Chapter 274: Two Tailed Beasts for a Rinnegan
Boom, boom, boom…
The deafening sound of explosive tags being triggered echoed from all directions, causing Isshiki to raise an eyebrow.
The explosions were dense and layered, their intensity escalating. From the sound alone, any experienced ninja could tell that tens of thousands—if not billions—of explosive tags were going off simultaneously.
"Obito, prepare to retreat," Tamako's voice came through, prompting Obito to breathe a sigh of relief.
Reinforcements had arrived.
Obito exchanged a glance with Uchiha Madara. Without a word, they immediately understood each other's intentions.
Obito swiftly formed hand seals, clasped his hands together, and shouted, "Kamui Tempest Dance!"
With his motion, the surrounding space began to distort, forming a massive vortex. A violent gale erupted, threatening to devour everything in its path. The winds, mixed with debris and dust, morphed into a raging firestorm surging toward Isshiki.
The storm disintegrated rocks and tore apart the ground wherever it passed.
Simultaneously, Madara summoned his Susano'o once again and weaved seals with all four hands. "Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The earth trembled violently as countless enormous trees erupted from the ground. The dense branches spread rapidly, their lush canopy blotting out the sky.
The devouring firestorm, the endless forest roots, and the sea of explosive tags all converged on Isshiki at once!
Boom, boom, boom…
A series of deafening explosions shook the air, illuminating the entire sky above Iwagakure as if it were daytime.
The ensuing shockwaves, resembling a tsunami, swept outward, scattering dust and debris across the battlefield. The overwhelming force made it impossible to keep one's eyes open.
The explosions persisted for a full minute, covering several kilometers with a staggering 200 billion explosive tags.
When the chaos finally subsided, Isshiki emerged from his personal dimension and frowned at the now-empty battlefield where Madara and Obito had vanished.
"They escaped quickly…"
His gaze shifted to the sky, where Konan and Shinno hovered cautiously, watching him.
They were only clones.
The Akatsuki woman had attacked him alongside Obito and Madara, using her trump card right from the start, leaving only a clone behind to monitor him. All of this had been within Isshiki's view, thanks to his Byakugan.
"Hmph…"
With a cold chuckle, Isshiki's expression soon returned to calm. He turned toward another direction and disappeared.
Tailed beasts?
No, to prevent Kaguya's resurrection, the most critical element was the Rinnegan.
Without the Rinnegan, the Akatsuki couldn't control the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, let alone subjugate the Ten-Tails.
While Uchiha Madara still possessed a Rinnegan due to the Impure World Reincarnation, he lacked the ability to become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki in that state.
As long as the Rinnegan was taken away, Kaguya's revival would be impossible.
---
As Isshiki raced toward Nagato's location, he noticed something amiss.
It was too quiet.
The air carried an eerie stillness, as though the entire world were holding its breath. Everything around him seemed unnaturally tranquil—leaves rustled gently in the breeze, and distant bird calls could barely be heard.
But there were no human sounds.
Isshiki raised an eyebrow, sensing an invisible presence, as if unseen eyes were watching him from the shadows.
His black eyes flickered for a moment, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. "An interesting genjutsu. It's not directly targeting me but altering the environment. A false reality?"
Crack!
At his words, the surrounding scenery shattered like a giant mirror, revealing the truth hidden behind the illusion.
The air now reeked of blood, and the ground was littered with corpses.
Most of the bodies wore Iwagakure uniforms, clearly belonging to the village's elite forces. However, their deaths were gruesome—some were severed in half, others impaled, and some torn to shreds entirely.
At the center of the carnage stood a young girl, her pristine appearance at odds with the blood-soaked scene.
Isshiki merely sneered at the sight, his eyes glinting with power. The scenery shifted once more, revealing a massive crater left by the earlier explosion.
Standing at the edge of the crater, directly in Isshiki's path, was a young woman holding a scroll. She sighed as she looked at him.
"A temporary illusion like that couldn't hold you for long."
Isshiki wasted no words. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before her and grabbed her by the neck.
"To delay me for even half a minute—that's quite the feat."
After the explosive tags and illusions, Obito and Nagato had already vanished.
The woman's face turned red as she struggled to breathe, yet she showed no fear. Instead, she smiled faintly.
"To receive such praise from you is an honor. I am a core member of the Akatsuki and hold significant intelligence about them. Would you spare my life if I defected? After all, my rank within the group is the lowest, and I've realized my situation. It's not too late to switch sides, is it?"
Isshiki smirked coldly. "You seem rather pleased with yourself for holding me up."
Crack!
With a swift motion, he snapped her neck, her body collapsing limply to the ground. The faint light in her eyes faded completely.
Isshiki glanced at the corpse with disdain, his lips curling into a mocking smile. "Pointless tricks. Delaying me changes nothing."
---
Behind him, a figure quietly approached, bowing respectfully.
Isshiki turned, his calm gaze landing on the cloaked man. "Did you retrieve it?"
The man presented a box with both hands. "To ensure success, I retrieved only one for now."
Opening the box, Isshiki inspected the Rinnegan inside and nodded in satisfaction. "A wise decision, Byakushi. One is enough for now."
Returning with both Rinnegans would have been ideal, but losing Byakushi—the sole clone capable of bearing the White Karma—was too great a risk.
"Understood," Byakushi replied before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
With a flick of his cloak, Isshiki transformed back into Jigen's appearance and strode toward the ruins of Iwagakure.
The heavy losses suffered by Iwagakure presented him with further opportunities to exploit. Greed was a fatal poison, and a weakened Ōnoki would only grow more desperate.
---
In a distant forest, Nagato clutched the left side of his face where his Rinnegan had been taken, regret flooding his expression.
Aside from Isshiki, Iwagakure had another powerful figure he hadn't anticipated.
A single Rinnegan in exchange for two tailed beasts… It was a terrible deal.
(End of Chapter)