sensed the danger.

As a mere clone, White Zetsu had no combat ability. The moment he realized someone was trying to kill him, he chose to flee.

"He's noticed me!"

Seeing White Zetsu sinking into the earth, Fugaku immediately realized he had been discovered.

Using the Mangekyō Sharingan causes damage to the eyes, eventually leading to blindness. To avoid this fate, Fugaku needed the body of White Zetsu, and he couldn't let this opportunity slip away.

Whoosh!

Fugaku swiftly descended from the tree, closing the distance to White Zetsu in a heartbeat.

Thunk!

As Fugaku approached, his kunai pierced through White Zetsu's chest, driving deep into his pale body.

"Ahh!"

White Zetsu, now halfway buried in the ground, screamed in pain as he collapsed, his lower body still stuck in the earth. His shock was apparent in his wide eyes. Despite sensing the enemy, he hadn't expected such incredible speed, leaving him no time to fully submerge.

"I've got the White Zetsu body!" Fugaku thought, a sense of joy spreading across his face. The mission had been a success.

Though there had been complications along the way—including an assassination attempt by Kakuzu, a Kage-level rogue ninja—they finally secured the body of White Zetsu.

Fugaku used his kunai to dig out White Zetsu's lower half from the soil, intending to dispose of the corpse immediately. However, he quickly changed his mind, taking out a sealing scroll to store the body instead.

"Now's not the time for this. I need to leave!"

Technically, Fugaku had only killed one of White Zetsu's clones, not the original. Unlike typical clones, White Zetsu's had a physical body that remained after death. Still, there was likely a link between the clone and the original. After this, the Akatsuki would surely send someone to investigate. Now wasn't the time to destroy the body; he had to retreat.

Whoosh!

Carefully securing the sealing scroll, Fugaku leapt into a nearby tree and quickly made his escape.

…

In a dark cave, a massive creature loomed as Nagato turned toward Zetsu.

"What happened?" Nagato asked, hearing Zetsu's sudden outburst.

"The White Zetsu clone I sent to investigate Kakuzu's disappearance was killed," Zetsu responded.

"Did you receive any information?" Nagato questioned. He knew that Zetsu and his clones could communicate quickly over long distances. Moments ago, Zetsu had used this method to relay details about Kakuzu.

"No, the clone died before it could send anything back. Whoever did this must be quite powerful," Zetsu answered with a shake of his head.

The clone he had sent wasn't particularly strong, merely at the level of a Genin. But for someone to kill it before it could relay any information meant the attacker was formidable.

"It's likely the one who killed Kakuzu," Konan speculated.

"How bold! He kills Kakuzu-senpai and then waits to ambush more of us here!" Kisame growled angrily.

"I'll go," Nagato said coldly, a hint of anger seeping through his voice.

He hadn't taken Kakuzu's killer too seriously before. After all, Nagato's strength was on a super Kage-level, and only the strongest Kage could pose a threat to him. But this person had not only killed Kakuzu, they also remained in the area, killing the White Zetsu clone. It was an open challenge to the Akatsuki, and Nagato wouldn't let it stand.

"Nagato…" Konan began, trying to dissuade him.

She, more than anyone, knew that despite the immense power of the Rinnegan, it came at a great cost. Each battle placed a tremendous strain on Nagato's body, shortening his life.

But Nagato cut her off. "There's no need to say more. The one who killed Kakuzu must be powerful, and I'm the only one who can be certain to take him down."

With that, Nagato, who had been standing atop the giant creature, disappeared.

Seeing him leave, the others vanished as well. They had no doubt that Nagato would triumph over the one who killed Kakuzu. To them, there was no contest between this unknown enemy and Nagato.

Whoosh!

The sky darkened as clouds gathered, and rain began to fall. High above the ground, a figure flew through the air, moving faster than any bird. From the ground, only a small black dot could be seen, and even in the daylight, no one noticed someone was flying through the sky.

This person was none other than Nagato, or more accurately, his Deva Path, one of the six bodies he controlled. As the wielder of the Rinnegan, Nagato wielded the powers of the Six Paths: Deva, Asura, Animal, Human, Preta, and Naraka.

These powers were divided between six bodies, each embodying one of the Six Paths. The Deva Path was the most powerful of them all.

Clearly, Nagato was taking this "provocation" seriously.

It wasn't long before the Deva Path descended from the sky, landing in the area where Kakuzu had fought Uchiha Fugaku.

With orange hair, black piercings, and icy eyes, the Deva Path searched the area for the one who killed Kakuzu. However, there was no sign of the enemy.

Fugaku, not wanting to provoke the Akatsuki, had already left after securing White Zetsu's body.

"Shinra Tensei."

Uncertain if the enemy was still lurking, Nagato decided to draw them out in the most brutal way. A wave of powerful repulsive force erupted from him, tearing through the area.

Trees splintered, rocks flew, and the forest was obliterated in an instant, leaving a massive crater hundreds of meters wide.

Even Uchiha Fugaku's Susanoo would have been inferior to the raw destructive power of this jutsu.

"It seems they've left," Nagato muttered coldly. Failing to locate the enemy, he concluded that they must have already retreated.

"If you dare to challenge Akatsuki, you will regret it," he whispered to the now-empty landscape.

Whoosh!

With that, he flew toward the Land of Fire.

(End of Chapter).

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