A gentle breeze stirred, making the leaves rustle.
Within the Fire Country, near a huge canyon.
A turbulent river rushed past. On both sides of the riverbank stretched vast fields of red stone. Su Xiao sat on one of the stones, a contemplative look on his face.
This vast red-stone area had once been one of the Akatsuki's bases in Konoha. The base had been abandoned and destroyed from within.
Judging from the traces left behind, it had not been attacked by an enemy. Most likely, the Akatsuki's own members had destroyed it.
Su Xiao took out the Ring of Emptiness from his storage space. The item had been confiscated after he left the Naruto World previously, but he had now regained the right to use it.
The Ring of Emptiness's attached Phantom Light God Technique could no longer be used. This might have been related to Nagato's death. Nagato had been the one who controlled the technique, a ninjutsu that could only be used by someone possessing the Rinnegan.
The inability to use the Phantom Light God Technique had caused considerable trouble for the Akatsuki's communications. In the past, as long as he was in the Naruto World, Su Xiao could contact the other Akatsuki members while holding the Ring of Emptiness. Now, that was no longer possible.
Su Xiao rose to his feet. He planned to search the other bases. If he still could not find them, he would have to go fishing.
By "fishing," he meant causing trouble. The name Byakuya had some fame in the Naruto World—infamy, of course. He was one of the Akatsuki's villains.
Once Su Xiao made a major move, the Akatsuki would definitely receive the news and contact him on their own.
It was a crude method, but the Akatsuki was a