65 Chapter 64 : Option 2

Rinneganis evolved from the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?

This sentence was like a shockwave that rippled through the gathered crowd, snapping many of them out of their stupor.

This revelation was beyond extraordinary.

In Iwagakure, Onoki, who was well aware of Uchiha Madara's power, couldn't help but shudder, feeling the specter of imminent death looming over him, casting a dark shadow across the sky.

The impact was overwhelming.

Incredible.

[Onoki: If I understand correctly, the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan is a step beyond the Mangekyō Sharingan?]

[Uchiha Ran: That's right, the ninja Shura who once dominated the ninja world in your era possessed these eyes, which are even more potent than the Mangekyō.]

I see.

It all makes sense now.

Onoki, or rather, many in the crowd, silently muttered to themselves.

If the Mangekyō Sharingan is already incredibly powerful when activated, then the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, an advancement beyond that, would logically be even more formidable.

And now, they were learning about the existence of the Rinnegan, which was said to surpass even the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Just how powerful must it be?

It was almost beyond imagination.

[Onoki: But how did the Rinnegan, the final evolution of the Sharingan, come to be considered one of the Three Great Dojutsu?]

[Uchiha Ran: The Rinnegan cannot be obtained through Uchiha's own strength; in fact, it is separate from the Uchiha clan. So, it wouldn't be wrong to say that the Rinnegan stands alone.]

[Onoki: If the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan can't evolve independently, then how does one obtain the Rinnegan?]

[Uchiha Ran: Before that, would you like to know how to obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?]

[Onoki: I'm eager to learn. Please, go on.]

[Uchiha Ran: Ah, Third Tsuchikage, are you being serious or sarcastic?]

[Onoki: What do you mean?]

[Uchiha Ran: Do you think I'm Deidara?]

[Deidara: What's going on here?]

[Uchiha Ran: Your mouth is as loud as ever.]

[Deidara: How did you know? Do you know me?]

[Uchiha Ran: Art is an explosion. I've heard that the beauty of the moment is truly something.]

[Deidara: The Fifth Hokage, recognized my art? Hahaha, I recognize you too.]

Everyone: ...

Onoki realized that his clichés had backfired.

But this defected apprentice was certainly a strange one.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

The real issue at hand was the Rinnegan.

Uchiha Madara, with his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, was already immensely powerful. Now, they were learning that the Rinnegan had evolved from it.

Did they owe an apology to Uzumaki Nagato?

Orochimaru, who shared similar thoughts with Onoki, was present as well.

The tension in the atmosphere was palpable.

Back then, he had nearly been killed by Uzumaki Nagato, and he held a deep grudge against him.

"Facing the Rinnegan, Shisui's eyes might not be very effective," Danzo mumbled while touching his right eye.

One arm made from Hashirama's cells seemed insufficient.

Maybe he should... negotiate with Orochimaru to get another one?

"Hoo, Danzo, you're a good teammate," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a sigh, praising Danzo.

In the ninja world, what was Akatsuki anyway?

Just kidding, he was Konoha's Third Hokage... in name.

The ninja world was no longer his concern.

He carried on the Will of Fire... understood?

In the Pure Land,

Uchiha Madara wore a gloomy expression, and Uchiha Izuna, standing beside him, couldn't help but become more vigilant.

"As I suspected, this Uchiha Ran seems to know everything and is the biggest wild card."

"After he reveals everything, it's going to be hard for Nagato to maintain control."

"Hopefully Obito and Black Zetsu can keep things under control."

"If not, we may have to wait until I'm reincarnated by an Edo Tensei," Madara thought aloud. "Or, we may have to bet everything on the Golden List."

Uchiha Madara's fear of Uchiha Ran reached its peak.

On the other hand, Tobirama glanced at Hashirama and sighed, "Now I finally understand why Madara choose to challenge you at the Valley of the End in the first place."

"Why?" Hashirama asked, scratching his head.

Wasn't it just because he was stubborn?

"For the Rinnegan!"

Tobirama declared.

Huh?

Hashirama was baffled.

Uzumaki Nagato's Rinnegan belonged to Madara?

Darn it, Madara had actually betrayed him.

When he had wanted to borrow the Mangekyō Sharingan, Madara had refused to lend it, and now he'd given Rinnegan to Nagato?

So irritating.

He'd have to have a serious talk with him the next time they met.

Well, if it weren't for the lessons he'd learned from Uzumaki Mito, Hashirama might have already spilled the beans about Uchiha Madara through the Golden List.

In the Land of Rain,

Uchiha Obito punched a tree in anger, muttering, "This damned Uchiha Ran has caused me nothing but trouble."

"Obito, if you're looking to blame someone, you might as well blame Gold List," Black Zetsu chimed in, equally frustrated with Uchiha Ran.

All his plans had been thrown into disarray.

But sooner or later, Gold List would expose everything, and even without Uchiha Ran, Uzumaki Nagato would realize that something was amiss.

