"Sooner rather than later."
Obito agreed with Nagato's judgment without hesitation.
Orochimaru had become increasingly troublesome—growing stronger and more unpredictable with each passing day. It was only a matter of time before he would become a serious threat. Dealing with him swiftly was the obvious choice.
Not that Obito believed Orochimaru's growth was truly limitless—after all, they still had the Ten Tails as their trump card. But with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki still in Konoha, there was no guarantee they'd be able to make their move unnoticed.
In short, for both Obito and Nagato, Orochimaru had become a critical problem. One that couldn't be ignored any longer.
He was getting in everyone's way.
A cold glint flickered in Obito's Sharingan as he thought this.
Just then, a small mound of dirt stirred on the cavern floor. Leaves shifted aside as a body of black and white rose from the ground—Zetsu, emerging with a grave expression.
Nagato and Obito immediately turned their attention toward him.
"Zetsu," Obito said sharply. "What are you doing here?"
"Orochimaru is outside the village," Zetsu replied solemnly. "He's asking to see you."
Both Nagato and Obito's expressions shifted immediately.
It should have been a good thing—the enemy coming straight to their doorstep, right after they resolved to act. But instead, doubt settled in their hearts. Why now? Why so directly?
They knew Orochimaru had access to information about Akatsuki. His insight in battle had revealed that much. Yet for all the damage he'd done—like the devastating raid on Konoha two months ago—he had remained strangely restrained ever since.
Now, without warning, he was initiating contact. It didn't make sense.
"Just Orochimaru?" Nagato asked grimly. "Who else is with him?"
"Only Jiraiya, the other Sannin," Zetsu reported. "Our White Zetsu clones scanned a hundred-mile radius. No other presence detected."
"Only two…" Nagato frowned.
He knew Jiraiya's power. Against opponents at this level, his presence wouldn't make much of a difference. This meant Orochimaru was effectively acting alone.
Why?
Just thinking about it deepened Nagato's unease.
"I can't face him like this…" he said finally, eyes narrowing. "Obito, go. Buy me some time."
Orochimaru had come at the worst possible moment—right after Nagato had exhausted himself sealing the tailed beasts. He couldn't afford to be careless now.
"I understand," Obito said. He wasn't thrilled about being the bait, but he had Kamui, his teleportation technique. As long as he didn't let Orochimaru drag him into close combat, he should survive.
With their plan settled, both vanished from the cave.
The chamber fell still. One by one, the glowing eyes of the Gedo Statue dimmed and closed.
After some time, Killer Bee stirred and slowly rose to his feet. He looked up at the demonic statue, fear flickering in his eyes.
Nagato and Obito had left him alone after extracting the Eight-Tails—partly because he had no direct link to Orochimaru. Under other circumstances, White Zetsu would have been ordered to watch him. But now that the enemy had arrived, priorities had shifted.
Bee clenched his fists.
"Yo, Eighty… I won't let you down!"
Still unsteady, he turned and limped out of the cave.
Nagato. The Akatsuki. They had no idea what kind of monster they had just awakened.
He needed to warn Konoha.
---
Outside Amegakure...
A vast lake shimmered beneath a gentle drizzle. Mist danced across the surface, blurring the outlines of Amegakure's towering steel structures.
On the far shore, beneath a rain shelter, two figures sat quietly, gazing across the lake.
"The last time I was here," Jiraiya said, "there weren't nearly so many buildings. Seems Akatsuki has been busy."
"True," Orochimaru replied, sipping hot tea. "Steel and concrete are sturdier than wood—but a city without spirit is still a dead city."
Absolute power breeds absolute control. In a place like this, rebellion is crushed instantly. Nagato would never question his methods—he had clawed his way up from war and loss. To him, obedience was peace.
But Jiraiya saw things differently.
A former bestselling author, he understood the human heart. Orochimaru, on the other hand, valued people only for their usefulness—tools to serve his goals. That difference made all the difference.
Suddenly, the air twisted. A vortex formed, pulling mist and rain inward.
