Chapter 206: Curse Seal: Cage Eye
"After developing the Magic Lantern Body Technique, I commissioned these rings' creation. At my dear friends' suggestions, I assigned them different designations. Originally, these rings would be distributed to Akatsuki's core members."
"But everyone is gone. So these rings never moved."
Pain's voice drifted softly, filled with intense sorrow.
Konan similarly stared blankly at these rings in the box. She'd also contributed her efforts to these rings' designations. But now, aside from her and Nagato, everyone was gone. She'd originally thought these rings would remain permanently sealed away. She hadn't expected a day would come when they'd be used.
Pain extended his hand, picking up the ring designated "Zero," wearing it on his right thumb.
Seeing this, Konan also extended her hand to take the ring designated "White," wearing it on her right middle finger.
These two rings had originally belonged to Yahiko and Konan. So wearing these two rings felt exceptionally fitting. After they'd chosen, eight rings remained in the box.
Their designations were "Vermillion," "Black," "Blue," "South," "North," "Jade," "Three," and "Sky."
"Uchiha Tatsuhata, pick one!"
Pain urged.
Uchiha Tatsuhata's gaze circled these eight rings. He didn't choose but instead curiously asked, "If I'm not mistaken, when we used Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals before, characters also appeared on the statue's fingers. Are they related to these rings?"
He remembered very clearly.
At that time, the character "Zero" had appeared on the fingernail of the statue beneath Pain's feet. Now Pain had chosen the ring designated "Zero." To say this was merely coincidence—he wouldn't accept that.
"You observe quite carefully."
"Something so conspicuous—there'd be problems if I couldn't see it, right?"
"Indeed, there's a connection between them. However, this is merely my own interest, unrelated to the technique itself. You needn't worry about anything. Just pick according to your preference."
Pain spoke truthfully.
"Interest?"
Uchiha Tatsuhata narrowed his eyes. His gaze wandered uncertainly across the various rings, finally extending his hand to take the ring designated "Blue." When using Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals previously, the character displayed on the statue finger where he'd stood was "Blue."
He played with this heavy ring forged from extremely precious chakra metal for a while, lifting his head to look at Pain, asking, "By the way, can Zetsu also pick one? Though his frontal combat ability isn't outstanding, his intelligence-gathering capability stands unrivaled in the ninja world."
"Acceptable."
Pain nodded.
Ten rings total.
Meaning Akatsuki's core members would number ten people.
But honestly, gathering ten core members seemed like wishful thinking to him. He didn't believe core members could number so many. Though the missing-nin demographic possessed a fairly high lower limit, this didn't mean any random missing-nin qualified to take up a ring.
Pain's heart already held rough requirements for future Akatsuki members.
Setting aside peripheral members, core members necessarily had to possess the ability to assist deploying Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals. Wanting to assist deploying Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals, even ordinary jonin found it difficult to accomplish. Only elite among jonin possessing sufficiently massive chakra could accomplish such things.
Within the scattered, disorderly missing-nin demographic, very few possessed such ability.
So giving this fellow named Zetsu a ring posed no problem. Even though he lacked frontal combat ability, his ninja world-class intelligence-gathering ability completely merited a core member position.
Pain looked toward the venus flytrap-shaped Zetsu. "Zetsu, correct? Come pick a ring!"
Zetsu slowly approached.
Black Zetsu's gaze circled the remaining seven rings once. Without hesitation, he manipulated White Zetsu's left half-body, extending his left hand to retrieve the ring designated "Black," trying twice before fitting it onto that pale, completely bloodless left pinky finger.
Even if this ring posed problems—
Whatever hidden methods existed could only affect White Zetsu's body.
He remained very cautious. Even facing Nagato, this puppet under surveillance from beginning to end, he maintained a vigilant heart.
Seeing this, Pain said, "Don't rush to wear it yet. I haven't applied the Magic Lantern Body Technique to it. Uchiha Tatsuhata, same for yours. Give me the ring first."
"Magic Lantern Body Technique? This is the technique allowing long-distance communication?"
Uchiha Tatsuhata brimmed with curiosity. He handed the "Blue" ring to Pain while unabashedly opening his Mangekyō Sharingan, staring intently at Pain.
