Unlike most ninjas whose progress stagnates after reaching a certain threshold, Konan and Nagato's sudden breakthrough signified the very pinnacle of power—overwhelming and decisive.
In mere moments, they annihilated every enemy within the area. The few Akatsuki members who survived stood frozen, a sense of dread creeping through their bones as they looked upon the pair's terrifying display.
Breakthrough to the pinnacle.
A concept foreign to the established ninja system—yet it had unfolded right before them, inside the ruins of what was once Akatsuki headquarters.
It happened on this dark, blood-soaked night.
"I said before, the paper technique I have here can create endless varieties of paper tools and weapons, but the method to transform the body itself into paper—like a true elemental transformation—could never be fully developed. That's just how it is."
Yun, perceiving everything with his heightened spiritual senses, muttered to himself in awe.
At that instant, Konan's body seemed to truly dissolve.
Was it instinctual, or a deliberate, cultivated act—sacrificing corporeal form for boundless might?
Only Konan could answer that.
"And Madara… really holds grudges. Yahiko's corpse is saturated with Wood Release traces. And what's worse—you deliberately mimicked the chakra aura of Konoha's ninjas!"
Different villages refined chakra in unique ways—through specific training regimens, secret medicines, and even spiritual methods—giving each ninja a distinct chakra resonance. For example, Kirigakure shinobi had chakra tinged with madness and bloodlust. Konoha shinobi, regardless of how battle-hardened, carried an undercurrent of tranquility.
The chakra signature embedded in Yahiko's remains unmistakably matched Konoha's. Not the more recent Third Hokage-era tone, but a deeper, purer Konoha resonance.
Too clean. Too obvious.
With such an undiluted Konoha aura, it was like painting a target on Yahiko's back.
"No. Madara's vengeful, but not careless. This… this must be Obito's doing. That loyal lapdog."
Despite the chaos, Yun's most significant discovery was Konan's transformation. While other intel was expected, Konan's body seemingly becoming pure paper had baffled Yun until now. He had once believed it to be a flaw in technique, but now realized it might be something else entirely.
"Perhaps it's not limited to Konan's Paper Release. Maybe the unique talents of other shinobi come from similar principles."
From Konan's transformation, Yun reevaluated many abilities he had previously questioned.
"What should I call this? Embodying a concept? No—it's not that refined. At best, she merged into her concept—Paper Release. Her whole being became part of her technique."
Though Paper Release wasn't something Yun's main body pursued, it had economic potential. Yet, witnessing Konan's form vanish into paper still held immense value for the path of cultivation he pursued.
Perhaps it touched upon the path of Dao cultivation—the kind that transcended ordinary chakra.
Fusion and progression.
Or maybe only progression. After all, the legendary ninja of old left traces of their own rules—a hint that they, too, attempted to open paths, but that these paths were fraught with danger.
The so-called Fusion Dao might be merging one's identity with their unique affinity, making the opening of their own path smoother. But Konan and others like her—did they move in the wrong direction?
Possibly.
After all, it had been centuries since the last cultivators who mastered rules and left clear traces behind. A millennium of time had buried countless truths.
In today's world, only the three great Holy Lands might still possess such sacred inheritances.
Even then, those secrets were likely buried under the tightest security.
"No matter. Let the main body worry about such things. I'm only responsible for diplomatic efforts on behalf of Akatsuki…"
At the former Akatsuki base—now little more than ruins—Konan and Nagato had slaughtered all enemies, sparing only a handful of loyal members who now trembled before them.
"Ki-Ye!"
Nagato, examining Yahiko's body, grit his teeth and spoke in a guttural tone.
Since childhood, Nagato's hatred of Konoha had been fueled by the murder of his parents. Later revelations had softened that resentment. But now—sensing Konoha's chakra signature on Yahiko's remains—it surged back tenfold.
Yahiko was too skilled to have fallen for the same trap twice. Something else had been at work.
And now, Nagato knew the answer.
Enraged, Nagato's chakra leaked uncontrollably, exuding a suffocating pressure. Even as an aging and wounded man, his fury made everyone freeze in place, afraid to move or speak.
Unseen by all, a small stream of chakra belonging to Yun seeped into Yahiko's corpse, forming a faint seal on one of the dead man's organs.
