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"Such a huge commotion—did they unleash their ultimate move?"
"Ultimate move?"
Shikaku, who had been serving as Kazuki's secretary, didn't understand the term and tilted his head in confusion.
Kazuki sighed.
"I mean using a large-scale, high-destructive ninjutsu. It seems things aren't going smoothly. Even with the Five Kage present, the Akatsuki isn't an easy opponent to deal with."
"An unfamiliar yet overwhelmingly powerful chakra… I hope the Third Hokage is unharmed."
Shikaku spared a sliver of concern for the Third Hokage.
As for the others? They were on their own.
The Allied Forces had little to do with Konoha anyway—just the small contingent the Third had brought along. Even if they were wiped out, the impact on Konoha would be minimal.
The only ones who'd feel the sting were the Sarutobi Clan.
"Kazuki, do you happen to know something about the Sage's Eyes?"
This was a question Shikaku had kept buried in his heart.
Konoha's actions had been… peculiar, to say the least.
It was as if they were deliberately avoiding direct conflict with the Akatsuki.
Providing intel, selling information, then egging the other villages into targeting the Akatsuki.
And now? The other villages had charged in headfirst—only to slam into a wall of spikes, leaving them battered and bloodied.
"The hell I do."
Kazuki swore bluntly.
"If anyone knows anything, it's Jiraiya. I'm just being cautious. You think the legendary Sage's Eyes are that simple? How about next time there's a 'golden opportunity' like this, I nominate the Ino-Shika-Chō trio first?"
"Cough, cough—!!"
Shikaku nearly choked and hastily waved his hands, forcing an awkward smile.
"No, no, such 'honors' should be left to other clans. The Ino-Shika-Chō alliance wouldn't survive it."
"Then why ask if you know you can't handle it?"
Kazuki shot him a figure it out yourself look.
Enough with the baseless suspicions.
Did he know about the Rinnegan?
Of course. But would he admit it?
*****
What the hell is that thing?!
The Five Kage, who had barely escaped the gravitational pull of the Chibaku Tensei, stared in shock at the colossal sphere hanging in the sky—like an artificial moon.
They had managed to retreat, but the Allied Forces' shinobi hadn't been so lucky.
The weaker ones, those without adequate defensive measures, or the injured—all had been helplessly sucked into the sky.
With a single Chibaku Tensei, Pain had swept the battlefield clean.
"This is bad—!!"
Just as the Five Kage thought the worst was over, the massive celestial body began plummeting toward the earth like a meteor.
This was the true purpose of Pain's technique.
Since you five great villages love causing trouble, I'll make it unforgettable. Stay here—and join the people of Amegakure in death!
Whether it would shorten his lifespan or drain his vitality no longer mattered to Nagato.
He wanted the five great nations to remember the Akatsuki.
The impact of a meteor of that size, even if not from an extreme height, was beyond anything ordinary shinobi could withstand.
BOOM—!!!
The entire battlefield of Amegakure was engulfed. The tremors spread across the Land of Rain, shaking the earth like a catastrophic earthquake.
'Damn… What the hell did Nagato do? An amplified Shinra Tensei shouldn't have caused this level of destruction. Did he drop multiple meteors? Was he trying to kill himself from exhaustion?'
Kazuki had been waiting for intel from the ANBU, but in the end, none came. The operatives sent to gather information never returned.
Instead of the ANBU, what arrived were the Five Kage—their expressions dark, their demeanor furious.
Judging by their disheveled states, it was clear what they had endured in Amegakure.
This is absolute bullshit!
At this moment, aside from the Third Hokage, none of the other Kage still harbored ambitions of seizing the Rinnegan.
All they felt was that the Allied Forces' assault on Amegakure had been a colossal mistake.
Inside the makeshift conference tent, the atmosphere was suffocating.
The hot-tempered A was the first to snap. He slammed his fist on the table, gritting his teeth.
"Dammit! Who knew the legendary Sage's Eyes would be this terrifying?"
The Third Hokage sat silently, sipping tea. He had nothing to say.
The Sarutobi Clan's shinobi—every last one he had brought—had been wiped out. Only he remained.
He didn't know how his clan would react upon his return.
After all, he had been the one to request the mobilization of border troops—effectively sending the Sarutobi's finest to their deaths.
Thankfully, Tsunade had only permitted him a hundred men, with the rest scattered to protect supply lines.
And yet, the supply teams had emerged unscathed, while his forces had been annihilated.
To Konoha, the loss was negligible. But for the Sarutobi Clan? It was a devastating blow.
Even for a clan as large as theirs, losing over a hundred elite shinobi at once was a crippling loss.
More clansmen didn't necessarily mean more elites.
Poor old man. In one move, he wiped out half his clan's Jonin and Tokubetsu Jonin.
Without these pillars, even if the Sarutobi's numbers remained high, their overall strength would plummet.
"Kazuki… Are you certain Konoha withheld no intel about the Sage's Eyes?"
Ōnoki suddenly lifted his head.
The others turned their gazes as well.
The Allied Forces' crushing defeat stemmed from one critical flaw: inadequate intelligence.
Half their forces had been decimated from the outset.
Then, the Six Paths of Pain's bewildering array of abilities left the Five Kage scrambling to counter Nagato's relentless assaults.
And finally, the Chibaku Tensei had nearly buried them all.
They had escaped—but their forces had not.
Ōnoki's question echoed the doubts in everyone's minds. All eyes were now fixed on Kazuki—including the Third Hokage's.
Did the village really conceal information about the Akatsuki?
'Oh, for fuck's sake.'
Kazuki nearly laughed in exasperation.
Of all people, he was giving him that look too?
"I can guarantee that Konoha has shared every piece of intel we possess on the Akatsuki. What we know is no more than what you do. Lord Third… Our personal relationship may be strained, but now is not the time for division. You, who were privy to the village's plans from start to finish—do you truly believe it's appropriate to question me?"
Kazuki didn't hold back, directly confronting the Third Hokage.
He had nothing to hide. Konoha had disclosed all its intel on the Akatsuki—without reservation.
As for what he, Uchiha Kazuki, knew? Even the village wasn't aware of it. How could that count as concealment?
But the Third Hokage's skepticism?
Now that's rich.
Lord Third… What's wrong with you?