Deep down, Obito no longer cared much for the other members of the Akatsuki. In essence, people like Kakuzu were no different from Nagato—they were all just pawns in his hands. The only things that truly mattered were the Rinnegan and the nine Tailed Beasts! As long as he could resurrect the legendary ultimate weapon, the Gedo Statue of the Ten-Tails, he would be invincible! At that time, even Hatake Kusuo would surely be defeated at his feet!
"Zetsu, come out," Obito said to the wall at the far end of the secret chamber. He couldn't quite grasp Itachi's current attitude; he was aloof and maintained only a superficial relationship with the Akatsuki. He could be used, but not trusted.
"Kekeke, I'm busy. What's the rush?" The black-and-white Zetsu emerged from the wall with a sinister laugh, its mouth splitting open at an inhuman angle.
"Let's begin the fusion now," Obito said, a determined glint in his eye.
Zetsu was surprised. "So soon? You know the clones' condition is still unstable. If we fuse them rashly, it could lead to future trouble!" What he didn't say was that this "trouble" could very well be a schism of the soul.
"They're just soulless tools. What could possibly happen? Besides, with my eyes to suppress them, there won't be any major issues," Obito said dismissively.
"Alright." Zetsu's human-like half showed a helpless expression. He couldn't change Obito's mind once it was made up.
On the massive experimental platform, only two of the original seven bodies remained. They were snow-white and looked exactly like Obito. An oval, transparent glass cover enclosed them, with countless tubes extending inside, connected to the white clones. Beside them, complex and precise instruments provided by Orochimaru monitored the test subjects' data and status. The entire setup looked like a high-tech research facility.
If anyone from the ninja world were to stumble upon this place, they would be horrified to see that within the eye sockets of these two white test subjects were two pairs of crimson Sharingan! Not just with tomoe, but with shuriken-like patterns. Two pairs of identical Mangekyō Sharingan!
This was Obito's most hidden, and greatest, trump card. Even Itachi, using Shisui's eye, had failed to record this.
Obito's body suddenly appeared from a vortex and lay down on another bed. At the same time, Zetsu's body seeped out from one of the walls.
Obito gave Zetsu a deep look and said impassively, "Begin."
...
For a time, the ninja world was at peace. It was a brief respite in the midst of a great war. Aside from the Land of Water, which was still launching small-scale attacks with its ninja forces, the other two great nations had withdrawn their troops. One could even see Iwagakure ninja fighting alongside Konoha on the battlefield. The greatest crisis since the First Hokage pacified the chaotic world and established the villages had been resolved.
Only the higher-ups of Konoha and a small number of elite ninja knew that it was all thanks to the intervention of a single young man. Hatake Kusuo's true combat power had become clearly known to all. The term "Kage-level" was no longer sufficient to describe his strength!
Beneath this brief peace, undercurrents continued to flow. The biggest worry for the Five Great Nations was still the Akatsuki's Tailed Beast hunting plan. News that most of the Akatsuki's members had been killed by Hatake Kusuo had gradually spread throughout the ninja world. However, one mysterious man wearing a spiral mask could still appear anywhere unexpectedly, his phasing ability making him impossible to guard against. In just a few short months, he had caused considerable losses to the major ninja villages. The Five-Tails and Six-Tails Jinchuriki had been lost because of him!
Tsunade furrowed her brow, resting her chin on her hand in contemplation.
"Lady Tsunade, should we request Lord Kusuo's help?" Shizune asked cautiously, holding Tonton. Her words only made Tsunade's frown deepen, though she didn't refute the suggestion.
"This ninja world... it's getting more and more chaotic. So chaotic I can't even make sense of it anymore," Tsunade sighed after a long pause, lamenting the rapid and unexpected changes of the era. "I don't know what that brat is busy with all day. The village owes him too much, and there's very little that can restrain him."
This was Tsunade's biggest worry. In the past, whenever a talented ninja appeared in Konoha and made contributions on the battlefield, they would usually be promoted and rewarded with a forbidden jutsu. For example, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, earned great merits during the Third Great Ninja War, which earned him the reward of learning the Flying Thunder God Technique, allowing him to truly soar and be recognized by the entire ninja world as the "Yellow Flash."
But Hatake Kusuo needed nothing. The village had hinted more than once that they would let him study the contents of the Scroll of Seals, but he had refused every time without exception.
"That brat wasn't even interested in being Hokage. I really don't know what we can use to tie him down," Tsunade sighed with regret. "And... he's listening to me less and less..." This was the most important point. Hatake Kusuo was faintly showing a tendency to place himself above Konoha, to not listen to commands.
"This is bad! Lady Hokage! We've lost contact with all the ninja we stationed outside the village! We suspect they've been attacked!" The door suddenly burst open, and an intelligence division ninja rushed in, his face full of anxiety.
"What!?" Tsunade shot up, taking the frontline report and frowning deeply as she read it. The scroll indicated that Konoha's entire outer defense perimeter had been attacked by a mysterious organization and was on the verge of collapse!
"A mysterious organization? Where did another mysterious organization come from?" Tsunade muttered to herself. Since the report didn't confirm the enemy's identity, it was likely a new force. After all, the Akatsuki's actions were flamboyant, and their signature cloud-patterned robes were known throughout the ninja world.
"Go and summon Jiraiya and the elders," Tsunade ordered Shizune, making a swift decision. The situation was urgent and had to be dealt with immediately.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" Shizune replied respectfully, her expression also grave as she held Tonton.
Soon after, Jiraiya, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and several Anbu captains arrived.
"What's wrong, Tsunade? Did something major happen?" Jiraiya sensed something was amiss when he saw so many of Konoha's higher-ups gathered. It wasn't just him; the Anbu captains and the two old elders also looked grim. Konoha had suffered one disaster after another in the past couple of years. So, they were desperate to know what had happened now.
"See for yourselves. The village's outer perimeter was attacked, likely by a new mysterious organization. They wear masks and all carry swords. That's all the intelligence we have for now," Tsunade said, tossing them the scroll.
After they had all read the report, they were filled with uncertainty. They all wore masks and used swords, employing various sword techniques with almost no ninjutsu. When had such a strange force appeared in the ninja world?!
-------
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