Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 251: Not to be Trifled With

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"I'll give it to you."

While Yahiko was still hesitating, the weak Nagato spoke up. His once hesitant nature had undergone a transformation after the events of the day—he was no longer indecisive.

He realized that if he didn't give Tonari what he wanted, all three of them might not leave this place alive.

To him, losing one eye was the best possible outcome.

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Tonari, slightly surprised, turned his gaze toward Nagato.

The frail young man gently pushed away Yahiko's support, his skeletal frame swaying unsteadily as he barely managed to stand upright.

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"Nagato..." Yahiko began, but Nagato interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

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"Yahiko, this is already the best outcome.

Compared to losing you both, these eyes mean nothing to me."

Though his voice was weak, his will was unwavering.

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As he spoke, Nagato raised his trembling hand toward his right eye, still partially hidden beneath his crimson bangs.

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"Let me handle it."

Tonari stepped forward, halting him.

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The structure of the Rinnegan might differ from the Sharingan.

Such a precious artifact couldn't be risked with careless extraction.

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A faint green glow enveloped Tonari's fingertips as he prepared to act.

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"Don't…"

Konan pleaded softly, but Tonari ignored her entirely.

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"Ngh—!"

With a muffled groan and a trickle of blood down his cheek,

Tonari carefully extracted the warm Rinnegan, holding it delicately in his palm.

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Without delay, he placed the eye into a glass container filled with nutrient fluid, a precaution he had prepared in advance.

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Inside the transparent jar, the mysterious eye, adorned with concentric rings, floated serenely.

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Satisfied, Tonari smiled.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he released Konan.

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"Konan! Are you alright?!"

Yahiko and Nagato instantly caught her as she stumbled back.

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Tears streamed down Konan's face as she stared at Nagato's right eye socket, now dark and hollow.

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"I'm so sorry... It's all my fault…!"

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Nagato shook his head weakly, forcing a smile.

"As long as you're safe… It's just an eye.

Nothing else matters."

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While the trio embraced their bittersweet reunion,

Tonari leapt away, landing beside the corpse of a still-warm Ame-nin.

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"Can't let Nagato live as a one-eyed cripple, can I?"

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After some quick extraction work, Tonari returned, holding a replacement eye.

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Seeing him approach, Yahiko and Konan immediately tensed, instinctively positioning themselves in front of Nagato.

Tonari sighed, clearly exasperated.

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"Seriously?"

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Nagato, however, gently patted their shoulders.

"It's alright. Let him finish."

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Tonari shrugged and held up the ordinary black eye, nonchalantly saying:

"It's not your original eye,

but something is better than nothing, right?"

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Yahiko frowned, his brows knitting together.

"Wait… 'Also'?

What do you mean by 'also'?"

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Tonari chuckled, expertly implanting the new eye.

"Honestly, at this point, I'm practically a world-class eye surgeon.

Might as well start calling it 'changing bulbs.' "

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Within a few breaths, the procedure was complete.

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Nagato blinked, adjusting to the new sensation.

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The plain black eye sat quietly in his socket,

a stark contrast to the majestic Rinnegan in his left eye.

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"Feels better, doesn't it?"

Tonari asked with a knowing smile.

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Nagato tentatively touched his face, testing his vision.

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"Yeah…"

To his surprise, his entire body felt noticeably lighter.

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"Much better."

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Yahiko's expression turned grim.

"Hold on—

You said 'also.'

What does that mean?"

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Tonari placed a hand on Nagato's shoulder.

"**Exactly what it sounds like.

That eye I just gave him wasn't his original.

But tell me…

Was the Rinnegan ever his to begin with?**"

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"What?!"

Yahiko and Konan froze, eyes wide in disbelief.

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"Are you saying…

Nagato's Rinnegan doesn't belong to him?!

Someone gave him those eyes?!"

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"Ask him yourself."

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Tonari stepped back, unwilling to elaborate further.

Explaining would only raise more questions,

turning a brief conversation into hours of pointless debate.

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Instead, he quietly activated Sage Mode, drawing in natural energy.

Once it circulated through his body and transformed into Senjutsu Chakra,

Tonari gently transferred it into Nagato's system.

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The reaction was immediate.

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Nagato's skin plumped up,

hollow cheeks filling out,

and muscle tone returning to his emaciated frame.

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"Nnnngh—!"

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A groan escaped Nagato's lips,

his face flushing red in embarrassment.

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Yahiko and Konan, witnessing the miraculous recovery,

could barely contain their joy and relief.

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Yet, the more they watched Tonari,

the more unfathomable he seemed.

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Friend?

Foe?

Something else entirely?

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Yahiko clenched his fists.

"Who the hell are you?

Why do you know so much about the Rinnegan?!"

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Tonari chuckled, tapping his mask.

"Wrong question.

It's not about who I am.

It's about what's coming.

You'll figure it out soon enough.

Just not today.**"

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With that, he turned to leave.

