After finding no answer in his thoughts, Nagato turned his gaze toward Haruki.
Though he bore the Rinnegan, he wasn't so arrogant as to think he could face the world alone.
Furthermore, having never summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he did not fully grasp the Rinnegan's true power.
After Konoha occupied the Land of Lightning, it surpassed the Land of Rain in both conventional ninja armies and high-level combat strength.
As Haruki had pointed out, they lacked the strength to counterbalance Konoha.
After a brief silence, Nagato spoke, "Based on what I know of Teacher, I believe he isn't the kind who recklessly starts wars."
"Nagato, maybe you should visit present-day Konoha yourself," Haruki suggested seriously, his tone sincere.
"Only by seeing it firsthand will you understand why we launched this war against the Land of Lightning. Let me tell you, our next targets are the Lands of Water and Earth."
Nagato's body stiffened slightly, finding it hard to believe.
By Haruki's words, did this mean nearly unifying half the ninja world?
"I don't understand," Nagato hesitated before asking. "Teacher shouldn't be someone who delights in slaughter. Otherwise, he wouldn't have helped our Akatsuki Organization. If Teacher truly launches wars against the Lands of Water and Earth, countless lives will be lost and chaos will ensue."
"That's exactly why I suggest you spend some time in Konoha."
Haruki brought up the idea again. "I know you hold no affection for Konoha, but you've been isolated in the Land of Rain for too long to grasp the changes happening there. If you really understood the situation, you'd see why these wars are necessary."
The peace Nagato imagined was far too idealistic and beautiful.
True peace, however, might have only one path—the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Reality was far more complicated; imbalance between people inevitably arose due to many reasons.
Sometimes communication itself couldn't resolve problems.
Like communication between nobles and slaves.
Unfortunately, even the Infinite Tsukuyomi was nothing more than a ruse devised by Black Zetsu—offering only ephemeral peace like a fragile bubble.
Nagato stared blankly at Haruki, contemplating the meaning behind his words.
He knew something of Konoha's transformation, although not in depth.
He knew that many reforms had taken place, making Konoha flourish remarkably.
Precisely for this reason, Nagato had resolved to follow Konoha's example—to bring hope to the rain-soaked land ravaged by years of war and poverty.
Thinking thus, Nagato nodded slowly and said, "Later on, I'll go to Konoha."
"You may then request Tsunade to send personnel to the Land of Rain to assist in planning and economic revitalization."
Haruki also recalled Nagato's earlier words, but outright imitation of Konoha would lead to problems.
The Land of Rain was worlds apart from the Land of Fire.
Konoha and the Land of Fire had seen years of reform under his leadership, with foundations far sturdier than those of the war-torn Land of Rain.
"Furthermore, Nagato, I offer another option," Haruki said with a faint smile, at last unveiling his ultimate plan.
"Not just Konoha—but within this new nation I envision—I will establish a brand-new division known as the Regulatory Division. Its purpose will be to oversee all active-duty shinobi and officials—including daimyo and the Hokage. Should any of them commit corruption, abuse their powers, or oppress civilians, the department will have the authority to impeach and arrest them."
Nagato couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.
This department was beyond anything he had ever encountered before.
Even the Daimyo and the Hokage would be placed under scrutiny.
It sounded like an absurd, far-fetched idea.
But on second thought, if it really played out as Haruki described, it might yield surprising outcomes.
"But then, how will this department's personnel be selected, and who will supervise them?"
"That leads us to another department in Konoha—the Policy Department."
Haruki didn't go into detail—it would've been too complicated, and they were short on time.
"I'll have Tsunade set up an observer status for you in the Policy Department. Then, all your questions will get cleared up."
"Okay, thank you, Teacher."
"Hmm, one last thing—this is about Obito, or perhaps more accurately, about you."
Haruki pointed toward Nagato's eyes and said, "That mysterious ninja possesses extraordinary strength and has a hidden agenda. Your Rinnegan holds limitless power, and naturally, he will covet it. If possible, I hope you can follow Obito's example—pretend to accept the mysterious ninja's offer, uncover their members and tactics, and eventually eliminate them completely."
"I see."
Now Nagato understood why Haruki had insisted on speaking to him privately about this.
The fewer people who knew about covert operations like this, the better protected they were.
Thinking back to the mysterious ninja's performance on the battlefield earlier, Nagato felt confused.
"Teacher, judging from his strength alone, he seems nowhere near as powerful as you are. Why go through all the trouble?"
"Nagato, that was only a clone of his. Besides, I've been tracking them, and I discovered many secrets within their base—including things related to your Rinnegan."
Of course, Haruki didn't tell Nagato that his Rinnegan originally belonged to someone else.
