Chapter 341: Meeting
Boom!
A massive explosion tore through the forest, burying several ninjas in the aftermath.
A few figures stood at the edge of a giant crater, looking somewhat travel-worn—it was none other than Konan and Shinichi of the Akatsuki.
"The nations must be insane, constantly sending ninjas to hunt us down," Shinichi frowned, looking at the charred corpse of their pursuer in the pit. "How many waves has it been now? They still haven't learned their lesson?"
Konan noticed the forehead protectors on the corpses bore the mark of the Hidden Cloud Village and furrowed her brows.
They seemed to be Cloud ninjas, but in the last battle, Nagato had utterly shattered the pride and confidence of the Fourth Raikage. The Hidden Cloud shouldn't be recklessly sending people after them.
"This was likely an independent action by these ninjas. Greed drives people—your bounties have risen to the point where it's not surprising some would take the risk," a dark figure suddenly emerged from the ground.
Konan and Shinichi stopped their thoughts and looked toward Black Zetsu 2.0's body as it walked up and handed them several bounty posters. "The Land of Snow and other nations have jointly issued bounty orders for you two. You're worth quite a bit now. And with Nagato no longer by your side, they think they have a chance to capture you."
"Heh." Shinichi took one glance at the bounty poster before casually tossing it away. "The Land of Snow I can understand, but the Land of Fire? Do they even know their own strength? They dare put a bounty on us?"
To put it bluntly, if it weren't for Hyuga Fuji persistently tracking them, Nagato alone could have wiped out these nations.
"From their perspective, someone must bear the consequences of what happened. Even if they're weaker than us, they must put on a strong front. Besides, in this matter, the Land of Snow and the other nations have a tacit understanding, which gives them confidence," Konan said indifferently, glancing at Shinichi.
"And posting bounty notices does nothing to us. What, are you going to storm into the leadership of each nation over this?"
Ever since she learned what Infinite Tsukuyomi truly was, her disdain for Ōtsutsuki Shinichi had skyrocketed.
Shinichi had never hidden his intentions—he wanted to destroy the ninja world and reshape it.
In the past, they had merely been using each other, and he didn't seem to have the ability to carry out such a plan, so they ignored him. But now, Nagato had almost been drawn into it, leaving Konan deeply unsettled.
If Infinite Tsukuyomi were activated and the world was left with nothing but White Zetsu, Nagato would likely break.
Shinichi frowned but ignored Konan's tone, turning to Black Zetsu 2.0.
"You're not here just to tell us about the bounty, are you? What's the leader up to?"
"Of course not," Black Zetsu replied. "The Kara organization has approached Nagato. They're currently discussing a potential collaboration. Come with me."
"Kara? That no-name organization?"
Mid-sentence, Shinichi suddenly realized something and narrowed his eyes. "Is it Bayakushi?"
"That's right. Come along."
Under Black Zetsu's guidance, Shinichi and Konan arrived at an underground cavern.
They walked through a deep passageway until their view suddenly opened up into a spacious underground hall. Dim oil lamps flickered around the room, casting eerie shadows on the stone walls, adding to the mysterious and ominous atmosphere.
At the center of the hall, Nagato sat on a stone chair, his expression cold.
Standing across from him were several individuals dressed in white cloaks—the members of Kara.
As Konan and the others approached, the Kara members briefly glanced at them before shifting their gaze away.
Likewise, Konan and Shinichi ignored them, instead focusing on the figure sitting opposite Nagato.
His posture was relaxed—one leg bent slightly with the tip of his foot lightly tapping the ground, the other leg casually draped over the edge of the table, swinging lazily.
So this was Bayakushi, the one who had taken Nagato's Rinnegan?
Konan and Shinichi's expressions grew serious. They couldn't afford to be careless.
Nagato acknowledged their presence with a slight nod before returning his gaze to Bayakushi.
"Now that everyone is here, state your purpose."
"Isn't that backward?"
Bayakushi smiled slightly. "Aren't you the one looking for me? I've been watching your movements over the past few days. To think that the second Sage of Six Paths, the mighty Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails, would go to such lengths—I'm honored."
Nagato remained indifferent. "How do you know I'm not here to settle old scores? To reclaim the other Rinnegan?"
"Jigen is dead. Your Rinnegan has already fallen into Hyuga Fuji's hands. What is there to reclaim?"
Bayakushi's smile disappeared. "Besides, yesterday's enemy can be today's ally. Right now, Hyuga Fuji is growing stronger—he is our common enemy. I've come with sincerity, so don't make this difficult, Nagato."
So the Rinnegan had indeed fallen into Hyuga Fuji's hands…
Nagato sighed inwardly but no longer probed. "We need the power of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
As he spoke, Nagato watched Bayakushi closely for any reaction. However, the latter remained calm, showing no sign of his thoughts.
"Kaguya Ōtsutsuki?" Bayakushi asked. "I don't know who you're referring to. There's no such person in the ninja world."
Bayakushi truly hadn't heard of Kaguya.
Isshiki had only spoken of the glory of the Ōtsutsuki clan and their grand mission of "planting and harvesting trees" across the cosmos. He never mentioned Kaguya at all.
After all, to Isshiki, being betrayed by Kaguya was his greatest humiliation. How could he ever reveal that to his subordinates?
Hearing this, Nagato turned to Black Zetsu 2.0.
The latter quickly stepped forward, his tone cold. "Hmph, don't play dumb. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was the mother of Hamura, the ancestor of the Moon's Ōtsutsuki clan. She was the very reason they guard the Moon's seal. As a member of the main Ōtsutsuki family, Jigen couldn't possibly be unaware of her existence."
"You, as Jigen's artificial creation, who knows about the Ten-Tails and possesses such an unusual space-time jutsu, must also be connected to Kaguya's power. How could you not know?"
"…"
Lord Isshiki wasn't some Moon Ōtsutsuki, nor was he Kaguya or Hamura's descendant. He was a noble member of the true Ōtsutsuki main family—far beyond what these people could imagine!
Bayakushi secretly scoffed but quickly analyzed the situation.
It was clear that Nagato and the others had misunderstood something.
They seemed to believe that Isshiki's immense power was linked to this so-called Kaguya.
So… who was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki?
From what that black creature said, she was the original master of the Ten-Tails in this world.
A master of the Ten-Tails… an Ōtsutsuki…
Bayakushi took a deep breath, and in that moment, many of his previous doubts began to unravel.
Isshiki had once mentioned that Ōtsutsuki typically operated in pairs—one main family member and one branch member, with the latter serving as a sacrifice for the Ten-Tails. In rare cases, if the branch member was consumed, a replacement might not arrive in time.
He had always wondered why chakra existed in the ninja world.
Isshiki wouldn't have left any legacy here, which meant another Ōtsutsuki must have.
Now, it all made sense.
A branch member had betrayed Isshiki and given birth to the Sage of Six Paths, shaping the ninja world as it was today.
That explained why Isshiki had been wounded and why he needed a suitable vessel.
In the past, only an Ōtsutsuki could challenge another Ōtsutsuki!
(End of Chapter)