"In fact, Nagato has already sensed that something is wrong!" Black Zetsu said solemnly. "I just paid him a visit, and I could tell he's suspicious."

"Just a mutual use of each other," Uchiha Obito nodded, trying to calm himself. "Besides, have you thought about what will happen if your true identity is revealed?"

Uchiha Obito fell silent.

And at that moment,

In the Land of Rain, atop the tallest tower,

"Nagato..."

Konan approached Uzumaki Nagato, her eyes filled with concern.

By now, everyone had pieced it together.

Nagato's Rinnegan didn't belong to him. And if Uchiha Ran's words were to be believed, this eye evolved from the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, a gift from the fake Uchiha Madara.

Without saying a word, Konan knew who Nagato was referring to when he said 'that person.'

The reason she didn't say it outright was that Gold List's live broadcast camera was currently pointing in their direction. Nagato didn't want to reveal his connection to Uchiha Ran.

"Are you sure about this?" Konan asked.

Nagato nodded in response.

Konan didn't press further, turned, and left the area, eventually stepping out of the live broadcast zone.

When Onoki and the others witnessed this, they couldn't help but feel that the person Nagato was seeking was extraordinary.

But they could see those Rinnegans through Gold List's live broadcast.

No one dared to utter a word.

Except for Jiraiya.

In the live broadcast, he noticed that Nagato seemed to have injured his leg, but he was still the leader of the Akatsuki organization. Without hesitation, Jiraiya changed his course and headed toward the Land of Rain.

He intended to find out what had happened to Nagato over the years.

At the same time, Konan took out a kunai and infused it with her own chakra.

Elsewhere,

Inside the Hidden Mist Village,

Uchiha Ran observed the chat channel on Gold List's live stream, which had suddenly fallen silent, and smirked.

A little spoiler about the Rinnegan and the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, not to boast, but to put everyone on notice.

Sometimes, people needed to learn to hold their tongues.

A small taste of information could teach them to behave better.

Subduing an opponent without fighting was the ultimate strategy in the art of war.

Regarding the Rinnegan, there was actually no need to be overly fearful.

It was undeniably powerful, but its effectiveness depended on the wielder.

Let them ask him anything they wished.

Even with only a pair of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Madara had managed to outmatch the Six Paths Obito with the Rinnegan.

It all came down to a difference in combat experience and combat awareness.

Madara had truly put on a show when he fought.

On the other hand, Rinnegan, which wasn't originally Nagato's to begin with, was barely usable.

A glaring example was when he transformed Nagato into the Six Paths of Pain. Even with the power of Rinnegan, Nagato couldn't heal his leg injury, forcing him to remotely control the Six Paths.

Kabuto's attempt to reincarnate Nagato had been even more lackluster.

"Um?"

Suddenly, Uchiha Ran felt a shift in chakra.

With a quick scan, he discerned the situation.

"It's Konan. As expected, the person Nagato mentioned is me."

Uchiha Ran wasn't surprised.

The seeds had been planted long ago.

Akatsuki had been his plan from the beginning.

It's just that he had initially intended to activate the Mangekyō Sharingan and harvest it himself later. However, the existence of the Golden List had expedited his plans.

It was worth noting that he had improved the Flying Thunder God technique based on the Second and Fourth Hokage's versions.

Both ways!

He added chakra and perception seals to the Flying Thunder God marks. When a different signature of chakra entered, it would be relayed back to him.

Considering this improvement, Uchiha Ran couldn't help but think that if Namikaze Minato hadn't been delayed in saving Nohara Rin, perhaps everything wouldn't have gone according to Madara's design.

"Terumi Mei, I'll return to Konoha first. We can continue when the opportunity arises."

Uchiha Ran bid Terumi Mei farewell.

"Sure, let's set a date," Terumi Mei agreed.

"Then it's a date."

Uchiha Ran smiled and looked at Suicune. "Would you like to accompany me?"

Terumi Mei: ?

"Woof! I'm willing!" Suicune barked and presented himself to Uchiha Ran.

Terumi Mei: ??

"Let's go, then."

Uchiha Ran hopped onto Suicune's back and waved to Terumi Mei.

In the next moment, they vanished.

Suicune didn't even look back.

Terumi Mei: ???

Was this her Suicune or Uchiha Ran's Suicune?

Hiss~ Have I been duped?

"What!"

Just when Terumi Mei was questioning her life choices, Uchiha Ran appeared beside Konan.

Glancing at Suicune, Konan's usually impassive face displayed a hint of emotion before she said, "We can discuss other matters later. Nagato wants me to ask which reward he should choose."

"Sister Konan, you're quite practical," Uchiha Ran chuckled, shaking his head. "Since you often invite me for tea... let's go with option two."

Konan gave him a meaningful look, then turned and headed toward the high platform.

Uchiha Ran watched her go, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

This paper-user was quite something!

In a matter of seconds,

In the Pure Land, Uzumaki Nagato made his choice: "I choose the second option!"

Uchiha Madara's eyes widened in disbelief.

"How dare he!?"

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