The Hokage's office had never felt so heavy. Scrolls lay unrolled across the desk, ink still drying where Tsunade had scrawled orders to ANBU and messengers. But the words spoken moments ago—the Rinnegan—still rang louder than any command.
For once, even Shikaku Nara's usual calm faltered. He rubbed his temple slowly, trying to weigh strategy against dread.
"The Rinnegan…" he muttered, almost to himself. "If the stories are true, then Akatsuki's leader isn't just another missing-nin. He could rival the very founder of ninjutsu. Even the Uchiha and the Hyūga together… their bloodlines don't compare."
Hiashi Hyūga's jaw tightened at the remark, though he said nothing. His pale eyes flicked briefly toward Naruto, who stood straight-backed at the center of the room, expression unreadable.
Gaara, the young Kazekage, leaned forward. His voice was calm but firm. "If the Akatsuki leader has that power, then no single village can oppose him. We must join forces."
Tsunade exhaled, resting her chin against steepled fingers. "Easier said than done. The Raikage will listen only if convinced it serves his pride. The Tsuchikage has spent decades mistrusting every alliance. And Kirigakure…" She shook her head. "The Mist is in turmoil. Their Mizukage is weak, their council fractured. Cooperation is unlikely."
"Then we start with those who will listen," Jiraiya said from the corner, his usual grin absent. His eyes were shadowed, thoughtful. "Gaara is here. The Sand already proved its will to stand beside Konoha. The Raikage may be swayed if the threat to his brother becomes clear. The others can be dragged along later, whether they like it or not."
Shikaku nodded slowly. "Strategically sound. We begin with the willing, pressure the reluctant. But we'll need proof of Akatsuki's strength to force their hands."
At that, Naruto spoke. His voice was quiet but carried an edge of certainty. "Proof will come soon. Akatsuki won't stay in the shadows forever. When they move, the world will see what we're facing."
His words drew more than one sharp glance. Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly, as if reading beneath the surface of Naruto's calm. But the boy's expression betrayed nothing further.
That night, as the meeting dispersed, Jiraiya lingered by the Hokage's window, staring at the village lights. Tsunade joined him, a cup of sake in her hand.
"You're quiet," she said softly.
Jiraiya chuckled without humor. "I was just thinking… if it really is Nagato…" His voice trailed off, the name carrying weight only the two of them understood.
Tsunade's hand stilled on her cup. "You still blame yourself."
"He was our responsibility," Jiraiya said, eyes distant. "A war orphan we left behind. Yahiko, Konan, Nagato… if the Rinnegan I saw in those eyes really belongs to him, then I created this mess as much as anyone."
Tsunade turned her gaze back to the village below. "You always carry everything alone, you fool. Maybe it's time you trust someone else."
Jiraiya gave her a faint smile. "Maybe. But not yet."
Far from the Hokage's office, in a shadowed underground chamber, another conversation was unfolding.
Orochimaru reclined in his throne-like chair, pale fingers tapping against the armrest. Before him knelt Kabuto, his expression carefully masked, though his eyes gleamed with calculation.
"So," Orochimaru hissed, his tongue flicking briefly past his lips, "Konoha prepares for a grand alliance. How amusing. Tsunade is gathering the great powers like frightened children huddling in a storm."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Frightened or not, they are right to fear. If Akatsuki truly has the Rinnegan, even you, Orochimaru-sama, must admit that changes the board."
Orochimaru's smile was thin and sharp. "Which is why I no longer fight the board. I simply wait. When the pieces fall, I'll be the one to pick them up."
His eyes slid to the shadows at the edge of the chamber. "Isn't that right… Naruto-kun?"
The darkness shimmered faintly, and Naruto stepped forward. His expression was calm, but his gaze was cool and unwavering.
"You've played with the world long enough, Orochimaru. From now on, you'll follow my script."
Kabuto stiffened, but Orochimaru only laughed softly, a dry, serpentine sound. "So bold. You've grown more dangerous than I imagined."
