Akatsuki vs. Hanzo of the Salamander (Happy New Year 2025, brothers! Wishing you all great fortune)

Nagato looked at Obito before him and demanded an answer.

"What are you trying to say? What's about to happen?"

Obito did not answer Nagato's questions. Instead, he said,

"What Yahiko speaks of is nothing more than an ideal. So what if you understand other people's pain? They won't care about yours. Besides, this world doesn't want anything like that to happen. That is reality.

"With your Rinnegan, you should be able to understand that."

Nagato frowned at Obito's words.

"No matter what you say, I firmly believe in Yahiko's ideals!"

Obito gazed at Nagato, finding the man before him utterly naive.

"Must you suffer pain before you can taste reality?"

As he spoke, he walked toward Nagato. Yet Nagato had only taken one step back when he discovered that this man had passed straight through him.

"In that respect, even with your Rinnegan, you're just an ordinary man. So be it. Let your own pain show you what this world truly looks like."

With that, Obito activated Kamui and left the Akatsuki.

Just after Obito left, flocks of origami butterflies and Paper Cranes flew over, gathering together to form Konan.

"That fellow really does come and go like a ghost."

"His Mangekyō ability is certainly troublesome. Fortunately, he only has one Sharingan right now."

Nagato turned to Konan and asked,

"How did it go? Did you uncover anything?"

"Yes, I found out what's going on. Konoha's Root secretly entered the Land of Rain earlier. Hanzo of the Salamander's men played dead and captured one of my Paper Clones. It looks like he intends to use me to threaten you during tomorrow's negotiations."

"Hmph. That fellow really is up to no good. He never intended to settle this peacefully."

Yahiko walked out of the room and spoke to the two