Through the forest along the path from Rain Country to the Land of Fire, four figures moved swiftly among the trees.
Suddenly, a figure wearing a swirling mask abruptly appeared before the four.
"Why are you here?" Sasuke's eyes remained calm. "According to our agreement, we no longer have anything to do with each other!"
"No, you haven't fulfilled the agreement," Obito casually shook his index finger. "The Eight-Tails you captured was only a clone!"
"A clone?!" Sasuke's expression darkened. He had suffered severe injuries that day. Had he paid such a heavy price just to capture a clone?
"So, you came here to ask me to help you recapture the Eight-Tails?"
"Forget it," Obito leaned lazily against a tree. "Let's put the Eight-Tails capture aside for now. There's another mission for you!"
"What is it?" Sasuke asked.
"I want you to sabotage the Five Kage Summit!" Obito stated.
"The Five Kage Summit?" Sasuke frowned slightly, not yet aware of the meeting details.
"With the capture of the One-Tail to the Seven-Tails, even the most oblivious Kage should realize how serious this has become. Of course, the immediate trigger for this summit is the Raikage's fury over your capture of the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!" Obito explained.
"Hold on," Suigyuu couldn't help but interrupt. "Didn't you say the Eight-Tails capture failed?"
"Hehe, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is restless indeed!" Obito chuckled. "He pretended to be defeated by the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki but actually escaped to perform a concert, something even the Raikage doesn't know about!"
"So he let us defeat him on purpose that day?" Sasuke's expression grew even darker. Once again, had he been let through?
In fact, if their opponent hadn't wanted to use them to escape, they likely would have been completely wiped out!
"Please don't go, Sasuke!" Karin said anxiously. "Cloud Village people are not ones who enjoy reasoning things out. It will be dangerous if you go!"
"Not going, really?" Obito provoked. "I heard that the Raikage actually said something. He claimed that the Uchihas were scum, and even called Itachi a fool. He also wondered why he didn't kill you back then..."
"That's enough!" Killing intent surged in Sasuke's eyes. "The Five Kage Summit, huh? I'm going!"
Suddenly Suigyuu asked, "With our strength, it's already difficult to fight the Raikage. How can we possibly sabotage the Five Kage Summit?"
"Don't worry, Zetsu and I will go with you," Obito smiled. "Moreover, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki from Konoha will likely intervene too. His current strength is no weaker than yours!"
"Naruto?" Complex emotions flickered across Sasuke's face as he looked up and asked, "How is Konoha now?"
"You've even heard about it? Seems like things really blew up big!" Obito sighed with a wistful tone. "Let me put it this way: My subordinate Pain (the leader of Akatsuki) carried out the mission to destroy Konoha, but unfortunately, two strangers from elsewhere stopped him!"
"Strangers from elsewhere?" Sasuke asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know either," Obito's voice became heavy. "However, those two were extremely powerful, especially one of them. He defeated Pain almost effortlessly!"
"What? Not even that Pain could defeat him?"
"Suigyuu was already having second thoughts," I think we should just forget about going..."
After meeting Sasuke's cold gaze, he quickly changed his tone."What about using the Akatsuki organization's Elephant Transformation Jutsu? We could just channel more chakra to the clone, right?"
Xianglin snapped,"Didn't you hear he said Pain had been defeated? That Elephant Transformation Jutsu would obviously..."
"No," Obito interrupted while patting his stomach,"I've already reclaimed the Rinnegan!" He had just barely survived a fierce battle to recover Nagato's Rinnegan!
Suigyuu burst into applause."Whoa! No wonder you're the true boss of the Akatsuki organization!"
Sasuke frowned but still said,"Regardless of what you all do, I'm going there with my real body!"
He wasn't naïve enough to believe an Elephant Transformation Jutsu clone alone could beat the Raikage!
Kurenai looked worried."Sasuke, you..."
"Going through trials builds character!" Obito chimed in at the right moment.
Because Sasuke had defeated Itachi, he had previously held very high hopes for him. When Konan had doubted Sasuke's capability to capture the Eight-Tails, he firmly believed Sasuke could do it.
Then he got completely schooled!
Therefore, he wanted to use this opportunity to observe Sasuke's abilities and determine if he was qualified to be his pawn!
"Trials?" Sasuke said coldly,"You're underestimating these eyes too much. They contain not only the strongest flame in the world, but have also assimilated Itachi's power!"
Obito chuckled."Is that so? Then I'll look forward to seeing it!"
...
Sunagakure.
"Please be careful, Kazekage-sama!"
"Please, Lord Temari and Lord Kankuro!"
Behind them, villagers warmly called out their farewells.
Kankuro responded while quietly muttering,"What's this about? Does Gaara really need guards? When push comes to shove, it's clearly us who need protecting!"
"Don't be stupid! The Kage is a symbol of the village. If Gaara had to handle everything himself, what would happen to Sunagakure's prestige?" Temari glared at him in disapproval.
Kankuro grumbled softly,"Does Sunagakure even still have that kind of prestige?"
"You..."
Gaara smiled as he watched the two bicker. When they grew tired, he asked,"Naruto should also be attending this meeting, right?"
"I guess so?" Kankuro wasn't very sure,"But I heard that guy really made a name for himself this time, even stopping the leader of Akatsuki!"
Temari nodded."That guy has certainly become very powerful. Though I've also heard that someone else was the one who truly defeated Pain!"
"I've heard his name is Seiki Shimaseki!" Gaara's expression turned serious. He clearly remembered how powerless and desperate he had felt when Shukaku was extracted from him, and how formidable the man standing atop that Statue was!
For someone to defeat such a powerful Pain, that man must be absolutely extraordinary!
"I really want to meet him someday!"
...
Iwagakure.
"Oh dear, my poor back!" Onoki immediately winced and froze in place the moment he tried to hoist his luggage onto his back.
"Akadō Yuu then scooped him up in a piggyback carry."
Onoki's short legs kicked frantically."Put me down, put me down!"
"Me, the great Tsuchikage, carried by someone? Absolutely not!"
Kurotsuchi rubbed her forehead helplessly. "There he goes again. What an old stubborn mule! Instead of wasting time on this, shouldn't we discuss how to position ourselves during the meeting?"
"You mean Sasuke Uchiha?" Onoki's face darkened. "There's nothing to think about — naturally I side with Raikage's view. Although that boy Deidara defected, even if we must execute him, it should be done by Iwagakure, not letting him die at the hands of a Konoha rogue ninja!"
Kurotsuchi whispered, "I heard my senior actually used Self-Destruction!"
Onoki stiffened slightly. "That's not important! What matters is he's alive while Deidara is dead!"
"Fine!" Kurotsuchi sighed, then asked, "Old man, what do you think about the news coming from Konoha? Suddenly there's this super strong expert who defeated Pain!"
"Now that you mention it, it is somewhat strange!" Onoki rubbed his forehead. "The moment I heard that person's name, I inexplicably felt restless and annoyed, like I wanted to punch him!"
"You better not pull any stunts, old man!" Kurotsuchi glared. "He's someone capable of defeating Pain! Don't throw away your old bones!"
"Hmph! Are you saying my Dust Release isn't formidable enough?" Onoki snorted in displeasure, pushing down his hat. "Seiki Shimaseki? I'd like to see just how strong he is!"
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