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Amegakure remained as it always was, with heavy rain falling. Construction workers were rebuilding a tower of the same height on the site destroyed by Orochimaru.
Pain looked down from above, sensing the fluctuations in chakra transmitted through the fine rain.
Since the reconstruction of the damaged buildings in Amegakure, the village had experienced no further mishaps. However, during the reconstruction period, outsiders had entered the village. Perhaps there were still some hidden dangers from that time.
But much time had passed, and that matter was now behind them.
Seeing Obito appear did not surprise Pain.
Obito hadn't deliberately hidden his movements, and Pain had easily detected his entry into the village.
"You seem flustered," Pain said.
"Because some things have slipped beyond my control," Obito replied.
Pain's eyebrow twitched slightly.
Ever since he first met "Uchiha Madara," the impression "Madara" gave was one of complete confidence, rarely uttering words like "out of control."
This time, although "Uchiha Madara's" tone remained steady, it indicated that "some things" were not minor matters. Otherwise, with his abilities, he could have handled them alone without needing to consult.
Konan, standing behind Pain, remained silent, but her entire being was exceptionally alert.
The person she followed was Nagato, not Madara.
"What matters?" Pain asked.
"Itachi and Shin have left the organization," Obito stated.
"The reason?" Pain inquired. "They wouldn't leave without cause, would they?"
"Of course, there are reasons," Obito cleared his throat lightly. "You know why Itachi joined, right?"
"I do. He wanted to find his brother. Is it related to that?" Pain asked.
"It is. The reason he left Konoha, even at the cost of severing ties with his clan, was for that. So, as long as he couldn't find his brother, he would stay with us."
"From what you're saying, he found his brother?" Konan asked.
"Exactly. His brother was in Orochimaru's hands."
"Oh... I remember now," Konan suddenly understood. "To get him to deal with Orochimaru, you promised to help him find his brother. Did you find him?"
"No," Obito cleared his throat again. "If he finds his brother, Itachi will leave. Therefore, I was more inclined to break that promise. If his brother could be killed, perhaps he would remain in Akatsuki indefinitely... For our dream, sacrificing one or two individuals isn't a big deal. You'd agree, wouldn't you?"
Konan remained silent. Pain also showed no expression and said, "And then? How did he find his brother?"
"Yoshida Shin helped him. After killing Orochimaru and Danzō, those two reached a private agreement. Shin was interested in Orochimaru's assets, while Itachi hoped to find his brother. They agreed that whoever found Orochimaru's base would inform the other. Clearly, Shin found Itachi's brother. For the sake of Akatsuki, I naturally didn't want Itachi to find his brother. So, I tried to kill Sasuke along the way. But I fell for Shin's trap and had no choice but to confront him..."
Obito's words abruptly stopped, but both Konan and Pain could infer the hidden meaning.
"You're saying your impulsiveness also drove Yoshida Shin away," Konan said.
Obito nodded. "You could put it that way."
Konan clicked her tongue, unable to hold back. "You should have been able to foresee this situation. If Itachi left Akatsuki because he found his brother, we'd only lose one member. Now, we've lost two at once."
"While that's true, I don't consider it a bad thing. Shin is too mysterious. He... isn't as weak as he appeared. He's genuinely strong. I suspect no one in all of Akatsuki knows his background or his true strength. Keeping someone like that in Akatsuki is detrimental to the organization," Obito explained.
Konan wrinkled her nose, clearly not accepting this explanation and instead believing Obito was shirking responsibility.
Pain waved his hand. "That's not important. We can quickly replenish our numbers to compensate for the loss of members. 'Madara' coming all this way shouldn't just be to tell us this, right? Otherwise, it would be meaningless."
"As expected of you, Pain. You understand me." Obito spread his hands. "Uchiha Itachi returning to Konoha means our plans need readjustment... not just one or two parts, but the whole thing."
"Huh?" Konan stared at Pain in surprise. "Are you joking? A complete overhaul? Do you know how long that kind of operation would delay our plans?"
"Wrong!" Obito wagged his finger. "If we only make minor adjustments, we might have to wait for a specific opportunity, potentially delaying the plan. But starting from scratch doesn't have that problem at all. In fact, it could free up time for us."
Seeing Konan's look of incomprehension, Obito wasn't in a hurry.
After all, anyone hearing his previous statement would be baffled.
"The reason I made this decision is also simple. Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the most troublesome is Konoha. Previously, Konoha had a major problem: the conflict between the village and the Uchiha clan. But after Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, the tension between Konoha and the Uchiha clan is easing. This means what I told Itachi earlier will have little effect on him now... On the contrary, Konoha is more united than before. A Konoha like that is fearsome; they might be able to withstand Akatsuki's offensive alone. Afterward, once we make a move on the Tailed Beasts, Konoha will mobilize its defenses, perhaps even unite with other shinobi villages to besiege us."
Konan's expression grew increasingly grave. After hearing Obito's words, she asked, "You mean..."
"The reason Konoha has become what it is now has much to do with Tsunade. We need to find a way to bring her down. At the same time, conflict must erupt between Konoha and the Uchiha clan; their contradiction absolutely cannot be repaired... Everything must return to how it was before. I need Konoha to become 'chaotic' again," Obito said with a smile.
"Is there a way?" Konan asked.
"Ways are thought up by people," Obito pointed to his head. "Currently, aside from Kirigakure being under our control, the other four Great Shinobi Villages are very calm. That's not good... If Akatsuki wants to avoid detection by these major villages, the only way is to keep these villages preoccupied with their own affairs. So, you two, we must make the entire world 'lively.' That way, no one will pay attention to us, and we'll have the opportunity to collect the Tailed Beasts."
Konan frowned, glanced at Pain beside her, and felt a twinge of unease.
Pain, however, nodded. "Then let us think of a way together."