Fierce Battle with the Angel

Konan also believed Orochimaru had been overconfident this time. She felt that he might very well meet his downfall here.

That way, Akatsuki would finally be rid of a thorn in its side. After all, Orochimaru knew quite a bit of the organization's intelligence. Though he had not leaked it to the great nations yet, as long as he remained alive, he would always be a major hidden danger.

However, just as Sasori and Konan waited to see Orochimaru blown apart, Deidara suddenly changed direction and flew toward them at full speed.

Under Sasori and Konan's terrified, bewildered gazes, Deidara threw C3 at them. Moments later, it was already above their heads.

What?

Hey, Deidara, what are you doing?

Everything had happened too fast, and they had never expected this situation!

Sasori and Konan's eyes widened as their pupils contracted. There was no time to evade. Worthy of Akatsuki members, they quickly steadied their wildly pounding hearts and mobilized their chakra with all their strength. Blinding firelight dyed the sky red, followed by a massive mushroom cloud rising into the air. The powerful blast wave swept up the yellow sand within several kilometers and shoved it outward.

Art is an explosion!

A loud voice shouted Deidara's signature slogan.

Fei Yun spread his arms as if embracing the enormous mushroom cloud before him.

Orochimaru's eyes curved into crescents as he smiled. "My, my, what an astonishing explosive-release ninjutsu."

"Fei Yun-kun, you came at just the right time. I nearly got beaten to death by them."

Fei Yun snorted and gave him a sidelong glance. "If you wanted to leave, how could they possibly have kept you here?"

"You want me to help you deal with Akatsuki, don't you?"

"Don't put it that way, Fei Yun-kun. Akatsuki is your enemy too, isn't it?"

Hearing that, Fei Yun did not continue arguing with Orochimaru. After all, Akatsuki did contain his two mortal enemies, Uchiha Itachi and Obito.

The powerful air currents whipped Fei Yun and Orochimaru's robes until they flapped loudly, yet the two stood as firmly as if rooted to the ground.

Fei Yun withdrew his sensory perception and frowned. "Uchiha Itachi isn't here?"

"Then what am I fighting for? I'll leave the rest to you."

The smile on Orochimaru's face froze. He said softly, "Fei Yun-kun, I fought for too long earlier and have already used up too much chakra."

"Then teach me a forbidden technique, or I'm leaving. Deal?"

Compared with Fei Yun and Orochimaru's leisurely exchange, Deidara was already dumbfounded. He stared tremblingly at his hands. "What was that just now?"

Using the device over his left eye, Deidara locked onto the handsome black-haired man who had just appeared below. He had fallen victim to this man's technique.

As the view drew closer, Deidara clenched his teeth. "So that was the ability of the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

"Another arrogant Uchiha brat relying on his bloodline. Damn it!"

Although Deidara wanted badly to rush over and display his art, he was even more concerned for Sasori and Konan. He hurriedly looked down toward the blast site. If he had really blown them to death, wouldn't Akatsuki's leader skin him alive?

As the smoke and dust gradually dispersed, the ground below was revealed to be a complete mess. A massive black iron shield and a wall of chakra-infused paper stood there.

The paper wall had already been shattered beyond recognition, while the enormous Iron Sand shield was slowly turning back into sand.

Sasori and Konan appeared within the double-layered defense, panting heavily. Sasori spoke first in a low voice. "Hey, Deidara, are you trying to die?"

Deidara steered his clay bird above them and said thankfully, "Um... if I said it wasn't me, would you believe me?"

Sasori cursed and immediately prepared to control the Third Kazekage puppet to attack Deidara.

Konan reached out to stop him, then turned and asked in confusion, "Deidara, what exactly happened just now?"

Deidara looked deeply frustrated. Proud as he was, he did not want to admit that someone had controlled him.

But Deidara also knew he had no choice but to explain. "It was Uchiha Feiyun from the intelligence reports. He seemed to have used the Mangekyo Sharingan to control me."

Deidara still felt lingering fear. That power just now had been far too terrifying. If Uchiha Feiyun had ordered him to kill himself, merely imagining the consequences sent a chill down his neck.

His face turned solemn as he began thinking of a way to counter that technique.

Konan was specifically in charge of intelligence work. The moment she heard Uchiha Feiyun's name, she roughly understood what had happened. After all, Feiyun had always been one of Akatsuki's recruitment targets, and the organization had put considerable effort into investigating him.

Konan's delicate brows furrowed. "He really joined forces with Orochimaru. This is going to be troublesome."

Killing intent erupted from Sasori. "Who cares? If that's the case, we'll kill him along with Orochimaru!"

"Oh? Who are you planning to kill?"

As the three spoke, the voice of a handsome black-haired man rang out.

All three were startled and turned their gazes toward him at once.

Fei Yun was leisurely sitting atop a shattered puppet, watching Konan and the others with interest.

Orochimaru also slowly approached from the distance, a sinister smile on his face.

Konan quickly calmed down. Her pleasant voice rang out. "Uchiha Feiyun, Akatsuki has been watching you for a long time. Join us, and we will help you achieve your goals."

Fei Yun was slightly surprised. Was this a recruitment offer?

"I never thought I'd have a day when I'd be recruited by the famous Akatsuki."

Fei Yun put away his amused expression and smiled.

"Though I admit that you are quite capable, and your uniforms are rather stylish, I can join you."

"But?" Konan asked gently. Her tone toward every Akatsuki companion was always soft. "What conditions do you have? Feel free to say them."

The corner of Fei Yun's mouth rose.

