The death of Obito and Nagato's unconsciousness left the Akatsuki leaderless.
Their entire operation collapsed.
At this point, the war had basically turned into a game of hide-and-seek.
---
Before that, Konan had found the dying Nagato and taken him away.
Kakuzu and Kisame had also retreated with her to Amegakure, choosing not to confront the Ninja Alliance head-on.
Because, honestly?
Their chances of winning were practically zero.
---
Meanwhile—
Black Zetsu was not taking things well.
Watching Obito and Madara fall had left him utterly shaken.
He had been so sure that with Uchiha Madara, his plan was unstoppable.
And yet—
A monster appeared.
A monster more terrifying than the Sage of Six Paths.
Black Zetsu couldn't believe it.
He had seen it with his own eyes—the sheer scale of the girl's chakra.
Not just massive, but on an entirely different level.
It was like hers was the chakra of a god.
An infinite well of energy.
And then there was her "star" attack—a single blast stronger than the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb.
And she could fire it effortlessly.
Even worse—
The technique that killed Madara.
And the terrifying ability to tear open space with her bare hands.
Black Zetsu found himself wondering something he never thought possible.
"Even if Mother were revived… could she actually beat this girl?"
---
But none of that mattered now.
Because at this point—
He had no more pieces left to play.
And to top it all off, the Gedo Statue was now in the hands of the Ninja Alliance.
---
Amegakure – A Dark Tower
Inside a dimly lit tower, Konan sat by a stone bed, gently wiping Nagato's face with a damp towel.
Nagato's eyes fluttered open, his weak gaze fixed on the ceiling.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Konan looked at him, about to speak—but hesitated.
Finally, Nagato broke the silence, his voice hoarse.
"Konan… we lost, didn't we?"
Konan's hands trembled. Her eyes turned misty, her voice catching in her throat.
"Nagato… it doesn't matter. As long as you recover—"
"No."
Nagato turned his head, looking at her with tired, knowing eyes.
"I won't recover."
His voice was calm—resigned.
"I know my body, Konan. This time… the damage is too deep."
"If it weren't for White Zetsu's cells, I wouldn't have survived at all."
His lips curled into a bitter smile.
"Even with them, it would take too long to heal."
Nagato exhaled slowly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"And we don't have that time. The enemy is far stronger than we ever imagined."
Then, after a long pause—
"Konan… you have to run."
Konan's breath hitched.
Her eyes widened as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"How could I leave you behind?!" she cried. "How could I ever do that, Nagato?!"
Nagato let out a soft sigh, turning his gaze back to the ceiling.
He already knew.
He would never be able to convince her.
And if their roles were reversed—
He wouldn't abandon her either.
---
Inside a dark, damp cave, Kakuzu and Kisame sat in silence.
For a long time, neither spoke.
Finally, Kakuzu stood up. Without a word, he walked toward the cave entrance.
Just as he was about to leave, Kisame's voice broke the silence.
"Where are you going?"
Kakuzu paused, glancing over his shoulder before continuing forward.
"I'm done here." His voice was cold. "As for Akatsuki… if you survive this war, you can come find me."
Kisame clenched his fists, watching as Kakuzu's figure disappeared into the darkness.
Only when he was completely out of sight did Kisame finally relax his grip.
He tilted his head back, staring at the water dripping from the rocks above.
He had no idea what to think anymore.
Obito hadn't come for him.
White Zetsu was completely wiped out.
And the so-called "mastermind" had vanished without a trace.
That alone spoke volumes.
Maybe… Obito was dead.
For the first time in a long while, Kisame felt lost.
No goal. No direction.
He let out a quiet breath.
"Itachi… if you were in my place, what would you do?"
---
Compared to the chaos and defeat plaguing what remained of Akatsuki, the morale of the Allied Shinobi Forces was soaring.
Today, they had chosen to march straight toward Amegakure.
An army of 80,000 shinobi moved as one, advancing toward the village with overwhelming force.
