A Sage's Pursuit of Power

Kotoamatsukami once again demonstrated its reputation as the ultimate genjutsu. The moment Aoba acted, he knew he had succeeded.

The technique worked. Obito was now completely under his control.

"It's done."

Aoba felt elated. He had been preparing for this moment for so long. With Obito under control, he had already won half the game.

But just as victory seemed assured, a sudden twist unfolded.

Before the controlled Obito could take any action, a black hand shot out from behind, piercing straight through his brain.

"Damn it!!" Aoba's heart sank in shock. The attacker's speed was so swift that not even the Flying Thunder God Technique could respond in time.

Obito's exposed Sharingan betrayed a glimmer of unwillingness, but the attack had targeted his brain, not his heart. The instant the blow landed, it sealed his fate, leaving him no chance to fight back.

Ironically, Kotoamatsukami's instantaneous control over Obito had provided Black Zetsu the perfect opportunity to strike.

Aoba immediately understood what had happened. Black Zetsu had anticipated Kotoamatsukami and prepared a countermeasure. The moment Aoba succeeded in controlling Obito, Black Zetsu acted, taking advantage of Obito's inability to phase out with Kamui under genjutsu control.

In an instant, one of the central antagonists of the ninja world, Obito Uchiha, was taken out.

But it wasn't over yet. Aoba noticed that after the attack, Black Zetsu didn't stop there. It transformed into a mass of black sludge and entered Obito's head.

Moments later, Obito's body began to phase out using Kamui and vanished from sight.

This sudden turn of events left everyone, including Aoba, completely stunned.

Aoba's Sharingan-enhancing contact lenses hid the true nature of his eyes from most, but many of the top-tier shinobi present had already deduced that Aoba had used some sort of powerful genjutsu on the masked man.

What happened next, however, defied anyone's understanding.

The masked man's supposed ally, the yin-yang half-bodied figure, suddenly betrayed him, merged with him, and then disappeared. The bizarre spectacle was absurd, even by ninja world standards.

The Sand and Leaf shinobi on the battlefield were bewildered. Even members of the Akatsuki stood frozen in confusion. Nagato, in particular, recalled information Aoba had previously shared with him, and his expression grew increasingly grim.

Aoba, armed with more information than anyone else, quickly pieced together what had happened.

First, Kotoamatsukami had indeed succeeded. Obito was under his control and would have been his.

But then, the ultimate schemer, Black Zetsu, acted. Clearly aware of Kotoamatsukami's effects, Black Zetsu had been prepared. It struck Obito the moment the genjutsu took hold, delivering a decisive blow.

More specifically, it destroyed Obito's brain and then replaced it.

In the original storyline, Kotoamatsukami was used only once by Danzo, who held back on its full power to conserve chakra. That instance was far from impressive and even left gaps visible to the Byakugan.

However, Aoba had used the complete version of Kotoamatsukami, which theoretically shouldn't have been so easily countered. Yet Black Zetsu had found a way—through an ingenious, brutal physical intervention.

By obliterating Obito's brain after Kotoamatsukami had implanted its mental override, Black Zetsu effectively reset the slate.

And there was more, Aoba suspected that Obito might not be entirely dead. His body likely remained functional, and Black Zetsu had taken over its control.

In the original storyline, Black Zetsu demonstrated its ability to control others, most notably by temporarily possessing Obito to force him to cast Rinne Rebirth, resurrecting Madara.

That ability was rarely used, and Aoba had always theorized two possibilities:

Black Zetsu was a cautious schemer who kept this power in reserve as a trump card or this ability had significant limitations, so it avoided using it unless absolutely necessary.

Aoba wasn't sure which was correct. However, Black Zetsu's direct possession of Obito's brain was a move it had never displayed before, making Aoba more wary of this shadowy, ancient entity.

Black Zetsu's sudden attack had also alarmed the other members of the Akatsuki. They now realized the situation had taken an unexpected turn.

Nagato watched as Obito and Black Zetsu disappeared together, feeling helpless. Although the power of the Deva Path was formidable, there was little it could do against Kamui.

The only person on the battlefield who hadn't noticed this development was Hiruko. Originally intended as the star of the show, he was putting on a particularly enthusiastic performance.

Hiruko had never been particularly loyal to the Akatsuki. When the organization first approached him, he was primarily interested in leveraging its resources to complete his experiments.

But everything changed when he learned that the Akatsuki's leader possessed the legendary Rinnegan. His attitude began to shift.

As time went on, the Akatsuki's full support allowed him to perfect the Chimera Technique, granting him mastery over four kekkei genkai. Hiruko's view of the Akatsuki, and especially Nagato, transformed entirely.

Now, he sought recognition from Nagato. Upon joining the Akatsuki, he had noticed that every member was a Kage-level powerhouse. While he had once been merely at the jōnin level, Hiruko now believed he had risen to their ranks.

Having completed his research, Hiruko was eager to showcase his abilities to the Akatsuki. He wanted Nagato to see that he, too, was now a qualified member of the organization. He was now a Kage-level shinobi.

The battlefield was chaotic, but Hiruko remained focused, putting on a tireless display against the Sand Village shinobi. He had thoroughly suppressed Gaara and his forces, and the Sand's defensive line was on the verge of collapse.

Hiruko was ecstatic, so much so that he failed to notice the growing tension within the Akatsuki ranks behind him.

Nagato, meanwhile, found himself at a loss. The Akatsuki's full mobilization for this operation had two purposes. The first was to test Hiruko's Chimera Technique. The second was to gauge the power dynamics between the Akatsuki and the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

When Aoba appeared, Nagato had intended to confront him directly to test the strength of the so-called "strongest in the ninja world."

Yet before any such engagement could happen, internal issues had already arisen. The masked man, Obito, and Black Zetsu, who had been under Nagato's watchful eye, had been forced into an unexpected fusion and apparent retreat by Aoba.

The situation on the battlefield had now taken a strange turn. Nagato noted that several other Akatsuki members were visibly distracted. What had been intended as the Akatsuki's grand debut had devolved into an unmitigated disaster.

Unaware of any of this, Hiruko suddenly felt an irresistible pull. His body was yanked backward, flung toward the Akatsuki ranks.

"Mission over. Retreat."

Nagato's commanding voice echoed across the battlefield, signaling the abrupt end of the Akatsuki's operation.

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Currently on Chapter 210 - Madara Uchiha vs Nagato Continued