As soon as those words came out, an uproar erupted among the audience below the stage.
The world had long suffered under Uchiha Madara. Although Akatsuki's current power was not weak, who among them could inspire the same crushing sense of oppression as Uchiha Madara?
Without him, Akatsuki's deterrence instantly dropped by a huge margin.
It seemed that today really was a day of "great joy." This wedding, they had truly come to the right place.
The people below the stage each had different thoughts.
However, just then, Tobi spoke from the stage.
"To celebrate our Akatsuki's new leader, Yahiko, and our Akatsuki's core member, Konan's marriage, Akatsuki has specially prepared a grand gift for the bride and groom."
"However, this gift is a little special, so I placed it outside the Shinobi World. Perhaps we'll need Kumogakure to lend us one of those special telescopes from your 'Star Cannon' project in order to see it clearly."
The Third Raikage slammed the table and stood up, roaring, "Utter nonsense! When did our village ever research any 'Star Cannon'? I don't understand a word you're saying!"
However, his outburst didn't gain him any support. Everyone looked at the Raikage with ambiguous, knowing expressions.
Tobi said slowly, "Lord Raikage, if you don't want people to know, the only way is not to do it. Your Kumogakure has been buying up quite a few Chakra Converters recently. What they've been used for, I'm sure the other villages have already investigated very clearly."
"Some things, everyone knows perfectly well. There's no need to keep pretending."
The Third Raikage coughed awkwardly. That "Star Cannon" was indeed Kumogakure's secret weapon, created specifically to deal with terrifying monsters like Uchiha Madara.
Originally, building it required astronomical resources, far beyond what the village could afford.
But now, with the Chakra Converters, their resources had been greatly supplemented, the shortcomings filled in, and they'd actually managed to build a working prototype.
He knew he couldn't deny it any longer, so he forced himself to sound righteous, "Even if our village is researching it, it's our secret weapon! Why should we display it for others?"
"Besides, we only have one such weapon, and it's in Kumogakure."
"The road to Kumogakure is far too long. Even if I wanted to bring it here, I couldn't possibly do it in such a short time."
Tobi said calmly, "Lord Raikage, I've made myself quite clear. We don't need the cannon itself, only the special telescope you built for it, the one that can observe beyond the Shinobi World, and the corresponding display monitor."
The Third Raikage fell into thought, "If it's only the telescope and display, and you're that eager to use them… I suppose I could agree."
"But… there's still the problem, they're in Kumogakure. How are we supposed to bring them here in such a short time?"
Tobi replied, "That's simple."
Then he snapped his fingers.
Snap!
With that sound, a spatial portal appeared right beside him. On the other side, was Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage was astonished, "That's… a space–time ninjutsu! A direct link from Amegakure to Kumogakure, how is that possible?"
It wasn't just him, most of the audience below were shocked as well.
Such a terrifying and exaggerated space–time technique completely surpassed the Flying Thunder God used by Namikaze Minato, shattering their understanding of what was possible.
If they could open a passage to even a place as far as Kumogakure, didn't that mean… Everyone began to think of terrifying implications.
Tobi's voice echoed again: "Everyone, don't worry. Although our Akatsuki can indeed sit comfortably at home and go anywhere in the Shinobi World at will, even drop into some Kage's office now and then to steal a lunch, we're principled people. We'd never stoop to such petty tricks."
"Of course, we also wouldn't randomly open a portal and toss things through it, like, say, six hundred billion Explosive Tags, or a Tailed Beast Bomb. Rest assured, we'd never do such things."
The more Tobi spoke, the less reassured everyone felt.
'Is this some kind of joke?"
If their opponents could just sit at home and "drop by" at will, who could sleep peacefully again?
And six hundred billion Explosive Tags? Wait, where in the world would they even get that many? Could Akatsuki really have such stockpiles?
Just then, Tobi turned to look at Konan, who looked especially beautiful today. She gave a slight nod, and then, wearing her magnificent wedding dress, began to float into the air before everyone's eyes.
Hovering high in the sky, she said calmly, "Actually, what you're seeing now, this entire sky, has been disguised by me with Explosive Tags. Not more, not less, exactly six hundred billion."
As soon as she finished, everyone saw it: the sky itself changed. It was no longer blue, but filled entirely with the pattern of Explosive Tags.
Onoki's face turned pale, "Impossible! That many Explosive Tags, and I didn't notice anything at all?"
He immediately turned to a sensory ninja at his side, "Are those Explosive Tags real?"
The guard sensed carefully, then his face went deathly white, "My lord… all of them… are real!"
That single sentence made everyone's expression change at once.
Six hundred billion Explosive Tags, covering the entire sky. If they detonated, everyone here would literally be blown to the heavens.
But then, Tobi snapped his fingers a second time.
The sky instantly returned to normal, as if the Explosive Tags had merely been a special effect.
Tobi said lightly, "Everyone, relax. Those Explosive Tags will never detonate."
The faces in the crowd still showed traces of fear. Six hundred billion Explosive Tags, the number alone was terrifying. But what was even scarier was that no one had been able to sense them at all.
If some ninja village's sky had been silently replaced with that many Explosive Tags, what Kage could sleep soundly again?
And with that space–time portal still open, unclosed, the thought was even more unnerving.
Everyone was beginning to realize, without Uchiha Madara, Akatsuki had somehow become even more frightening.
All eyes turned toward the Third Raikage.
Onoki said, "Ay, go get the equipment."
The Third Raikage's face turned grim, but with Akatsuki's power and intimidation laid bare before him, he had no choice. He gestured to several of his Cloud ninja to follow, then leapt with them into the space–time portal.
Before long, Ay and several dozen Cloud shinobi returned, carrying a massive telescope and a huge screen, standing on the other side of the portal.
Ay said, "Your portal's too small. Our equipment can't fit through."
But Tobi merely snapped his fingers again. Instantly, the portal, once only wide enough for three or four people, expanded rapidly, growing large enough to envelop the Raikage and all his men.
Tobi said calmly, "Many thanks for your cooperation, Lord Raikage."
[T/N: Blatant blackmailing.]
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