Yahiko's words the first thing that came to Chao Yanqian mind were: impossible!
It was not that Chao Yanqian was overly arrogant; it was just that Chao Yanqian had been cautious over the past few years during his time in the world of ninja, and what he was most proud of was his clever stealth skills. Although Chao Yanqian had been investigating the base of Akatsuki's organization recently, he was very confident that he would not be discovered.
Could it be the ability of the Rinnegan?
He glanced at Nagato, who was standing behind Yahiko, wondering inwardly.
The Rinnegan was indeed very powerful, and Nagato, being a descendant of the Uzumaki clan like Karin Uzumaki, might possess an exceptional sensory ability. Could it be that Nagato had sensed his whereabouts?
Yahiko caught Chao Yanqian's glance very keenly. When he saw Chao Yanqian glance at Nagato, Yahiko immediately became certain that Asakusa had been sent by Konoha to investigate Nagato. Could Nagato's ability have been discovered?
Thinking of this, Yahiko suddenly had the idea of keeping Chao Yanqian here. His body instantly tensed as he prepared for battle.
Nagato and Konan exchanged looks, then each took two steps back, making fighting stances and surrounding Chao Yanqian in the cave.
"The Land of Rain... shouldn't be able to withstand another war," Chao Yanqian said casually, then gave Yahiko a playful glance and chuckled. "Are you sure you want to fight me?"
Yahiko's face immediately turned grim upon hearing Chao Yanqian's words.
This was the power dynamic of a major nation: a small country like the Land of Rain could only bow to the might of the great powers. What's more, Konoha had just won the Third Great Ninja War, and its reputation had shaken the entire ninja world. At this time, let alone the Land of Rain even the other four great villages dared not provoke Konoha lightly.
During the Second Great Ninja War, Hanzo had defeated the Sannin single-handedly and gained fame overnight, but even then, against the might of Konoha, Hanzo had to admit that Amegakure had been defeated.
If the assassination of a Konoha ninja were to leak out, the consequences would not be something Yahiko could afford to bear.
"State your purpose!" Yahiko demanded.
Although Yahiko was confident enough to take down the kid in front of him, if any accidents occurred and Konoha got word of it, Akatsuki would surely face Konoha's wrath.
Although a teenage boy was unlikely to trigger a war, it would still serve as an excellent excuse an excuse for Konoha to intervene in the internal affairs of the Land of Rain.
The trouble with Hanzo had not yet been resolved, and Yahiko did not want another problem on his hands.
"My purpose has nothing to do with your Akatsuki organization. You probably don't need to worry about me. I'm just wandering around because I have nothing better to do," Chao Yanqian said with a smile, waving his hand. "Although you may not believe it, that's the truth!"
"Do you think we will believe that?" Yahiko said coldly. "If you don't tell the truth, we'll have to take you down!"
"I don't want to waste time playing with you... and besides, you are not my opponents," Chao Yanqian said.
[Water Style — Water Severing Wave!]
Yahiko formed hand seals and released a torrent of water, blasting toward Chao Yanqian.
[Earth Style — Earth-Style Wall!]
Chao Yanqian quickly raised an earthen wall to block the Water Severing Wave, then leapt toward them while forming more hand seals.
[Yin Seal: Release!]
Although the Akatsuki trio hadn't been part of Chao Yanqian's original plan, now that he had encountered them, it was a good opportunity to test the power of Sage Mode.
As the Sage Chakra flowed into his body, Chao Yi Qianren's appearance changed dramatically. Purple markings appeared around his eyes, sharp horns formed on his forehead, and white transparent chakras, like snakes, coiled around him.
These snake-like chakras resembled Naruto Uzumaki's Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak. They could solidify, attack directly, carry other ninjutsu or weapons for mid-to-close-range attacks, and even serve as a defensive shield.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Konan formed hand seals and dozens of sheets of paper floated into the air, folding into shuriken and flying at Chao Yanqian.
Controlling the snake-like chakra, he easily batted away the paper shuriken. Then, pulling out a special kunai, he threw it toward Nagato.
The Rinnegan's insight was incredibly sharp; Nagato slightly tilted his head and avoided the kunai.
But at the moment the special kunai passed Nagato, Chao Yanqian instantly teleported to it, grabbed the flying kunai, and pressed it against Nagato's throat.
"Don't move!" Chao Yanqian barked coldly at Yahiko, glaring with sharp eyes. "Otherwise, I'll kill him!"
The sudden turn of events caught Yahiko completely off guard. In the Akatsuki trio, Yahiko was obviously the leader, and now with Nagato captured, Konan stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
"What do you want?" Yahiko asked coldly.
Disengaging from Sage Mode and retrieving his kunai, Chao Yanqian shoved Nagato back toward Yahiko.
"I don't want to fight you. Let's leave it at that," said Chao Yanqian.
Originally, he had intended to test his Sage Mode power, but Nagato had not yet awakened the true power of the Rinnegan. Their current strength was hardly a threat. If he truly intended to kill these three, it would be easy for Chao Yanqian.
After all, the Akatsuki trio had only learned ninjutsu from Jiraiya for a short time, and apart from that, they hadn't received any systematic training.
But Nagato was clearly unstable. If his emotions triggered the Rinnegan's full power, it would be far from trivial.
At this time, the real Uchiha Madara should already be dead, but Chao Yanqian had no intention of seizing Nagato's Rinnegan. To resurrect Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, it was more reliable to let Madara do it. Keeping Nagato alive still served a purpose.
Honestly, if he unleashed Sage Mode fully, he could kill Nagato and destroy the Rinnegan. Although facing Kabuto's Edo Tensei would be difficult, obtaining Kakashi's Sharingan could eventually overcome it.
If these people were dead, Uchiha Madara could never be resurrected, and the Fourth Great Ninja War would never happen.
However, Chao Yanqian still wanted to meet Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the ancestor of Chakra, and understand the true origin of Chakra. Perhaps he could discover the real secrets of this world and uncover something incredible.
"You..." Yahiko glared fiercely at Chao Yanqian, but realizing the vast gap in strength, he restrained himself. Further action would only bring humiliation.
"The people of the Land of Rain are already struggling to survive. I hope Konoha won't set its sights on our country," Yahiko said seriously, looking at Chao Yanqian.
"How Konoha's higher-ups decide is beyond my control," Chao Yanqian said helplessly. "But I personally have no interest in your Land of Rain. With my strength, I have no need to lie to you."
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