Satisfied, Uchiha Shin raised his arms, and shadow soldiers emerged from the darkness beneath his feet.
They retrieved the clothes that Uchiha Shin had stored in a space scroll and dressed him efficiently, covering up the perfect, muscular body that had been on full display.
Rika face flushed. Though she tried to suppress it, she couldn't deny the heat rising in her chest. Embarrassment mixed with something else—something she wasn't ready to name.
"Master Uchiha Shin, are you alright?"
Despite her racing heart, she forced herself to focus and called out to him. The sudden changes that had just unfolded left her completely bewildered, and she had no idea what had happened.
Uchiha Shin had no intention of explaining. Instead, he floated into the air and descended gracefully beside her.
"I'm fine. I just... gained something."
Rika turned her gaze toward the ruined shrine at the center of the massive crater, her expression complicated. "That [Star]... it's completely gone, isn't it?"
Uchiha Shin shrugged, his tone dismissive. "Well, of course. Instead of dwelling on that, you'd be better off preparing yourself. We're going back. You're coming with me, Rika."
His piercing gaze locked onto her, possessive, almost predatory. Rika shivered. The heat in his eyes sent electricity through her veins. There was no room for refusal—not that she wanted to refuse.
Lowering her head, she gave a small nod and stepped forward shyly, leading the way back toward Hoshigakure.
As they walked, Uchiha Shin extended his senses, focusing on the minute particles of iron sand he had once placed on Yahiko. Even after several years, they still clung to the man's scalp, unnoticed by anyone but himself.
A smirk tugged at Shin's lips. "Tch. Why the hell are Yahiko and the others heading toward the Land of Wind?"
The thought flitted through his mind, and almost immediately, he pieced together the likely reason.
He had kidnapped Karura, the former One-Tail Jinchūriki. With the Sand Village still in a weakened state and the Land of Fire rapidly expanding, the Land of Wind was feeling the pressure. The Sand Village, serving as the first line of defense, had realized its precarious position.
"I wiped out their previous generation of elites," Shin mused, smirking. "It's only been a few years. No way in hell they've recovered from that. And with Karura gone, they're even more vulnerable. Even if the Land of Wind is backing them now, they can't raise an army overnight. That leaves them with only one real option: beg for help."
Yahiko and Nagato had trained under Jiraiya for a time—Jiraiya, whom Shin had deliberately released. That fool believed Nagato to be some kind of prophesied savior. Now, the two had gone on to form the Akatsuki Organization, drawing in rogue shinobi and mercenaries.
But with the Land of Fire encroaching on the Land of Rain, the Akatsuki had been forced out. The group had effectively transformed into a bounty organization, a far cry from Yahiko's original vision.
"Nagato isn't crippled like in the original timeline. That makes him far more dangerous. But it also means he's useful."
The Sand Village seeking their aid made perfect sense. And as far as Uchiha Shin was concerned? It didn't matter.
"Let them scramble. In the end, it won't change a damn thing. When the time comes, I'll crush them all the same."
For now, there were more pressing matters—things that truly interested him.
Like prying Nagato's Rinnegan from his skull. Collecting the Tailed Beasts. Or further refining his own bloodline purity.
A slow, dark grin spread across his face. This time, he might actually get the chance to go head-to-head with Uchiha Madara himself.
"I'll take your Rinnegan, Madara. Let's see if you're still a threat without it."
Once, he might have feared the legendary Uchiha. Now, he had absolute confidence.
Feeling particularly pleased with himself, Uchiha Shin decided to hold off on setting out immediately. Instead, he followed Xia Rixing's footsteps back to Hoshigakure, taking a brief respite.
After all, balancing work and rest was crucial. He reminded himself of that often.
Besides, he had another reason for delaying his return to Konoha.
Tsunade.
Bringing back another woman was guaranteed to piss her off. Giving her a few days to cool down first? That was just common sense.
So, for now, he would lie low in Hoshigakure, using the time to relax and experiment with his newly acquired techniques.
Meanwhile, in the Village Hidden in the Sand, two figures stood before the Kazekage's desk.
Yahiko and Nagato, clad in black cloaks adorned with red clouds, their hats tilted forward to conceal their expressions, faced Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage.
"You want us to infiltrate Konoha and kidnap the One-Tail Jinchūriki?" Yahiko's tone was laced with hesitation, his expression troubled.
Rasa, seated behind his desk, adjusted his Kazekage hat. His sharp gaze flickered toward Nagato, eyeing the Rinnegan with barely concealed wariness.
He nodded slightly. "We're offering five million ryō for the task. Additionally, we'd like to hire your organization to assist in the upcoming conflict."
Yahiko's frown deepened. "The Akatsuki was founded to achieve peace. We don't participate in war."
Rasa scoffed. "Peace?" He regarded Yahiko with thinly veiled contempt. "That's naïve. The Land of Fire is expanding aggressively, provoking a full-scale war. The Sand Village isn't attacking—we're defending our people. Surely, you can see the necessity of our resistance."
His voice carried the weight of conviction, his argument well-crafted and rational.
Yahiko hesitated. The reality of war was something he knew all too well. He had been a war orphan once, watching helplessly as his home was torn apart. Konoha had played a direct role in that devastation.
And now, Konoha was under the rule of Uchiha Shin.
The same Uchiha Shin who had imprisoned Jiraiya.
Yahiko clenched his fists. Jiraiya had claimed to have moved on, to have let go of the past. But Yahiko and Nagato had not.
They remembered. They remembered everything.
Nagato, standing at his side, caught Yahiko's glance and gave a slow nod. "I'll follow your lead, Yahiko."
A flicker of something dark passed through his Rinnegan. Hatred. Resentment. Determination.
Yahiko took a deep breath. His decision would change everything.
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