Konoha.
The expansion project continued as planned.
Members of the Uchiha Guard, along with arrested criminals, were engaged in laborious tasks assigned to them. Among the prisoners were several former Root operatives, ninjas once loyal to Danzo. There were also a few former members of the village's administrative brigade, including some elite Sarutobi clan members. Even the renowned Shisui Uchiha, a high-ranking Root team leader, was present, working alongside the others.
Despite the grueling work, no one dared to complain.
This was not just about labor—it was about reform.
Those who initially resisted the authority of the Guard had already been forced to yield. Order had been established, and both civilians and business owners had adjusted accordingly. The once wary merchants now greeted the Uchiha Guard with reverence. The shopkeepers understood that maintaining a good relationship with them was in their best interest.
One such shopkeeper, who sold small accessories, beamed when he saw Bai Ye approach. Without hesitation, he placed a delicate light-blue hair ornament into Bai Ye's hand, winking knowingly.
Bai Ye instantly understood.
Rumors about him must have spread, and the shopkeeper likely assumed he was here to visit Konan.
But the man was mistaken.
Bai Ye was not one to fawn over women or pursue them without reason. Even Kakashi's ninken, Pakkun, could attest to that.
His visit had a different purpose entirely.
He was here because of Konan's presence in Konoha—an anomaly that demanded investigation. If the White Tiger of Akatsuki had appeared in the village, it meant something. Did Akatsuki have its sights set on Konoha?
As captain of the Uchiha Guard, Bai Ye had a duty to preemptively address threats.
Akatsuki was no ordinary organization. Their goal was to collect the Tailed Beasts and use their immense power to enforce peace among the Five Great Nations. While the idea had merit, their approach was flawed.
And their leader, Nagato, was… unstable.
Nagato's philosophy revolved around making others understand pain before enforcing peace. In a way, his logic held some truth—pain could indeed be a powerful teacher. But it was not a sustainable means of achieving peace. It was as shortsighted as Obito's misguided pursuit of his own illusionary paradise.
Bai Ye chuckled, turning his gaze toward a certain spot on the street.
A shadow flickered.
Much like in the past—when Obito orchestrated the Nine-Tails attack during Kushina Uzumaki's childbirth—he was once again lurking in Konoha, likely gathering intelligence.
But that was before. Now, Bai Ye was the captain of the Uchiha Guard.
If Obito tried anything, Bai Ye would not hesitate to throw him in a cell alongside Danzo.
Bai Ye sighed, his eyes gleaming as he considered Akatsuki's presence.
The world was twisted.
Every faction, every person, believed themselves to be right. They all had their own struggles, their own justifications. It was as if no one in this world was truly evil—just victims of circumstance.
Ōtsutsuki Shiren wasn't wrong when he claimed the world shaped by the Sage of Six Paths was inherently flawed.
"I haven't seen you in the village before."
Bai Ye toyed with the light-blue paper flower hair accessory, his gaze shifting to Konan.
She had been standing nearby, silent and watchful, but now she tensed at his words.
As Nagato's right hand, Konan was no weakling. In the original timeline, she had forced Obito to sacrifice a Sharingan to survive her explosive trap. Her strength was not to be underestimated.
After a brief pause, Konan smiled—a carefully measured, friendly expression.
"Perhaps you've simply forgotten," she replied.
She was unfazed by his scrutiny.
After all, in a large village like Konoha, it was unreasonable to expect everyone to remember each other. She had entered the village through official channels, her identity registered as a traveling merchant from the Land of Rain.
Still, she was taken aback by what she witnessed in Konoha.
Obito—wearing work clothes—was laboring alongside criminals, drenched in sweat. Even Shisui, a ninja once feared across the battlefield, was part of this workforce.
Akatsuki's intelligence couldn't be wrong.
Shisui had once been powerful enough to repel Kirigakure's Jōnin, Ao, in the Third Great Ninja War. And yet, here he was, clad in a checkered work shirt, shoveling dirt.
It didn't make sense.
They had underestimated the changes occurring in Konoha.
"You must be joking."
Before Bai Ye could respond, the shopkeeper beside him chuckled.
"Captain Bai Ye knows everyone in the village," the shopkeeper said. "If he says you're not from Konoha, then you're not."
Konan subtly studied Bai Ye, intrigued.
He seemed well-known, yet she had little information on him. His composure, his aura of control—everything about him exuded a mysterious authority.
"I'm from the Land of Rain," she finally admitted, pulling out a bundle of origami cranes from her robe. The delicate paper crafts were an artful distraction, adding to her merchant persona.
"Is that so?" Bai Ye accepted one of the cranes, inspecting it.
"Then, what do you think of Konoha?"
Leaning against the store's entrance, Bai Ye observed the bustling street. The midday sun bathed the village in warmth, softening the harsh edges of the world.
People moved about, busy but content.
"Although it's tiring, everything they do has meaning."
Konan's response was sincere, her gaze tinged with envy.
This was why she had hesitated to gather information—because, deep down, she longed for this kind of life.
A normal life.
The Land of Rain offered no such peace. Its people lived under constant oppression, its air thick with sorrow. Even in her own village, she felt like an outsider.
Friendship and shared ideals had kept her going. But now, for the first time, she questioned everything.
"Indeed," Bai Ye murmured.
Bai Ye suddenly extended a hand and curled his fingers slightly.
A sharp force emanated from his fingertips, disrupting the air around him.
Konan tensed.
"What a shame," Bai Ye sighed. "Why do people always try to disrupt my peaceful life?"
A shockwave exploded outward.
With a flick of his wrist, Bai Ye wrenched a hidden figure from the shadows.
A masked man, his single Sharingan glowing crimson.
Obito Uchiha.
Konan's eyes widened in disbelief.
Obito instinctively activated Kamui, attempting to phase into his dimension.
But Bai Ye's grip locked him in place.
Time and space distorted around them, creating an unbearable pressure.
Obito struggled, barely escaping with two-thirds of his body intact. The missing portion—torn away—was left writhing on the ground, Hashirama cells regenerating frantically.
Panting, Obito fled into his dimension, leaving behind only traces of blood and pulsing tissue.
"Tch. Should've sealed the space completely," Bai Ye muttered, frowning at the discarded remains.
Konan was speechless.
Bai Ye casually wiped his hands with a tissue.
"That idiot thought he could kidnap someone right in front of me."
Shaking his head, he tossed the origami crane back to Konan.
"Trade is permitted, but follow the Guard's rules. That's all."
With that, Bai Ye walked away, his Justice Cloak billowing in the wind.
Konan watched him go, a newfound wariness settling in her chest.
Who was this man?
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