"Is Konohagakure sending people to Amegakure?"
"Yes, according to the information, they are coming to deliver the invitation for next year's Joint Chūnin Exams."
In a secret chamber beneath the steel structures of Amegakure, Nagato and Konan listened intently to Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu. Nagato was somewhat surprised by the news.
However, upon reflection, he understood. After all, such joint Chūnin Exams were essentially a display of strength.
After the Third Shinobi World War, the shinobi world had temporarily enjoyed peace, but necessary deterrence and displays were still required.
Moreover, for a shinobi village, its financial income, aside from the support of the daimyō, largely depended on the allocation of missions from various regions.
Such displays could vividly showcase the talent and capabilities of each village, attracting more mission allocations from other places.
These exams also attracted daimyōs from various countries to observe, influencing future financial support.
Of course, for truly powerful villages, this wasn't a major concern, but it was also a battle for prestige.
Furthermore, it served to intimidate and attract smaller nations.
Smaller villages often had little say and faced pressure from the larger ones, forcing them to make concessions and compromises.
In peacetime, what better way to observe the overall strength of the major villages than through such public Joint Chūnin Exams?
"Hmph, Konoha is as arrogant as ever."
Understanding these dynamics, Nagato snorted coldly.
"But this is good. After all, we were planning to head to Konoha; this is a great opportunity."
"Indeed, but their visit to Amegakure is unlikely to be simple."
Obito's voice was icy.
"They're likely trying to thoroughly investigate Amegakure's situation, possibly even seeking to meet with Hanzo of the Salamander."
"That's right. Although we've been using Hanzo's name to gather information from Konoha, Hanzo has been dead for years."
Black Zetsu chimed in, his tone grave.
"Konoha isn't easy to deal with."
"Hmph."
Nagato snorted again, contemplating for a moment before speaking.
"Should I retrieve Hanzo's corpse for disguise? And who exactly is coming?"
Although Hanzo had been dead for several years, Nagato was confident in utilizing his remains.
He was also curious about who Konoha would send.
"I advise against it, as Kitagawa Minamoto might be among them. It's better to leave this to us."
Black Zetsu immediately shook his head, and Nagato's expression shifted.
"Kitagawa Minamoto?"
"Yes, he has glimpsed your secrets, making it difficult to say if your disguise would be discovered."
"Indeed, Kitagawa Minamoto is no ordinary problem."
Nagato clenched his fists slightly, painful memories flooding back.
Yet, this only served to calm him. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.
"Perhaps this time, I can do something."
"Hmm?"
Obito frowned, unsure of Nagato's intentions, and even Konan looked puzzled.
"Nagato, what are you planning?"
"We can start preparing for the Chūnin Exams."
"The Chūnin Exams? You mean..."
"Yes, you mentioned that Danzo must lose trust before we can act, and you can handle the Hanzo situation."
Nagato glanced at Black Zetsu and Obito before continuing.
"Then leave the reception to you. If necessary, remind them that the Land of Rain is always being watched.
"Suggest that someone in Konoha might be leaking information, urging them to be cautious.
"And once they leave the Land of Rain, I will make my move!"
Nagato was unwilling to let go of his grudge against Minamoto for destroying Yahiko's body. To seek revenge on Danzo, he needed to erode his trust first.
Combining these objectives presented an opportunity.
"Isn't this too risky?"
Black Zetsu pondered, feeling the plan was feasible.
Even if it seemed deliberate, as a seasoned strategist, he knew blending truth with falsehood was the most convincing approach.
If successful, it would sever all ties between Amegakure and the Akatsuki, casting doubt on Danzo as well.
However, failure would bring significant trouble, and engaging Kitagawa Minamoto left Black Zetsu uneasy.
"Moreover, don't forget there's also 'Ōtsutsuki Minamoto' lurking around, so it's better to be cautious, right?"
"I have my plans. This is something I must do, even if it's just preliminary investigation."
After contemplating for a moment, Nagato shook his head.
"This time, I'll use all my clones. Whether I can kill him or not, I must at least understand his true capabilities. I need to probe him personally."
With the Flying Thunder God Technique, he wasn't confident in taking down Minamoto. The real action had to happen in Konoha.
His goal was to personally assess Minamoto's abilities to prepare for the future.
As for having Black Zetsu issue the warning, it was merely a gesture of pride as a "god."
He didn't believe that utilizing all his clones wouldn't achieve his goals.
"That's settled. Prepare accordingly."
"...Alright, I'll do my best."
Black Zetsu nodded reluctantly to Nagato's request, and Obito spoke up.
"Then I'll act with our new recruit, Raiga Kurosuki.
"That guy seems a bit reluctant, even though his foster child was entrusted to someone else, he's still unwilling."
"Do as you please."
