Amegakure. (Rain Village)
Inside a hidden chamber.
Nagato sat in his wheelchair, his body thin and drained from years of being connected to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
At this moment, his Rinnegan stared coldly at Obito.
"I didn't expect the great Uchiha Madara to be beaten so miserably by a young shinobi from Konoha. It makes me doubt your identity."
A man's name carries the weight of his legend.
The fact that the infamous Uchiha Madara, had been pushed back by Kamizuki Hikari only solidified Nagato's suspicion—the man before him was not the real Madara.
And if he wasn't the real one... that made things much simpler.
Obito, however, remained calm as ever.
"Living always comes with a price. My battle with Hashirama at the Valley of the End consumed much of my life force... and this eye of mine. If you think I shouldn't be here talking to you, I'll just leave."
A strategic retreat.
Nagato pondered for a moment, then chuckled.
"I was just surprised—I never expected Konoha to produce someone so powerful."
Hearing that Nagato no longer pressed the matter, Obito quietly exhaled in relief.
He needed Nagato's power now more than ever.
That terrifying power Kamizuki Hikari unleashed with a single palm—even tearing apart the link between two connected spatial points—had stripped Obito of his greatest trump card.
Kamui.
Without Kamui as an escape route, he didn't even dare to appear in front of Hikari again.
Nagato's thoughts were simple. Whether this "Madara" was real or fake, he was still useful for now.
And more importantly, Kamizuki Hikari's strength had grown to a level even Nagato had to acknowledge.
"Indeed," Obito said with a small smile. "Who would've thought someone from such a minor clan could possess that kind of power? And from what I've seen, that wasn't even his full strength. Honestly, I'm quite curious—between you and him, who would win?"
Behind the mask, Obito's Sharingan rotated slowly, the focus of his gaze locking onto Nagato's Rinnegan.
'The Rinnegan... After being nurtured by Nagato all these years, it's finally time to claim it.'
Even if those eyes weren't his, their fundamental power was undeniable.
Nagato sensed Obito's covetous stare but dismissed it. He might look frail, on the brink of death, but when it came to a fight, he feared no one.
The god is invincible.
"What I need now is the location of the Three-Tails' seal. Once I resurrect the Ten-Tails and wield the power of the Rinnegan... do you really think he could stop me?" Nagato said flatly, unmoved by Obito's probing tone.
His goal had always been the same—to revive the Ten-Tails.
With the Ten-Tails and his Rinnegan, he could sweep across the entire shinobi world.
Kamizuki Hikari, Uchiha Madara... whoever dared stand in his way, he'd crush them all underfoot.
"For that information, you'll have to ask Black Zetsu, don't you think?" Obito said, glancing toward the shadowed corner.
Nagato's eyes followed, unsurprised by Black Zetsu's presence.
"The Three-Tails' sealing site has been located. A small squad from Kirigakure has been stationed there trying to break the seal, but so far, they've made no progress." Black Zetsu reported, emerging from the wall while sharing a body with White Zetsu.
Nagato frowned. "Is the seal that troublesome?"
Born after Uzushiogakure's destruction, he knew little about sealing techniques.
Black Zetsu replied, "I tried examining it. This seal is far stronger than usual. It draws natural energy from its surroundings to sustain itself. Without outside interference, it could last fifty years without weakening."
Fifty years!
Nagato's expression darkened. Fifty years from now, he'd already be long dead.
To maintain the Demonic Statue's existence, his life force was being drained constantly. Ten years would be a stretch—let alone fifty.
"Looks like Pain will have to make a trip!" Nagato declared.
If Pain were to move, it meant Nagato would have to leave this place—and wherever he went, Konan would surely follow.
"Besides that," Black Zetsu continued calmly, "I also detected traces of the Three-Tails' chakra elsewhere. When I arrived, I found remnants of Orochimaru's chakra there."
Obito's Sharingan spun violently behind his mask. Rage flared within him.
Such crucial information—yet Black Zetsu chose to reveal it here, in front of Nagato. Was he siding with him now?
"You're saying... Orochimaru has control over the Three-Tails' chakra?"
Mention of Orochimaru made Nagato unconsciously clench his fist. This was the man who had once dared to covet his Rinnegan.
Nagato had intended to kill him then and there, but Orochimaru's survival abilities were monstrous—even the Rinnegan couldn't completely put him down.
Ignoring Obito's resentful glare, Black Zetsu replied, "It's possible he's been researching how to clone tailed beasts. By using someone closely linked to the Three-Tails, he might've found a way to stimulate and manipulate its chakra. Based on White Zetsu's intel, he's likely reincarnated again and is now in Konoha."
"In Konoha... that complicates things. But tell me—why bring this up now?" Obito asked through gritted teeth. Despite his anger, he couldn't lash out in front of Nagato.
He needed to understand the reason first.
Black Zetsu's half-smile seemed to mock his ignorance.
"The Three-Tails is merely a mass of chakra. To revive the Ten-Tails, what we truly need is chakra itself. If Orochimaru now possesses the Three-Tails' chakra, then perhaps he can serve as a substitute."
Nagato's eyes lit up. "If that's the case, we could also find a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra to revive the Ten-Tails, then dominate the shinobi world. Is that what you're suggesting?"
Black Zetsu nodded.
"Exactly. The Ten-Tails in any form is still a being beyond the other nine tailed beasts. Once it's revived and combined with your Rinnegan, Leader, neither Kamizuki Hikari nor even the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, would stand a chance."
Nagato understood.
"So you're saying... even if something goes wrong with the Three-Tails, we can use Orochimaru to fill its role. That way, we can continue gathering the remaining tailed beasts without alerting Kamizuki Hikari."
"Precisely," said Black Zetsu.
Nagato tilted his head slightly. "And what about the Nine-Tails?"
Black Zetsu replied, "During the Nine-Tails' rampage in Konoha twelve years ago, a shinobi from the Land of Fire secretly extracted some of its chakra. He's been cultivating it ever since. That person can wield up to four tails' worth of power. Capture him, and he'll serve well enough as the Nine-Tails' substitute."
That solved the Nine-Tails problem as well.
Nagato leaned forward, gripping the armrest of his wheelchair tightly. Excitement shone in his eyes.
"I'll head to the Three-Tails' seal myself. As for Orochimaru, send others to capture him. As long as either mission succeeds, we can begin the tailed beast collection at last!"
After waiting all these years, the long-awaited plan was finally about to begin. His excitement was understandable.
"Leader, as wise as ever. That's exactly what we'll do."
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