Chapter 153: Night Owl, Still the Same Night Owl!
“This power...”
After the crimson-black beam engulfed the entire Amegakure, the Nightingale Squad, positioned farther away, turned to look back.
Confusion and bewilderment clouded their eyes.
There, an eerie vacuum had formed!
Where was Amegakure?
Where were the buildings?
Jiraiya opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Amegakure... had vanished!
Beside him, Itachi gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
He had seen Ken-san use this technique before, but he never imagined that, after five years, Kensaku had grown this powerful!
The gap between them was widening.
The confusion in his eyes flickered briefly before fading.
Itachi was now pondering what Kensaku meant by “special training.”
It was the training to unlock the Mangekyō!
Kisame had mentioned this once before. He’d have to talk to Ken-san about it once they returned to the village.
Because of Hakken’s presence, Itachi couldn’t witness Shisui jumping into the river and unlocking his Mangekyō Sharingan.
That was why Itachi’s strength had hit a plateau.
To break through, he had to focus on his eyes.
Based on Hakken’s conjecture, the trigger for awakening the Mangekyō lay in stimulation—and he already had a plan for that.
A figure plummeted straight down from the sky.
Shouldering Konan, Hakken turned to survey his handiwork.
White Hollow Form!
A power unlocked when the White Hollow Template reached 40% completion.
Though not yet the full destructive force of complete Hollowfication, its might was already staggering.
From this day forward, Amegakure is erased from the ninja world!
Five years later, Konoha had not forgotten its vow.
Touch my people, and you pay the price!
As for Konan, it wasn’t lust or favoritism—he had other uses for her.
“Return to the village.”
After one final glance at Amegakure, Hakken turned and departed with Yako.
Nagato and Obito?
He did sense spatial fluctuations at the last moment, but his target was Akatsuki’s headquarters alone.
Dead is dead.
If they’re still alive, he’ll finish them off later when he sees them.
Two crawling insects—no threat whatsoever to Hakken.
In time, he would journey to the moon to meet Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, to understand what the Ōtsutsuki Clan truly was.
And the so-called Ōtsutsuki Style, along with the other Ten-Tails.
Once he knew everything, those two would no longer hold any necessity or value.
Uzumaki Goddess...
Wonder what kind of woman she is.
Shaking his head, the group vanished beyond the borders of Amegakure.
...
“White Zetsu! Give me White Zetsu!”
In a gloomy cave, the deranged Obito writhed in agony on the bed. Beside him, Nagato lay unconscious in a chair. The activation speed of the Single Eye's Kamui was still somewhat slow. Thankfully, before the Cero descended, Obito had managed to transfer most of his body.
Unfortunately, his body sustained fresh wounds. The combination of old and new injuries nearly killed him instantly! His soul was wounded again. But with the knowledge from his previous experience, Obito immediately ordered White Zetsu to merge with him, whether it was his body or his soul—he needed to devour them to survive.
The cost, however, was devastating. If it hadn’t been for the last shred of stubbornness inside him refusing to be consumed, Obito would have likely become a schizophrenic symbiosis of multiple souls! Pain was inevitable. That feeling of souls tearing at each other was not something most could endure. Only someone who could withstand even the Ten-Tails devouring his will could survive this.
As for Nagato, he had lost only his legs, but the agony of his soul being cleaved still knocked him out. On the ground, Black Zetsu, with only his head exposed, observed this and fell into deep thought. Who exactly was that kid?
He had withstood Shinra Tensei, ignored Banshō Ten'in. He could even fly! Not relying on speed or strength for a leap, but true flight! At the final moment, Black Zetsu saw it clearly: that kid had been suspended in midair, gripping Deva Path’s neck!
How was that possible? A man without a drop of Ōtsutsuki blood had such terrifying combat prowess. By what right? Black Zetsu couldn't understand. He only knew that this man’s existence had severely disrupted the execution of their plan.
Glancing at Nagato's body, Black Zetsu felt a deep sense of confusion. If this continued, they might have to revive Madara prematurely. But now didn’t seem like the right time. Better to wait until Obito regained consciousness before deciding.
Sinking into the earth, Black Zetsu vanished. In the empty cave, only the pained, wailing Obito and the unconscious, occasionally twitching Nagato remained.
...
“You’re back.”
At the entrance to Konoha Village, the familiar purple-haired girl waited. When she saw several figures land before her, she finally exhaled in relief. That bastard. We agreed it would be tonight... Yet he suddenly went on a mission. Good thing he’s back, or all my preparations would've been wasted.
Approaching Hakken, the sharp-eyed woman glanced at the sack slung over his shoulder, her gaze turning dangerous... Her instincts screamed that it contained prey of the same gender as herself!
“Just prey.”
Hakken chuckled and tossed the sack to Jiraiya. This was his student. Once Konan regained consciousness, she and Jiraiya would have much to discuss. He wasn’t worried Konan would go berserk upon learning of Amegakure’s destruction and start causing chaos with Deidara’s explosive art in Konoha. The Night Owl's elite could easily seal her chakra.
“I’m not jealous.”
Pouting, Yūgao Uzuki grabbed Hakken’s arm.
“Jealous?” She scoffed. “Like I could even handle that? Forget the village girls—even Kurenai Yūhi, and your sweet-toothed sister, they always looked at you like they wanted to devour you whole!”
She needed to keep her perspective straight. Yūgao Uzuki simply didn’t want unfamiliar women encroaching on her territory. Being sensible was a quality every respectable woman should have. Even if she had to ask, this wasn’t the place for it.
“Let’s go. We’ve wasted some time. The Ninja Academy should be letting out soon.”
“I think I promised Naruto I’d treat him to ramen if he got first place at the academy.”
Hakken glanced at his watch.
“Well, tied for first is still first.” He smiled. “If I don’t treat him to ramen, Naruto’s personality guarantees he’ll call me a liar.”
Bringing Jiraiya back to the village had taken some time, but no one in the Ninja World could have imagined that in such a short span, Amegakure had ceased to exist.
Night Owl... still the same Night Owl! As formidable as ever!
They arrived at the entrance of the Ninja Academy just as two squabbling kids came out, muttering curses under their breath. But the moment they spotted Hakken, their expressions changed instantly. They rushed forward and bowed deeply.
“Hakken Brother!”
“Master!”
Smack!
“Fuck you, Hakken Brother.”
Hakken’s mouth twitched violently, barely holding back the urge to kick the brat flying with a single kick. The surrounding children, drawn by the unusual scene, turned their gaze toward them.
The new generation of Konoha? Hakken gave them a faint smile before turning away with the girl and his two younger brothers. But this man, who had redefined the very meaning of cool, had no idea what kind of effect that smile would have.
Only Yūgao Uzuki sighed softly, nestling closer into the man’s embrace. The age threshold for rivals in love was about to be lowered once more.