Chapter 225 : Konan's Arrival
Uchiha Madara was not angered by Uzumaki Karin's words. Standing at the chest of his Susanoo, he looked down at her on the ground.
His gaze seemed to pierce right through her. It was a heavy look, like a ruler measuring something's worth.
Uzumaki Karin was extremely displeased.
That kind of gaze, as if he were looking at a mere child, made her incredibly uncomfortable no matter how she looked at it.
"What are you looking at?!"
Her voice was loud, her tone laced with irritation.
"Are we still fighting or what?!"
Her fists remained clenched, still wreathed in a faint red aura of chakra. She leaned forward slightly, ready to charge back into the fray at a moment's notice.
The others present unconsciously slowed their breathing.
Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji kept their mouths shut tight, not making a sound, while Uchiha Itachi remained equally silent.
The shinobi from the three Konoha squads didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
Facing Uchiha Madara, they lacked the sheer confidence that Uzumaki Karin possessed.
After all, that man was the Asura of the Ninja World, a legendary figure, a powerhouse who had carved his way through the Warring States period. Such an existence was now standing right in front of them, alive and breathing, less than a few dozen meters away.
The pressure they felt was unimaginably immense.
Uchiha Madara shifted his gaze away from Karin and glanced toward the west.
That direction was pitch black; nothing could be seen. He took one look and then withdrew his gaze.
The next moment, Uchiha Madara dispelled his Susanoo.
The blue chakra receded from the giant's body like an ebbing tide, draining from its forty-meter height down to the ground, and from the ground back into his body. The Susanoo shifted from solid to ethereal, from existence to nothingness, turning into a cloud of blue mist that dissipated into the air.
Uchiha Madara stood on the ground, his arms crossed over his chest, looking at Uzumaki Karin.
"Brat, you got lucky. But next time, it won't end like this."
He paused, his gaze moving from Uzumaki Karin to Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke.
"Both of you brothers possess the talent to awaken those eyes."
His gaze finally rested on Uchiha Sasuke.
"Brat, if you desire power, come find me."
Uchiha Itachi's expression was grim, the Mangekyo pattern in his eyes slowly spinning. He remained standing in front of Uchiha Sasuke, his body unmoving, acting as an impenetrable wall.
He did not say a word.
Uchiha Sasuke stood behind Itachi, unsure of what to say. His mind was a mess, overwhelmed by too many conflicting thoughts and a massive influx of information.
His heart beat rapidly, so fast he could hear it pounding in his chest. Facing an existence like Uchiha Madara, no matter how proud he was, he couldn't help but feel tense.
Uchiha Madara's gaze finally turned to Hyuga Neji.
"The Caged Bird curse mark is not unbreakable, brat. I will be waiting for you."
Hyuga Neji's body trembled slightly, but he remained silent.
After Uchiha Madara finished speaking, a spatial vortex opened up around him.
The vortex opened around his body like a black door. Its center was pitch black, and its edges were warped with distorted light. The vortex grew larger and spun faster, expanding from a tiny point into a doorway.
His body was swallowed by the door, starting from his feet, then his legs, his torso, and finally his head. He sank into the vortex bit by bit, like a stone sinking into water, without making a single sound.
In the final moments, with only his head remaining outside, Uchiha Madara looked at Uzumaki Karin, the corners of his mouth curling up.
"We will meet again."
His voice echoed from within the vortex, not loud, but perfectly clear.
"We will settle this then."
With those words, his head sank into the vortex. His figure completely disappeared, and the spatial vortex vanished into nothingness. Nothing was left in the air; only two shallow footprints remained on the ground where he had just stood.
Uzumaki Karin scoffed coldly. She let out a huff through her nose, her chin raised slightly. She opened her mouth, just about to spit out a few more harsh words to bolster her imposing aura.
Then, she sensed something.
Her brows twitched slightly, and she instinctively looked toward the west.
That direction was the western side of the forest, the exact same direction Uchiha Madara had glanced at earlier.
A figure was flying in from the distant night sky.
It moved incredibly fast, shifting from a distant speck to a blur, and then into a human silhouette. From afar, the sound of flapping wings could be heard—swish, swish, swish—like the wind flipping through the pages of a book.
