Akira's words left Konan with an odd expression. She had known the masked man for years, after all. He called himself Madara Uchiha, always keeping an air of gravitas. His speech was deep and authoritative, and his actions, like single-handedly unleashing the Nine-Tails on the village, were just as intimidating.
But today, seeing this goofy side of him, Konan couldn't help but wonder—had someone else replaced the man behind the mask?
This was a man she had believed in for so long. And yet, Akira's suggestion, that this lighthearted persona might actually be his true nature, had her rethinking everything.
If anyone else had said it, Konan wouldn't have believed them. But Akira… his intel had proven reliable time and time again.
"So, is this really his true personality? Has he been hiding this side of himself all these years?" Konan questioned internally, grappling with disbelief and the growing suspicion that Akira might be right.
For so many years, she had never once seen this side of the masked man. If Akira was correct, it meant the masked man had been hiding his real self the entire time—deceiving not only her but Nagato as well.
"So, this is what the Akatsuki is really like? I never would've imagined someone with such a carefree personality would be one of its members," Mei Terumi remarked, casting a peculiar glance at the masked man, Tobi.
"Let's just keep watching. Once they've worn themselves out and sealed the Three-Tails, we'll strike. It's better to wait until they're vulnerable," Akira suggested calmly to Mei and Konan.
Konan hesitated. Logically, her allegiance should still be with the Akatsuki. If she were following her instincts, she'd alert Kakuzu and Tobi to the ambush.
But there was another opportunity here—one to see if the masked man was really who he said he was.
With that thought, Konan decided to hold back. Capturing a tailed beast was important, but uncovering the truth about the masked man was far more critical to her now.
While Konan and the others waited in the shadows, Kakuzu and Tobi had already begun their assault on the lake where the Three-Tails was hiding.
Kakuzu, with his five hearts, commanded all five elemental styles—wind, fire, water, earth, and lightning. He didn't have the Sharingan to copy ninjutsu in bulk, but after living for a century, Kakuzu had mastered all five elements to a high degree.
With his monstrous tentacled form and the ability to split his chakra across multiple bodies, Kakuzu's power rivaled that of five near-Kage-level opponents.
Together, Kakuzu and Tobi's combined techniques soon threw the lake into complete chaos.
"This guy's abilities are bizarre!" Mei Terumi exclaimed, watching Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear technique in action, her expression a mix of surprise and disgust.
"And he's extremely powerful," Ao added, his tone serious as he observed the ongoing battle.
Kakuzu had lived for over a century, and even back when he had attempted to assassinate the First Hokage, he had been on the cusp of Kage-level power. His chakra reserves were massive, surpassing even that of the Sannin. The five masks of Earth Grudge Fear were essentially five additional combatants at nearly Kage-level strength.
"Wow, Kakuzu is amazing! I'm the cheerleader here, a cute cheerleader!" Tobi shouted, still playing his foolish role, loudly praising Kakuzu from the sidelines.
He didn't even seem to care that he was barely helping.
Splash!
As the lake roiled, the Three-Tails could no longer remain submerged. The massive creature burst from the water, its gaze locking onto Kakuzu.
"There it is!" Mei's eyes lit up with excitement at the sight of the tailed beast.
Konan, on the other hand, sighed quietly to herself. She had already guessed this would happen. Akira's intel was spot-on, as usual. Kakuzu and Tobi were indeed after the Three-Tails.
She couldn't help but admire how Akira's information had never been wrong.
The Three-Tails was powerful, but as a wild beast, it didn't really know how to use its chakra in battle. Aside from its enormous physical strength and the Tailed Beast Bomb, it had little in the way of sophisticated techniques.
That's why many Kage-level fighters could go toe-to-toe with a wild tailed beast.
With five Earth Grudge Fear monsters attacking it simultaneously, the battle was fierce. Tobi, though he kept up his comical antics, subtly aided Kakuzu at critical moments.
In about ten minutes, the Three-Tails was subdued, completely knocked unconscious.
"So, that's a tailed beast's power? Honestly, wild ones aren't even as strong as the three Great Snakes from Ryūchi Cave," Akira muttered to himself, shaking his head in disappointment.
Kage-level fighters could take on wild tailed beasts, but the beasts' real strength came from their massive chakra reserves. In a direct fight, their abilities were somewhat limited.
Still, when you considered how few shinobi ever reached Kage-level, tailed beasts were formidable. Only a handful of people in the entire shinobi world had the strength to fight them head-on.
That was why the Akatsuki, composed almost entirely of Kage-level shinobi, was so feared.
Satisfied that it was now his turn to act, Akira prepared to make his move. But before he could, Mei Terumi beat him to it.
The moment she saw that the fight was over and the Three-Tails was subdued, Mei leaped into action. If she waited any longer, Kakuzu and Tobi would escape with their prize.
Ao and Chōjūrō, her two bodyguards, immediately followed suit.
"Lava Style: Melting Apparition Technique!"
"Boil Style: Skilled Mist Technique!"
Mei unleashed her two Kekkei Genkai at full power, aiming one attack at Kakuzu and the other at Tobi.
Kakuzu quickly responded, using Water Style to neutralize the melting lava. Though corrosive, the Lava Style could be diluted and rendered harmless with enough water.
As for Tobi, he let out an exaggerated scream as the superheated steam closed in on him. He ran wildly, pretending to be terrified.
Anyone who didn't know better might think he was genuinely in danger. But in reality, he was using his intangibility technique to avoid all harm. He wasn't injured in the slightest.
After some dramatic running, Tobi finally "escaped" the range of the Boil Style, clutching his chest in mock relief. "That was close! I almost got killed by that Boil Style bloodline limit!"
"This guy…" Mei muttered, frowning as she scrutinized him.
She knew something was off. If Tobi had truly been caught in her attack, his clothing would have shown signs of damage. His body would have suffered burns from the intense heat. But his outfit was pristine, as if nothing had happened at all.
So, his screams? They were nothing but an act. He had been playing around the entire time.
"Who is this guy, really?" Mei wondered, her unease growing.
At the same time, Ao and Chōjūrō attacked Tobi from either side, but their strikes passed right through him.
Seeing an opening in their defenses, Tobi retaliated, summoning a wooden staff and swinging it toward them.
Ao, using his Byakugan, saw the attack coming and dodged in time. Chōjūrō, however, wasn't as lucky. The staff struck him squarely in the back, sending him flying and coughing up blood.
Even though Tobi was acting like a clown, his abilities were no joke. Against a Kage and her two bodyguards, he remained unscathed, even managing to injure one of them. That was the power of Akira's mysterious opponent.
"Hey, Akira! You're just going to sit there while we get beat up? Or are you planning to jump in after we're already defeated?" Mei called out, retreating cautiously as she recognized just how dangerous Tobi was.
She was calling for backup.
Hearing Mei call for him, Akira couldn't just sit around any longer. He leapt into the fray.
"Akira?" Tobi's tone immediately shifted, the lighthearted facade giving way to a more serious demeanor.
"Summoning Jutsu—Impure World Reincarnation!" Akira declared, slamming his hands to the ground. A coffin, prepared specifically for Tobi, slowly rose from the earth.
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Next bonus chapter if we reach 200 Powerstone
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 285+ at patreon.com/Emik01.