Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

"So, this is the ultimate power of the Rinnegan?"

Watching as the ground and mountains collapsed, converging towards the sky, Uchiha Obito couldn't help but feel alarmed.

Black Zetsu remarked, "This is only a fraction of the Rinnegan's power."

White Zetsu curiously asked, "By the way, do you think this is enough to seal Shūichi?"

Uchiha Obito, sharing the same curiosity, felt a tinge of unease in his heart.

Black Zetsu, though unsure himself, confidently replied, "Even space-time ninjutsu isn't completely unstoppable. If the sealing power of Chibaku Tensei is strong enough, it should render him incapable of escaping."

The Six Paths Chibaku Tensei had even sealed their mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Naturally, it could nullify the Flying Thunder God technique.

However, much would depend on how fully Nagato could wield the Rinnegan's power.

---

Inside the Chibaku Tensei, Shūichi's expression was a mix of surprise and understanding.

If the Six Paths Chibaku Tensei could seal Kaguya herself, it was unsurprising that it could nullify the Flying Thunder God technique.

"This sealing power is indeed far stronger than the Fire Nether Chains. Even the Flying Thunder God can't break free."

"But… this isn't enough to contain me!"

Nine-Tails Chakra Mode: Activate!

Sage Mode: Activate!

One after the other, the two modes were initiated. Their combined power erupted as Shūichi went all out. Lightning, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Magnet, Scorch, Lava—every element and kekkei genkai he possessed exploded outward.

He forcefully shattered the binding power of the Chibaku Tensei.

Next, the Fire Nether Chains whistled out. Enhanced by the two modes, it pierced through the invisible binding force of the Chibaku Tensei, burrowing into the increasingly dense layers of earth and stone.

---

On the ground, Nagato, who had lowered his hands and was slightly panting, suddenly looked up sharply. "He actually broke free…"

Nagato had become increasingly adept at wielding the Rinnegan's power. Previously uncertain about sealing Shūichi, he had grown confident—only to see his ultimate technique shattered so easily.

"Is he hiding his strength as well?" Nagato speculated silently.

Above, the massive sphere of stone in the sky began to crack, fissures spreading across its surface until it shattered into countless fragments. The sealing power disintegrated, and the stones that had been rising fell to the ground with a thunderous crash.

Shūichi, having deactivated his two modes, plummeted from the sky, landing with a loud boom that sent dust billowing into the air.

White Zetsu couldn't help but comment, "It seems the odds of reclaiming that eye have greatly diminished."

"What about Tobi? If he's captured alive, won't our plan be exposed?"

Black Zetsu remained unconcerned. "Tobi only knows part of the plan. Besides, with the Five Great Shinobi Villages in opposition, it won't be easy for them to unite against us."

"They'd never ally unless absolutely necessary. This gives us ample opportunity to pick them off one by one and reclaim the Tailed Beasts. Though the Nine-Tails might prove troublesome."

Uchiha Obito, having withdrawn his Susanoo, replied, "If we've gathered the other eight Tailed Beasts, reviving Uchiha Madara shouldn't be an issue, right?"

Black Zetsu agreed. "That's what I believe as well."

At that moment, Shūichi waved his hand, dispersing the lingering dust. Looking at Nagato, he grinned. "The Rinnegan truly deserves its reputation as the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. You almost managed to seal me—even the Flying Thunder God technique failed."

"But this level of power… it's still not quite enough."

"Nagato, if this is the best you've got, then I'm afraid you'll struggle to make your mark in the ninja world."

Hearing Shūichi's arrogant words, Nagato's gaze darkened. Deep down, he had already resolved to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Even though the Demonic Statue was an empty shell, it should be enough to protect himself, albeit unlikely to harm Shūichi.

At that moment, Shūichi turned his gaze towards Uchiha Obito, his expression icy. "The techniques left by Madara, a clone created with Hashirama's cells—let me give you some advice: release Obito. Otherwise, things won't end well for you."

Uchiha Obito remained silent. Black Zetsu retorted, "Shūichi, don't overestimate yourself. You can't possibly defeat us."

"Your strength may be unparalleled in the ninja world, but you're just one man."

"Oh? Are you threatening me?" Shūichi's eyes grew colder. "The last person who tried to threaten me was Danzo, and I already took care of him."

"Looks like you need a more profound lesson… The Rinnegan, huh? I think I might be interested in those eyes myself."

As his words fell, Shūichi activated the Eight Gates. A tremendous burst of chakra enveloped him, his entire body shrouded in green light.

White Zetsu immediately warned, "That's Konoha's forbidden taijutsu technique. Even a lowly genin can gain the strength to rival a Kage with it!"

