Muren Uchiha gazed out at the distant sea. As their former base, the Village Hidden in the Mist could no longer be their refuge. He sensed that Kazuyama Gekkō would undoubtedly return to the Land of Water. Compounded by the death of the Fourth Mizukage, the Village Hidden in the Mist was likely to enter a period of extreme turmoil. This would be highly disadvantageous for them.
"Zetsu, what do you think if I suggest relocating our base to the Land of Fire?"
"..."
It must be said, Muren Uchiha's train of thought was truly outlandish—suggesting moving Akatsuki's base to the Land of Fire at a time like this? Such a bold idea left Black Zetsu momentarily at a loss for words.
"Hey, Zetsu, could you stop dawdling and retrieve Nagato's eyes first?"
"Then we'll leave this place and discuss the details of going to the Land of Fire."
The Land of Fire again? Seems Muren Uchiha is genuinely intent on heading there.
"Explain your reasons for wanting to go to the Land of Fire..."
Kabuto, unable to interject, left a parting remark about searching for his puppets and walked toward the ruins. Left alone with Kuro, Muren Uchiha and Kuro began their real conversation.
"Let's go to the Land of Fire. The Daimyō's Manor there is currently at odds with Konohagakure."
"Out of sight, out of mind. Even Kazuyama Gekkō would never suspect we'd establish a base in the Land of Fire."
"As long as our actions there aren't too conspicuous, we won't run into trouble."
"Plus, once inside the Land of Fire, gathering intelligence will be far easier."
A gleam of calculation flashed in Muren Uchiha's eyes—a rare moment of strategic thought. After hearing his analysis, Black Zetsu fell silent.
"Are you certain?"
"Your logic holds, but this carries immense risk. A single misstep could be devastating for us."
Muren Uchiha nodded. Did he not understand the stakes? But for Akatsuki now, what risk was too great to bear?
"Very well. We'll heed your counsel and proceed to the Land of Fire..."
"What of the Rinnegan?"
"Any suggestions?"
At the mention of the Rinnegan, Black Zetsu felt a wave of exasperation wash over him. Nagato was handpicked by Uchiha Madara specifically to be compatible with the Rinnegan, so that when the time came, he could wield it to activate the forbidden technique: the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. Now Nagato was dead. Cultivating another person capable of mastering the Rinnegan? That was difficult.
"No. I don't know much about the Rinnegan."
"We'll just have to take things step by step, right? Maybe we'll stumble upon the right candidate?"
Faced with Muren Uchiha's words, Black Zetsu could only nod helplessly. After all, there were no better solutions at hand.
As for Kabuto, wandering aimlessly, he unexpectedly discovered two individuals who delighted him—or rather, two corpses.
"Kakuzu... Hmph. I was counting on you to make me money. Who'd have thought you'd end up dead?"
"Well, since that's the case, I can't just leave you exposed to the wilderness."
"Heh heh heh. With your abilities, if I turn you into a puppet... I'd be quite the benefactor."
Gazing at Kakuzu, now sealed within his scroll, Kabuto smiled with sinister satisfaction. His attention then shifted to the other figure—the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi, with his distinctive green hair. This was a powerhouse rivaling the Third Kazekage. His Water Kagami Technique was formidable beyond compare. Kabuto was thoroughly satisfied as he sealed him into the scroll as well.
Then he let out a sigh.
"If only I could turn Nagato's corpse into a puppet too."
"Too bad... those two probably wouldn't agree..."
...
Land of Waterfalls.
"So you found the Akatsuki?"
"You bet. Hey, hey, hey, easy there—I'm injured."
Orochimaru was treating Kazuyama Gekkō's minor wounds with medical supplies. Kazuyama had expended all his chakra in battle, leaving his defenses weakened. The final Chibaku Tensei had still managed to inflict some damage.
"Did they take out the Rinnegan too?"
"Kazuyama-kun, it seems I underestimated your strength."
"Heheheh, I wonder how far you are from that legendary God of Ninja?"
After treating all of Kazuyama Gekkō's wounds, Orochimaru's eyes flashed with astonishment. In just a few years, that youngster had grown into a towering tree—even his own teacher could only look up to him now.
"Come on, Sensei, you're just teasing me, right?"
"The God of Ninja? Could I ever compare?"
"Not even close."
Kazuyama Gekkō lay nearby, stretching comfortably. Haku hurried over, bringing food and drinks for Kazuyama Gekkō.
"Little Haku, looks like you're having a blast staying with your master's master."
"Hahaha, not bad."
Haku rolled his eyes. If he could, he'd rather not stay here—it was gloomy and unsettling. And that Kimimaro... something about him just felt off.
"What are your plans now?"
"If the Fourth Mizukage is truly dead as you say, Kirigakure will likely descend into chaos."
Kazuyama Gekkō nodded. Eliminating the Fourth Mizukage would plunge Kirigakure into prolonged turmoil. Combined with the Kumogakure pirate incident, it could be said the entire Land of Water's strength had been severely weakened.
"I'll return to the village for a while."
"Then we'll take a stroll around the Land of Water."
"Though I doubt it'll yield anything, we can't let even a sliver of chance slip away."
"As for the Rinnegan... Hmph. If they can cultivate one, they can cultivate another."
"If that last guy hadn't unleashed a technique beyond my expectations, I would've destroyed the Rinnegan."
Kazuyama Gekkō took a fierce gulp of his drink, venting his frustration. Given the circumstances, he genuinely wanted to destroy the Rinnegan then and there—it would have prevented so many problems. Unfortunately, against a technique of that caliber, like Chibaku Tensei, he could only rely on Flying Thunder God Technique to evade. Otherwise, even with Chōmei present, he would have suffered serious injuries.
"The Land of Water, huh..."
"I could go take a look. With the current situation in Kirigakure, it's the perfect opportunity for infiltration."
"Who knows? I might even find some decent experimental material."
Orochimaru suddenly perked up. After all, his previous trip to the Land of Water had led him to Kimimaro. Who knew what other exceptional talents he might encounter if he went again?
"Sounds good. If you go, Sensei, then I can take a break."
"Don't forget to keep an eye out for Akatsuki's whereabouts. If you find them, have Manda notify me. I'll be there immediately."