Chapter 25: Blood Mist Rises Again in the Hidden Mist! Change in the Hidden Rain Village!
The moment Uchiha Itachi activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, the fight was over.
If not for the overwhelming side effects, Yagura might have suffered more than just severe injuries and unconsciousness.
Of course, the main reason was… the arrival of the man claiming to be Uchiha Madara!
The space in front of him rippled, and a man with a mask revealing only a single Mangekyo Sharingan appeared.
Looking at the lifeless body of Juzo Biwa, a twitch passed across Obito's face under his mask.
He hadn't expected that by arriving just a bit late, he would lose an Akatsuki member.
But perhaps it was for the best.
Akatsuki needed individuals who could rival the power of a tailed beast, not dead weight.
So, Obito didn't care about Juzo's death; in fact, he felt a certain disdain.
"How did things go?"
Without Zetsu present to report, Obito naturally turned to Itachi for an explanation.
"We were just about to infiltrate the Hidden Mist Village to locate our target when the Fourth Mizukage found us."
"We were forced to fight, and Juzo Biwa was killed by a Tailed Beast Bomb."
Without hesitation, Itachi briefly recounted the events.
"Return to base. I'll report to Pain."
"I'll take over this mission myself."
Obito spoke coldly.
He hadn't originally planned on it, but seeing the unconscious Three-Tails Jinchuriki lying there brought back memories of Rin.
A surge of rage welled up within him, a desire for revenge against the Hidden Mist Village.
Good! Good! Good!
How could I have forgotten what they did to Rin?
If it weren't for them, Rin wouldn't have died!
"Yes."
Feeling the emotional shift in "Madara," Itachi didn't linger or question it.
He turned, picked up Juzo's body, slinging it over his shoulder, along with the broken executioner's blade, and walked away without looking back.
Obito sneered at Itachi's actions, even finding them amusing.
He showed such care and empathy for a stranger he had only known for a short time, even taking it upon himself to collect the body of this unfamiliar person.
Yet what about his own family and clan?
They had been sacrificed for experiments by that old man in Konoha, and he showed no reaction.
Did he really not know anything?
No matter. It doesn't matter in this world without Rin.
Returning to his senses, Obito's gaze fell back on the unconscious Yagura.
The painful memories played out like a movie reel in his mind, filling him with a renewed desire to carry out the Moon's Eye Plan.
But before that, he decided to exact a little revenge on the Hidden Mist Village.
With that, Obito formed several complex hand seals. This was a control method Uchiha Madara had left on the Three-Tails, though it hadn't been activated.
It was intended for use when capturing the tailed beasts for the Moon's Eye Plan.
Although the plan hadn't officially started, Obito no longer cared. His hatred drove him beyond caution.
Under Obito's influence, the Hidden Mist Village would once again be shrouded in a blood mist.
(As a side note, I've noticed that many authors write about Obito controlling the Hidden Mist between the Nine-Tails Night and Itachi's defection. But in reviewing the story, I found that Yagura was fully conscious when he encountered Juzo and Itachi. If he had been controlled before, the people of the Hidden Mist would've noticed. This arrangement felt more logical.)
Meanwhile, Uchiha Yi returned leisurely to the Akatsuki base.
During his absence, some changes had taken place within Akatsuki.
First, Nagato had finally eliminated the remnants of Hanzo the Salamander's faction, fully taking control of the Hidden Rain Village and moving Akatsuki there.
Second, Nagato, using Hanzo's name, announced that the Hidden Rain would no longer be open to outsiders, cutting off all access.
Any intruders would be executed on sight.
Upon hearing this, some villages, not convinced by the Hidden Rain's unilateral warning, kept sending spies to investigate.
However, under the Rain Tiger at Will technique, every intruder was swiftly located and dealt with, leaving other villages shocked and furious but unable to openly admit their spies had been killed.
Besides, Hanzo's reputation as a demigod still held significant weight in the shinobi world, enough to deter even the Five Great Shinobi Villages from challenging him.
Gradually, most villages chose to cut their losses and stop attempting to investigate the Hidden Rain.
Only then did stability return to the Hidden Rain Village.
One day, Uchiha Yi approached Pain.
"What?"
"You want to spar in taijutsu with me?"
Pain was surprised by Uchiha Yi's request, finding it difficult to understand.
"Yes!"
"I've realized my taijutsu is lacking. I was hoping you could help me improve."
Uchiha Yi spoke sincerely.
This response left Pain in silence.
He had sparred with Uchiha Yi before and had also received some information from Konan.
He knew that Yi was highly skilled in ninjutsu, particularly in Fire Release techniques that even he found intimidating.
Logically, someone so proficient in ninjutsu would focus on refining that talent further, rather than investing time in an area where he was less capable.
Wasn't that putting the cart before the horse?
---
{please give this novel 5 Star review and power stone}
*Thank you*
Chapter 26: Ninjutsu Genius or Taijutsu Failure?
It was only natural for Pain to have his doubts.
What he didn't realize, though, was that Uchiha Yi was far from an ordinary shinobi.
His supposed "talent" for ninjutsu was merely the result of his abilities being enhanced by an external "system."
Knowing his true circumstances, Uchiha Yi wouldn't blindly follow the standard approach of dedicating all his time and effort solely to ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu.
In ninjutsu, with his system as a backup, he didn't need to worry. For genjutsu, his Insight ability allowed him to see through most illusions.
