Chapter 191: The Memory of the Clone

The Forest of Death—one of Konoha's most infamous Chunin Exam sites—was now unrecognizable. Once teeming with dense trees and ferocious wildlife, nearly half of it had been reduced to smoldering ruin. At the forest's borders, several patrol squads moved back and forth, securing the perimeter and keeping unauthorized personnel out.

When Kirito approached, an Anbu ninja wearing a wolf mask stepped forward and greeted him. "Master Kirito, you've returned! Would you like to go inside?"

"Is there a problem?" Kirito asked.

"Not at all. We were ordered to ensure Little Leopard's safety and to keep this area secure. Now that you're back, our task here is complete."

The moment the Anbu finished his report, he signaled to the others, and in a flash, the patrol teams vanished into the trees.

Looks like Shikaku arranged this, Kirito thought. It's not just to keep others out but also to monitor Little Leopard… just in case.

Konoha's wounds from the Nine-Tails' rampage and the earlier destruction of the village were still fresh. It was only natural that the village would react cautiously to any creature of such size and power.

Kirito stepped across the forest's boundary and soon spotted his wooden clone sitting on a raised mound with Little Leopard curled up in its arms. The clone waved at him casually as he approached.

"If you didn't return soon, those patrol squads would've had a nervous breakdown," the clone joked.

Kirito took Little Leopard from the clone, and with a touch on his shoulder, the clone merged back into him.

Instantly, a rush of memories flooded Kirito's mind, detailing everything that had occurred during Akatsuki's attack. He closed his eyes briefly, absorbing the events that had unfolded in his absence.

The attack began the morning after Kirito and Tsunade left for the Five Kage Summit. Without warning, Obito appeared in the heart of Konoha through Kamui. Unlike before, he chose to strike in broad daylight, stepping into a bustling street with Sasuke, Kisame, and Animal Path in tow.

Accompanying them were Suigetsu and Jugo—two of Orochimaru's former subordinates—released through Kamui, alongside a group of White Zetsu clones.

So Kabuto's already gotten involved with Akatsuki, Kirito thought grimly.

Sasuke, accompanied by Suigetsu and Jugo, wasted no time heading straight for Danzo's underground hideout. Unfortunately, the location was one of the few "blind spots" Kirito couldn't observe with his Byakugan—a void-like "black hole" underground.

While Sasuke moved toward Danzo, the other Akatsuki members spread out to wreak havoc. Kisame, Konan, and the Animal Path clones began destroying buildings, leaving chaos in their wake. Unlike before, the Six Paths of Pain had been newly assembled; only Tendo (Deva Path) remained familiar.

However, before Pain could disperse and devastate the village further, Kirito's wooden clone appeared using Yomotsu Hirasaka, stepping into their path.

"So, you never left Konoha after all," Tendo remarked, narrowing his Rinnegan-filled eyes at Kirito's clone.

"No," Obito interrupted, standing beside Tendo. "This is just a clone. The real Kirito left the village. But don't let your guard down. Even his clone is dangerous."

With that, Obito vanished back into the Kamui dimension, leaving Pain to handle the situation. Trusting Nagato's power, Kisame, Konan, and the others scattered to locate the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

The Konoha ninjas quickly sprang into action. Villagers were evacuated, and Jonin squads intercepted Kisame and the others.

Meanwhile, Tendo turned to the Animal Path. "We'll create a distraction to help them search. Summon it."

The Animal Path slammed her hand onto the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Gedo Mazo!"

A deafening roar shook the streets as the Gedo Mazo—a monstrous, dead-tree-like statue—appeared. With its massive, skeletal limbs, it began toppling buildings indiscriminately, sending debris and dust into the air.

He even brought out the Gedo Mazo? Nagato must be desperate... or bent on revenge, Kirito's clone thought.

While the Gedo Mazo rampaged, Kirito issued a silent command to Little Leopard, who was waiting in the Forest of Death.

Far from the chaos, Little Leopard swelled in size, its fish-like tails splitting into ten massive appendages. Trees splintered and crashed to the ground as the creature expanded, its sheer size rivaling the Gedo Mazo itself.

"Roar!"

Before the Gedo Mazo could advance toward the Hokage Building, several of Little Leopard's tails shot out from the forest and wrapped tightly around the statue's limbs. The Gedo Mazo roared in defiance, thrashing violently, but the tails only tightened, constricting it like massive serpents.

In a display that stunned even Tendo, Little Leopard lifted the Gedo Mazo into the air as though it weighed nothing, dragging it—mummified and immobilized—toward the Forest of Death.

"Where are you looking?"

Tendo turned sharply at the sound of Kirito's voice, only to find himself grabbed by the waist. Before he could react, Kirito hurled him toward the forest's edge, sending the entire Six Paths of Pain crashing into the desolate Death Forest.

Back in the village, Might Guy arrived just as Kirito finished. "Kirito! Where are the Akatsuki members?"

"I threw Pain's Six Paths out of the village. I'll deal with them next," Kirito replied calmly. "Guy-sensei, please inform Shikaku and Shizune. Nagato must be nearby—tell them to prepare the decapitation squad."

"Understood!" Guy shouted before setting off.

However, before Guy could move far, a massive tidal wave crashed down in front of him, forcing him to leap onto a nearby rooftop. Standing atop the surging water was Kisame, his shark-like grin gleaming as he rested Samehada on his shoulder.

"What a pity," Kisame said mockingly. "Last time, you ran away before we could fight properly. This time, you won't escape."

Back in the present, Kirito opened his eyes as the memories faded. He gently scratched Little Leopard's ear, looking at the razed forest around him.

Nagato's desperation must be reaching its peak, Kirito thought. But at least the village survived this attack. And now… it's only a matter of time before Akatsuki falls.

(End of this chapter)

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