He worried Nagato wouldn't be ready to handle that revelation.
He had been regarded since birth as the ninja destined to reshape the ninja world because of those eyes.
That belief had already taken deep root.
If everything suddenly collapsed, there could be serious consequences.
"The Rinnegan?"
Nagato's face immediately darkened.
If it involved the Rinnegan, he needed to look into it personally.
"Alright, I agree, Teacher."
Hearing this, Haruki smiled slightly.
As expected, the allure of the Rinnegan was strong—and he hadn't lied.
After all, there really was a colossal Demonic Statue of the Outer Path involved.
"One last thing, Nagato."
Haruki looked up at him seriously. "Earlier when I mentioned the Regulatory Division to you, I hope that someday you can become its Director."
Nagato never expected Haruki to say something like that.
He asked in surprise, "Why me?"
"I think you're perfect for it."
Haruki patted his shoulder gently. "Because of your personality, your eyes, and most importantly, your pursuit of peace. Perhaps here, you can finally achieve it."
Nagato stood there momentarily stunned.
At first, he struggled to understand how this Regulatory Division related to his own concept of peace.
Haruki didn't explain further. He called Tsunade and the others back into the room.
To avoid arousing suspicion from White Zetsu, they began discussing how the Land of Rain should develop moving forward.
First on the agenda was Amegakure Village.
With Hanzo gone, Amegakure technically fell under Akatsuki control.
Yet in secret, many remnants still lurked in the shadows.
Nagato and the other two needed to handle and reform Amegakure Village.
Fortunately, after years of development, Akatsuki had gathered many members.
As for manpower, there was no shortage at all.
But how exactly should they reform it?
The three of them had long decided to follow Konoha Village's model.
After a moment's thought, Haruki suggested initiating a project bidding process in Amegakure Village.
Once Akatsuki and Amegakure were restructured, they could cooperate with Konoha's various departments to plan out the entire ninja village.
If money became an issue, they could simply take out a loan from the Infrastructure Investment Bank.
When Obito quietly approached the hall and saw the intense discussion happening inside, he couldn't help but feel doubtful.
Have I been forgotten completely?
And none of you even care?!
I'm furious right now!
Am I really that unimportant to you guys?
Beside him, White Zetsu, ever the provocateur, mocked, "Seems like you're not as important to them as you thought."
"Shut up!"
Obito snapped, clenching his fists. His acting skills had improved. He glared angrily.
"Alright alright."
White Zetsu shrugged and asked, "So what kind of excuse are you planning to use when you return?"
"I'll say my [Mangekyo Sharingan] underwent further evolution, which is how I barely managed to escape."
Obito already had his reason ready and answered without hesitation.
"A solid excuse. Good luck."
After saying that, White Zetsu sank into the ground and vanished.
Obito frowned slightly.
He didn't sense him disappear at all.
That startled him somewhat.
Since awakening his [Mangekyo Sharingan], his strength was practically among the top echelons in the ninja world.
Even so, he still couldn't see through White Zetsu's disguise.
Obito couldn't help but feel a grudging admiration. Truly worthy of its connection to the [Rinnegan].
He exhaled sharply. His face turned grim as he pushed open the door.
"Obito?"
Kakashi immediately stepped forward upon noticing him and urgently asked, "Are you okay?"
"Get lost!"
Obito shoved his hand aside and strode directly toward Haruki, bluntly asking, "Where's Rin?"
"What's wrong with you, Obito?"
Before Haruki could answer, Kakashi, slightly taken aback, quickly asked.
"It doesn't concern you."
Without sparing him a glance, Obito turned back to face Haruki again and repeated, "Where's Rin?"
"Kakashi."
Haruki gave Kakashi a meaningful look before finally speaking, "Come with me."
He turned and walked out of the hall, heading straight for a room southwest of the hall.
"Rin?!"
Obito shoved the door open forcefully and saw Nohara Rin lying on the bed.
He rushed forward instantly.
His eyes suddenly displayed swirling triangular shuriken-like patterns.
A moment later, his body trembled as he said, "It's merely a clone."
Haruki closed the door and activated *[Genjutsu]* to block White Zetsu from spying.
It was just a replica.
Whatever Haruki wanted him to see, that's what he'd see.
"You're actually able to tell it's a clone right away—was it because of your eyes?"
He heard Obito's words and sounded impressed.
After all, this replica was indistinguishable from a real person.
"Your acting's gotten pretty good too."
Haruki added another compliment.
In the hall, even Kakashi had been fooled.
"Heh."
Obito smirked to himself, the fake seriousness melting away from his face as a wide grin spread across it. "Kakashi called me an idiot, but now I think he's the real one. Sensei was brilliant—he saw everything coming and wasn't even surprised by what I did."
