"Obito, it seems like the plan has failed again," White Zetsu said to Obito, who stood silently nearby.
"It's not exactly a failure. At least we've managed to retrieve one Rinnegan," Obito replied calmly.
Black Zetsu's voice joined in agreement. "Indeed. After all, the Rinnegan evolved from the Sharingan, so only someone with Uchiha blood can unlock its true potential."
"Besides, Obito, your other eye—the one using Kamui—is far more formidable," Black Zetsu added.
Obito nodded again, his tone steady. "Nagato and the others don't realize that I can seize control of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path at any time. Let them continue collecting the Tailed Beasts for us."
"Speaking of collecting Tailed Beasts, haven't we almost completed the task?" White Zetsu asked in a tone that was more of a statement than a question.
"One-Tail, Three-Tails, and Seven-Tails were already captured by Nagato and the others. Two-Tails and Four-Tails were taken during the last battle and should already be sealed. As for Five-Tails and Six-Tails, we've quietly captured them ourselves," Obito explained.
"Now, only Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails remain," Black Zetsu concluded.
"Eight-Tails is in the Hidden Cloud Village. With the power boost from the Rinnegan, capturing it won't be an issue," White Zetsu said confidently.
"That just leaves the Nine-Tails," Black Zetsu added.
"Yes, once we have the Nine-Tails, we'll seal them all together. For now, we'll maintain our alliance with the Hidden Cloud Village and use the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki to hold off the Akatsuki," Obito said.
"But the Nine-Tails is no easy target. You must prepare thoroughly," Black Zetsu warned. As the brother of the Sage of Six Paths, Black Zetsu possessed a wealth of hidden knowledge.
"Although all Tailed Beasts are powerful, they can be divided into three tiers. One-Tail through Seven-Tails belong to the first tier, Eight-Tails to the second, and Nine-Tails to the third."
"The Nine-Tails' chakra is said to be infinite. While that's likely an exaggeration, it still speaks to its incredible strength."
"With your current power, capturing the Nine-Tails will be quite challenging. Not to mention, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is under the protection of the Hidden Leaf Village. The Akatsuki are also keeping a close eye on him. Any action against the Nine-Tails will trigger a chain reaction. Without overwhelming power, it's impossible to take it."
Hearing Black Zetsu's lengthy explanation, Obito briefly fell into thought. His gaze shifted to the dark depths behind him, where the captured Five-Tails and Six-Tails Jinchūriki were being held.
"I'll focus on creating my Six Paths as soon as possible. In the meantime, let the Hidden Cloud Village act as our shield," Obito said.
"But didn't the stubborn Raikage reject our offer of assistance? He was furious when he found out we deceived him about the Rinnegan," White Zetsu asked, puzzled.
Obito sneered. "His so-called pride and stubbornness are meaningless in the face of survival."
"I'll cooperate with Danzo to send Deidara to the frontlines against the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Leaf. Once the Raikage learns his lesson, he'll come begging for our help."
"What about Orochimaru? Should we deal with him?"
In the Hidden Rain Village, the Akatsuki members finally relaxed after sealing two more Tailed Beasts.
The group gathered in a tavern, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
Nagato's expression, however, was grim. His first appearance as a "god" had nearly ended in disaster. Though he had survived, he felt like a shadow of his former self. Losing one Rinnegan made him feel utterly powerless.
Of course, there was a small silver lining: with only one Rinnegan, he could now only control the Deva Path. This meant he no longer needed the countless black rods embedded in his back, allowing him to move around more freely.
"Nagato," Konan said softly, her eyes filled with concern. She hesitated, unsure of what to say.
"Leader, the Rinnegan wasn't yours to begin with. Why are you so upset?" Deidara said, half-joking, half-serious.
"That's impossible!" Nagato instinctively retorted.
Deidara smirked. "You still don't see it, do you?"
"If the Rinnegan were truly yours, why can others use it just by implanting it? And why can they use it better than you, without the cost of their lifespan?"
"This... that's because..." Nagato struggled to come up with a rebuttal but ultimately resorted to a stubborn denial. "You can't just conclude the Rinnegan isn't mine based on that!"
Deidara glanced around the room before turning to Itachi. "What do you think, Itachi?"
"It's obvious," Itachi replied solemnly. "If the Rinnegan were truly yours, how would that mysterious man know the specific abilities of your Six Paths? That's information you've never shared with anyone, isn't it?"
Deidara nodded in appreciation, adopting an air of camaraderie with Itachi. His smug demeanor irritated the others, including Sasori, Kisame, and Kakuzu.
What's with this brat? Acting all superior! We figured it out too; we just didn't get a chance to speak... right?
Of course, Itachi's intellect was genuinely exceptional. Deidara, on the other hand, was simply leveraging his knowledge of the plot.
Since he had already started this performance, he decided to see it through. After all, he had been waiting for an opportunity to share this information.
"Without a doubt, that mysterious man is an Uchiha. So, could the Rinnegan be connected to the Sharingan?" Deidara speculated.
All eyes turned to Itachi, who furrowed his brow in thought.
"I'm not sure. All I know is that the highest form of the Sharingan is the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. I've never heard of the Rinnegan," Itachi admitted.
"Moreover, the long history of the Uchiha clan contains no records of such a connection," he added.
"Could it have something to do with the First Hokage's cells?" Konan suggested. The chakra emanating from Obito undoubtedly carried the same aura as Nagato's Wood Release-infused body—Hashirama's cells.
"That's possible," Kisame said. "When the leader obtained the First Hokage's cells, the Rinnegan's power increased. We initially thought it was just a boost to vitality, but there might be deeper reasons."
"It's likely all connected," Deidara continued. "Let me enlighten you further... I mean, let me analyze this."
"Orochimaru's experiments with the First Hokage's cells revealed that the Sharingan and these cells can balance and even enhance each other's evolution," Deidara explained.
"Kisame, you know this. Sasori, you should know it too," he said, and both nodded.
"Additionally, you're overlooking an important question."
"Why does that mysterious man claim to be Madara Uchiha? Is it just a whim, or does it convey some hidden message?"
"Consider this: the last known trace of Madara Uchiha was his battle with the First Hokage at the Valley of the End."
"One wielded the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the other Wood Release."
"Then, a person claiming to be Madara appears, capable of using the Rinnegan. Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence?"
Hiss!
The group collectively gasped—well, only Hidan actually made the sound.
"What are you all talking about?" Hidan asked, looking frustrated and out of place.
Itachi offered a concise explanation. "Deidara is suggesting that combining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan with Wood Release could result in the Rinnegan."
"Exactly! Let's have Orochimaru experiment in this direction and find out," Deidara concluded.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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