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Chapter 2 — Obito Uchiha Arrives
Alex floated naturally atop the waves, showing no sign of emotion as he drifted near the reef.
As a mere piece of paper, all he needed to do was quietly observe.
Though, from his current angle… the view was, admittedly, quite unique.
Konan stood just a few paces ahead, so close that the waves occasionally washed him against the back of her heel.
Through the fluttering hem of her Akatsuki cloak, he caught glimpses of her slender, toned legs—pale, flawless, and full of elegant strength.
Higher up, it was all darkness beneath the robe's fabric, but when the waves carried Alex a little farther away, the perspective shifted… and so did the scenery.
Once again, the same majestic "mountains," though this time they appeared even more pronounced than before.
From this low, drifting angle, the view was—well, let's just say it was one of a kind.
"Heh, if this is still early in the timeline, I might have more time to figure out how to approach Konan," Alex thought, amused, letting his mind wander as he admired the scene.
While he was quietly enjoying his blessing of scenery, Konan's expression remained frozen—cold as an ancient glacier.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she stared at the withered branch before her.
Though it appeared ordinary, she already knew the truth.
"I already warned you," her voice was like a blade of ice, filled with killing intent, "don't appear before me again."
The sound of her voice instantly snapped Alex from his daze. He refocused, peering toward the branch.
"White Zetsu, huh?" he murmured to himself.
Considering its plant-like disguise and natural camouflage, there was only one possible culprit.
But that confused him—Konan and the Zetsu duo weren't exactly enemies in the Akatsuki.
So why was her tone laced with so much murderous hostility?
"Don't tell me… the timeline's already that far ahead?"
A grim shadow settled over Alex's mind. He continued to watch carefully.
"Still not coming out?" Konan said coldly.
The "branch" remained motionless, feigning lifelessness—but Konan wasn't one for patience.
Her right hand flicked sharply, launching a paper shuriken toward the root of the branch.
Disguise or not, she would slice it first and ask questions later.
Just before the shuriken struck, the branch twitched unnaturally—darting aside with almost human reflexes.
Its body swelled and turned pale, reshaping itself into a humanoid figure.
"White Zetsu. Just as I thought."
Konan stepped forward, lightning-fast, and grabbed him by the throat, lifting his entire body effortlessly off the ground.
A mere White Zetsu was nothing before her.
"D*mn, that's my queen—always so fierce and elegant," Alex thought, secretly cheering from behind her.
He stopped floating idly and joined the other paper sheets circling around her.
"I warned you not to set foot in Amegakure again," Konan's voice was cold and sharp. "Now speak—why were you spying on me?"
Her gaze swept across the misty surroundings. It was clear now—this Zetsu had been planted here to monitor her.
Her fingers tightened. The choking sound that followed was dreadful.
White Zetsu's legs kicked helplessly, his hands clawing at her wrist, but her grip was like an iron vise—unrelenting.
When struggling proved useless, his face twisted into a grotesque grin.
"Kh… cough… anyone… who betrays… the Akatsuki… dies…" he rasped, words breaking between gasps.
"Then die first," Konan said flatly.
Crack!
Her hand twisted. His neck snapped like a twig.
"Konan… betrayed the Akatsuki?"
Alex's body trembled. He felt no satisfaction, only a deep, cold dread.
Now he finally understood the timeline.
This was after Nagato's death—after that battle in Konoha.
Konan and Obito had already severed ties.
Which meant Obito would soon come for the Rinnegan.
Alex didn't know how long it had been since Nagato's death, or when Obito would arrive—but clearly, time was running out.
"D*mn it, this is bad. The timeline's already that far along!"
He could almost feel panic seeping through his papery body.
If events followed the original story, Obito would soon confront Konan.
And if she died here—his source of chakra, the very essence that sustained his existence—would vanish with her.
He'd die too.
"No way! I've got to make her leave Amegakure immediately!"
Forget hiding—he was ready to reveal himself if that's what it took.
But before he could act, the air in front of Konan began to ripple—space itself twisting into a spiral.
Alex froze in place, horror dawning as the figure emerged from the distortion.
Spiky hair. The same Akatsuki cloak.
And that iconic orange mask marked with a swirling pattern—one gleaming red Sharingan behind it.
There was no mistaking him.
Obito Uchiha.
He had arrived.
"Speak of the devil… and he literally appears." Alex felt numb. "You couldn't give me even five minutes of prep time, huh?"
He quickly floated away from Konan's front, abandoning any thoughts of warning her.
With battle imminent, he couldn't afford to distract her.
Konan's eyes burned with fury, locked onto the intruder.
This fight… was inevitable.
Obito strode calmly across the water until only ten meters separated them.
His Sharingan glowed like a crimson flame beneath the mask as he rasped, voice full of cold wrath:
"You… and Nagato… betrayed the Akatsuki."
His tone was like poison, dripping with suppressed rage.
He had sent Nagato and Pain's Six Paths to Konoha—to retrieve the Nine-Tails and cripple the Leaf Village in one strike.
But instead of success, everything had fallen apart.
Not only did Pain perish, but Nagato had wasted his life reviving the very people they'd killed.
When Obito heard the report from Black Zetsu, he had nearly exploded with fury.
Now, he was here to claim the Rinnegan himself.
He growled, voice low and deadly:
"Those who betray the Akatsuki have only one fate—death. Hand over the Rinnegan, and I'll grant you a painless end."
"Silence!" Konan's voice rang like thunder. "You have no right to speak the name Akatsuki!"
"Akatsuki was founded by Yahiko—it carries our dream of peace for the shinobi world!"
Her blue hair fluttered as her chakra flared, rain scattering around her in waves.
"The light of dawn exists to break through the darkness—and you, ghost of a dead man, are that darkness itself!"
Her killing intent burst forth, the very air trembling beneath her power.
The surrounding paper sheets—including Alex—whipped violently in the storm of her chakra.
Obito sneered beneath the mask. "Pathetic idealist."
"Akatsuki was my creation. Yahiko, Nagato, even you—you were all puppets dancing in my hand."
His voice was pure venom. "A tool that defies its master… must be destroyed."
Swish!
Before the echo of his words faded, Obito's figure flickered—gone.
In the next instant, he reappeared right in front of Konan.
A black receiver was already in his hand, gleaming wickedly as he thrust it toward her face.
Konan, anticipating the strike, reacted the moment he moved.
She vanished with a Shunshin no Jutsu, leaping backward.
At the same time, the paper sheets surrounding her—including Alex—rushed toward her right hand in a swirling storm.
Not wanting to stand out, Alex went along with the motion, letting himself be pulled into the forming mass.
If she was going to create a weapon, he'd make sure he was safely wrapped deep inside.