"Kakashi was just too emotionally involved."
Haruki walked straight to the bed and said, "This is Rin's clone, used to trick Madara Uchiha and White Zetsu."
"You actually know both of them, Sensei?"
Hearing these two names from Haruki's mouth suddenly startled Obito.
Inwardly, he couldn't help but grumble—Madara and White Zetsu had gone to such lengths to keep their identities secret, yet someone already knew everything.
"I ran into them back in the Land of Water," Haruki casually explained, then smiled. "How do you feel about meeting the legendary ancestor of the Uchiha Clan?"
"No opinion at all." Obito honestly replied, "Just another failed wretch hiding in the shadows."
"Hmph. Bold talk." Haruki listened and knew immediately that Obito hadn't been influenced by Madara.
"It's true anyway." Obito shook his head. "His Infinite Tsukuyomi plan? It's just a delusional escape from reality. I don't like people like him."
"Instead of wasting time on stuff like that, we should focus on rebuilding the ninja world." Obito added.
Haruki raised his eyebrows slightly—Obito had indeed grown significantly. Not the overdramatic teenager he used to be. Though his essential personality hadn't changed much.
"Looks like your years at school weren't wasted." Haruki praised him, then continued, "For now, since you've earned Madara and Zetsu's trust, stay close to them."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." Obito beamed, delighted that he and Teacher Haruki had reached the same conclusion.
What did this prove?
It proved he was now on the same intellectual level as Sensei Haruki. Definitely smarter than that idiot Kakashi.
"Although their current strength hasn't reached Konoha's level, they carry many secrets that might become serious threats—especially the [Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]. That thing looked even more terrifying than the Nine-Tails."
Obito analyzed aloud.
Madara's ancient tales seemed distant, but the shock of seeing the Demonic Statue was fresh and overwhelming. That colossal size could easily contain several Nine-Tails. Its battle strength had to be monstrous.
"Good point." Haruki responded with satisfaction. To hear Obito talk like this—this kind of maturity was rare indeed.
Seeing this, Obito couldn't help but feel smug again.
After a brief pause, he continued, "I could tell this Rin was a clone because of the ability in my left eye—the [Ame-no-Habakiri]—which can bring the dead back to life."
Even though Haruki had suspected that Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan would evolve somehow, the [Ame-no-Habakiri] still shocked him deeply.
Resurrection was undoubtedly a game-breaking ability.
Suddenly, Haruki realized—wasn't this essentially the single-target version of the [Outer Path – Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]?
Haruki's expression changed slightly as he asked, "Did you tell Madara Uchiha about this?"
"Obito lifted his chin and said, 'I knew this ability would attract his interest, so I made up a false Dojutsu.'
"'You did well this time.'
Haruki couldn't help but gain more respect for him and said, 'Madara Uchiha surely never told you why he gave the Rinnegan to Nagato. The reason is that Madara wants Nagato to use Samsara: Life Technique at the cost of his own life to bring him back. Of course, if Nagato disobeys, perhaps this task will fall to you instead.'
Obito's body trembled slightly as he angrily said, 'So that old bastard is that underhanded!'
"'After all, it's Madara Uchiha.'
Haruki smiled and gently patted his shoulder, 'So don't be fooled by his actions for now, thinking he genuinely cares about you.'
"'I understand.'
Obito let out a sigh of relief.
He had previously believed that Madara Uchiha only wanted to perform the Moon's Eye Plan, never expecting there was an additional layer involving resurrection.
If it weren't for Haruki revealing this, he probably wouldn't have known he'd been used as a pawn.
In the original story, things didn't end well for him.
Controlled by Black Zetsu, he became a pawn in Madara Uchiha's resurrection scheme.
[Kamui] 'My right eye's ability, Kamui, can teleport myself—or anything I touch—into another dimension.'
Obito continued explaining another one of his Dojutsu.
It was Kamui once again.
Haruki felt quite surprised upon hearing this.
Still, it wasn't hard to see why.
Having watched the girl he loved die, he either wanted to escape reality or bring her back to life.
"Teacher, besides confirming Rin's fate today, my return also aims to try convincing Senior Brother Nagato to switch sides," Obito softly explained while looking at Haruki.
"If that fails, Madara Uchiha will target Senior Sisters and Brothers like Konan and Yahiko to manipulate Nagato into becoming just like me."
"Hmm, I've already talked to Nagato about this. The rest depends on how convincingly you can spin your words to fool White Zetsu."
Haruki pointed toward Chiyo's clone. "Take her back with you. As one of Orochimaru's masterpieces, no one would suspect a thing unless someone examines her using your resurrection jutsu."