Pain didn't mind Uchiha Tatsuhata's blatant observation. Even the Sharingan, called the Copy Eye and Insight Eye, couldn't possibly see through the Rinnegan's power. The Rinnegan surpassed the Uchiha's Sharingan.
He held the ring, drawing chakra and infusing it into this ring forged from chakra metal. Technique formulas small as mosquitoes and flies were imprinted on the ring's inner side.
"Done!"
After the technique formula solidified, Pain tossed the "Blue" ring to Uchiha Tatsuhata.
Uchiha Tatsuhata caught the ring, examining it carefully again. Unfortunately, his Mangekyō Sharingan couldn't penetrate its mysteries. He felt no disappointment. Not understanding was the normal situation.
He lacked Black Zetsu's vigilance and caution.
Cleanly and efficiently, he wore this ring on his left middle finger.
"Feels nothing special?"
Uchiha Tatsuhata muttered.
But the next instant—
He detected extremely faint chakra fluctuations within the ring. His consciousness was drawn by attraction. But almost instinctively, he mobilized his pupil power to resist, interrupting this attraction.
"Feel it?"
Pain asked flatly.
Uchiha Tatsuhata nodded, his mouth corners lifting slightly beneath the mask. "Very interesting experience."
"Next time, don't resist. This technique lacks compulsion. If you resist my attraction, I cannot draw your consciousness to appear before me."
After speaking, Pain turned his gaze toward Zetsu.
Black Zetsu didn't hesitate, manipulating White Zetsu's half-body to hand over the ring. Pain followed the same procedure, imprinting the Magic Lantern Body Technique's formula on the ring's inner side.
After tossing the ring to Zetsu, Pain spoke directly. "Now if you want to leave, you may go."
However—
After Black Zetsu replaced the ring on his White Zetsu half-body, he didn't immediately depart but instead spoke up. "Wait. New intelligence just arrived."
Pain froze.
This venus flytrap-shaped fellow had been standing before him the entire time without any special movements. Where did he receive new intelligence?
Uchiha Tatsuhata asked directly, "What happened now?"
Black Zetsu didn't speak. Instead, White Zetsu voiced, "Latest intelligence—Konoha is preparing to convene a Five Kage Summit."
"What? Five Kage Summit?"
Uchiha Tatsuhata was shocked, instinctively furrowing his brow, blurting out, "Convening a Five Kage Summit at this time—what is Konoha planning?"
Intuition told him this matter related to him and Pain.
"According to intelligence I've gathered, Konoha is convening the Five Kage Summit to deal with you two. Especially Pain—Konoha plans to integrate the five great ninja villages' forces to jointly search for you. More precisely, search for the Rinnegan's whereabouts."
Hearing this answer—
Pain maintained his deadpan face, showing no expression changes whatsoever.
Uchiha Tatsuhata narrowed his eyes, his face full of contemplation.
"An expected development."
Pain remained composed. "Once the Rinnegan is exposed, it will definitely attract everyone's covetousness. However, I originally thought Konoha would find ways to monopolize my eyes. I didn't expect they'd also bring in the other four villages... But even uniting the five great ninja villages makes no difference."
"Just a pity this Amegakure probably won't last long."
Pain spoke of pity, but his face showed no trace of regret.
He held no emotional attachment to this village. What he cherished was that initial Akatsuki when all his comrades were present. After Yahiko and the others were gone, nowhere in this world merited his attachment.
As long as he could stay together with Konan, his only remaining comrade, going anywhere was fine.
Previously, they'd had nowhere to go. Without Yahiko, they'd completely lost the ability for independent action. So after eliminating Hanzo the Salamander, they'd remained in Amegakure continuously.
But now—
They had a goal and were beginning to advance toward it. Abandoning Amegakure as a habitat held nothing regrettable.
Uchiha Tatsuhata looked at Pain, smiling. "I'd intended to say exactly this, but now seeing you understand clearly, I won't make myself annoying."
After speaking—
He glanced at the gloomy rain curtain outside the window.
"Pain, anything else that needs saying? If there are no other issues, I'm going to begin my hunt. The Five Kage Summit's convening represents an excellent opportunity for me!"
Killing intent churned in Uchiha Tatsuhata's crimson eyes.
He already couldn't wait to re-expand his replica army. This time, he'd definitely develop his pupil technique Toyoakitsushihime to its extreme!
Dark currents were growing within Amegakure, beginning to transform toward a mad tide attempting to engulf the ninja world. Konoha Village's ninja also weren't idle. Envoys dispatched to the four great ninja villages returned to Konoha bearing the four Kage's responses. The Five Kage Summit's convening time was set for June fifteenth.
"Still ten days?"
"That's right."
"When does Hokage-sama plan to depart?"
"Not entirely clear. Generally speaking, traveling to the Land of Iron takes roughly one week. However, I suspect Hokage-sama ordered Sarutobi Asuma to leave 'coordinates' in the Land of Iron. So perhaps Hokage-sama won't depart until the fourteenth."
Finishing his practice, Hyuga Ritsu completed the final form, slowly withdrawing his fists. He returned to the corridor's edge, picking up ice-cold barley tea and drinking deeply. "Why do you suspect this?"
Hyuga Takuma answered, "Because Hokage-sama ordered me to leave 'coordinates' outside Iwagakure."
Not long ago, to convene the Five Kage Summit, the Fourth Hokage had dispatched five envoys separately to Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and the Land of Iron.
As one of the Fourth Hokage's Kage Guard Platoon members, Hyuga Takuma had traveled to Iwagakure as an envoy. Because Iwagakure's distance from Konoha proved far, he'd only returned to the village today.
Naturally, upon returning, Hyuga Takuma immediately went to the Hokage Building to report and debrief. After everything was handled and he was given a day's leave due to travel fatigue, he'd returned to the clan compound, coming before Hyuga Ritsu to report this intelligence not subject to gag orders once more.
Hearing this answer, Hyuga Ritsu was rendered speechless.
After two seconds, he couldn't help laughing aloud. "Our Hokage-sama truly prepares for rainy days."
His mood proved good. Having such a diligent, highly capable Hokage in office was good news for every Konoha ninja.
Hyuga Ritsu held no great interest in power. In a world without supernatural abilities, power naturally possessed charming appeal. But the ninja world possessed power called chakra.
Even this clan head position—he'd assumed it only under unavoidable circumstances.
Fortunately, the clan head's work wasn't extensive. Especially given his willingness to delegate authority to the six elders, only a very few matters required the clan head's personal handling. He now possessed ample time for training.
However, one very important matter had kept him somewhat busy recently.
Hiruko-sensei had developed a method to break the Caged Bird Seal—specifically, a drug created using Hyuga Ritsu's blood as raw material.
But what somewhat surprised Hyuga Ritsu was that quite a few clan members suddenly retreated at this moment, unwilling to use the drug to remove their own Caged Bird Seals, even though Hyuga Ritsu had already developed a method to replace the Caged Bird Seal protecting their Byakugan.
Curse Seal: Cage Eye.
A curse seal technique modified based on the Caged Bird Seal. Functionally, both were generally identical—after all, it was modified from Caged Bird. Both protected the Byakugan from being stolen by outsiders. But the difference lay in the Cage Eye curse seal's caster not being the Main Family but oneself.
Therefore—
The distinction between Main Family and Branch Family would no longer arise from this.
Naturally, this method wasn't without problems. Originally, any Hyuga clan Branch Family member with ninja talent received the Caged Bird curse seal at age three.
But now, because Cage Eye was deployed by oneself, geniuses might manage it at seven or eight years old, but mediocrities might require fourteen or fifteen or even older before mastering it.
Simply put—
All clan members unable to master Cage Eye remained very unsafe.
For this reason, Hyuga Ritsu had to establish a new clan rule: all clan members unable to master Cage Eye were forbidden from leaving the village. Only after mastering Cage Eye could they escape the family's protection, enter the village's system to execute missions, and become official Konoha ninja.
Fortunately, though such problems existed, overall this change advanced steadily under Hyuga Ritsu's leadership.
For instance, Hyuga Takuma before him had already removed his Caged Bird Seal.
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