"Uchiha Raizen!!!" Sakura Haruno murmured the na.
"Rember it well." Raizen lifted Sakura's chin slightly and placed several bottles of Papaya Nutritional Juice into her arms. "These are for beauty. Drink them, and you'll beco even more beautiful. Stay pretty, and wait for to co back for you."
Having said his piece, Raizen turned around and looked down at Tsunade's position.
"Fifth Hokage... once we kill you all, the Hidden Leaf Village will cease to exist."
Aside from the Deva Path, the other five Paths of Pain ford a periter, surrounding Tsunade. Among them, the Asura Path launched a sudden assault toward her.
Tsunade panted heavily, possessing no strength left to fight. She was barely managing to remain standing. Exhausted and battered, she didn't even have the energy to dodge the incoming attack. She was at the end of her rope, standing only by sheer force of will. To save as many people as possible, she had exhausted all her chakra through her summoning; at this mont, she was nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter.
Just as the Asura Path's chanical hand was about to seize Tsunade's throat and snap her neck, a figure appeared out of thin air behind her. He pulled her back and scooped her into his arms, causing the Asura Path's strike to hit nothing but air. Seeing the reinforcent, the Asura Path imdiately retreated to put distance between itself and the newcor.
"It's you!!!"
Tsunade looked at the man who had saved her, a flash of surprise in her eyes.
"Sister Tsunade, I will protect you."
Raizen looked at her with a calm smile. In truth, while he had been supporting her earlier, he had already subtly placed a Flying Thunder God formula on her shoulder.
Being held in a princess carry, a faint blush crept onto Tsunade's face.
"Sister Tsunade, rest well. Leave it to to teach this villain a lesson," Raizen said with a gentle smile.
Though she had no idea who he was or why he kept calling her "Sister," Tsunade felt a profound sense of security in his arms. Raizen's confident smile made her feel that as long as he was there, the crisis facing Konoha would be resolved.
"Who are you?" the Deva Path asked, frowning. Among all the intelligence collected, there was absolutely no information on this man.
Raizen gently set Tsunade down and slowly walked toward the Deva Path, standing in confrontation.
"Nagato... you truly are a pathetic creature. Did you know? In another world, Konan is my precious wife!"
"How pitiable! Clinging to life with a broken body, never even knowing the touch of a woman, yet dreaming of creating a peaceful world. You really are a pathetic soul!"
Hearing Raizen call out his true na, Nagato, hiding within the giant paper tree, was visibly shaken. When he heard Raizen claim Konan was his "precious wife," Nagato instinctively glanced at the Konan standing beside him.
"What is it, Nagato?" Konan asked, noticing his bewildered expression.
Nagato asked subconsciously, "Konan... during all these years, did you go out and get married to soone else?"
Konan was completely stunned. "What are you talking about? For years, I've been by your side almost every single day, looking after your body. How could I have gone out and married soone else? What could you possibly be thinking? Why would you ask sothing so mindless?"
"Ugh!" Nagato felt a wave of embarrassnt. He explained, "A guy just appeared in front of the Deva Path. He claid you were his woman—his 'precious wife.' I couldn't help but ask. I know you, of course, but he spoke with such absolute confidence that I started to doubt if it were true. I just had to ask."
"There is no such thing! Who is this man? How dare he slander my reputation?" Konan said, her voice laced with anger.
"He hasn't said who he is yet. However, he seems to know the secret of the Six Paths. He spoke directly to the Deva Path and called Nagato," Nagato said.
Konan mused, "If he knows the secret of the Six Paths, could it be related to Jiraiya-sensei? Did Sensei learn your secret in his final monts? Perhaps he's another disciple of Sensei's, and the intel was passed to him before Sensei died."
Nagato nodded, considering her analysis. "It's highly likely it involves Jiraiya-sensei!!!"
"What's wrong, Nagato? Cat got your tongue?" Raizen watched the Deva Path's prolonged silence and continued mockingly, "Nagato, are you busy asking Konan about it? She really is my woman. We've slept together, eaten together, drunk together! I know everything about her. If you don't believe , why don't you ask her if she has a heart-shaped birthmark the size of a thumb on her left buttock?"
Inside the Paper Tree
Nagato froze instantly upon hearing those words.
"Konan... that guy says you have a thumb-sized, heart-shaped birthmark on your left buttock!!! Is... is that true?"
Konan's face flushed a deep crimson, and she glared at Nagato with fury. "Nagato! Were you peeping at !?"
"I... I wasn't! I swear to heaven, I didn't! It was that guy who said it!" Nagato frantically explained as he saw her anger. "You know my lower body is paralyzed. I have no sensation; how could I possibly have those kinds of thoughts?"
Hearing his explanation, Konan tentatively believed him. Once the air cleared, Nagato asked cautiously, "So... Konan, do you really have a heart-shaped birthmark on your left buttock?"
Konan nodded, her face burning. "Only I know about that mark. It's impossible for any outsider to know!!!"
Nagato was bewildered. "Then how does the man who saved Tsunade know your secret?"
Konan shook her head. she had no idea how Uchiha Raizen could know about such a private detail.
"Nagato, don't kill him yet. I'm going to see this man personally. I want to know who he is and how he knows my most intimate secrets!" Konan left a paper clone behind, and her original body transford into paper wings. She flew out of the tree and accelerated toward the ruins of Konoha.
The Encounter
In the deep crater of the Leaf's ruins, the Deva Path frowned at Raizen. "How do you know Konan's secrets? Who are you? Give your na."
Raizen held Sōnga in his hand with Tenseiga tucked into his waist, fully prepared. Sōnga for offense, Tenseiga for defense.
"I am the man from next door, Uchiha Raizen!!!" Raizen said with a smirk.
"I don't know any Raizen!!!" Nagato wanted to crush this man imdiately, but knowing Konan was coming to interrogate him personally, he held back.
Before long, a beautiful figure descended from the sky, landing in front of the Deva Path. She stared at Raizen with a cold, indifferent expression.
"Konan, baby... if you look at like that, it'll break my heart!" Raizen teased, grinning at the icy woman.
"Who are you? Why do you know my secret?"
"That secret is known to no one but myself. How did you find out?"
Konan stared at Raizen, her voice sharp and questioning.
It was Raizen's first ti seeing Konan this cold, and he couldn't help but continue his play. "Konan, why are you being so an to !!! You... you're really going to make sad like this!!!"
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