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After witnessing Obito gouge out the Rinnegan, Konan shouted in anger, "NO!" She then manipulated papers to form paper Shurikens and attacked Obito. However, he swiftly dodged the assault with his fast speed and left the area.
Upon Nagato's Rinnegan being taken away, all the 'Paths of Pain' collapsed to the ground, akin to statues without proper support.
Obito didn't waste any time on Nagato. His primary objective was to eliminate Nagato swiftly, but his immediate priority was to preserve the Rinnegan. Therefore, Obito utilized Kamui and entered its space. Konan, recognizing Obito's vulnerability in the current moment, refrained from attacking him. Instead, her focus shifted to ensuring Nagato's well-being.
After entering the Kamui space, Obito placed the Rinnegan in the container he had prepared beforehand. "Now the first part of my plan is complete. With Kabuto's assistance, I can finally move towards the second part," said Obito as he looked at the Rinnegan in the container.
"Now I have to finish what I started," Obito declared, before using Kamui to exit the Kamui space.
Just as Obito was about to exit the Kamui space, 'Black Zetsu' appeared behind Nagato.
"You're the one responsible for this, aren't you?" Konan exclaimed in rage. With that, she unleashed another round of 'Paper Shuriken' at 'Black Zetsu'. However, before the paper shurikens could hit, 'Black Zetsu' utilized the 'Mayfly' technique, merging with the tree and swiftly departing.
As 'Black Zetsu' vanished from the scene, Obito emerged from the Kamui space. Simultaneously, 'Black Zetsu' appeared beside Obito.
Upon seeing 'Black Zetsu', Obito praised him, saying, "You did an excellent job in restraining Nagato. While I could have defeated him myself, there was a risk that he might destroy the Rinnegan, leaving me no choice but to rely on you."
"I was only able to restrain him because he was already exhausted from several previous events. He had already battled the Raikage and captured the Jinchuriki. Then, he also sealed the Eight-Tails. It required considerable effort on my part to hold him back," replied 'Black Zetsu'.
Obito nodded upon hearing this but remained silent. However, he was evidently unaware that 'Black Zetsu' was deceiving him. 'Black Zetsu' had never exerted his full strength to restrain Nagato; if he had, Obito would not have needed to intervene. 'Black Zetsu' could have effortlessly controlled Nagato's body and extracted the Rinnegan. Deliberately displaying weakness, 'Black Zetsu' aimed to conceal his true capabilities. If Obito were to discover that 'Black Zetsu' could manipulate others' bodies at will, he would likely perceive him as a significant threat. 'Black Zetsu' needed to maintain the facade of a feeble entity with a single function – gathering information. This image was crucial for his future plans, and he could not afford to jeopardize it.
While Obito and 'Black Zetsu' conversed, nearby Nagato, Konan wiped the blood from his eyes and lamented, "Once again, I have failed to protect someone close to me." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she spoke.
Pale and bloodless, Nagato panted heavily from the excruciating pain inflicted by Obito's gouging of his Rinnegan. He urged Konan, "You must leave immediately. You are no match for Obito. I sense Kisame, Deidara, Sasuke, and his teammates are on their way here. There's still a chance for you to escape. As for me, I'm as good as dead. I'm crippled and will only burden you further. Please, go and leave this place."
"You know as well as I do that I'll never abandon you and flee," said Konan firmly.
"Do you honestly think I'd allow her to leave?" questioned Obito. Obito was no fool; he wouldn't permit an enemy to escape, especially considering Konan's status as one of the core and founding members of Akatsuki. There was no way he would let Konan slip away. He had planned to eliminate both Nagato and Konan once and for all.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Kisame, Deidara, Sasuke, and the other members of Taka arrived at the designated location, their presence casting a new intensity over the already tense situation.
Konan, overwhelmed with despair, frantically sought strategies to extricate Nagato from the perilous predicament they found themselves in.
Despite his weakened state, Nagato steadfastly repeated his earlier plea to Konan, his voice strained with urgency, "Please, Konan, depart from this place at once. Your ability to fly grants you an escape route that I cannot avail myself of. There's no possibility for me to leave, but I can still wield ninjutsu to fend off our adversaries. You must leave, and I will do my utmost to buy you time."
As the words hung in the air, a new voice interjected, its tone carrying a weight that instantly shifted the mood among the gathered individuals.
"Well, you've got quite a lot of courage."
The voice resonated from above, and all eyes turned skyward to behold the figure of Jiryoku, whose presence hovering above them sent shivers down their spines, a stark reminder of his formidable power.
"Everyone, save for Nagato and Konan, is to depart immediately," Jiryoku commanded, his authoritative tone leaving no room for argument.
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