The moment the masked man saw the girl behind him, he instinctively activated his intangibility.
At the same time, a single thought shot through his mind—
How did she get there?!
He hadn't sensed a thing. Not a shift in chakra, not the slightest movement. She had simply appeared.
His eyes narrowed as he focused on her.
Careless. Too careless.
He knew this girl—Kihana Sakiya. She had already caused major trouble for the Akatsuki, making her someone he needed to keep an eye on.
And yet, here she was, right behind him, completely undetected.
Sakiya, seemingly unaware of the tension in the air, happily reached out to poke his waist again.
But this time, she hit nothing.
Her finger passed right through him, meeting only empty space.
And for some reason, that only made her more excited.
Her eyes sparkled as she kept trying, her expression lighting up with childlike amusement.
Tsunade and Kakashi, standing nearby, exchanged glances.
What were they supposed to feel right now?
Shock?
Fear?
Or just... utter disbelief?
They weren't worried about Sakiya's safety—no, they had long since realized she could handle herself.
But the others...
The rest of the Five Kage and their guards stood frozen, eyes darting between the masked man and the carefree girl.
When did she even get there?!
None of them had noticed her approach—not even the most skilled among them.
And now, here she was, relentlessly poking the masked man as if he were some kind of toy.
It was... bizarre.
No.
Not just bizarre.
Hilarious.
But the masked man wasn't laughing.
If anything, his mind was racing.
She got this close on purpose?
Perfect.
That meant he had the chance to eliminate this troublesome girl once and for all.
His Sharingan gleamed as he reached out, fingers closing in to grab her—
Only for his hand to pass right through her body.
His eyes widened in shock.
It was like trying to grasp a phantom.
And at that exact moment—
Poke. Poke.
Pain shot through his side.
The masked man twitched beneath his mask, his composure slipping for just a second.
Instinctively, he flickered back a few feet, his gaze sharpening.
What the hell was that?
His mind reeled.
Was it an illusion?
No—this felt like his own space-time technique.
Which meant—
She hadn't just slipped past his defenses.
She had used a technique like his.
Sakiya grinned, lowering her hand.
"Wow~ so when my Evil Eye evolved, I got a new ability after all! This time, it's even a space-type technique?"
The masked man's eyes narrowed.
This wasn't an illusion.
She was manipulating space itself—just like Kamui.
His grip tightened around the fan on his back.
"Truly a troublesome one," he muttered, voice low.
The others, still watching, could only stare in stunned silence.
Just what kind of monster was this girl?
Raikage's confusion deepened as he observed both the masked man and Sakiya's strange abilities.
Are they using the same technique?
Sakiya simply grinned, raising her hands in a playful scissor-frame gesture in front of her eyes.
"Hmph~ You might have a separate dimension, but mine? It's an entire world."
She tilted her head, her voice light but firm.
"I just heard you talking about creating an illusion—a dreamland cut off from reality. Sounds like a fantasy, a fabricated escape."
The masked man's interest piqued. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he smirked.
"Oh? So, are you saying you want to join me?"
Sakiya shook her head without hesitation.
"Impossible," she said flatly. "A world built on escape—your so-called paradise—is nothing more than an illusion."
"What's false will always be false. It has no meaning."
The masked man chuckled.
Then, he laughed.
A deep, hollow sound that echoed through the chamber.
She wasn't wrong.
Power—true power—was nothing but a tool to fill the void in one's heart. To blur the lines between illusion and reality.
His Kamui space was a reflection of his desire to escape this wretched world.
That was why he laughed.
But even more, he laughed at the hypocrisy of this world.
"An illusion?" he echoed, his voice growing sharper. "You think this reality is any better?!"
His tone turned cold, almost mocking.
"Reality is nothing more than a cycle of endless suffering! A world where hatred repeats itself over and over again! Why should such a world even exist?!"
His words carried a deep, unshakable conviction.
Sakiya's right eye suddenly gleamed with a crimson glow.
"You're too consumed by your obsession," she said softly.
Her fingers traced an invisible pattern in the air, and suddenly—
"The Celestial Seal—Unyielding Barrier!"
A burst of radiant energy erupted around her, illuminating the room.
In an instant, intricate glowing circles materialized, forming an enormous barrier that enveloped the entire conference chamber.
The other Kage tensed, their gazes flicking toward Sakiya with wary caution.
But the masked man had no intention of continuing the fight.
"I have no time to waste on you," he said coolly.
"We'll settle this on the battlefield."
With that, he activated Kamui.
His body twisted, warping into spirals of space—
And in the next moment, he was gone.
Sakiya watched the scene unfold but hesitated.
Should I really just let him go?
…Well, maybe for now.
With that thought, she stepped forward lightly, her foot barely touching the ground—
And in an instant, a massive glowing array expanded beneath her.
It spread rapidly, covering thousands of meters in mere moments.
Outside, the samurai stationed around the area noticed the unfamiliar glowing patterns beneath their feet. A wave of unease spread among them.
"A ninja technique?" some whispered nervously, gripping their weapons.
Meanwhile, over 2,000 meters away—
The masked man emerged from his teleportation, but the moment his feet touched the ground, he froze.
Beneath him, an all-too-familiar magic pattern glowed ominously.
His expression stiffened.
"...No way."
Before he could react, a streak of white light cut through the air—
And in the blink of an eye, Sakiya appeared before him.
From the shadows, a presence slithered beneath the earth—Zetsu. Hidden by his mayfly technique, he watched in silence.
Sakiya flashed a playful grin at the masked man.
"Hehe, you can't run. My space technique is stronger than yours."
The masked man stood silent for a moment, staring at her before sighing.
"This is the first time I've ever found my own technique annoying."
This time, Sakiya didn't feel like playing mind games. No more illusions.
She wanted to go all out.
She lifted her foot and lightly tapped the ground—
Another massive energy array bloomed instantly, stretching across the battlefield.
Then, her right eye gleamed a deep crimson.
A surge of chakra exploded from her body.
The sheer pressure of it sent cracks ripping through the ground.
The masked man's expression darkened.
"This chakra… a humanoid Tailed Beast?"
Beneath the earth, Zetsu trembled.
This chakra… I know this power!
I felt it before—in the Land of Rain! The one who unleashed that overwhelming technique!
The masked man clenched his fists. He needed to deal with Sakiya—fast.
At that moment, she raised her hand, flexing her fingers in midair—
Like a cat lazily scratching at a wall.
Thin, invisible threads of chakra shimmered, cutting through the air toward him.
His Sharingan instantly picked up the disturbance in the airflow.
Without hesitation, he activated Kamui, slipping into intangibility to evade the attack.
But Sakiya's threads weren't just simple cuts
They had already begun forming a death trap around him.
_________
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