Chapter 47: This Grudge is Noted, Demon Man's Growth

Chapter 47: This Grudge is Noted, Demon Man’s Growth

“…Something’s definitely off. Thank goodness I read True Hero in my past life—wait, no, I mean The Hero’s Guide to a Hidden Village.”

Less than two days after beginning his surveillance of Fire Country alongside his Shadow Clone, Shizuka Yozakura confirmed his suspicions.

He’d spotted a familiar figure—someone he’d glimpsed through his Rinnegan in Rain Country during his time in River Country.

It was none other than Jiraiya’s disciple, the “Angel” of Amegakure, and Akatsuki’s White Tiger: Konan.

Riding a massive, sharp-beaked bird, she soared into Fire Country, heading straight toward him.

Ever since Nagato’s health had worsened, Konan had rarely left Amegakure. After Akatsuki’s full assembly, she’d stopped taking solo missions entirely, devoting herself to managing Nagato’s affairs and tending to his frail body. In the original storyline, whenever Konan appeared, Nagato or Pain’s Deva Path was always nearby.

Her presence here meant she wasn’t here for sightseeing. Shizuka had a sinking feeling—she’d come for him.

Half a day later, his theory was confirmed.

Fifty kilometers northwest of the Black Market, Konan leapt from her bird, her body splitting into countless paper-thin fragments. Sheets of paper peeled away, coalescing into massive wings on her back—a true angel descending into the forest below.

The bird, Yatagarasu, dove after her, landing with a thunderous crash before dissolving into a cloud of white smoke. As the smoke cleared, the mist solidified into a towering paper tree. The tree’s body shifted, its hues deepening until it resembled a living oak, seamlessly blending into the forest.

Through his Rinnegan, Shizuka saw chakra glowing blue across the tree’s surface. Swarms of glowing, tadpole-like runes emerged from the chakra, forming a barrier that masked their presence. Even the Kagura Shingan would struggle to detect this concealment.

But not his Rinnegan.

Inside the tree, he counted eight distinct chakra signatures—Konan, Nagato, and Pain’s Six Paths.

“So that’s how they’re moving,” Shizuka muttered, realization dawning. “They’ve been hiding inside the bird’s beak this whole time. I thought it was her lip piercing summoning them.”

He couldn’t help but scoff. “The strongest beings in the Shinobi World personally mobilizing? Talk about overkill.”

Yet his amusement faded as the tree’s surface split open. Deva Path emerged, ascending to a cliffside where space itself twisted, birthing a fist-sized black hole.

Two figures emerged from the void—Obito Uchiha and, much to Shizuka’s grimace, Itachi Uchiha, the “devoted son” he’d seen loitering near the academy gates in his first year.

Facing the trio—Pain’s Six Paths, Itachi with his perfected Mangekyou Sharingan, and Obito, immune to Kamui’s blindness—Shizuka muttered in his native dialect, “Damn you all to hell.”

Even Ohnoki, the Tsuchikage and pinnacle of the Five Kage, would be doomed if targeted by this team. Together, they could rival the Five Kage’s combined might. If they ever dropped their mutual distrust, even the Kage alliance would fall.

And they’d been sent after him? What had he done to deserve this?

His thoughts were interrupted by his Shadow Clone’s voice—speaking standard Japanese. “Look, the Black Market’s acting up too.”

Shizuka redirected his gaze. The suit-clad middle-aged man there had just been pierced by a wooden spike. The spike morphed, perfectly mimicking his form.

“Mayfly Technique,” Shizuka grimaced. “Even my Rinnegan couldn’t sense it.”

“The mimicry’s flawless,” the Shadow Clone added. “This is the Shinobi World’s strongest transformation technique. If the Rinnegan’s second awakening or final evolution can’t penetrate it, we’ll need the Kagura Shingan to gain the ability to discern truth from illusion.”

Shizuka pondered. What techniques in the Shinobi World could detect illusions like Mayfly? Especially Mayfly itself?

White Zetsu’s true threat wasn’t mere shape-shifting or possession—it was the Mayfly Technique’s barrier evasion, high-speed movement, and fusion with earth and flora. Even Six Paths-level beings couldn’t sense it. The thought of being watched by such eyes made his skin crawl.

But for now, he shelved the problem.

Scanning the Black Market’s White Zetsu clone and the cliffside trio, he smirked. “I’d planned a welcome gift, but why waste the effort? Let them stew here a while.”

This was a silver lining. Their brazen ambush suggested Black Zetsu didn’t know about the Rinnegan’s existence or capabilities. A gap in their knowledge he’d exploit.

“Good thing I prepared a backup plan. Otherwise, this could’ve been a disaster. But don’t think I’ll forget this slight. I’ll repay you in full soon enough.”

He gave one last glance to the trio before dissolving his Shadow Clone and returning to the cave to collect Momochi Zabuza.

---

Three days later, at dusk.

Itachi stared at the half-sunken sun, asking Obito, “No sign of the target yet?”

“You’ll have to ask Zetsu,” Obito replied flatly.

Half-submerged in the earth, White Zetsu answered, “The item’s with the clone, but the target hasn’t appeared. No issues yet.”

“Exposed?”

“Not impossible,” Black Zetsu muttered, his mood darkening.

If this enigmatic foe truly descended from Kaguya’s lineage, his Byakugan’s purity might exceed the Hyuga’s limits. But they’d maintained a 50-kilometer distance, hiding in barriers and dimensional voids. How were they still being tracked?

This eclipsed even the Uzumaki’s Kagura Shingan in absurdity.

“Wait one more day. I’ll withdraw for now,” Deva Path declared, turning to leave. Itachi followed, as Obito vanished into Kamui’s Dimension.

White Zetsu expanded his reconnaissance, using Mayfly Technique to widen his surveillance perimeter.

But after another fruitless day, the strongest team dispersed, their moods sour. Without detection, the foe was already a step ahead.

---

Six days later, in a forest near Fire Country’s border.

“Lord Shizuka, here’s what you requested. Total cost: 29,870,000 ryō.”

White, freshly returned from River Country, unslung three large scrolls.

“Excellent. Keep the rest as payment,” Shizuka replied, using Gravity Release to lift the scrolls before vanishing skyward.

Watching him disappear, White and Zabuza exhaled in relief, fearing he might renege on his promise.

“Where to now, Zabuza-sama?” White asked, supporting the weakened Zabuza, who leaned on a cane.

“To rob the robbing bastards,” Zabuza growled, eyes gleaming.

The Demon of the Hidden Mist had leveled up.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end