At the very front of the formation, Sakiya ran with a wide grin, her energy boundless.
"Onward! Follow the will of my Eye of Death! To victory, humans!!!"
She raised a fist, trying to rally the army.
Silence.
Only three voices responded enthusiastically—Naruto, Tsuchiya, and Sakuragi.
They clapped, pumped their fists, and yelled in unison:
"Oye!! Follow the will of the Eye of Death!"
"The Eye of Death is the strongest!!!"
"The legend of death will spread across the world!!!"
The rest of the shinobi stared at them in stunned silence.
Some exchanged awkward glances. Others gave them looks that clearly said, "Are they serious?"
Tsuchiya gritted his teeth, enduring the embarrassment. But Naruto and Sakuragi? They didn't care at all.
Naruto was just thick-skinned, and Sakuragi… well, he simply didn't care.
Sakiya, thrilled by their response, jumped high into the air and shouted even louder.
"Victory belongs to us!!!"
The three of them echoed her cry.
Behind them, Ino and Sasuke cringed.
"This… is the ninja alliance."
"This is a serious military force."
And that was how Sakiya's small squad was bound to become infamous across the ninja world.
—
With their overwhelming numbers, it didn't take long for the Allied Forces to reach Amegakure.
A massive army now encircled the village.
The remaining Amegakure shinobi, seeing the sheer number of enemies, were visibly shaking.
But even in the face of certain defeat, they did not back down.
They stood their ground, forming a defensive line in front of their village.
Gaara, the leader of the Allied Forces, stepped forward.
His face was calm.
But his presence alone carried a crushing pressure.
His voice was steady.
"Where is your leader?"
The shinobi of Amegakure hesitated.
Then, one of them broke rank, running forward.
He stopped 100 meters before Gaara.
He took a deep breath—then shouted at the top of his lungs:
"My lord! We surrender!!!"
A single sentence crushed Naruto and Sakiya's expectations.
They had anticipated a last stand, a group of warriors ready to face death with honor…
Instead—they surrendered immediately.
This was disappointing.
Gaara's expression darkened. He stepped forward, his voice clear and commanding.
"Listen! I need you to send a message to your leader!"
"If you don't want Amegakure to be destroyed, bring your people out and surrender! You've seen the beacon strike before. You know what will happen if you don't comply!"
Gaara's piercing gaze settled on the nervous Ame-nin.
"Did you understand?"
The small-time leader of Amegakure nodded frantically.
"Y-Yes, sir! I understand!"
"Good. Now go. Deliver my message."
Gaara's calm but cold tone made the Ame-nin shiver.
He didn't waste another second—he turned and ran as fast as he could back to the village.
—
As the Ame-nin disappeared into the distance, Gaara exhaled.
Then, he glanced at Sakiya—who had suddenly stepped forward, arms akimbo, looking seriously toward Amegakure.
"Well? Human! Need my help?"
Gaara hesitated for a moment, then nodded as he remembered something.
"Sakiya, I need you to release your chakra. Prepare the beacon in advance."
At that instant—
BOOM!
Sakiya stood her ground, and an enormous chakra surge erupted from her.
A massive circle of energy rose around her, glowing with raw power.
The air distorted, waves of chakra exploding outward like a storm.
It was oppressive.
It was terrifying.
It was stronger than any Tailed Beast.
For a moment, the Allied Shinobi Forces froze, their breaths caught in their throats.
And then, a shared thought crossed their minds.
"Thank god she's on our side."
Now, there was no doubt.
The infamous beacon strike that had wiped out so many enemies…
This was her doing.
—
Far away, inside a stone tower in Amegakure, Nagato and Konan felt the sudden burst of chakra.
Immediately, their expressions turned grim.
A heavy silence filled the room.
Then, after a long pause, Konan turned to Nagato, her voice low and uncertain.
"They're here."
Nagato's eyes darkened.
"...This is bad."
_____________________
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