Land of Rain.
Ever since Yahiko's death, Nagato and Konan had led the Akatsuki into hiding.
Though Nagato had summoned the Gedo Statue, with only a rudimentary grasp of its power, it wasn't nearly enough to eliminate Hanzo of the Salamander.
But the time was drawing close. Nagato had gathered strength. He believed that even if he faced Hanzo directly now, he could win.
Still, he needed to make further preparations. He didn't want peace just for the Land of Rain—he wanted the entire world to understand pain. Only through fear and suffering would humanity come to cherish peace.
"Nagato, Danzō has defected from Konoha." Konan brought the latest intel.
The man who delivered the report stood beside her, cloaked in Akatsuki's black and red. A beautiful rainbow-patterned mask concealed his face.
"Kazuen… Are you planning to act?" Nagato looked at the man with a trace of surprise.
"No. Not yet." Kazuen's voice was laced with gritted teeth, but remained controlled.
"They will all die." Nagato's promise rang firm.
"There's a powerful new shinobi in the Land of Fire," Konan shifted topics, concern tinging her voice. "And he's closely aligned with one of the Sannin—Orochimaru."
Before either Nagato or Kazuen could respond, the space in the room twisted.
Uchiha Obito appeared, emerging through his space-time ninjutsu.
"You again?" Nagato's emaciated face soured.
He needed this so-called "Uchiha Madara" for his plans, but that didn't mean he liked the man.
"Danzō has fled the village," Obito said bluntly. "If we want to bring Konoha to its knees faster, we need to use him."
Originally, he'd planned to approach Uchiha Shisui—but Shisui was too preoccupied with undoing the Snailfication afflicting the Iwa-nin, never leaving the border camp.
Even though Obito could phase in and out without a sound, he wasn't willing to risk unexpected encounters.
Especially knowing Ishiki Kujo was at the camp.
That bastard had seen his space-time ninjutsu firsthand. He wasn't someone to be trifled with.
But Danzō? Obito had never imagined the black hand of Konoha would one day betray the village. It felt as surreal as the sun rising in the west.
"Easier said than done," Kazuen sneered. "That old man won't be easy to manipulate."
"No, it's simple," Obito raised a finger. "Give him hope. The hope of becoming Hokage. Danzō will throw everything into that dream."
"He's a missing-nin. Hokage? Don't joke." Kazuen scoffed. He had no respect for Obito. A man who hid his face, called himself "Madara," and spouted cryptic plans?
Kazuen only believed in what his eyes saw—and the conclusions he drew through logic. His eyes might lie, but his deductions never had. He'd never been wrong. Not once.
"If Danzō can prove everything was a trap orchestrated by Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and Ishiki Kujo, then he has a chance to turn the tables," Obito said confidently. "And I already have evidence. The Two-Tails—Matatabi—is with Ishiki Kujo. If we can force that into the open, Danzō can use it as his wedge to strike back at Konoha's leadership."
"Even if he's fled, Danzō still holds sway. Koharu and Homura were his contemporaries, with countless secret dealings. Dirty people walk dirty paths. All we have to do is set the stage—let the rot devour itself."
"Ishiki Kujo?" Kazuen frowned, unfamiliar with the name.
But Konan's expression darkened at the mention. "Are you sure Matatabi is in his possession? All I know is that the Land of Earth fell to him completely… and they're calling him the Rainbow Devil."
Her eyes drifted to Kazuen's rainbow mask.
"Rainbow?" Kazuen's tone dropped, his mood visibly darkening like a stormcloud.
He didn't even register the word Devil. Just the "Rainbow" was enough to piss him off—like a child whose favorite toy had been stolen.
"Absolutely sure," Obito said.
He hadn't seen Ishiki use the Two-Tails directly, but he was certain—if the beast hadn't been sealed elsewhere, then Ishiki had it.
This was a gamble. But for him, there was no downside. If it paid off, the rewards would be massive.
Konoha smuggling and weaponizing tailed beasts would be a direct violation of international treaties. It would spark war. The other four nations would descend on Konoha.
This time, it wouldn't just be the Uchiha Clan facing genocide—Konoha itself would be caught in the gears of war.
Ishiki Kujo probably had no idea the disaster he was inviting.
He was likely still basking in the glow of his "war hero" label.
Obito looked forward to the day he'd win. Would Ishiki still strut with that same confidence?
Every time Obito thought about their last encounter—his body still tingling with snail-transformation trauma—his hatred deepened.
If Ishiki wasn't eliminated, he would become the greatest threat to Obito's plans.
But how to expose Ishiki's link to Matatabi… that was a puzzle.
The Gedo Statue wasn't ready yet, so actively hunting tailed beasts offered little benefit.
Still, Obito's proposal sparked interest in all three present.
Unlike Obito, they didn't care about grand plans. They just wanted Konoha to rot from within. Let Danzō and Hiruzen tear each other apart like dogs.
Having agreed on the general direction, they began plotting details—specifically, how to entrap Ishiki Kujo.
Soon, two figures departed the Akatsuki hideout, heading toward the Land of Grass.
A fine drizzle still veiled the Rain Country, like the sky weeping for a land steeped in disaster. No light pierced the clouds—only shadow remained.