Nagato didn't object, nodding in agreement.
With the discussions concluded, only minor details remained. After a brief exchange, Obito and Black Zetsu left.
"What do you think of this plan?"
Once outside Nagato's underground chamber, Obito couldn't help but ask.
"Is there a chance we'll encounter that guy again?"
"Ōtsutsuki Minamoto?"
Black Zetsu was concerned as well, but after some thought, he replied.
"Uncertain, but as long as it doesn't involve Tailed Beasts or other matters, it should be fine."
"Is that so..."
Obito responded, still feeling conflicted. Finally, he couldn't help but ask.
"Are you sure I don't have any Cursed Seals or anything on me?"
The memory of being inexplicably hit by a "Heavenly Justice" last time was still fresh, and he had no desire to experience it again.
"Nothing found for now. Maybe you were just unlucky, caught by his sight since you were near the Fire Temple."
Black Zetsu paused before speaking.
"But it's been a while, and there hasn't been any movement from that guy, so it should be fine. Besides..."
Here, Black Zetsu hesitated before continuing.
"We can't let this guy stop us from doing anything. How else can we achieve our goals?"
These words were not only for Obito but also for himself.
"Senior, here's the flower you asked for."
"Thank you, Ino."
In Konohagakure, outside the Yamanaka Flower Shop in the morning, Minamoto accepted the flowers Ino handed him.
He carefully sealed them, prompting Ino to ask curiously.
"Senior, are you going on a mission again?"
"How did you know?"
Minamoto asked, intrigued, as Ino pointed to the flowers in his hand.
"Last time you went on a mission, you took flowers too. It seems you're planning to pay respects along the way, right?"
"You're sharp."
Minamoto didn't deny it, smiling as he nodded.
"After so many years of war, there are resting places everywhere. I might come across some on this trip, so it's best to be prepared."
He wasn't just making it up. Although this mission to Amegakure was for him and Kakashi, without Jiraiya accompanying them,
Jiraiya had still asked him to lay flowers, even though he knew Nagato and the others had fully turned against them.
But Yahiko had done no wrong, and was even killed by people from Konoha, so he hoped to do this when there was no danger.
Additionally, detouring through the Land of Grass allowed them to visit the resting place of Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara.
For Kakashi, the real Obito, who was a hero of Konoha, had died there.
"So it's good to be prepared. Helping Jiraiya with flowers is a bit of a waste of money, though."
Thinking about the mission, Minamoto guessed there would be trouble, possibly involving the Akatsuki.
Fortunately, he wasn't strapped for cash anymore.
"Thank you, then. I'll take my leave."
"Take care, senior."
After bidding farewell to Ino, Minamoto vanished, not heading for the village gate but directly to the cemetery in Konoha.
At that moment, Kakashi stood before Rin Nohara's grave, with an unmarked tombstone beside it.
"Kakashi-sensei."
Minamoto approached, greeting Kakashi with a smile.
"I knew you'd be here."
"It's a habit."
Kakashi's gaze remained on Rin's grave before shifting to the unmarked one.
"Every time I leave the village, I come here. You're early today."
"I prepared some things, so I got up early to get them."
Minamoto didn't hide it, also looking at the unmarked grave.
"The Lord Hokage still remembers his contribution, at least keeping the grave, though the name was removed."
It was obviously Obito's grave. Though he had clearly defected, the grave remained due to Kakashi's influence.
"Yes, though he's become a demon now, he was once a hero."
Kakashi nodded, and Minamoto suddenly spoke up.
"Why don't we go through the Land of Grass to pay our respects?"
"The Land of Grass?"
Kakashi was momentarily surprised before smiling.
"Did you prepare flowers again, like last time in the Land of Rain?"
"I did, indeed. The mission isn't too restrictive, so why not?"
Minamoto nodded openly.
"I may not fully understand the sentiment, but doing what I can is worthwhile. What do you think, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Let's do as you say. After all, you're a Jōnin now."
Kakashi paused, then his exposed eye curved into a crescent.
"Perhaps that's where Obito truly departed, where I inherited his will. We should visit."
He instinctively touched the eye hidden by his forehead protector.
"And this eye, containing Obito's will, is the one with which I will see the future."
Despite the challenges and heartaches, he knew where he was headed and would keep moving forward.
After all, he had a "new beginning."
"Speaking of which, Kakashi-sensei, you mentioned your eye could close Obito's space?"
"Uh, yes..."
"My Shadow Clone entered Obito's dimension. Since it's connected, why don't you throw explosive tags in every day?"
"..."
"Maybe, by chance, you could blow him up!"
"..."
Kakashi's crescent eye turned into a deadpan stare. Why did this guy always have such wicked ideas?
Though, it might actually work...
(End of Chapter)
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