I’m Probably Beyond Saving

And at this moment.

From the instant Kisame raised the badge, an inexplicable force seemed to envelop everyone.

The chains binding Obito Uchiha snapped apart.

In this cramped space, the sound of shattering mirrors rang out again and again.

Then everything began to expand.

The floor, pillars, and ceiling continuously interlocked and rotated with a gear-like sound that made their scalps tingle, transforming in a way that completely defied the laws of physics into a place resembling an arena.

All the nonmembers were brought by an irresistible force to the edge of this space.

"Is this the Stage of Fate?" Deidara murmured, his eyes widening.

The others wore much the same expression.

Aside from Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, everyone else was seeing it for the first time.

Obito Uchiha stared at everything before him in disbelief, his fists clenched tightly.

He finally understood.

Faced with this miracle that wantonly twisted space, his so-called Space-Time Ninjutsu truly amounted to nothing. Nagato’s idea was even more laughable. From the moment that merchant appeared, they had already lost the right to change the world.

Konan was also seeing the Stage of Fate with her own eyes for the first time.

But compared to it,

her gaze was now focused more on Kisame Hoshigaki standing before her.

Her eyes were unusually cold.

"You know what this means, don’t you?"

Konan’s voice was like a block of ice that had endured ten thousand years of cold. One sheet of white paper after another began flying from her body, while the seals belonging to talismans continuously appeared.

The Stage of Fate was originally meant to protect nonmembers.

Whether to let someone watch, and whom to let watch, was decided by the person who activated the Stage of Fate.

In other words,

Kisame Hoshigaki now had the ability to let Obito Uchiha, who was not a member, escape.

"I spent most of my life betraying my comrades." Kisame Hoshigaki still wore a smile. "But I detest this kind of thing. If a person can’t even understand their own position, and can betray their comrades at will, then what meaning does that person’s existence have?"

Konan silently looked at him, somewhat surprised.

Although Obito had brought her here, she had conducted some investigations as well.

Just as he had said,

his previous missions had all been filthy tasks that involved attacking his comrades. Even the Samehada sword in his hands had been seized after he killed his superior.

Yet a person like that was now willing to die for someone he regarded as a comrade?

Konan had not expected this.

In the Akatsuki Organization, which was filled entirely with rogue ninja, there was actually someone who cared about his comrades this much.

She was somewhat moved.

"Mr. Madara, escape as quickly as possible. I may not be able to buy you much time," Kisame Hoshigaki said as he turned around.

Then he revoked Obito’s status as a spectator.

Just as Obito began to move,

crack—

the mask on his face began to crumble in rings.

It had been caused by the aftershock of the Sky-Rending Talisman just now.

And beneath the mask was—

a strange face, half covered in scars.

"You’re not Uchiha Madara at all!" Kakuzu shouted immediately, looking furious.

Obito had no time to worry about any of that. He turned and glanced briefly at Kisame Hoshigaki before escaping beyond the edge of the area, disappearing into what appeared to be a shattered mirror.

"Damn it! Don’t run!" Hidan, still in the state of having been pierced through, violently hurled his scythe. Yet when it touched the edge, it came to an eerie stop.

Their current status was "spectators."

"It seems that the comrade you regarded as your comrade not only abandoned you, but didn’t even tell you his true identity," Konan said coldly as she looked at Kisame Hoshigaki.

But inwardly, she hesitated slightly.

She knew very well that with that man’s abilities,

he would use Space-Time Ninjutsu to escape shortly after getting out. From this moment onward, he had already gotten away. Even killing Kisame Hoshigaki would accomplish nothing.

Kisame Hoshigaki’s smile was somewhat bitter.

But he continued smiling as he said, "I more or less guessed this would happen, but it doesn’t matter. This world is filled with betrayal and lies to begin with. I merely chose to stop betraying my comrades to satisfy my own heart. At least I won’t be the one who betrays first."

That was what he truly thought.

"Even if there’s a chance the other person is deceiving you, you’re still willing to protect him with your life? Who would have thought you were such a foolish person," Konan said flatly.

"Perhaps I really am beyond saving." Kisame Hoshigaki raised the Samehada in his hand, his smile suddenly becoming bold and uninhibited. "Come on. Even if I’m no match for you, I’ll fight to the end."

Only now did Kisame Hoshigaki look like the "Monster of the Hidden Mist."

However, Konan did not rush to attack.

Her gaze moved from Kisame Hoshigaki to all the other members.

Floating in midair with countless talisman papers swirling around her, Konan looked like a true divine messenger.

She suddenly said, "I originally summoned you all today to dismiss you."

Everyone was startled.

The attitude of the masked man just now had been very clear: he wanted them to continue serving the organization.

But this woman wanted to dismiss them?

Did she feel that she no longer needed their strength?

"The Akatsuki Organization was founded under the leadership of my comrade Yahiko. His ideal was that everyone who came was a comrade. Later, Yahiko died saving me, and Nagato took over the organization. He no longer regarded its members as comrades, but merely as tools." Konan suddenly began recounting the history of the Akatsuki Organization’s founding, then spoke with greater emphasis. "Now, I am the leader of the Akatsuki Organization, and I am different from them."

Everyone listened attentively.

They all understood very clearly.

The terrifying strength Konan had displayed would make the Akatsuki Organization far more powerful than it had been in the past.

"I will not regard the members as tools, but as comrades. However, the condition is that you must do the same." Konan spoke slowly, her expression extremely serious. "I originally thought you were all people who didn’t care about your comrades, but Kisame showed me that there might be another possibility. So those who are willing to uphold the idea of comrades may stay. Those who can’t should leave the Akatsuki Organization."

After hearing this, everyone looked at one another.

They had not expected Konan to say something like this.

They naturally all knew that Nagato had regarded them as tools.

They had also joined for their own respective interests.

But now—

"I’d like to ask you something." Itachi Uchiha suddenly spoke. "Is your objective still to collect the Tailed Beasts and then create the strongest weapon?"

As a spy, he was more concerned with what objective this seemingly much stronger female leader held, and whether she would threaten Konoha.

"Whether it was Yahiko, Nagato, or me, we have always had only one objective, and that is—"

Konan swept her gaze over everyone like a queen inspecting her army, then spoke in an unquestionable tone:

"—world peace!"