Uzumaki Karin's eyes lit up, and a massive smile broke across her face.
"Teacher Konan!"
Her voice was loud, carrying an uncontrollable joy.
The others followed her gaze.
They saw a woman in a black robe descending from the sky.
On her back was a pair of white wings. They were not made of bird feathers, but of paper—sheets of white paper layered together, shimmering faintly under the moonlight.
The wings were massive, spanning four to five meters when fully spread. As they flapped, they whipped up a gust of wind that sent the dead leaves on the ground flying in all directions.
Her body drifted down from mid-air, her feet touching the ground with a soft thud. The wings retracted, dissolving into countless sheets of white paper that flattened against her back one by one before disappearing beneath her black robe.
The newcomer was none other than Konan.
She looked much more mature than she had ten years ago.
Her hair was still a light bluish-purple, though it was cut a bit shorter, stopping at her ears and revealing her pale neck.
Her skin was as fair as ever, her features delicate, and her expression cold—like a piece of ice devoid of warmth. However, her eyes softened slightly when she saw Uzumaki Karin.
Uzumaki Karin ran over to Konan's side, her red ponytail bouncing behind her head. She stopped in front of Konan and looked up at her.
"Teacher Konan, why are you here?"
Her voice was loud, filled with excitement.
"Did Teacher send you?"
Konan shifted her gaze away from Uzumaki Karin and swept her eyes over the others present.
She saw the Konoha shinobi, glanced at Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji, noticed Uchiha Itachi, and spotted Karin's three subordinates standing in the distance.
Her gaze lingered on them for a moment before returning to Uzumaki Karin's face.
"Your teacher said there was a commotion over here, so he asked me to come take a look."
Her voice was quiet, her tone flat.
"Did Uchiha Madara appear again?"
Uzumaki Karin giggled, grinning so widely that both rows of her teeth showed. Her eyes curved into two crescent moons. Her entire demeanor shifted from the ferocity of battle to the sheer delight of someone expecting praise.
"I knew it! Teacher is definitely thinking about me."
As she spoke, she pumped her fists, looking absolutely thrilled.
Konan looked at her and remained silent for a moment.
"Answer my question."
Her voice was still flat.
Uzumaki Karin's smile faltered for a second before widening again.
"Oh, right! Yeah, it was Uchiha Madara."
She paused, lifting her chin slightly.
"But I already chased him away."
Her smugness was glaringly obvious.
Konan fell silent for a moment, then nodded without pressing further.
"In that case, come back with me."
After saying that, she turned her gaze to Uchiha Itachi and the others.
"You all come along as well."
Her eyes swept over Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyuga Neji.
Finally, she looked at the members of the three Konoha squads. The four from the Hyuga squad, the four from the Uchiha squad, and the four from the ANBU squad. They stood there—some clutching their wounds, some still panting, and others sitting on the ground.
"Go back and tell your Kage not to come here unless it's absolutely necessary."
Her voice wasn't loud, but her words were crystal clear.
"This is not Konoha's territory."
No one answered.
Uchiha Tekka opened his mouth to say something, but upon meeting Konan's cold eyes, he swallowed his words.
The leader of the Hyuga squad patted the dust off his clothes. He glanced at Hyuga Neji, then at Konan, but said nothing.
The cat-masked ANBU standing at the front stared at Konan through the eyeholes of his mask for two seconds before finally nodding.
Konan stopped looking at them.
She turned around and began walking toward the west. Her pace was not fast, but it was steady, the hem of her black robe fluttering in the wind.
Uzumaki Karin followed behind her, her red ponytail bouncing. After a few steps, she turned her head and waved at Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji.
"Let's go! What are you standing around for?"
Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji exchanged a glance before stepping forward to follow.
Uchiha Itachi walked at the very back. His pace was slow, and his eyes remained fixed on Konan's back, observing her gait and posture, lost in his own thoughts.
The group headed west, quickly disappearing into the depths of the forest.
"Teacher Konan, will I get to see Teacher as soon as we get back?"
Konan did not respond.
"Teacher Konan, Teacher won't refuse to see me this time, right? If he does, I'll be really sad."
Konan remained silent.
"Teacher Konan..."
"Be quiet. He will see you when we get back," Konan replied.
"Hehe, really? That's great!"
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