Black Zetsu urged Uchiha Obito, "You mustn't let him seize the Rinnegan!"

"I understand." Uchiha Obito responded calmly, reactivating his Susanoo.

By this time, Shūichi had already opened the Seventh Gate, his body now cloaked in blue light. The sheer scale of his chakra was so overwhelming that even Nagato was left in awe.

"This guy's power… it's completely surpassed mine."

Nagato, who already possessed astonishing chakra reserves, amplified further by Hashirama's cells, found himself astonished by Shūichi's strength.

At this moment, Nagato had no choice but to admit that Shūichi's unleashed power completely surpassed his own.

As Shūichi opened the Seventh Gate, his figure disappeared from sight.

"So fast!"

Nagato turned his head, seeing Shūichi reappear behind Susanoo. "This speed is almost on par with the Flying Thunder God!"

Uchiha Obito and the others were equally stunned by Shūichi's speed.

Before anyone could react, Shūichi had already struck Susanoo from behind with a fierce punch.

Crack!

Boom!

Susanoo shattered under Shūichi's raw power.

"What?!"

Nagato was utterly shocked. He understood Susanoo's strength well.

Under normal circumstances, unless he summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he wouldn't be able to overcome it.

But now, it had been destroyed outright!

Uchiha Obito, Black Zetsu, and White Zetsu were equally astonished. Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, in particular, knew some details about the Eight Gates.

Still, Shūichi's display was beyond their comprehension.

Although this wasn't a Perfect Susanoo, this level of power was akin to Uchiha Madara's strength when he battled Hashirama Senju in the past.

This meant that Shūichi's current power rivaled that of Hashirama—the legendary God of Shinobi.

Could a new, younger God of Shinobi be emerging?

Obito, whose Susanoo had been shattered by a single punch, felt a chill run down his spine. Without hesitation, he activated Kamui to phase through the attack.

In that moment, he even forgot about maintaining his spy persona, reacting purely out of self-preservation.

Shūichi's next punch hit nothing but air, leaving a massive crater on the ground.

Banshō Ten'in!

Nagato seized the opportunity to pull Shūichi towards him.

However, in the blink of an eye, Shūichi appeared directly in front of Nagato.

Shinra Tensei!

Nagato unleashed a burst of repulsive force, but Shūichi countered it with a single raised hand. The two invisible forces collided, creating a deafening roar and stirring up waves of earth. Nagato was sent flying backward.

"To think he could block it like that…"

Nagato steadied himself, shocked, only to sense Shūichi's presence behind him.

Shinra Tensei!

Nagato unleashed another repulsion, but Shūichi's punch came down simultaneously.

Boom!

The air seemed to explode as Nagato was sent flying again, tumbling across the ground like a rag doll.

Blood seeped from Nagato's nose and mouth as he stabilized himself, lifting his hands to launch another Shinra Tensei at the approaching Shūichi.

This time, Shūichi responded with a devastating kick. The sheer force compressed the air, creating a razor-sharp vacuum slash.

Rankyaku!

The two forces clashed. The invisible repulsion of Shinra Tensei was sliced apart by the razor-sharp Rankyaku.

The slash hurtled toward Nagato, threatening to cleave him in two. Susanoo reappeared just in time, shielding Nagato with its massive hand.

However, the Rankyaku still managed to sever Susanoo's hand, forcing Nagato to roll aside to avoid the lethal slash. The attack left a deep, bottomless gouge in the ground.

While protecting Nagato, Susanoo counterattacked, slamming a massive fist toward Shūichi.

Boom!

The ground collapsed into a massive crater.

Shūichi easily dodged the attack, stepping into the air and appearing above Susanoo's head. With a swift kick, multiple Rankyaku slashes rained down, shattering Susanoo's head and causing the entire construct to collapse once more.

Obito, again phasing with Kamui, avoided the attack.

At this moment, Nagato distanced himself from the ruined Susanoo. Pressing one hand to the ground, he shouted:

"Gedō Mazō!"

Half of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path emerged behind Nagato. Unlike before, this time it didn't embed black rods into Nagato's body, thanks to Madara's teachings, which allowed Nagato greater control over the statue.

Roar!

The Demonic Statue roared, breaking its chains as its arms extended toward Shūichi.

"Too slow!"

Shūichi smirked and effortlessly evaded the attack.

He eyed the Demonic Statue with undisguised interest.

"Could I take a piece of this thing for myself?"

The Demonic Statue was the husk of the Ten-Tails, essentially the Shinju itself.

"Naruto's Lava Release Rasenshuriken could cut through the Shinju's main body. My Rankyaku should do the same!"