Naruto's Mangekyō flickered briefly, the tomoe spinning, and Orochimaru's smile faltered just a fraction. The memory of that irresistible genjutsu—the Kotoamatsukami twisting his will like paper—was still too fresh.
Naruto leaned closer, his voice quiet but sharp. "I don't care about your ambitions. You'll serve me because you have no choice. Play your part, and when the storm comes, you'll live to see it. Cross me, and you'll be erased."
The air between them was tense, Kabuto's hand twitching unconsciously toward a kunai. But Orochimaru raised one pale hand, stopping him.
"Very well," the snake Sannin whispered. "I'll dance to your tune, Naruto-kun. For now."
Naruto turned away, satisfied. His path required allies—even twisted ones. If the world thought Orochimaru remained free, then Akatsuki's gaze would remain divided.
And in the shadows, his plan could begin.
Meanwhile, far to the west, storm clouds brewed over a desolate plain. Sasuke Uchiha stood across from a masked man cloaked in black—the one who called himself Madara.
"You've grown stronger," the masked man said, voice deep and unreadable. "But strength without purpose is wasted. Your brother's end approaches. When the time comes, you will strike."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, the three tomoe of his Sharingan spinning. "I don't need your guidance."
"Perhaps not. But you'll take it anyway." The masked man's single eye glimmered. "Because you crave the truth more than anything. And I am the only one who can give it to you."
Sasuke said nothing, but his silence was answer enough.
Back in Konoha, the council chamber filled once more. Messengers had already been dispatched to Sunagakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure. Whether the other villages would answer remained uncertain, but the letters bore the seal of the Hokage and the Kazekage alike.
Tsunade addressed her advisors bluntly. "The era of isolation is over. From this day forward, Konoha will not stand alone. If the other villages refuse, we'll remind them that Akatsuki has no borders. One by one, their jinchūriki will fall if they do nothing."
Shikaku inclined his head. "We should prepare for resistance from Onoki. The old man won't bend easily. And the Mist's instability means their answer could change day to day."
"Then we prepare contingencies," Tsunade said. "I won't let Konoha be blindsided again."
Her gaze shifted to Naruto, who stood silently at the chamber's edge. "You'll continue your training. I want you ready for anything."
Naruto bowed his head. "Understood."
Inside, however, his thoughts were already moving elsewhere. Training was necessary, yes—but his real strength would come from the plan no one else knew. The eyes of Shisui, the knowledge locked within Orochimaru, the latent power of Kurama within him… all threads in a tapestry only he could weave.
If the Akatsuki leader truly bore the Rinnegan, then even the Five Kage might not be enough. But Naruto was not aiming to simply resist.
He was aiming to surpass.
Weeks passed swiftly. Gaara returned to Sunagakure, sending word that his council had agreed—Suna would stand beside Konoha. Letters from Kumogakure brought more difficult news: the Raikage demanded proof before committing troops. Iwagakure's reply was slow, filled with suspicion. And Kirigakure's response was silence.
Still, progress had been made. For the first time since the founding of the shinobi villages, an alliance was not just an ideal but a possibility.
Naruto stood on the Hokage Monument one evening, gazing at the horizon as the wind tugged at his cloak. Below, the village buzzed with life, unaware of the storm on its borders.
Kurama's deep voice rumbled in his mind. You're playing a dangerous game, brat. Manipulating Orochimaru, hiding power from your own comrades… If they discover the truth, they'll brand you a traitor.
Naruto smirked faintly. "Let them. When the dust settles, they'll see I did what had to be done."
And if you fail?
"Then at least I'll fall chasing a future where no one else has to suffer as I did."
The fox was silent for a long moment, then gave a low, grudging laugh. Hmph. You sound more like me every day.
Naruto's smirk softened into a quiet smile. His plan was dangerous, perhaps reckless. But it had already begun. And nothing—not Akatsuki, not the Five Kage, not even fate itself—would keep him from seeing it through.
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