Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Payne gazed leisurely at the light drizzle outside and said calmly:

"Furthermore, this situation won't last long. Zetsu has already sent back intelligence that Konoha is making a move. This matter will likely be settled soon."

"Oh?"

Xiao Nan's eyes lit up instantly.

Is Konoha going to attack?

"We don't yet have a concrete action plan for Konoha, but Jiraiya-sensei has returned to Konoha. This Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is under Jiraiya-sensei's care. He seems to be the Fourth Hokage's child. At this time, recalling Jiraiya-sensei, who has a close relationship with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, back to Konoha must mean that there is a big plan."

"Jiraiya-sensei... I understand."

Xiao Nan nodded.

Although Konoha did not issue any statement or announcement, summoning a master like Jiraiya was itself a signal of preparing for war. Of course, the possibility of a misunderstanding cannot be ruled out, since Jiraiya does not only return to the village to serve when war breaks out.

only--

In situations like these, even a one in ten thousand chance cannot be ignored.

"Should we make preparations?"

"Wait a second."

"If we don't gather our forces in advance, we might not be able to summon the Akatsuki members in time."

"Orochimaru and Sasori are in the village. Obito Uchiha and Deidara have arrived in the Land of Rain and are near the village. Only Kakuzu and Hidan are currently in the Land of Birds. It was indeed not easy for them to get here, but it won't matter if they are missing the two of them."

Payne had his hands behind his back.

Even if I'm alone, it's perfectly fine.

However, since there are pawns available, there is no need to rush into battle personally. He has never personally witnessed the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. Obito Uchiha claimed that he had not fully mastered the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, and he could only learn about it through written information and other people's words.

"If Konoha really dares to cause us trouble, they should arrive soon. So even if Orochimaru has some kind of conspiracy, it doesn't matter. Even if he's colluding with Konoha, it doesn't matter. In the face of absolute power, nothing is a problem. At worst, we can kill the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and wait for the Nine-Tails to be reborn. Anyway, I still have enough time and patience to wait."

"Of course, Xiao Nan, if you're worried, you can keep an eye on the prison at any time. As for the village matters, just leave them to the people below to handle. If things get really bad, it won't hurt to delay for a while."

At last,

Payne thoughtfully granted Minami the freedom to move around as she pleased.

"I'll keep an eye on the prison, but I'll feel more at ease handling my own work. I also need to gather the forces of Amegakure and evacuate those comrades in the village who aren't good at fighting."

Don't overwork yourself.

Payne was helpless.

That's all I can say.

Only in front of the 'angel' does the 'god' show his 'human' side. He trusts Konan more than himself. Perhaps in the eyes of many people in Akatsuki and Amegakure, the angel is just God's assistant, but few know that the angel is God's last pillar.

"I will be careful to control the time."

Xiao Nan agreed.

Payne stopped trying to dissuade her. Konan could be quite stubborn at times, so instead of patiently trying to dissuade her, it was better to just play it by ear. In short, as long as he was alive, he would not allow anyone to hurt Konan, including Konan herself.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Not far from Amegakure Village, there is a rather lively small town.

Because of the extremely strict entry and exit inspection system in Amegakure and the strange atmosphere within the village, merchants do not particularly like to do business in Amegakure. They mostly choose to conduct transactions outside the village, and then have the locals transport the goods into the village. This unremarkable little town is one of the distribution centers for goods.

"Obito-senpai, how much longer are we going to stay here?"

Under the straw hat,

Dida had a long face.

"You don't like it here?"

"Isn't that obvious? Who would like this godforsaken place? It rains all year round... I feel like I could wring a whole pool of water out of my clay." Deidara complained, expressing his strong dislike for the Land of Rain, as a native of the Land of Earth who was used to the dry environment.

Obito Uchiha lifted the curtain and walked out of the ramen shop.

Deidara followed behind.

“It won’t be long.” Obito Uchiha stood on the side of the street, looking up at the sky where dark clouds rolled in. “Deidara, just be a little more patient. It won’t be long before you have your chance to perform your art. And if nothing unexpected happens, there will be many Uchiha around then.”

"Uchiha?"

Deidara's eyes lit up.

Compared to before, Deidara's image has changed slightly. His high ponytail is still the same, but there is now a miniature telescope in his left eye, which can be used to take pictures.

"That's right, our enemy this time... is Konoha."

Obito Uchiha leaked this information in advance.

then,

He saw the excited and ferocious smile that appeared on Deidara's young face, like that of a hungry beast.

"I am looking forward."

Deidara said.

“It shouldn’t be long before Konoha…” Obito Uchiha suddenly fell silent. Just now, a figure flashed across the rooftop across the street. The person moved extremely fast, but still couldn’t escape the Sharingan’s detection.

next second,

Deidara watched as Obito Uchiha disappeared from his sight.