"But you must first agree to help me kill Uchiha Itachi and Madara Uchiha."

"Haha, your personnel choices are really something. You even want to kill your own teammates!"

Deidara's laughter rang out. Sasori said coldly, "Of course. A man who could slaughter his entire clan—would he have any friends?"

"But what is this about Madara Uchiha?"

Konan's scalp went numb with shock. Madara Uchiha—why did he know that man existed?

This was far too shocking. Logically, no one should have known this intelligence. And why did he want to kill Itachi and Madara?

Wasn't he Itachi's accomplice?

Paper swirled around Konan as powerful chakra erupted from her body.

"It seems you and Itachi have some history. But if that's the case, then we can only fight."

Sasori's eyes turned cold. "Just as it should be!"

"I'll deal with Orochimaru!"

"Deidara, you and Konan take down this brat in the haori!"

Deidara shoved both hands into the pouches at his waist, excitement written across his face. "I won't fall for your illusion again!"

"Mm. Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Fei Yun directly unleashed his ninjutsu while simultaneously using his Mangekyo Sharingan ability.

Sanctuary amplified the fireball. A blazing sphere large enough to nearly blot out the sky smashed toward Deidara in midair.

"What?"

"How could the range of the technique be this huge?"

Deidara controlled the clay bird to flee at high speed, but it was still struck by the fireball. The clay bird lost its ability to move. In desperation, Deidara detonated it and used the blast wave to fly backward. He then threw out another clay bird, formed a hand seal with two fingers, and activated it.

Konan glanced at Deidara, who was covered in smoke from burns and fleeing in a sorry state. Countless paper swords shot out and attacked Fei Yun.

As if he had not noticed Konan's attack at all, Fei Yun looked up at the clay bird that had pulled away and said regretfully, "I actually failed to kill that blondie."

"You've got some skills, huh?"

Countless paper swords covered every possible route of Fei Yun's retreat in the blink of an eye.

Konan's gaze sharpened, but just as she thought she had succeeded, a golden skeletal frame instantly formed and blocked every paper sword. The entire ground had been shaved away by the paper blades, kicking up sand and dust that filled the sky.

Meanwhile, Sasori and Orochimaru had clashed once more, fighting as if Orochimaru owed him hundreds of millions of ryo.

The skeleton raised a hand and swept all the paper swords aside, then shot forward and grabbed Konan.

Konan's body immediately broke apart, and even more sheets of paper swirled out, filling the entire area and spinning around Fei Yun.

Fei Yun was not anxious in the least. He slowly folded his arms.

"I sensed that aside from the three of you, there is no one else nearby."

"Nagato didn't come?"

At those words, the paper around him paused slightly.

Fei Yun glanced at the white clay bird high in the sky. "At this distance, they can't hear our conversation."

Konan's trembling voice sounded only after a moment. "How do you know so much?"

This was simply too outrageous.

Konan was truly stunned.

Even within Akatsuki, only a few people knew of Nagato's existence. Most only knew Pain.

Even in Amegakure, everyone only knew Lady Angel and Lord Pain.

First, he had known that Madara Uchiha existed. Now, he had even directly spoken Nagato's name. How had Uchiha Feiyun learned all this intelligence?

Fei Yun's Mangekyo Sharingan bloomed as he said softly, "I know even more. That Madara Uchiha is nothing but an impostor, a rat hiding in the gutter."

Konan could no longer maintain her composure. She snapped, "Do you think I would believe you?"

Fei Yun watched liquid drip from the skeleton's raised hand. He knew Konan had coated the paper with Water Style chakra, likely to counter his Fire Style.

"You will believe it. Neither you nor Nagato are fools. I don't believe you have never had doubts."

Fei Yun paused, then continued, "There are many ways to verify such things. You control a hidden village and Akatsuki. You should be able to find something."

Fei Yun knew very well that Nagato did not completely trust the fake Madara impersonated by Obito. Otherwise, over all these years, he would not have merely gathered funds while planning to create Tailed Beast weapons and suppress the Shinobi World through force.

The paper filling the sky automatically folded into shuriken, spinning faster as they cut at Fei Yun's skeletal frame, trying to find a weakness in Susanoo.

"A despicable psychological ploy?"

"You want to make us lose our composure. Making an enemy of Akatsuki will not end well for you. It is not too late to join us now."

Konan's voice was cold. Fei Yun allowed the paper blades to strike him as he continued speaking.

"Ridiculous. If not for the fact that we share common enemies, I wouldn't bother wasting words on you."

Though Konan continued attacking, her heart was far from calm. Turbulent waves had already risen within it.

She and Nagato had spent years probing and investigating the masked Madara's background, yet they had made no progress.

Now, based solely on the fact that this Uchiha man knew Akatsuki's most confidential secrets—Nagato and Madara Uchiha—Konan could not possibly ignore his words.

Konan's voice came from every direction. Her true body was hidden within the sea of paper. "Uchiha Feiyun, it seems you know a great deal. Since you say we share common enemies, how about cooperating with us?"

Fei Yun raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then tell me, what kind of cooperation?"

Konan's pleasant voice continued, "Join Akatsuki and return with me to meet the leader. As long as your intelligence is true, we will help you. After all, we were never on the same path as Madara Uchiha."

Fei Yun chuckled. "Unfortunately, Akatsuki is not qualified to recruit me."

Konan raised her voice. "We are not qualified? Do you know how powerful Akatsuki is?"

"The leader has never been defeated. Since you have already joined forces with Orochimaru, you should know of the Rinnegan and Pain's strength, shouldn't you?"