"Breakthrough Technique."
Within Yahiko's body, a damaged organ fragment dissolved.
Time seemed to freeze—and yet, flow swiftly. Eventually, Nagato's aura calmed, his breath slowing.
"Konan… do you think… we were wrong from the very beginning?"
Konan stayed silent.
"Peace won't come from waiting for mercy."
Lost in realization, Nagato whispered to himself, oblivious to the gazes of others.
Staring at Yahiko's lifeless form, Nagato solemnly vowed, "Yahiko, rest assured. I will still fulfill your dream. But maybe… we must change how."
Cradling Yahiko's body, Nagato turned away and walked into the darkness.
Konan, despite her grief, retained her meticulous nature.
"Clean the battlefield. Make sure this night vanishes from history."
Orders rippled across the base. The Akatsuki resumed function swiftly, like machinery rebooting after a power surge.
"And Yun. He…"
"There was a skirmish at the beginning," a shinobi reported. "But Yun's chakra never vanished—it only faded. He must have found an opening to escape."
"Heishui, track him. Once you find him, regroup in Amegakure."
"Yes!"
No one asked what to do if they failed to find him.
"We've time before Heishui returns. Let's focus on cleanup."
Elsewhere, Yun analyzed a chunk of preserved flesh in his hand, calculating how long Heishui would take to reach him.
Natural energy swirled in his palms.
This manipulation of natural energy—a unique skill built into his double-pupiled eyes—was a technique refined by Uchiha Kiyoshi and engraved into Yun's spiritual matrix.
Yun absorbed the gentler essence and channeled the remaining vitality into the meat, stabilizing it.
"I'll let the main body handle this."
Though Yahiko's physical body could now be resurrected, Yun lacked the proper chakra and tools for the final steps.
Clear Island.
Upon receiving Yun's delivery, Uchiha Kiyoshi sighed.
"Tch. So he's reviving Yahiko? Well, might as well. We've got a hundred White Zetsu bodies."
"Besides, Yahiko's no weakling—his talent's top-tier. He could be an asset."
"Hopefully, death taught him something."
He pulled out a White Zetsu and imbued it into a shadow clone.
Then, he activated Edo Tensei—the Reanimation Jutsu.
Yahiko's soul was called back and implanted into the prepared clone body.
But Uchiha Kiyoshi wasn't done.
He retrieved another White Zetsu and cloned it, casting the Rebirth Technique.
Yahiko, newly reanimated, stared in confusion as his reanimated body—infused with his soul—was made to perform a second series of seals.
He didn't understand the sequence, but felt the intent was beneficial.
The Edo Tensei body already held Yahiko's soul and some preserved flesh. With an injection of raw vitality from White Zetsu, cells began to divide madly—forming a new, complete physical body.
Yahiko was fully resurrected.
Using two White Zetsu for this cost more than reviving Nawaki Senju, but the circumstances were different.
Rope Tree's revival involved more complicated body cloning.
Yahiko, now breathing and living again, stared at his hands in disbelief.
To resurrect the dead—such a jutsu existed?
Even Nagato's Rinnegan never mentioned this power.
He was overwhelmed.
Eventually, he steadied himself.
"This resurrection technique—surely it comes with a price. I want to know… why me? We've never met, have we?"
No. That couldn't be right. The other man had resurrected him immediately after death—how could they be strangers?
But Yahiko couldn't even gauge how much time had passed.
"Peace in the ninja world."
Uchiha Kiyoshi's simple statement caused Yahiko's eyes to widen—then dull.
"You now see it. Your dream was flawed. A bloodless revolution is an illusion. It lacks foundation, lacks permanence."
"In a world torn by centuries of war, class and power are fossilized. To bring peace, you must shatter the system and rebuild anew."
Kiyoshi didn't deliver a passionate speech—just the unvarnished truth. Still, Yahiko was shaken.
"Even Hashirama Senju thought he ended war. But he merely gave the illusion of peace. Now look—chaos persists. The war only got concentrated."
"And how cruel… to let people taste peace, only to rip it away in the next war."
"Maybe… the only value of that peace was that it birthed idealists like you."
Kiyoshi paused.
His goals remained simple: master his path to immortality and leave his mark—achieving peace in the shinobi world.
The completed book is available on Patreon.
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD