Outside the battlefield at the Akatsuki base, Shimura Danzo coldly observed a red-haired man.
He couldn't shake off the familiarity of the hair color, which reminded him of a certain clan that had been wiped out long ago—the Uzumaki Clan. The descendants of the Uzumaki clan had scattered across the world, many of them hiding their identities.
The more Danzo thought about it, the more convinced he became. But why would someone from the Uzumaki clan possess the Rinnegan? He couldn't quite figure that out.
However, the Rinnegan had always been a legendary dojutsu, so it was understandable that Danzo knew little about it. If he could capture this person, it would provide him with a powerful ally.
With the Rinnegan, how could Konoha have ever found itself in such a predicament, reduced to negotiating peace with Iwagakure?
He instructed his subordinates to leave no survivors except for Nagato. He knew this was the moment when Hanzō of the Salamander and Yahiko would meet. Yahiko had come alone, which made it the perfect opportunity to act.
Hanzō must have recently learned about the Rinnegan. If Hanzō were to obtain it, it would be nearly impossible to seize it back. Not to mention, the future of the Hidden Rain Village would be uncertain under Hanzō's rule.
This was not something Konoha could afford to let happen.
"End the battle quickly!" he ordered his Root ninjas.
The location wasn't far from where Hanzō and the others were meeting, and if Hanzō caught wind of their movements, things would become complicated.
Asahi was only a Chūnin, with a limited repertoire of jutsu—mostly basic techniques—which made fighting the enemies difficult.
Fortunately, Daibutsu was protecting him. Daibutsu's strength was among the top in the Akatsuki, so Asahi wasn't in immediate danger.
But the enemy's numbers were greater, and their strength was more refined. The longer the battle dragged on, the more inevitable death seemed.
He couldn't help but wonder what was happening with Yahiko. Doubts began to creep into Asahi's mind about his own judgment.
Had he not understood these characters from the original work well enough?
Initially, it was already unexpected for Kyusuke to alter his plans.
Nagato still couldn't fully control the power of the Rinnegan, leaving too much uncertainty. To survive now, he might have to rely on the rewards from his system.
But he didn't even know what his rewards would be. His system only provided a brief description and didn't indicate whether they were better or worse than Konan's first-level reward.
With so many ninjas around, even if he gained Jonin-level strength instantly, his safety wouldn't be guaranteed.
At that moment, he couldn't help but feel a bit regretful.
Had he not thought this through enough? Or was it a mistake to stay from the beginning? He should have escaped last night.
But that fleeting regret was quickly extinguished. Even if he could escape and survive, he would surely regret giving up on the system.
He had already come into this world, given the second chance of reincarnation for no reason—why should he fear death now?
In the midst of his turmoil, a blade suddenly flashed before him, and a sharp pain tore through his chest.
"Asahi!" Daibutsu cried out in urgency, abandoning his current opponent. With his iron staff in hand, he rushed toward Asahi.
Though not long ago he had been angry at Asahi, the two were extremely close comrades. They had lived together as orphans since childhood, and when faced with such a crisis, Daibutsu couldn't help but worry about Asahi's safety.
However, the enemies wouldn't allow him to act so freely. As soon as the two rain ninjas saw Daibutsu abandoning them, they launched a more ferocious attack. In such a tense battle, Daibutsu distraction led to him being injured and sent crashing to the ground, sliding several meters away.
But Asahi didn't fall backward. Instead, a bundle of white paper suddenly appeared, gently holding him and swiftly pulling him away from the battlefield.
It was Konan, who had been keeping an eye on Asahi from a distance.
Due to the nature of her jutsu, Konan was extremely agile. The enemies couldn't land a blow on her for the time being. She transformed into countless sheets of paper and scattered across the sky, only to gather once again beside Asahi.
"How are you?" she asked with a furrowed brow.
Asahi touched the wet heat on his chest, fortunately the knife cut was not deep, after cutting through the material of his chest it opened a long and narrow gash that was spilling blood out..
The intense pain made him break into a cold sweat, and the feeling of death was slowly closing in.
Death...
More enemies charged toward him. Konan mixed two explosive tags into the white paper, and the flames from the explosion temporarily hindered the enemies' attacks.
Asahi glanced around the battlefield. The Akatsuki had already become trapped like beasts in a cage.
"Still not dead, that's a close call." Asahi said to Konan, "Thank you, Konan."
"Hmm."
Asahi grinned lightly. "Konan, are you still blaming me for persuading Yahiko?"
Konan lowered her eyes and said nothing. She stood in front of Asahi, glancing at Nagato's position. Unlike the others, Nagato was only tangled up with one enemy, but it kept him from breaking free.
Is it the end?
Her heart trembled, and she thought of Yahiko. She didn't know how he was doing now.
Yahiko...
Her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched tightly.
Asahi watched Konan's back, vaguely guessing what she was thinking. Perhaps she was hesitating for the last time.
For a woman like Konan, it seemed difficult to reach this point. Asahi was genuinely concerned that, once she confirmed Yahiko was dead, she might give up on everything.
Yahiko was dead, and her heart died with him. At least, she want to save Nagato and her remaining comrades.
Suddenly, Konan turned around and looked directly at Asahi.
Asahi also looked into her eyes. Her pupils were a light orange-yellow, but now they carried a trace of sorrow.
Seeing that Asahi was silent, she softly asked, "You know, don't you?"
"...Know what?"
Her pupils trembled, shining for a moment before quickly dulling.
She said, "Aren't you... in love with me? At a time like this, say something."
The contents of the love letter were simple and direct, but at least they could make Asahi's sincere feelings clear.
After a brief moment of silence, Asahi slowly said, "Konan, I..."
Just as he spoke, Konan's face suddenly drew close, and a soft, tender sensation pressed against his lips.
Asahi noticed Konan's eyelids trembling just inches away.
Warm...
At that moment, a cold, mechanical prompt echoed continuously in his mind.
"Brother Yahiko is back!"
Amidst the battlefield, someone shouted loudly.
Yahiko, who had rushed back at the fastest speed, saw the chaotic scene. His gaze searched through the crowd, and he just happened to catch sight of the two kissing from afar.