Leaping into the air, Shūichi prepared to strike.

However, before he could attack, Obito appeared beside Nagato and pulled him into the Kamui dimension.

"Running away?"

Shūichi immediately swung his leg, unleashing a high-speed Rankyaku aimed at the Demonic Statue's arm.

In the next moment, Obito phased himself into the Kamui dimension, and with a puff of smoke, the Demonic Statue disappeared.

But one of its arms remained behind.

The Demonic Statue's arm!

As Shūichi landed, he deactivated the Seventh Gate and activated the Star God Curse Mark to recover.

Clatter!

The Fire Nether Chains shot out, wrapping around and sealing the Demonic Statue's arm.

"What a pleasant surprise!"

Shūichi grinned broadly.

His initial goal had been to seize the Kamui eye and teach Nagato a lesson—just enough to deter him from targeting Konoha and redirect his attention elsewhere.

Unexpectedly, the Demonic Statue had appeared, and he had managed to sever one of its arms.

Licking his lips as he eyed the arm, Shūichi was tempted.

What a maniac!

Suppressing his desire, Shūichi took out a sealing scroll from his pack. Using a smaller secondary scroll, he sealed the Demonic Statue's arm inside.

With that done, Shūichi tucked the scroll away, turned toward Amegakure, and disappeared from sight.

---

In the Rain Village, atop the high tower, Konan gazed northward, monitoring the situation. While she couldn't see clearly, she could infer the general outcome based on the commotion.

As the noise subsided, Konan frowned slightly. "Is it over?"

"Even using that technique... did they manage to deal with the enemy?"

Although Shūichi had displayed incredible abilities, she found it hard to believe that Nagato, with the power of the Rinnegan, could lose. Especially since Nagato's strength had been steadily increasing, along with his mastery of the Rinnegan, growing stronger with each passing day.

"Were you waiting for me?"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind her.

Konan's body stiffened as she immediately leaped into the air, turning mid-flight. Paper wings unfolded, keeping her afloat. "Who's there?"

Suspended in the air, Shūichi stood with his Scorch Release Chakra Mode activated. Fire Nether Chains surged forth, effortlessly binding the struggling Konan.

"You... where is Nagato?"

Konan's expression changed drastically as she stared at Shūichi.

Shūichi gently pulled Konan down to the tower and deactivated his Scorch Release Chakra Mode. Standing before her, he looked down at the woman who was only five or six years older than him.

"Relax, Nagato isn't dead yet."

Konan secretly breathed a sigh of relief but gritted her teeth. "What do you want?"

Shūichi grabbed her chin, locking eyes with her. "You know, we're technically former comrades. Unfortunately, fate has set us on different paths."

"To be honest, I admire you all greatly and sympathize with your experiences."

Konan scoffed coldly. "Don't try to manipulate me with words to make me betray Nagato."

Shūichi released her chin, laughing softly. "You're mistaken."

"The reason I'm here today isn't to kill you or make you betray Nagato or extract information from you."

"Honestly, I already know far more than you do."

"The Rinnegan, Madara Uchiha... and even Black Zetsu."

Konan frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Shūichi said calmly, "You've been collaborating with Uchiha Madara to use his power for your plans, haven't you?"

"Unfortunately, you don't realize that everything you're doing is within Madara's calculations."

"The death of Yahiko? Danzō and Hanzō were the culprits, but Madara also played a part. All the members of Akatsuki who fell were killed by people under Madara's influence."

"Of course, this is all in the past now."

Konan fell silent, then asked, "Why didn't you mention this intelligence the last time?"

Shūichi smiled. "You didn't ask."

"Out of camaraderie, let me give you one more critical piece of information: Nagato's Rinnegan isn't his."

Konan's eyes widened. "Impossible!"

"That's absolutely impossible!"

"He already had those eyes when I met him!"

Shūichi said lightly, "Perhaps Madara told you that Nagato has Uzumaki and Senju bloodlines, making him a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths."

"More precisely, a descendant of Asura, the Sage's younger son."

Konan was stunned. "You... How do you know this? Is it because of the Senju clan?"

Shūichi didn't answer directly but continued. "Madara might have also mentioned the stone tablet left behind by the Sage of Six Paths that the Uchiha clan guards, right?"

"But I'm certain he didn't tell you that the contents of that tablet were tampered with."

"The Rinnegan... Hah. How could it manifest without first awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

This statement was a mix of truth and lies, but it left Konan's mind in chaos. "This... How is that possible?"

Shūichi explained further, "You know I'm a highly skilled medical ninja, don't you? I've conducted extensive research on Hashirama cells and Sharingan as well."

