Chapter 198: Chapter 198: The Future’s Fickle Promise!
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Gojo Kaigetsu didn't expect his persuasion to make Konan immediately betray Nagato.
That kind of woman would be far too fickle, too terrifying.
From an initially impenetrable nin-dō, to a finger-width crack, to one wide enough for a clever tongue, and now… having been completely broken down by words, it was probably wide enough to fit five fingers.
Gojo Kaigetsu had achieved his intended result.
Next, using "peace" as the main direction, he'd constantly tempt Konan to help Konoha with small things that were within the scope of her Paper Ninjutsu's abilities.
Of course, at this time, he needed to use the tactic of taking a step back. He'd pay real money, using Konan's hands to generate income for the Akatsuki.
Then, using the money earned through Konan's Paper Ninjutsu, he'd establish something like "Konan Charity Hall," "Konan Orphanage," or "Post-War Trauma Counseling Center," subtly influencing her with these details.
Gojo Kaigetsu wouldn't mention these things directly, but would have Konan's close friend, Uzumaki Reina, bring them up casually, guiding her to discover them on her own.
Never directly ask a woman if she's willing to do something. If she truly yields, she will, no matter what!
After a long time, Konan would come to her own conclusion:
[Comparison of the Two Foretold Children! The Path of Peaceful Unification of Konoha is the Only Correct Solution for the Ninja World!],
[The Ring on My Right Middle Finger Is for Gojo Kaigetsu,]
[We'll Meet Again, Right? Nagato!]
It was as if Gojo Kaigetsu was Gihren Zabi, and Konan was a female version of "Char Aznable", burdened with the power of the "coordinates." After a profound self-reflection, she would decide to contribute her "coordinate power" to gently mark Nagato's location on the ninja world map.
And finally…
Hokage Minato, Healthy Itachi, Intelligence Jiraiya, Kicker Might Guy, Clever Hidan (Orochimaru's personally modified version), Head-Twister Kakashi… everyone, attack!!
Cough, back to reality.
Gojo Kaigetsu raised his hand, about to take back the kunai and let Konan, who was in a state of doubt, go.
But before he could react—
The familiar yet unfamiliar spatial fluctuation appeared. A small vortex emerged near his elbow.
It was Kamui!
Gojo Kaigetsu's heart skipped a beat. He instantly teleported away from the vortex.
The next second, the fine kunai he'd held was violently twisted at the handle, snapped in half.
Gojo Kaigetsu looked up—
Three ninja wearing indigenous masks stood nearby, on guard. The distinctive yellow hair of one of them revealed his identity.
And the other two, one with black hair, the other with orange… Interestingly, their outfits were red with black clouds, the opposite of the Akatsuki's uniform, but the Konoha headbands on their foreheads proved they still belonged to Konoha.
"Minato, Obito, Yahiko?"
'That is a rather unconventional lineup.'
—
Attacked, Gojo Kaigetsu was initially surprised, then delighted.
Being able to use Kamui? This meant… Obito's eyes had at least one Mangekyo, and judging by the speed of that Kamui, it was probably dual Kamui Obito!
In this case, the eye-snatching plan could still proceed smoothly!
"Konan? Is that you? Why are you here?! Speak!"
The orange-haired ninja eagerly removed his mask, revealing his true face, which made Konan tremble and subconsciously exclaim, "Yahiko?"
"Senpai, we're on a mission outside. Don't casually reveal your identity! And this white-haired weirdo is obviously an enemy."
The black-haired ninja next to him scolded, but he also raised his hand and removed his mask.
Two Mangekyō Sharingan were unreservedly exposed.
Double Kamui Obito! But judging by his sunny, cheerful appearance, it seemed that this timeline had undergone some unexpected changes.
Seeing that the two had already exposed their identities, Minato didn't bother hiding and took off his mask.
He asked sternly, "Who are you?"
"It's better to introduce yourself first before asking others, right?"
Gojo Kaigetsu patted the dust off his clothes, not feeling nervous.
It seemed that not only did he not exist in this timeline, but Obito's experiences had also changed.
Obito still had a double Kamui and was a cheerful young man, which meant Rin hadn't died? Or had Kakashi died instead? Yahiko was also alive, so had Nagato died instead of having his legs crushed?
So it wasn't a singularity in the ninja world, but an alternate timeline?
Konan sat weakly on the ground, staring at her friend who should have been made into the Deva Path, her eyes filled with shock, unable to speak.
Yahiko became agitated, shouting angrily, "Konan! Is that you! Why did you kill Nagato? Why are you here? Speak! Speak!"
"Nagato... was killed by me?" Konan was deeply confused.
"You should have noticed by now—this timeline is different from ours," Gojo Kaigetsu twisted his wrist, warming up, then raised his hands in surrender.
"Hey, hey—relax, Minato, Obito, and Yahiko. In case you misunderstand, let me clarify first, I'm not an enemy. I'm a Konoha ninja from another future. My name is Gojo Kaigetsu. In that timeline, I was always the most loyal and honest ninja to Konoha's Will of Fire."
"See, I even have a Konoha headband!" Gojo Kaigetsu took out his headband and showed it to the crowd. "Now, can you tell me what happened to Konan here?"
Obito and Yahiko looked at each other, their guard somewhat lowered.
"Although I don't know why Konan is here, I must seal your chakra and take you back to Nagato's tomb to apologize!"
Konan was thunderstruck by these words.
Nagato… killed by her? Although it wasn't in the same timeline, why would she do that?
Difficult choices, time will provide answers.
If she had personally made the choice to kill Nagato in this timeline, did that mean… even if she returned to the original timeline, sooner or later, she would make the same choice?
If the future was destined to have "Konan personally behead Nagato," then what was the point of her current struggles?
She did it in a future!
Wait, why "also"… was she really going to do that to Nagato?
Just a few words, but they revealed so much—Gojo Kaigetsu listened with great interest. With such an effective catalyst, conquering Konan's ninja way was just around the corner.
Yahiko seemed to want to continue, but Minato stopped him.
"Enough! What Konoha ninja? He…"
Before he could finish his sentence,
Gojo Kaigetsu moved, his body becoming a blur. He almost moved parallel to the ground.
He raised his hand, extending his index and middle fingers, aiming straight for Obito's right eye.
"Obito—!"
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