A Sage's Pursuit of Power

Shinobi from both sides watched as Hiruko reluctantly yielded to Pain's command. With his abilities as the Deva Path, Pain's strength was undeniable, and few in the current shinobi world could challenge him, even among those capable of besting the Six Paths of Pain.

In the end, Hiruko had no choice but to leave, despite his clear dissatisfaction. As Akatsuki withdrew, Aoba refrained from pursuing. Having just exerted himself using Kotoamatsukami, he was well aware of the toll it had taken on his chakra and stamina.

The consumption of Kotoamatsukami, even with the enhancements provided by Hashirama cells, required significant time for recovery. Aoba decided against pushing himself further by engaging Pain. Though disappointed at missing an opportunity to test his newly acquired Mangekyō Sharingan abilities, he resolved to wait for a better time.

The conclusion of the battle felt anticlimactic, but it brought a wave of relief to Sunagakure. The conflict had starkly highlighted the village's vulnerabilities.

As one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Sunagakure's strength and resources were already the weakest. If it weren't for Gaara's exceptional performance, Hiruko might have breached their defenses. Such an outcome would have been disastrous, threatening not only Sunagakure's reputation but potentially stripping it of its status as one of the Five Great Villages.

Thanks to Konohagakure's timely support, Sunagakure managed to save face and survive another day.

Aoba turned his attention to assessing his team's situation.

The battle against Akatsuki hadn't escalated as expected, thanks largely to the presence of "traitors" within Akatsuki. Even Kisame, known for his unwavering loyalty to Pain, seemed to notice the lack of genuine commitment from others and held back in his efforts.

Plenty of techniques had been exchanged, but none had caused serious casualties.

While the outcome was acceptable for both sides, Aoba couldn't shake a lingering unease.

The source of his worry was Obito, or rather, the new entity born from the combination of Obito and Black Zetsu.

The two enemies Aoba feared most had now merged into one. This unexpected development left him with a sense of foreboding.

Black Zetsu had always been a deeply enigmatic figure, hidden in the shadows of major events. For most people, Black Zetsu seemed like a shinobi with peculiar abilities, but Aoba alone knew its true identity.

For over a thousand years, Black Zetsu had meticulously maintained its facade, orchestrating events from the shadows. It avoided drawing attention to itself, always standing at the back of the group, manipulating others to achieve its ends.

Yet, this time, Aoba's intervention forced Black Zetsu into an uncharacteristically bold move. By merging with Obito, Black Zetsu had exposed some of its abilities—such as its ability to transform into a black substance and infiltrate Obito's brain. Such techniques clearly defied conventional shinobi practices.

For millennia, Black Zetsu had exercised patience and restraint, carefully biding its time. This sudden gamble was likely driven by one factor: the Rinnegan.

With the Rinnegan in play, Black Zetsu was closer than ever to fulfilling its ultimate plan. The prospect of reviving Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, its creator, had prompted it to take unprecedented risks to preserve Obito's life and ensure the plan's continuity.

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After all, in its long existence, this was the first time Black Zetsu had encountered such a powerful Mangekyō ability like Kamui. For various reasons, it made the calculated decision to act, preserving Obito's life. This meant that moving forward, Aoba would face the most insidious entity in the shinobi world: the "ultimate backstabber"—Black Zetsu.

Aoba wasn't afraid of Black Zetsu in its base form. In a direct confrontation, he wouldn't give it the chance to pull off its signature "heart-piercing" moves.

However, Black Zetsu fully controlling Obito presented an entirely different threat. The skills and knowledge it commanded far exceeded Obito's capabilities. Combined with Obito's abilities, such as Kamui, the new entity posed an extremely dangerous challenge.

Moreover, Black Zetsu itself was a product of Yin-Yang Release at the highest level. The memory of it delivering a fatal blow to Six Paths Madara was enough to make Aoba acutely aware that Black Zetsu, under the right conditions, could theoretically kill anyone in the shinobi world.

The only silver lining was that Black Zetsu's goal wasn't killing—it was reviving Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. And that resurrection required a massive number of shinobi sacrifices, which gave Aoba precious time to prepare.

That Evening

Sunagakure hosted a banquet to honor the Konoha team for their timely assistance. However, Aoba left only a shadow clone behind to attend in his place while his true body quickly departed from the village.

At home, something had happened. Aoba was overwhelmed with emotions, left with nowhere to vent. It was suffocating.

He recalled a line from a movie he'd seen long ago:

"Is life always this hard, or is it just when you're a kid?"

Now, he could answer that question himself:

"It's always this hard."

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Currently on Chapter 210 - Madara Uchiha vs Nagato Continued