Chapter 150: Xiao Nan’s Preparations

"All right, we should be heading back."

Looking into Itachi's eyes, Uchiha Ri spoke directly: "You should know what is appropriate to say and what is not, shouldn't you?"

This operation at the Lake of the Moon had not carried any expectations of major gains, but the outcome had turned out remarkably well.

Not only had they probed intelligence regarding the moon, laying the groundwork for his future plans, but more importantly, the sequential absorption of the chakra source from the Lake of the Moon and the recruitment of the Apostle successor had elevated his eyes to the next level.

Possessing the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, he now possessed an extra layer of self-preservation capability in this world. At the current stage, only Nagato's Rinnegan could pose a threat to him.

Of course, this was still far from enough; the road ahead remained long.

Itachi did not hesitate, speaking directly: "I understand."

Having witnessed the terrifying enhancement capabilities of Terra, Itachi was well aware of its dreadful nature. Under such circumstances, he would never dare to leak information about Terra carelessly.

Just as Uchiha Ri had said, upon joining Terra, his body had become linked with it. That bond, rooted deep within his soul, was both the nourishment that made him stronger and an inseparable connection.

Hearing Itachi's words, Uchiha Ri said no more and directly activated the teleportation formation.

After confirming that he had shed the Apostle incarnation and returned to his original appearance, Itachi stepped into the formation.

Soon, accompanied by a brief spatial transit, the two returned to the spot by the Lake of the Moon where Shisui was waiting.

One had to admit, Terra's teleportation capability was truly formidable. Even if he or any other member encountered danger, they could first teleport back to Terra and then dispatch themselves to the side of any other member. Such an ability minimized the risk of being cornered and besieged by enemies.

"Ri, you're back."

The moment they appeared, Shisui stood up from the stone pillar and spoke. His expression eased from a trace of lingering anxiety.

Although he had great confidence in Uchiha Ri's strength, their sudden disappearance—especially given Shisui's own harrowing experience of being trapped within the Lake of the Moon's space-time channel—could not help but cause him worry.

Fortunately, Uchiha Ri and Itachi had returned safely.

After greeting Uchiha Ri, Shisui turned his gaze toward Itachi, preparing to greet him as well.

At that exact moment, Shisui paused slightly, a peculiar expression crossing his face as he asked, "Itachi?"

He could clearly sense that upon returning, Itachi possessed a newly refined delicacy and elegance to his features. Yet, upon closer observation, Itachi did not seem to have changed much at all.

Thinking he might be hallucinating, Shisui asked subconsciously.

Hearing Shisui's inquiry, Itachi's steps faltered. Hurriedly pinching his own arm to force himself to remain calm through the pain, Itachi replied, "What's wrong with me?"

However, upon hearing Itachi's response, the peculiar look on Shisui's face grew even more pronounced, and he asked with deep suspicion, "I just have this feeling that you're acting a bit strange. Did something happen?"

"No, you're seeing things."

Itachi gave a soft huff, shaking his head to dismiss the notion.

Setting aside the fact that he could not reveal anything about Terra, even if he were permitted to speak of it, he would never utter a word now. If others were to find out that he had become the successor to a female Apostle—and that the Apostle transformation involved wearing women's clothing—his reputation would be ruined for life, and countless people would mistake him for a pervert.

Observing Itachi's demeanor, Shisui shook his head and said, "Fine, perhaps my senses are playing tricks on me."

Looking at Itachi, who seemed both changed and unchanged at the same time, Shisui ultimately failed to pinpoint the issue and could only let the matter drop with a wry smile.

Meanwhile, feeling the "new life" continuously incubating within the newly expanded region of Terra, Uchiha Ri wished to return to the village early to inspect what was happening.

Thus, he interrupted the two of them and incidentally helped Itachi out of his predicament: "All right, we can talk on the way. We've been out long enough; it's time to head back."

"Mm, whatever you say, Ri."

Shisui nodded, having no objections.

Itachi let out a silent sigh of relief and naturally raised no objections either.

The trio of travelers swiftly set off toward the village.

...

Amegakure.

A fine drizzle fell without cessation, shrouding the entire village in a thick mist.

Atop the tallest tower in the very center of Amegakure stood two figures, a man and a woman—Pain of the Deva Path and Konan.

Before long, a distorted vortex materialized. Having learned that Nagato wished to see him, Obito had hurried over from his base.

This time, however, Obito did not speak immediately.

He had volunteered to execute the mission of recruiting Uchiha Ri, only to suffer a complete and utter defeat. This dealt a severe blow to his persona as "Uchiha Madara."

Watching the newly arrived Obito, Nagato—controlling the Deva Path—did not turn around, continuing instead to gaze into the distance as he said in an indifferent tone, "I heard you failed?"

Nagato's tone was remarkably calm, devoid of any reproach, carrying an air of total detachment.

Yet, to Obito, this felt like a silent mockery. He let out a cold snort and retorted, "It was merely an accident. I didn't anticipate such an unforeseen change."

Konan, keeping a vigilant eye on Obito in her heart, added with a sneer, "I wonder what sort of accident could cause someone of your stature, 'Uchiha Madara,' to suffer such a crushing defeat?"

To be frank, she had long suspected that something was amiss with Obito. Had Nagato not held firm confidence in his ability to suppress any situation, she would never have been willing to cooperate with this so-called "Uchiha Madara."

Although Nagato was confident, she had not lowered her guard in the slightest. She had already made secret preparations; the moment Obito slipped up or revealed his true intentions, she would strike without hesitation.

Hearing Konan's sarcasm, Obito took a soft breath, pretending not to catch her drift, and replied:

"The only things capable of posing a threat to me are the Mangekyou Sharingan. I simply hadn't expected that besides Uchiha Fugaku, the Uchiha clan still harbored another Mangekyou user..."

"A new Mangekyou?"

Hearing Obito's words, Konan could no longer afford to trade barbs with him.

The emergence of a new Mangekyou within the Uchiha clan was a threat that absolutely could not be ignored.

Nagato fell silent for a moment before having the Deva Path speak: "Uchiha Ri possesses the Mangekyou?"

Obito had gone to recruit Uchiha Ri and failed, which meant he most likely suffered a setback at Uchiha Ri's hands. If that was the case, it still implied that Uchiha Ri might possess the Mangekyou.

Yet Obito shook his head, saying, "No. Although Uchiha Ri's strength is considerable, the one wielding the Mangekyou is actually his younger sister, Uchiha Yao."

At this mention, a flash of annoyance crossed Obito's face as he continued, "That girl's Mangekyou ability is terrifying. I suffered because I was caught off guard..."

Without attempting to hide anything, Obito roughly recounted the events that had transpired in Konoha. Since he still needed to rely on the Akatsuki organization, he naturally had to display "sincere cooperation."

Having listened to Obito's account, Konan stated, "If that's the case, we'll likely have to reconsider our plans. Now is not yet the time to expose the existence of Akatsuki."

Obito nodded in agreement and then looked toward Pain.

Nagato fell deep into thought...