He used Flying Thunder God to appear beside the Zero-Two Model and quickly checked the area.
After finding no danger, Ensei Uchiha didn't recall the four Artificial Humans. Instead, he had them follow behind him.
Since Flying Thunder God couldn't transport him very far, Black Zetsu quickly discovered his location.
And once Black Zetsu found him, Obito Uchiha and Nagato naturally located him as well.
Seeing Obito Uchiha and Nagato appear in the distance, with the enormous Demonic Statue of the Outer Path behind them, Ensei felt a little nervous.
"Heh, all this for one person?"
"Looks like I've been getting a little too much attention lately."
"With a force this powerful, you could attack Konoha. Why go to all this trouble just to lure me out?"
Ensei spoke, trying to buy himself a little time.
"Your ability to foresee the future really is limited. That's very good news."
Obito's gloomy voice rang out, thick with hatred and murderous intent.
This was bad. He'd pushed him too far.
All he'd done was make an Artificial Human with Rin Nohara's appearance. If Obito backed him into a corner, he could dig up Rin's grave and bring her back with Impure World Reincarnation.
Come to think of it, had Rin's body been reburied in Konoha, or had Obito taken it?
Shimura Danzō had died far too abruptly, leaving behind a lot of unanswered questions. Ensei didn't even know whether Danzō had left Hiruzen Sarutobi any special parting gifts before releasing Impure World Reincarnation.
If he'd kept any of Rin's remains, things could get very interesting.
"Of course it's limited. If I could really see the future without limit, I'd have killed a white-eyed wolf like you long ago."
"You only lost the person you loved. Plenty of people have died in this world. Everyone—"
Ensei tried to provoke him and buy himself a little time.
But apparently, he'd already pushed too far. Obito immediately unleashed his full power, firing Wood Release: Cutting Spikes from his palm as if they cost nothing.
The Zero-Two Model, with Rin Nohara's face and figure, was struck in the chest by Obito's spikes.
Seeing bright red blood spill from her chest, Obito was momentarily lost.
Good. He'd successfully controlled one of them.
Unfortunately, Nagato didn't have a childhood sweetheart who'd died. He immediately used the Summoning Technique, bringing forth a whole host of enormous Summoned Beasts.
Ensei hurriedly sent the other three Artificial Humans to deal with the Summoned Beasts, while he himself stood quietly where he was.
Looking at Nagato's face, no longer gaunt, Ensei couldn't help feeling annoyed.
It was bad enough that his Susanoo had done nothing to Nagato. It had even replenished his Chakra.
And if absorbing Chakra could make you less skinny, why hadn't you done that sooner?
"Hey, Nagato..."
Ensei looked at Nagato, who was right in front of him, and started to say something. But Nagato grabbed him by the throat.
Bang!
His Shadow Clone had come through for him again. This thing was seriously useful.
As the Shadow Clone vanished, something shaped like a jar fell to the ground with it.
Crack! The jar shattered, and a small mushroom cloud rose into the air.
In the distance, Ensei's real body had used Transformation Jutsu to turn into a little bird perched on a branch. He watched the explosion and rising mushroom cloud, a faint smile on his face.
Ensei hadn't expected this little trick to defeat the Rinnegan. It was merely a way to distract them and buy time.
When he saw Ibiki Morino arrive at the agreed-upon location in the distance, the Shadow Clone beside him dispelled its Transformation Jutsu.
"Has everyone evacuated? The people who came this time are all elite jonin. We shouldn't have lost anyone over a little incident like this, right?"
Ensei asked. In the next instant, Black Zetsu stabbed him in the back.
"This is about the only trick you know..."
The Shadow Clone left him with that taunt before it broke apart.
"Oh dear, looks like we failed."
Ibiki Morino, who had been disguised as a White Zetsu, returned to his original form. He looked at Black Zetsu with an expression of great intelligence.
These White Zetsu were ordinary people transformed by Kaguya Otsutsuki using the God Tree.
Who knew whether they'd been like this when they were alive or turned out this way after they died? Either way, seeing it was oddly satisfying.
Black Zetsu wasn't angered by the White Zetsu's words. Perhaps he was used to them, or perhaps Black Zetsu simply couldn't feel anger.
As the two sank into the ground, Ensei still didn't feel the slightest bit safe.
In the Shinobi World, there were too many ways to see through Transformation Jutsu.
So, without worrying about the possibility of an ambush, Ensei dispelled his Transformation Jutsu.
Sure enough, the instant he did, he saw a figure—once again, that hand reaching out toward him, as though grabbing him would end the battle.
There was no doubt that Nagato was using the Human Path's ability.
If the Rinnegan pulled out his soul, he'd be beyond saving.
But in no time at all, the Ensei in Nagato's grasp vanished once again.
And this time, no matter how hard they searched, they couldn't find a single trace of him.
Even the four Artificial Humans Ensei had used to buy time were summoned away after a while.
"Technically, these things should count as living people."
"Even if they don't, they should at least count as Summoned Beasts."
"But why does the Summoning Contract I use on inanimate objects still work on them?"
"Chachamaru, want to give it a try with me?"
In the ruins of the Empty Zone, Ensei was fiddling with the four Artificial Humans he'd just summoned back.
After fighting the Summoned Beasts Nagato had called forth, the Artificial Humans had been covered in all sorts of injuries, big and small.
He had to admit, Flying Thunder God was really useful.
"Don't mess around."
"Ensei, when will you have time to help me adjust my size? I'm way too big right now."
Chachamaru looked at Ensei with a deeply aggrieved expression.
Although Ensei had successfully given the Ninja Cat Clan Senjutsu Chakra, Chachamaru was still a little bothered by his enormous size.
After all, being this huge meant that those catgirls...
"Senjutsu to shrink your body? That's a pretty advanced technique. You know the toads on Mount Myoboku are about your size, and some are even bigger."
Ensei casually tried to reassure him, his hands flying as he worked with various medical instruments, constantly repairing and modifying the four Artificial Humans...
Right now, none of this work was difficult for Ensei. What he was really thinking about was his next plan to grow stronger.
He'd thought having enough ocular power would be all he needed. Who could've guessed Nagato would suddenly get stronger?
Besides, the last time he fought Nagato, his Susanoo hadn't been absorbed by the Preta Path...
Black Zetsu must have been behind it. He had to find a way to kill him.
Before you continue