Konoha: The Honored One

"If you haven't experienced pain, don't trample on our dreams!" Konan's voice was low, laced with fury, but there was no denying the slight tremble in her tone. Her usually calm demeanor had cracked under the relentless teasing from Gojo. Try as she might, she couldn't break free from the invisible force pinning her down. The polarity-based suppression kept her immobilized, her rage burning silently behind her amber eyes.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You're still in my hands." Gojo smirked as he twitched his fingers slightly, almost as if orchestrating a performance.

"Hngh…" Konan stifled a soft sound, her face flushing red all the way to her ears. She bit her lip, her body stiff as her glare shot daggers at Gojo. She gritted her teeth, holding back the boiling frustration that threatened to spill over. In that moment, she didn't just want to fight him—she wanted to annihilate him.

Gojo leaned closer, his blindfolded face carrying the same playful, infuriating expression. "Oh? Sensitive, aren't you?" he quipped, lightly poking her shoulder with the stick of his lollipop.

Konan's whole body trembled with anger. She had never felt this humiliated. Not once in her life had anyone dared to treat her this way.

"When you lose someone important to you, only then will you understand the pain that drives the weak to hysteria." Tendo Pain's voice interrupted the exchange. His tone was flat and commanding, his posture upright as he clasped his hands together. He couldn't tolerate this mockery of Konan any longer.

"Oh, I've lost people," Gojo replied nonchalantly, his smirk unwavering. "I just deal with it better. Maybe because, y'know… I'm rhe Strongest." He sighed lightly, as though even mentioning it bored him.

For a split second, Gojo's brow furrowed. He sensed a presence far off in the distance. His Six Eyes flared as they pinpointed the energy source. It was Obito, lurking near Naruto's group. The sudden realization brought a flicker of annoyance to his otherwise carefree expression. "Planning to snatch the Nine-Tails while I'm busy, huh? Tsk. Sneaky."

Turning his attention back to Konan, Gojo leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper in her ear. "We'll have to play some other time. Got urgent business. Shame, though—this was just getting fun."

With a flick of his wrist, he released Konan from the suppression field and tossed her unceremoniously to the ground. "Compared to white," he added with a smirk, "you look much better in black. Definitely a fitting color for the Angel of Akatsuki."

Konan's eyes widened in shock as realization hit her. White? Black? Is he… talking about my underwear? Her mind raced with indignation, trying to parse his cryptic remark. How did he even…? She flushed even deeper, overwhelmed by embarrassment and fury.

"You...!" she began, but Gojo cut her off with a dismissive wave.

"No need to thank me for the compliment. Consider it a parting gift. Bye now!" He clapped his hands together, vanishing in an instant.

Konan landed ungracefully on her rear, clutching her slightly sore backside. She took a deep breath, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. "That pervert… finally left," she muttered under her breath. If he'd stayed any longer, I might've lost my mind.

Tendo Pain stepped forward, his gaze impassive as ever. "Konan," he said, his tone cold yet carrying an undertone of concern, "stay away from Gojo next time. He's far stronger than you. If we encounter him again, I will personally ensure this doesn't happen again."

His words only made Konan's face burn hotter. "Understood," she replied stiffly, brushing herself off as she rose to her feet.

Meanwhile, in a dense forest not far away, confusion rippled through Naruto's group.

"Where did Gojo go?" Kurenai asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

The team exchanged uncertain glances, none of them quite sure how to respond.

"Maybe he's just scouting ahead?" Sakura suggested tentatively.

"He's fine," Naruto declared confidently, clasping his hands behind his head. His grin was wide and unwavering, though a flicker of worry flashed in his eyes. "C'mon, it's Gojo-sensei! He's way too strong to lose to anyone!"

Kurenai's frown deepened. "Deidara's explosion… the scale of that chakra was monstrous. Even Gojo might—"

Naruto cut her off. "He's fine, sensei. I know it. Gojo-sensei's invincible!" he said again, though his voice was slightly more strained this time.

"Speaking of which," Sakura interjected, her expression darkening, "what about Gaara? Wasn't our mission to rescue him?"

At the mention of Gaara, Naruto froze. Memories of their shared battle and the bond they'd forged flashed through his mind. "Gaara's tough. He's probably fine too," Naruto said, forcing a smile.

But Neji's voice cut through the moment like a knife. "He's not fine," Neji said bluntly, his pale eyes fixed on the distant cave. "He's dead."

The air grew thick with tension as the weight of Neji's words sank in.

"D-Dead?" Naruto repeated, his voice trembling. His grin faded as he turned to grab Neji by the collar. "That's impossible! Gaara wouldn't die! He… he still has dreams! Goals! There's no way he'd just…"

Neji's expression was calm, though cold. "This is fate. Gaara's destiny was to die here."

"You bastard!" Naruto roared, his blue eyes flashing gold as red chakra began to swirl around him. His body trembled with barely restrained rage, and the Nine-Tails' energy began to seep through.

"Naruto, stop!" Sakura cried, reaching for him as the tension in the air grew unbearable.

Before anyone could act, the space behind Naruto twisted into a spiral. A masked man emerged silently, his single Sharingan eye gleaming with malice.

"The Nine-Tails," Tobi, also known as Obito Uchiha, said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion. He reached for Naruto's head, intending to drag him into the Kamui dimension.

"Behind you!" Kakashi shouted, lunging forward with kunai in hand. The blade sliced cleanly through Obito's head—but it passed without resistance, as if slicing through mist.

Might Guy followed immediately, his nunchaku spinning in a blur of motion as he swung for Obito's torso. Again, the attack phased harmlessly through him.

"What… what's going on?" Kurenai demanded, her voice filled with urgency.

Kakashi's Sharingan glowed faintly as he raised his forehead protector. His mind raced. The masked man's chakra felt disturbingly familiar, but he couldn't place why.

"An Akatsuki member?" Guy speculated, taking up a defensive stance. "This one's different. Careful, everyone."

Obito remained silent for a long moment before turning his gaze toward Kakashi. "Kakashi… still holding onto that Sharingan, I see," he said, his tone eerily calm.

Kakashi froze, his eyes widening in shock. That voice… it was impossible. His grip on his kunai tightened as a memory from long ago resurfaced—one he thought he'd buried.

"Obito…?"

Kurenai's voice cut in, filled with uncertainty. "Gojo mentioned something about this masked man before. Could this really be… Obito Uchiha ?"

The revelation hung heavily in the air, leaving the team frozen as the battle loomed ahead.