**Amegakure, beneath the tower.**

Naruto walked towards the entrance.

"After being out for so long, I'm starving..."

"Can we leave now?"

Naruto stopped and turned to look at Jugo.

Jugo, neither humble nor arrogant, said, "We have fulfilled our agreement by assisting you. We have no obligation to stay with you any longer!"

Suigetsu quickly whispered, "Hey, Jugo, we're on his turf!"

Naruto, however, responded calmly, "Ah, Sasuke should be in Akatsuki's underground hideout. Do you know the way?"

Jugo replied, "Yes, we went there after his battle with Itachi."

Naruto said, "Then go ahead. Oh, and when you see Sasuke, give him a message for me."

Jugo was surprised.

He hadn't expected Naruto to let them go so easily.

He asked, "What do you want me to tell him? I'll make sure he gets the message."

Naruto said, "Danzo is not in Konoha. He should be looking for Kabuto. If you want to act, do it quickly. Don't give him a chance to rise again!"

Jugo nodded, "Understood."

Naruto said, "Go on then..."

The two left Amegakure, walking on the muddy ground.

Suigetsu, hands behind his head, remarked, "I didn't expect him to let us go so easily. I thought he'd use sweet talk to keep us, then slowly coerce us into working for him, or at worst, use genjutsu to turn us into puppets."

"..." Jugo remained silent.

Suigetsu speculated, "Do you think he wants to use Sasuke to get rid of Danzo?"

Jugo pondered, "Probably not. With his power, if he wanted to do that, Danzo wouldn't have left the Land of Iron alive. He might genuinely want to help Sasuke with his revenge..."

Suigetsu was puzzled, "I don't get it. Are they friends or enemies?"

"More like frenemies," Jugo murmured, "If Sasuke wasn't entrusted to me by Kimimaro, choosing him wouldn't be a bad idea..."

Suigetsu: "Huh? What did you say? I didn't catch that."

Jugo: "Nothing, let's keep moving..."

**Kumogakure, after a night of defense, the ninjas assessed the damage.**

"The village is about ten percent destroyed, with the Raikage's residence and its surroundings being the most damaged!"

"Over a hundred injured, mostly minor injuries, no deaths!"

"No deaths, that's a blessing in disguise..."

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"The method the enemy used to break through the Heavenly Retribution Barrier is still unknown."

"The leader of the enemy was incredibly powerful, with unpredictable techniques, especially the one that trapped the Raikage. It's unheard of!"

The Kumogakure ninjas looked up at the sky.

The Chibaku Tensei was still slowly disintegrating, with giant stones occasionally falling, causing loud crashes... making it impossible to clear the area directly below!

"Have we identified the enemy?"

"According to Dodai-sama, the enemy is a rogue ninja from Konoha, calling themselves 'Akatsuki,' but their exact identity is unknown."

"Akatsuki, aren't they the same as Akatsuki?"

"The Raikage-sama should know the enemy's true identity, but he's not awake yet..."

"Is he seriously injured?"

"He suffered from oxygen deprivation due to asphyxiation, lung damage, and exhausted all his chakra to break free. The worst was the fall; he lost his Lightning Release Chakra protection and injured his neck..."

"His neck?"

"Yes, from now on, the Raikage-sama won't be able to twist his neck as freely as before!"

"How can that be? That's a habit he's had for years!"

"Lord Bee and the others should be back soon..."

*Boom! Boom!*

Thunder rumbled.

In the forest outside Kumogakure, Darui staggered forward, his face pale, his vision blurred. Seeing the village gate ahead, he muttered, "I can't... I can't fall yet, just a bit more..."

His entire left side was pierced by grotesque tree trunks, numb with no feeling left!

He survived the Wood Release: Cutting Technique!

It was both skill and luck!

In a critical moment, Darui avoided vital points, taking the branches in his left shoulder. Though the spreading branches injured his organs, they missed his heart!

He used the Lightning Release: Body Flicker Technique to escape the battlefield, enduring near-fatal pain, and returned to the village!!!

The gate guards exclaimed, "Darui-sama, what happened to you!!!!"

"Bee... has fallen into Akatsuki's hands!"

*Thud!*

With his last strength, Darui uttered these words and collapsed, unconscious!

"Darui-sama!!!"

"These injuries, my god... Quick, get the medical team!!"

---

**Kamui, in the space-time dimension.**

*Thud!*

Killer Bee fell heavily onto the platform, already a corpse!

"Howl, you bastards, you killed Bee...!!!!"

The Eight-Tails' mournful roar echoed endlessly!

*Whoosh!*

A Tailed Beast Bomb began to form!

This was Tobi's space-time dimension, where he couldn't use his phasing ability.

Besides Tobi, Zetsu was also present.

"Here, you can't act recklessly..."

*Snap!* Zetsu said, folding his arms.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Wooden dragons rose from the ground, entwining and absorbing the Eight-Tails' chakra!

*Whoosh!*

The forming Tailed Beast Bomb rapidly shrank!

The Eight-Tails glared at the unremarkable Zetsu: "This is... the First Hokage's Wood Dragon! You!"

Zetsu said, "Tobi, finish it off!"

"Leave it to me!"

Tobi raised his head sharply, the right eye of his mask bloodshot.

**—Genjutsu: Sharingan!**

*Zzz!*

The Eight-Tails instantly lost focus, its eyes turning into Sharingan, a sign of being controlled by genjutsu...!

*Slash!*

Tobi unfurled a scroll, quickly cutting the Eight-Tails' skin and his own wrist, forming a summoning contract with their blood!

The contract signed, the scroll was put away!

**—Kamui: Space-Time Prison!**

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Blocks converged from all sides, forming an inescapable prison, trapping the Eight-Tails!

Tobi said sternly, "Eight-Tails, from now until I reclaim the Rinnegan, you will serve as my summoning beast. After that, the Gedo Statue will be your final destination!"

*Whoosh!!*

At dawn, with the Kamui vortex, Tobi and Zetsu returned to Akatsuki's hideout!

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

From deep within the hideout, loud crashes echoed!

*Rustle, rustle, rustle,* white smoke emerged from the walls: "You're finally back. Go check on Sasuke..."

"Eek...!"

In a dark room, Karin curled up in a corner, hugging her head in fear.

*Fwoosh! Fwoosh!*

Not far from her, dark purple chakra formed the majestic armor of Susanoo, resembling the mythical Tengu!

**Swish!**

Inside Susanoo, Sasuke tore off the white bandages from his eyes.

The intricate patterns and straight tomoe of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan glowed in the darkness!

A smirk appeared on his lips, "These eyes can see through the darkness clearly...!"

*Boom! Boom!*

He and Susanoo stepped forward, shattering the rocks beneath them!

Tobi appeared before him, saying sternly, "Sasuke, this is Akatsuki's hideout. You're too conspicuous!"

Hearing this, Sasuke's lips curled into an arrogant smile, "Ah, it's you. Perfect timing. Let me test my current power on you...!"

*Fwoosh!*

As he spoke, the black flames of Amaterasu ignited in Susanoo's hand, forming a black flame sword, thrusting towards Tobi's position!