If he encountered powerful genjutsu, like Tsukuyomi, Infinite Tsukuyomi, Izanami, Izanagi, or the auditory genjutsu Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant, which even affected Rinnegan users, he'd need to level up his Insight ability further.
While genjutsu could be an effective tactic, using it was complex and mentally exhausting. To master it, one had to master the art of deception.
Why bother with illusions on weaker opponents if he could defeat them directly?
As for powerful foes, genjutsu might not be effective and could even backfire.
In short, Uchiha Yi didn't see the point in investing heavily in genjutsu.
That left taijutsu—his most obvious weakness and an area he genuinely cared about improving.
While the Sharingan gave him extraordinary perception, seeing an opponent's moves clearly didn't mean his body could react fast enough.
Facing Hidan had already been a struggle for him.
What if he encountered two, three, or even more enemies of Hidan's level—or stronger foes?
These questions made Uchiha Yi seriously consider training in taijutsu.
"Alright."
After a brief pause, Pain agreed. Although he wasn't interested in the personalities, attitudes, or goals of Akatsuki members, it was better to know something about them than nothing.
This was an opportunity.
"Thank you, Pain-sensei. I look forward to learning from you."
Uchiha Yi responded respectfully.
"You can attack at any time," Pain replied coldly, though the word "sensei" stirred something within him.
But his world was already a hell. He had embraced the darkness and no longer believed in light.
The moment Pain finished speaking, Uchiha Yi launched his attack without hesitation.
"Your attack intent is way too obvious!"
As Uchiha Yi moved, Pain couldn't help but frown.
He'd thought Uchiha Yi was downplaying his taijutsu skills out of modesty.
But now, seeing it in action, he realized Uchiha Yi hadn't been exaggerating—his taijutsu was terrible!
If Uchiha Yi's true level in taijutsu was as bad as it appeared, Pain felt even academy students who hadn't graduated yet could beat him in close combat.
For a moment, Pain didn't know how to assess the man before him.
An extraordinary talent in ninjutsu? But his taijutsu was abysmal!
How could a clan known for its prodigies produce someone with such a stark contrast in abilities?
Pain effortlessly countered Uchiha Yi's clumsy attacks, thinking it over.
Deciding to test him further, Pain upped his intensity to see if he could push Uchiha Yi to reveal any "hidden" skills.
As Uchiha Yi attacked again, Pain subtly shifted his stance, dodging the punch by a hair's breadth.
At the same time, Pain countered. His foot, already positioned, swung up toward Uchiha Yi's abdomen.
Without using his Sharingan, Uchiha Yi had no chance of seeing Pain's move.
Just as Pain's knee strike was about to connect, Uchiha Yi's instincts kicked in, and he partially transformed his body, barely avoiding the blow.
That was close! I almost got hurt.
Uchiha Yi had chosen to use his real body for this taijutsu training, not a shadow clone. Shadow clones only passed on training experience, not physical endurance.
"If this is really the extent of your taijutsu…"
"Honestly, I'd have to say it's terrible."
Although Uchiha Yi had evaded the strike, his poor taijutsu skills were still apparent.
Pain didn't hold back his criticism, his tone carrying a hint of confusion.
"Well… I know. That's why I need your guidance, Pain-sensei."
Uchiha Yi replied with a sheepish smile, unbothered by Pain's harsh evaluation.
After all, he'd come from a peaceful world with no experience in life-or-death combat. It was only natural that his taijutsu was lacking.
Pain's puzzlement was something Uchiha Yi had no way of explaining.
After a brief exchange, Pain's taijutsu guidance continued.
Remarkably, Pain, usually silent, became somewhat talkative during the training, correcting Uchiha Yi's taijutsu mistakes with verbal instructions and physical demonstrations.
Uchiha Yi found the training highly beneficial.
This subtle change might have gone unnoticed by Pain himself, but Konan, watching from afar, felt a mix of emotions, as if a crack had formed deep within her heart.
"Aho."
As their session ended, Pain suddenly called out to Uchiha Yi.
"Huh? Is something wrong, Pain-sensei?"
Uchiha Yi looked at him curiously.
"What are your thoughts on the Uchiha clan's massacre?"
Pain asked, unexpectedly bringing up a topic that could be a sensitive wound for Uchiha Yi.
"What else?"
"Revenge, of course."
Uchiha Yi replied calmly. Despite discussing a matter of vengeance, his expression remained composed, showing no visible anger or hatred.
"Revenge… as expected."
"And after that?"
Pain pressed on.
He had nearly completed his revenge for Yahiko's death, with only Danzo left to deal with.
Yet he felt no relief; instead, he was filled with new confusion about the path forward.
It was the dream of world peace, a goal he'd dedicated himself to for Yahiko's sake, and his lingering hatred for Danzo that kept him going.
Otherwise, his turbulent life would have broken him long ago.
Seeing Uchiha Yi—a young man consumed by hatred, much like he once was—he felt a sense of shared suffering.
Perhaps that was why he found himself asking these questions.
---
{please give this novel 5 Star review and power stone}
*Thank you*
Você também pode gostar
Comentário de parágrafo
O comentário de parágrafo agora está disponível na Web! Passe o mouse sobre qualquer parágrafo e clique no ícone para adicionar seu comentário.
Além disso, você sempre pode desativá-lo/ativá-lo em Configurações.
Entendi