The Airdrop!!

"Too fast!" Watching Shisui rapidly close in, Konan decisively formed the hand seal for the Paper Shuriken Dance!

Many of Konan's later techniques required no hand seals... but she was still young now!

"At this distance, turning into paper... I can make it!"

Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan perceived every detail. "A technique that can turn the body into a tangible medium... in terms of chakra nature, this is a Yang Release transformation."

I have to stop her...

"I'll use that move!"

While charging forward, he formed a seal with one hand and thrust out his right palm from afar!

—Lightning Release: Lightning Hang Palm!

"Crackle...!"

Blue lightning spread from Shisui's palm in branching tendrils, hanging onto Konan's body before she had fully turned into paper...!

"Ah...!" Konan let out a pained cry. "Damn it, my body's paralyzed. I... can't turn into paper properly...!"

With Lightning Hang Palm in hand, Shisui leaped into the air. A dim gleam rose in his Mangekyō Sharingan as Yin Release chakra rapidly concentrated in his left eye, which his left hand partially covered!

"After I use this Kotoamatsukami, this left eye won't be usable for decades. So I'll bring you back to Konoha and make you willingly reveal everything about yourself!"

"Take this...!"

"Boom!!"

Suddenly... Konan vanished before his eyes!!

"What...!?"

Red light flickered in Shisui's pupils as he abruptly turned around... only to see Konan appear out of thin air beside the Animal Path!

"That masked woman can summon people?"

At that moment, Konan was slumped on the ground, her body still paralyzed!

"This is a good opportunity!!"

Shisui refused to give up. He twisted around and charged at Konan once more...!!

He was too fast. In the blink of an eye, he was already upon her... "Crackle!" Branching lightning once again spread from his palm!!

"Mm!!" Konan tried to struggle to her feet, but her legs would not obey her. Urgently, she said, "Only the Deva Path can deal with him!!"

"No, Pain's battle is already over." A dark voice came from beneath Pain Rin's mask as she fearlessly formed a hand seal with her small hands.

—Summoning Technique!

"Boom!!" Emerging amid white smoke was... Nagato!!!

A layer of radiance covered his palm. He seized the incoming lightning and pulled it back, tearing away even the lightning from Shisui's palm before absorbing it all in the blink of an eye!

"What!?" Startled, Shisui abruptly halted and retreated!

"Whoosh!"

But with a lift of Nagato's hand, Shisui's body was forcibly pulled forward!

"Crack!" Nagato seized Shisui's right hand and viciously twisted his wrist over. His emotionless Rinnegan ignored the ocular power of Kotoamatsukami as he stared directly into Shisui's eyes, saying angrily, "Don't get carried away, brat!"

"Boom!" "Whoosh!" Shisui formed a seal with one hand and spat fire point-blank, only for it to be absorbed point-blank again an instant later!

"He really can absorb ninjutsu, just like that guy we killed before!"

—Asura Path!

"Clack!" A mechanical arm extended from Nagato's shoulder and clamped onto Shisui's right shoulder blade before delivering an Overlord Twist!!

"Craack...!!!" Shisui's entire right arm was twisted clean off!

"Urrrghhhhhh...!!"

The agonizing pain of flesh and bone being torn apart made his pupils contract sharply. Yet in that life-or-death instant, he endured the pain, drew his blade with his left hand, and stabbed at the man before him!

"Whoosh!" Nagato's Rinnegan opened wide, and repulsive force erupted. The ninja blade shattered, and Shisui's bleeding body flew backward like a kite with its string cut!

Shisui crashed heavily to the ground, every bone in his body feeling as though it had fallen apart!

The skeletal Susanoo protecting Fugaku collapsed with a roar!

Though it sounded slow, everything had happened in a flash!

"Shisui!!!" Fugaku ignored his own condition, climbed to his feet, and ran toward Shisui with all his strength!

Konan... looked at the tall figure before her, her eyes flickering.