Obito emerged.
"No matter how many times I see it, that Mangekyō teleportation is impressive," Jiraiya commented.
Then, abruptly: "You're Uchiha Obito, aren't you? Minato's student."
The question hit like a slap. Obito hesitated mid-step, visibly shaken.
He had been prepared to reveal his identity ever since the last Konoha battle, but facing Jiraiya—Minato's mentor—still stirred something uncomfortable inside him.
Suppressing those emotions, he took off his mask.
"Does it matter who I am?" he said coldly. "After everything that's happened… do you still believe we can coexist?"
He'd long since abandoned any hope of redemption. He'd betrayed Minato. Robbed Kakashi of his last connection. Whatever sympathy Konoha still had left for him, he would never return it.
"You're right. It doesn't matter anymore," Orochimaru said suddenly.
He studied Obito, eyes gleaming.
"But what about Nagato? Too busy to greet us himself?" he asked, amused. "We should probably go pay him a visit, cause a little trouble."
Obito flinched but kept his composure.
"The leader of Akatsuki doesn't meet just anyone. I'm more than enough to assess you."
"Well, that's a first," Orochimaru chuckled.
With a flick of his fingers, the raindrops in the air sharpened into needles and launched at Obito.
Obito reacted instantly, phasing into intangibility.
"Orochimaru…" Jiraiya snapped.
Orochimaru merely waved off the mist and smiled. "Relax. I didn't hit anything vital. Just a warning."
Obito rematerialized across the lake, blood trickling from a shallow cut. He wasn't seriously hurt—but the speed of Orochimaru's attack had rattled him.
If those needles had hit his eyes, he might have been forced to use Izanagi to survive.
"Next time, don't talk so big when you're standing that close to me," Orochimaru said, sipping his tea.
Truthfully, he could have killed Obito right then and there. Even the Sharingan wouldn't have saved him.
But with Black Zetsu lurking behind the scenes, Orochimaru wasn't in a rush. Kaguya's third son might be the most dangerous of all the Otsutsuki remnants—and certainly the most secretive.
Still, if he ever had a chance to eliminate Black Zetsu, Orochimaru wouldn't hesitate.
"Bring Nagato out," he said casually. "We're not here for revenge."
Obito clenched his fists. The scorn in Orochimaru's voice made his blood boil, but he couldn't deny reality.
Then, as if summoned by their tension, a figure appeared—a man with flaming red hair.
Nagato had arrived.
He glanced coldly at Obito, then addressed the Konoha pair.
"You came to find me. Here I am. But don't expect a warm welcome."
"Oh?" Orochimaru smiled. "Do you want to fight now? I can give you half a day to recover if you need it."
Nagato's heart sank. He saw through me…
Still, the fact that Orochimaru hadn't attacked meant this meeting truly wasn't about war.
But he couldn't let his guard down. The hostility between them ran too deep.
Gathering chakra, Nagato asked, "Then why did you come here?"
"To show you my strength," Orochimaru said calmly. "And more importantly—to discuss the future of the ninja world."
He placed his cup on the stone table.
"In short, I came to define the next decade."
Nagato understood immediately. In the Warring States era, it had taken the combined might of Hashirama and Madara to challenge the world. Now, Orochimaru stood at that same level.
"If that's your aim," Nagato said, "why not strike now?"
"If I fought now," Orochimaru replied, "you'd fight with everything you had. And I don't want to destroy the world."
Nagato's gaze darkened.
He knew Orochimaru was right. If they fought seriously, the devastation would be unimaginable—not just Amegakure, but the entire Land of Fire could be reduced to rubble.
"There's no point in ruling ashes," Orochimaru said gently, refilling his cup. "War should decide ownership, not bring total destruction. Let's talk."
Nagato was silent for a long moment.
Then he said bitterly, "Two months ago, I killed over a hundred civilians in Konoha. And now you want to talk?"
He could see Orochimaru's sincerity. He could see the shifts in the world. But…
What about those people? Were their lives meaningless?
_____________________
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