"This guy..."
Yu's tone was calm and certain, as if stating a simple fact. However, feeling the invisible Haki emanating from him unintentionally, the masked man seemed momentarily intimidated. However, he quickly regained his composure and let out a dry laugh.
"No one can defeat you... That really suits your personality."
At this point, the masked man seemed to recall once again the encounter he had with Yu in Konoha several years ago. Although he was defeated by Yu at that time and lost a Sharingan and an arm, at least back then, he could somewhat gauge Yu's limits.
But now, with Yu standing before him, the masked man found that he could hardly discern the depth of this white-haired youth.
Defeating the Akatsuki Trio single-handedly, not even Konan paired with Sasori of the Red Sand, along with Biwa Juzo, could match Yu's prowess. Even Biwa Juzo, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, was killed on the spot, indicating that Yu's combat power had far surpassed that of an ordinary S-rank ninja.
"Although I don't think there's anyone in the world right now who can defeat me..."
As if not sensing the deep and fearful gaze of the masked man, Yu said somewhat ambiguously, "But I'm not foolish enough to think I'm invincible now... You know, in this world, there will always be entities you can't imagine, right?"
This was indeed true. Although with Yu's current strength, there were currently no ninjas in the world who could threaten his life.
However, by the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, peak-level and even Six Paths-level individuals would emerge one after another. Therefore, until he truly reached the pinnacle of this world, Yu would never slacken his pace.
"Hmph, perhaps..."
Seeing Yu possess such immense power at such a young age, yet not becoming inflated with ego because of it, unlike Nagato, who proclaimed himself a god after obtaining the Rinnegan, the masked man couldn't help but raise his evaluation of him once again in his mind.
"However, to ensure that your existence does not interfere with our plans..."
"Don't worry, I assure you that someone who can defeat you will appear soon."
At this point, the masked man seemed to recall something, and with a low and mysterious smile, the faintly red Sharingan visible outside the mask began to spin again, while his body started to spiral and distort along with the surrounding space.
"I look forward to the day we meet on the battlefield..."
As he finished speaking, the masked man in front of Yu had completely disappeared into the air, as if no one had ever been there.
"Someone to defeat me..."
Quietly watching the masked man vanish completely from his sight, Yu murmured thoughtfully to himself. Who could this person be? The Six Paths of Pain, who wielded the Rinnegan but were used as pawns by him? Or perhaps Uchiha Madara, who is already dead but could potentially be resurrected in the future? Or maybe it's himself, planning to become the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails?
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Thinking of this, Yu couldn't help but lightly shake his head and laugh. It didn't matter who it was anymore because he wouldn't stay in one place. When these potential future enemies really appeared, perhaps by then, he would already be standing in front of them in a stronger posture than theirs...
...
At the same time, at the border of the Land of Rice Fields.
A ninja wearing a black robe with red cloud patterns and another wearing a blue and white Kazekage robe were running quickly, occasionally looking back as if there was a primordial beast chasing them from behind.
"Konan, do you think that guy will catch up?" Sasori asked while running rapidly, using Chakra Threads skillfully to repair the damaged parts of his puppet. His expressionless face seemed to reveal a sense of unease. "Given his speed and Space-Time abilities..."
"He probably won't..." Konan replied. "He doesn't seem to have any intention of killing the two of us."
Reflecting on the recent battle scenes in her mind, Konan analyzed the current situation. Judging by the display of strength Yu exhibited earlier, if he truly intended to kill them, he would have likely caught up to them by now.
"It's unbelievable... his power is beyond frightening," he murmured. "His mastery of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, shows no discernible weakness, and he even surpasses me in Puppetry Jutsu."
Recalling the moment when he narrowly escaped death, Sasori still felt a lingering sense of dread. "His Puppetry techniques, which operate independently of Chakra Threads, and his perplexing abilities... I can't comprehend how he acquired them."
"And Juzo..." Konan trailed off, her silence indicating a moment of solemn reflection. It seemed she was mourning the loss of Juzo, slain by Yu's hand. Her inner thoughts remained inscrutable, leaving her companion to wonder about her true sentiments.
"Never mind... Pain's mission was just to make contact with him and absorb him into our organization."
"If it couldn't be helped, there's nothing we could do. After all, the gap in strength is evident... But that guy, Juzo..."
Mentioning Juzo, Sasori couldn't help but recall the scene where Juzo sacrificed himself to shield him from Tyrant. His nails dug deep into his palms, a sign of his first experience hating himself for not being powerful enough, despite once being considered the strongest Puppet master.
On the roads of the Land of Rice Fields' border, the retreating members of the Akatsuki continued their journey.
...
"Did you drive away all three of those guys, Yu-sama?"
"And who was that masked guy who showed up later?"
Returning to the chaotic town, Yu was greeted by the sight of the hotel, completely demolished by him. However, what awaited him was the caring and eager eyes of the two little devils, Haku and Kimimaro.
"Just someone who thought he had lost everything, deceived by others and trying to retaliate against the world."
Feeling the concerned gaze of Haku and Kimimaro, Yu responded with a nonchalant smile. Honestly, he had once struggled to understand the reasons behind everything Uchiha Obito did after his descent into darkness.
Just because his beloved Rin was killed by Kakashi, he logically decided to kill his sensei, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, and his mentor, Kushina Uzumaki? He even wiped out his entire clan—the Uchiha Clan, which had no connection to this incident? And he deliberately released the Nine-Tails to destroy Konoha, seemingly unrelated to the matter?
Yu couldn't understand, and neither could many others. So, in Yu's eyes, Obito Uchiha's actions were at best those of a deranged youth who, after losing a loved one, began to recklessly seek revenge against society.
"Alright, let's leave this place. Haku, Kimimaro."
After collecting his thoughts, Yu tossed Juzo's body and the broken Executioner's Blade into the alternate space of Kaio. Since he had already successfully learned Sage Mode, obtained everything he needed, and could freely enter and exit the Ryuchi Cave, he no longer had a reason to stay in the Land of Rice Fields.
Observation Haki detected that many ninjas in the vicinity were attracted by the intense battle just now and were rapidly heading towards this location. Therefore, Yu, accompanied by Haku and Kimimaro, left the town in the Land of Rice Fields directly.
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