"Obito-senpai?"

Deidara was stunned. What was going on?

The person disappeared halfway through their sentence?

However, this did not deter Deidara. He leaped onto the roof and looked around but did not see Obito Uchiha nearby. So he put his right hand into the pocket at his waist and frantically gnawed at the clay in the pocket.

It only takes a second.

He took out his palm, and a bird-shaped creation had already appeared in his palm.

With a flick of his wrist, the white bird pendant in his hand grew larger with a "bang," its massive size enough to carry two or three people. Deidara jumped onto the bird's back, and under his control, the bird spread its wings and soared into the sky amidst the misty drizzle.

As the altitude continues to rise.

His field of vision was constantly expanding, and the miniature telescope on his left eye proved invaluable at this moment, allowing him to clearly see every blade of grass and every tree below. Then... he saw Obito-senpai fighting in the wilderness outside the town.

"what?"

Deidara let out a gasp of surprise.

Having been subdued by Obito Uchiha's genjutsu in a single encounter, Deidara was acutely aware of the Sharingan's terror. Now, the fact that someone could engage in a fierce battle with Obito-senpai, even to a standstill, immediately piqued Deidara's curiosity and fighting spirit.

The birds swooped down toward the empty, muddy wilderness.

The miniature telescope helped him see clearly the appearance of the person fighting with Uchiha Obito. It was a man who was also wearing a mask, but unlike Obito's distinctive swirling mask, the man was wearing an animal mask from the Konoha Anbu.

It is a bird-face mask with orange-red patterns.

However, what is most noticeable is the scarlet color around the eyes.

"Uchiha? No wonder..."

Deidara's breathing became heavier with excitement.

No wonder they weren't afraid of Obito's genjutsu. As fellow members of the Uchiha clan, the effectiveness of genjutsu must be limited.

Just now, Obito-senpai said that he was staying in the Land of Rain because he had a mission and would encounter the Uchiha... and now the Uchiha have appeared right in front of him, and he can't wait to try his hand at them.

only--

Just as the birds descended to a distance where their voices could communicate.

"Deidara, don't come any closer! Their genjutsu can alter your will, making you no longer who you are!" Obito Uchiha, amidst the fierce battle, roared hoarsely, "If you want to join the fight, unleash maximum firepower for long-range bombardment!"

As soon as he finished speaking,

Because he was distracted by shouting, Obito Uchiha's right arm was cut open, leaving a bloody wound.

However, this small price to pay is nothing.

Compared to the risk of Deidara rashly approaching and being directly manipulated by the opponent's terrifying genjutsu, this little cost is nothing. Deidara... is a very good pawn. That move, 'Exploding Clay,' is an alternative development of the Explosion Release bloodline limit.

Not only did it unleash the full destructive power of the Explosion Release technique.

Moreover, it possesses many special capabilities, such as flight.

If Deidara were truly controlled by Uchiha Shisui, he would probably have to consider how to eliminate this threat. Putting aside everything else, if Deidara were to bombard Amegakure with maximum firepower, even if Pain intervened, it would be difficult to fully protect Amegakure.

Well,

Although he didn't care about the survival of Amegakure.

However, he could not tolerate the idea of ​​strengthening Konoha's power.

"Deidara, a rogue ninja from Iwagakure?"

Uchiha Shisui glanced at the large bird soaring in the sky and quickly identified Deidara as Orochimaru, the guy who sold out detailed information about the Akatsuki members to Sogen. Since Sogen knew these things, it was only natural for Shisui and the others to understand and master this information as well.

"What a pity, it was just a little short."

Uchiha Shisui sighed softly.

He was just a hair's breadth away from being able to control Deidara with Kotoamatsukami. In the past, he had a deep aversion to using Kotoamatsukami, and he disliked his twisted eye technique. However, now, in order to protect the village and his family, he had no psychological burden about using Kotoamatsukami.

Unfortunately, Deidara, having heard Obito Uchiha's shout, decisively increased his altitude.

The distance between them had exceeded the range of the pupil technique.

As for Obito Uchiha...

This guy avoided Shisui's gaze and didn't make eye contact with him. Moreover, he had obviously practiced similar fighting techniques. Compared to the last time he fought Shisui when he attacked Konoha with Hiruko, Obito Uchiha wasn't having such a hard time now. His injury was because he was distracted by talking to Deidara.

"Uchiha Shisui, what brings you here?"

In the instant their figures crossed paths, Obito Uchiha asked a question.

"Shouldn't you all know this by now, Obito?"

"For the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"

"Stop playing dumb with me, Obito. Wash your neck and wait! I'll be back soon." The moment the words left his mouth, a white bird-shaped bomb fell from the sky and exploded in mid-air, sending bright flames soaring into the sky and illuminating the wilderness.