Rinnegan-Awaken!

It was already past midnight.

The full moon hung in the sky, its bright light like a thin, cool silver veil, gently covering this small country that had not yet achieved widespread electricity.

Moonlight filtered through the old, deserted rooftops in the alley, faintly illuminating the desolate darkness.

"Squeak--"

Inside the dilapidated house, the old wooden door, which was slightly crooked, was pushed open by a slender hand.

"What a... nice sight."

A young man with black hair walked out of the house naturally, looked up, and gazed contentedly at the full moon hanging high in the night sky, in a very good mood.

The young man was extremely handsome, with an elegant and refined demeanor. Standing under the silvery moonlight, he looked like a celestial being who had stepped out of a storybook.

But the faint smile at the corner of his mouth added a touch of vibrant human life to this otherwise ethereal scene.

But what truly captivated people's attention wasn't his roguishly handsome appearance, but rather his eyes gazing at the bright moon overhead.

Ripples spread outwards from his normally jet-black eyes, appearing mysterious and eerie.

The moonlight fell into his eyes, and it seemed to be absorbed into them, shattering into a faint purple halo.

The name of those eyes needs no further explanation!

"So this is... the Rinnegan?"

Kou murmured softly, taking a deep breath, as if trying to re-examine those newly awakened, unfamiliar yet powerful eyes. A rare hint of astonishment lingered in his voice:

"To think it could increase to this extent... that's truly outrageous."

He could clearly sense that his body, which had already surpassed the limits of a ninja, had undergone another transformation!

Strength, speed, mental strength, Chakra reserves, and even the precision and efficiency of his control over the Mangekyo Dōjutsu... all underwent a qualitative leap far exceeding any of his previous breakthroughs!

With the blessing of these eyes, the high platform he had built over twenty years had now reached an endless sky.

My current strength is enough to whip my past self like a spinning top!

Thinking of this, a strong sense of confidence welled up in Kou's heart.

Although he didn't know exactly how strong Uchiha Madara had become, having awakened the Rinnegan, he was now fully confident enough to fight him!

"Only..."

Kou quickly suppressed the smile on his lips, a serious look flashing in his eyes.

He knew better than anyone that Uchiha Madara was not someone who could be easily dealt with.

Moreover, besides Madara, there are other variables in the current situation that could tip the scales of victory or defeat.

"For example, Orochimaru, whose whereabouts are still unknown."

He murmured the name heavily in his heart and fell into deep thought.

If Orochimaru was indeed taken away by Madara, it means that Madara not only had most of Orochimaru's trump cards and information, but had even obtained his most treasured research results.

Of all those achievements, the most troublesome was naturally— the Impure World Reincarnation!

Looking down at the deserted street at the end of the alley, he couldn't help but recall Obito's body, which had vanished without a trace because of the Three-Tails ' rampage.

"Looks like it won't be long before I see that guy again."

He frowned slightly and muttered to himself.

"It's alright, if I can beat them once, I can beat them a second time."

He raised a hand, gently stroking the Rinnegan that contained immense ocular power, and said confidently:

Even if Uchiha Madara knows most of my information, it doesn't matter.

"After all, I now have another incredibly effective... trump card."

Kō, sensing the new Dōjutsu awakened after activating the Rinnegan, smiled with pleasure.

"I will be the one to win in the end."

We will win!!

He suppressed his fighting spirit and calmly turned around, giving a gentle smile to the half-closed, dilapidated wooden door behind him:

"Don't worry, there's no one else outside. You can come out now."

As he finished speaking, the old wooden door was pushed open again from the inside, Jiraiya and Konan cautiously stepped out.

Almost the instant they stepped out the door, their gazes instinctively fell upon Kou's pair of purple eyes.

The shock in their eyes had clearly not completely dissipated.

Neither of them spoke; only the night wind quietly passed between them.

Unlike Jiraiya, who was simply stunned by the Rinnegan before Jiraiya, Konan's eyes held not only obvious shock but also a touch of complexity.

"He actually awakened... the Rinnegan."

She murmured to herself, a bitter feeling welling up inside.

"Is what Kou said really true?"

Nagato's Rinnegan was never his own power.

What they thought was hope was nothing more than a pawn in Ban's game.

Konan murmured to herself, her mind filled with complex emotions, and remained silent for a long time.

"Now that the plan is set, Konan, you will go to Konoha with Jiraiya- Teacher."

Looking into Konan's dim eyes, he spoke in a flat tone, breaking the brief silence:

"At least in Konoha, it's much safer than you hiding and running around outside."

Then, turning to Jiraiya, he said earnestly:

"I will create a Shadow Clone and use the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport you back to Konoha."

Next, to prevent Madara from taking any action against Nine-Tails, Naruto could no longer remain in Konoha.

I still have some matters to attend to. Once these are resolved, my main body will immediately travel to Konoha to bring Naruto to my side and personally ensure his safety.

"Jiraiya- Teacher, please tell Minato- nii and Sister Kushina about the situation and ask them to be prepared."

"I see."

Jiraiya nodded solemnly, quickly suppressing the lingering shock on his face, and said confidently:

"Don't worry, I will immediately inform everyone in Konoha of the current situation when I get back."

We will fully cooperate with your actions!

"Oh, please."

He nodded to him, then looked back at Konan, who had remained completely silent since the beginning, and his tone softened slightly:

"Konan, can you accept this arrangement?"

Konan slowly raised her eyes, looking at the Rinnegan that didn't belong to Nagato, yet was ultimately drawn by Nagato's eye. She then glanced at Jiraiya, and Teacher:

"I... have no objection."

"Also, thank you."

Seeing that both of them had agreed, Kou said no more.

He formed a hand Hand Seals with one hand, creating a Shadow Clone that was identical to his original body.

The Shadow Clone stepped forward and placed its hands on Jiraiya and Konan's shoulders.

The next instant, the Flying Thunder God Technique was activated, and the two figures vanished from their original spot.

In the dilapidated alley, it seemed that only Kou remained.

Moonlight bathed the entire alley, and in the distance, the chirping of insects could be heard from under some eaves.

He gazed in the direction where Jiraiya and Konan had disappeared, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly turned around.

The gentle smile on his face vanished the instant he turned away.

Kou coldly glanced at the deepest shadow at the end of the alley and said unhappily:

I thought you were too scared to come see me and had already left.

I can't believe they dared to hide here and eavesdrop on our conversation! They've got some nerve!

"What? Do I have to 'invite' you out before you'll show yourself?"

The alley was silent for a long time, so long that even the few wisps of night breeze had stopped.

A moment later, a young man dressed in black emerged from the shadows.

Itachi looked at Kokoro in front of him and said softly with a bitter expression:

"Long time no see... Brother Kou."