"When Madara fought the First Hokage, Hashirama, he faked his death and escaped. During that battle, he obtained a piece of Hashirama's flesh and grafted it onto himself."

"The Uchiha are descendants of Indra, the Sage's elder son, and the Senju are descendants of Asura. When these two powers merged, the Rinnegan awakened."

Konan's pupils shrank. "This kind of thing... You..."

Shūichi said flatly, "Konoha has been researching Hashirama cells and the Sharingan for years. Danzō himself had both implanted and was defeated by me."

"As harsh as it sounds, Nagato's Rinnegan belongs to Madara, which is why Nagato can't fully control its power."

Konan was thoroughly shaken. "If that's true, why would Madara give the Rinnegan to Nagato?"

Shūichi replied, "Nagato has met Madara, hasn't he? You've seen his frail state—completely dependent on the clone bodies cultivated from Hashirama's cells."

"Awakening the Rinnegan is far more difficult than awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan. By the time Madara obtained the Rinnegan, he was already old."

"So, your plan likely includes a step to resurrect Madara, doesn't it?"

"And that's why the Rinnegan ended up with Nagato. Additionally, Nagato's Uzumaki and Senju heritage made his body capable of bearing its power."

Konan struggled to believe it, but deep down, she felt the logic aligned too well.

Shūichi's voice turned cold. "Nagato is nothing more than a pawn to Madara—a tool for his resurrection."

"You know about the person Black Zetsu and White Zetsu are controlling, right? That Uchiha, my former friend—Uchiha Obito. The Mangekyō Sharingan he possesses awakened due to the death of someone dear to him, Rin Nohara."

"And yes, I fought Madara the day Rin died."

Konan was startled. "That Sharingan isn't Madara's?"

Shūichi countered, "If it were, why would they be separated? Using them together would unleash their full power, wouldn't it?"

"The Sharingan were divided to better control Obito."

He then asked, "Nagato's heart also bears a cursed seal left by Madara, doesn't it?"

"My late friend, Obito, lost Rin because of such a seal—it forced her to choose death at his hands."

Konan stared at him. "If all this is true, are you trying to make us betray Madara and help you save Obito?"

Shūichi shook his head. "Obito's abilities are too tricky to counter.

"I'm sharing this information because... my goal aligns with yours."

Konan was stunned. "What?"

"Your goal... isn't it the same as Jiraiya-sensei's?"

Shūichi smirked. "You mean achieving peace through mutual understanding and resolving conflict?"

"That's too naive."

"If I kill Nagato now, will you understand me?"

"Of course not."

"Did Nagato understand the pain of those he killed? No."

"Without overwhelming strength, how can you make others listen to reason?"

He continued, "Your original Akatsuki failed because it lacked sufficient power. If you had enough strength, you could've swept through the Land of Rain, intimidating the Five Great Nations into submission."

Konan fell silent, unable to discern the truth in his words.

Shūichi carried on. "I may not know your exact plan, but I can guess: you aim to use the Tailed Beasts' power to end war among nations."

Konan replied, "We want the Five Great Nations to experience the pain of war first..."

Shūichi interrupted, "Haven't they already suffered enough pain?

"From the Warring States Period until now—over a thousand years of strife. Has it stopped? No."

Shaking his head, Shūichi feigned disappointment. "Your vision is still too small. It's no better than the First Hokage's approach."

Konan scowled. "Then what do you suggest?"

Shūichi's eyes burned with intensity. "It's simple. Conquer the other villages. Subdue the other nations. Unite the Shinobi World under one village, one nation!"

"When that happens, do you think war will persist?"

Konan froze, unable to fathom this perspective. She stared at Shūichi, realizing he might be even more extreme than they were.

"Share this with Nagato."

With that, Shūichi moved behind Konan, pressing her neck to leave a Flying Thunder God mark.

Konan snapped back. "What are you doing?"

Shūichi smiled. "A Flying Thunder God mark—it can't be removed."

"Konan, you don't want Nagato to become another Yahiko, do you?"

"Think carefully about everything I've said. If you don't, you'll only end up as Madara's discarded pawns."

After finishing his words, Shūichi's figure vanished, and the Fire Nether Chains binding Konan dispersed immediately.

Konan staggered, collapsing to her knees on the tower's roof, gasping for air.

"If... if everything that guy said is true, then Nagato..."

Her heart trembled. Nagato was already the only family she had left in this world—her sole reliance.

Gritting her teeth, Konan stood up. With her paper transforming into wings, she flew toward the central high tower of the Rain Village.

Regardless of whether what he said was true or not, she had to tell Nagato everything.

(End of Chapter)

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