"Clearly, he could have had the Deva Path rescue me, but Nagato exposed his true body just to protect me..."

That uncontrollable fury... was not something so-called reason could restrain.

Nor was it something right and wrong, good and evil, could shake.

She was no longer a young girl experiencing first love, so she understood perfectly well.

This was a kind of favoritism that transcended friendship, on another level entirely.

"Nagato, he really feels that way about me..."

Nagato ignored Fugaku as he rushed past him. Looking at Shisui's blood-soaked severed arm in his hand, he said, "We've gotten everything we needed. There's no need to keep dragging this out."

I was rather impulsive just now.

Forget it. What's done is done.

"Shisui, endure it...!!!" Fugaku removed his forehead protector and had Shisui bite down on it. Then he took out a tourniquet and began bandaging the wound where his arm had been severed.

"Mmphhrrghhh...!!!" Shisui clenched his teeth hard as cold sweat streamed down his face.

Then Nagato's faint warning drifted over from the distance.

"Don't reveal a single word about what happened here today. Otherwise, the Uchiha clan will face utter destruction. I mean it."

"Huff, hah, huff, hah..." Shisui's unfocused eyes struggled to retain their focus as he stared at the blurry red-haired figure in his vision and questioned, "Who exactly are you? And what exactly is your purpose?"

A meaningful smile curled Nagato's lips. "Heh. Perhaps someday in the future, you'll find out."

He turned, helped Konan to her feet, and glanced back from the corner of his eye.

"Consider this a piece of advice based on my personal appreciation for you. Uchiha Shisui, guard your eyes well. A man who plays with crows shouldn't let crows peck out his eyes."

"Until we meet again..."

"Whoosh!" Nagato waved his sleeve, and a storm swept up... By the time the blurred air became visible again, everything had vanished without a trace.

Only... the devastated land of Bellflower Mountain recorded the brutal battle that had just taken place.

Of course... it had only been brutal for Fugaku and Shisui.

Shisui's consciousness gradually scattered as he tightly gripped Fugaku's shoulder guard.

"Uncle Fugaku, after we return, please don't tell Lord Hokage or the others in the clan... anything about that man!"

Fugaku said, "Do you fear his threat?"

Shisui nodded forcefully. "No, it's more than his deterrent strength... I have a powerful premonition. He must know certain truths—truths that concern whether our Uchiha clan survives or perishes!"

After saying that... Shisui lost consciousness.

The autumn wind after the rain carried a trace of grim chill.

"Actually, I vaguely have the same feeling."

Fugaku murmured as he looked over the desolate, bleak Bellflower Mountain, as if he wanted to engrave every blade of grass and tree here into his eyes.

He placed a soldier pill into his mouth and helped Shisui up.

"I probably... will never come to this place again!"

Konan followed Nagato, her gaze complicated.

Before the battle, I had been the one to suggest fighting alongside Pain.

Although I helped Nagato obtain Fugaku's blood.

I also became a burden to him during the battle.

My current strength was too weak. I wasn't enough to become a pillar supporting Nagato.

I... had to become stronger.

Determination settled in her beautiful eyes.

"Nagato..."

As though he had already guessed what she wanted to say, Nagato asked, "Do you want to learn that technique?"

Konan nodded. "Yes, the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags and the Night Netherworld Spider Lily."

Nagato pondered before saying, "The Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags are manageable, but the ninjutsu version of the Night Netherworld Spider Lily has excessively harsh training requirements. Konan... I'm afraid you won't be able to endure it."

Forbidden Technique: Night Netherworld Spider Lily. From the moment one formed the training seal, one could not sleep for an entire year. If one fell asleep, all prior efforts would be wasted, and one would never be able to practice the technique again!

"Swish!"

Without hesitation, Konan formed the training seal and calmly said, "Then from now on, I need to get used to the night."

"Alright." Nagato smiled faintly. "I'll be with you."