The next slide focused on the western battlefield.
"There's only one ultimate goal for Konoha," Naruto said, pounding his fist into his palm. "We've utterly defeated Iwagakure's thousand elite ninja, so they no longer pose a serious threat. As for Sunagakure, we shouldn't expect too much from them either, because it's likely that Iwagakure will retaliate with a surprise attack."
Naruto understood Gaara well; he would undoubtedly deploy many ninja to retaliate against Amegakure for their previous invasion of Sunagakure.
"We have three routes that cross through Sunagakure territory into Amegakure—essentially three border crossings," Sai explained, drawing several lines with his pen on the projected map. "If we choose to take a detour through the Land of Wind to enter Amegakure, then there are four possible routes available."
Whether from the north, south, east, or west, all paths eventually lead to Amegakure. They could launch attacks from any direction—or even multiple directions simultaneously.
They could attempt to divert attention by feigning attacks at different points, confusing the enemy and concealing their true target.
They could also turn the war into a drawn-out war of attrition, but Naruto disliked this option. He believed Tsunade wouldn't agree either—neither wanted the war dragging on indefinitely.
Midway through the meeting, Maki suddenly raised her hand to ask a question. Her serious demeanor made Naruto want to laugh; she looked exactly like a focused student hanging onto every word. Suppressing his smile, he nodded to signal Maki to speak.
"I have a question," she asked bluntly, getting straight to the point. She knew full well how capable Root was at analyzing intelligence. "Shikamaru-senpai is in charge of planning this invasion, and Naruto-senpai will certainly be involved as well. Even if we come up with a plan, it might never be used."
She wasn't being pessimistic—just realistic. "So then, why are we doing all this ourselves?"
Maki's question caused Naruto to fall into thought.
Indeed, though they were at the core of this secret organization and had access to classified information, they were still just a few inexperienced young people. They couldn't truly understand the gravity of their responsibilities. What she said made sense—their current actions did seem rather meaningless.
After all, they had no actual authority when it came to developing battle strategies.
The ones who truly decided the plans were the Jonin commanders—the real key figures determining the outcome of battle.
Konoha's most brilliant strategist, Shikamaru, would be responsible for creating the plan, while the three of them were merely members of Root. Aside from within their own organization, nobody knew what they were doing, why they were doing it, or even whether they existed.
They wouldn't participate in conventional warfare, nor did they possess enough strength to launch a large-scale attack.
Root was meant to be a blade concealed in the shadows—an organization specialized in covert missions, not the main force on a direct battlefield. That was why their surprise raids on Bamboo Village had succeeded so easily; Bamboo had been unaware of Root's existence and hadn't strengthened its internal defenses.
But that same trick wouldn't work against Amegakure. They had already tried once—and failed.
So then, why were we analyzing Amegakure's border routes?
Why did Naruto and Sai arrange this meeting?
Naruto definitely had his reasons, but he didn't want to be too obvious, especially in front of Maki.
"This time, I'll personally deal with Pain," Naruto said vaguely without explaining why they were studying how to infiltrate Amegakure. After all, others were already developing standard battle plans, and they were more experienced and capable than he was.
Maki blinked her eyes in confusion, not understanding what this had to do with studying the borders of Amegakure.
"I don't get it, Senior ninja. Don't you have to reach Amegakure first before you can fight him?"
##Amegakure - Pain's Tower##
Amegakure teemed with tension as preparations for war unfolded. The villagers were getting ready for the enemy's impending invasion. They had seen similar provocations before, but their god, Pain, always drove away invaders with ease.
Yet this time, Konan felt a deep unease stirring within her.
Defensive preparations were straightforward—mainly ensuring emergency evacuation plans were in place and that the village's surrounding fortifications were ready.
Amegakure's geographical location was unique; surrounded by vast lakes and plains, it allowed them to detect any intruders early.
Additionally, the roads leading to the village were rugged and difficult to traverse, enough to halt or at least delay an enemy's advance. Amegakure had survived the wars between major nations through more than mere luck.
"Don't worry," Nagato reassured Konan, noticing her anxious gaze as she looked down at the village from his mechanical throne. "I won't let them come near our home. Besides, you're our final defense. No one will destroy this place."
"Do you have a plan?" she asked.
"Of course," Nagato replied. A flicker of hope ignited in Konan's heart, hoping that Nagato still possessed the qualities of a true leader. "We'll crush them, completely shatter their attack. The plan hasn't changed."
But that hope quickly faded into deep fear.
Ever since Yagura's death, the rise of Akatsuki, and the chain of events over the past two years, Konan had long ignored a painful truth: Nagato simply wasn't cut out to lead a village. There was no other explanation.
Whether they called him Tobi or Madara, their masked ally was the real mastermind behind everything.
All of Akatsuki's complex strategies—far more intricate than simple team assignments or tail-beast hunts—all the grand schemes aimed at gaining power and upending the world order, had been orchestrated solely by him.
The chaos in Kiri presented the perfect opportunity to obtain the Three-Tails and even gain Kisame's support, all masterminded by Tobi.
Although the attempt to capture the Nine-Tails ended in failure, it inadvertently led to the downfall of what may have been the greatest ninja of that generation—the Fourth Hokage.
The once-mighty superpower crumbled overnight, eventually paving the way for the Uchiha clan's destruction—which further weakened Konoha—and ultimately for him to join their ranks. Once again, all orchestrated by Tobi.
In the past 17 years, there were countless such instances, all pointing to one fact: Nagato was merely an executor, issuing orders to other Akatsuki members, and though capturing the tailed beasts was both vital and perilous, any member could execute it under the overall strategic guidance.
Informing them when and where to move out constituted almost the entirety of Nagato's leadership role.
They were all mere pawns, following Tobi's commands, assigned the duty of gathering the tailed beasts. Nagato was nothing more than a nominal leader—issuing commands while clinging to the illusion of control, since Tobi never meddled in his methods.
Everything revolved around collecting the tailed beasts—the methods used to achieve this goal were irrelevant, because he knew Nagato would see the mission through regardless of the cost.
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