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But as he stepped away, he suddenly paused.

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Without looking back, he spoke one last time:

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"**Consider this friendly advice:

You now wield the Rinnegan.

Expect people to come for it.

And Yahiko…

Remember, their fate—

Nagato's fate,

Konan's fate—

rests in your hands.

Don't let your ideals blind you.

Stay sharp.

Stay ruthless.**"

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His body flickered,

warping out of existence without a trace.

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The three stood frozen,

minds swirling with confusion and dread.

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"...Was he an enemy?"

Konan's voice trembled as she broke the silence.

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"...Or an ally?"

Even Yahiko, ever confident,

couldn't find an answer.

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"Neither.

Or maybe… both."

Nagato murmured,

his new black eye blinking thoughtfully.

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"But one thing's clear:

He knows something—

something we don't."

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Yahiko sighed deeply.

"**We've been naive.

Thinking sincerity alone would win us peace.

That ends today.**"

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Konan nodded, wiping her tears away.

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"**We need strength.

True strength.

Or we'll never bring peace to the world—

not even to the Rain Village.**"

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Without further hesitation, they began tending to the wounded members of Akatsuki,

those who had barely survived the carnage.

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Only when they vanished into the rain,

did space ripple once more.

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Tonari reappeared, silently watching the trio from afar.

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*"Still idealistic… but growing sharper.

Yahiko lives.

Nagato holds back his darkness.

What will become of Akatsuki now?"*

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A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

*"Let's see if Madara or Obito can manipulate them now.

The board's been flipped.

And I'm enjoying the show."*

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With that, Tonari vanished, this time for real.

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Somewhere deep underground—

In a hidden chamber known as the liminal space between hell and reality…

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"Madara, the Gedo Statue has been summoned."

The voice, cold and calculating,

belonged to Black Zetsu, who now partially merged with White Zetsu for mobility.

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On a throne of deadwood,

Uchiha Madara sat slumped,

his aged, withered frame barely clinging to life.

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Several tubes dangled from his back,

once linked to the Gedo Statue, now severed.

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"...So, Nagato's finally awakened the Rinnegan's true power.

Good.

Everything proceeds as planned."

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His voice, frail and rasping,

carried the weight of inevitability.

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White Zetsu moved quickly,

secreting organic matter to reforge the tubes,

reconnecting them to the returned Gedo Statue.

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As the connection reestablished,

another lifeless ninja was dumped from White Zetsu's body,

strung up beside the statue.

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Slowly, chakra flowed through the tubes,

revitalizing Madara's failing heart.

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"Tch.

Even with the Gedo Statue back,

you won't last much longer,"

Black Zetsu remarked coolly.

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But Madara merely smiled.

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"**Longevity was never the goal.

This vessel disgusts me.

Once the plan succeeds…

I'll no longer need this wretched shell.**"

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For Uchiha Madara,

true death had already occurred decades ago—

at the hands of Hashirama Senju.

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Everything since then?

An empty existence.

A puppet, sustained by hate and ambition.

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His true demise would only arrive

when he reshaped the world itself.

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As Madara mused,

another figure emerged from the shadows.

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Uchiha Obito.

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Still young, voice rough from puberty,

his lone Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed red in the darkness.

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"...The Gedo Statue was really summoned?"

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"Yes."

Madara confirmed,

his voice barely a whisper.

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"Then… it won't be long now."

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Obito's face remained cold,

but his hatred burned like a furnace.

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"Rin…

Kakashi…

This world…"

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He clenched his fists.

"If the world refuses peace…

I'll burn it all down and start anew."

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Madara watched, eyes gleaming.

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"**Not yet.

Your power still falls short.

Stay patient.

Learn all you can.

When I die…

You'll inherit everything.**"

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Obito nodded solemnly,

melting back into the shadows.

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His red eye lingered last,

a revolving pinwheel of hatred.

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Meanwhile, far from prying eyes,

Tonari quietly returned to an abandoned laboratory deep within the Rain Country.

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This was his personal hideout,

established years ago during missions alongside Orochimaru.

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The thick layer of dust confirmed no one had discovered it.

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With practiced ease,

he unpacked his tools and equipment,

lining them up neatly.

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*"No rush for experiments right now.

I'd rather see how Danzo spins this mess.

And how Hiruzen reacts.

If Konoha can't get its act together,

why should I keep protecting it?"*

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Settling into a creaky chair,

Tonari carefully retrieved the glass jar from his pocket.

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Inside, the Rinnegan floated peacefully.

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A rare smile tugged at his lips.

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"Danzo, you fool…

You handed me the greatest prize of all."

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But that smile soon faded.

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*"Pity.

My body isn't ready to wield this power.

For now, the Rinnegan remains…

Untouchable.

Unplayable.

A treasure to be revered, not squandered."*

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Tonari sighed deeply.

"But someday…"

The Rinnegan's rings reflected in his eyes,

as ambition quietly smoldered within.

End of Chapter.

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