Deep beneath the earth, inside a hidden underground chamber.
The atmosphere was deathly silent.
Black Zetsu stood motionless in the darkness.
The intelligence he had just received had left him unable to remain calm.
Nagato was alive.
Not only was he alive, but his body had been completely restored.
Even worse...
He had openly appeared in Konoha.
Black Zetsu's face darkened.
For over a thousand years, he had manipulated countless generations, carefully guiding events toward the resurrection of the Ten-Tails and ultimately Kaguya.
Every step had required meticulous planning.
Every piece had been moved into place over centuries.
And now one of the most important pieces had simply walked off the board.
"Naruto Uzumaki..."
Black Zetsu muttered the name.
This variable had grown far beyond his expectations.
Originally, Naruto should have been a weapon.
A Jinchūriki.
A powerful force that could be captured and sealed.
Instead, he had become someone capable of influencing the entire future of the shinobi world.
The more troublesome part was Nagato's defection.
Without the Rinnegan, the Moon's Eye Plan could not proceed.
At least not in its current form.
Black Zetsu's gaze turned cold.
"No."
"I won't allow thousands of years of preparation to collapse here."
The shadows around him twisted.
A spiral distortion appeared nearby.
Obito emerged from Kamui space.
His expression was equally grim.
"Any news?"
Black Zetsu nodded.
"They're in Konoha."
Obito's single visible eye narrowed.
"So it really happened."
For several moments, neither spoke.
Rain could be heard faintly falling outside the underground hideout.
Finally, Obito broke the silence.
"What about Nagato's condition?"
Black Zetsu replied slowly.
"Completely recovered."
"..."
Obito's expression froze.
That answer was even worse than he had expected.
The Nagato he controlled before had possessed overwhelming power, but his crippled body severely limited him.
A healthy Nagato was an entirely different matter.
Combined with Naruto?
The thought alone was dangerous.
Obito clenched his fist.
"Can we retrieve him?"
Black Zetsu immediately shook his head.
"Not now."
"Not while Naruto is protecting him."
Obito's expression darkened further.
He knew Black Zetsu was right.
Naruto alone was already becoming difficult to handle.
Adding a fully restored Nagato, Konan, Konoha, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and the rest of Konoha's forces...
Launching a direct assault would be suicide.
For the first time in years, Obito felt trapped.
Everything was slipping from his control.
Far away in Konoha.
The atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
The afternoon sun bathed the village in warm light.
After the training match, Naruto and the others returned to the village together.
Nagato walked through the streets quietly.
For years, he had lived hidden away in darkness.
This kind of peaceful scene felt almost unreal.
Children ran through the streets laughing.
Merchants called out to customers.
Families walked together.
No explosions.
No war.
No death.
Just ordinary life.
Konan noticed the look in his eyes.
"You like it?"
Nagato smiled faintly.
"I do."
For a moment, he seemed to see Yahiko standing beside them.
The dream they had once pursued.
A world where people could simply live normal lives.
Perhaps it had never truly disappeared.
Perhaps they had simply lost sight of it.
Naruto suddenly pointed ahead.
"There's your new house."
Nagato blinked.
Before them stood a modest but comfortable home.
Nothing extravagant.
Just a normal residence.
Konan stared at it.
Then at Naruto.
"You arranged all of this already?"
Naruto shrugged.
"Tsunade helped."
"Mostly because she didn't want two S-rank shinobi wandering around homeless."
Konan laughed softly.
Even Nagato couldn't suppress a smile.
For years, they had carried the burden of leading Akatsuki.
Now they were discussing housing arrangements.
The contrast was almost absurd.
As they entered the house, Naruto suddenly froze.
His sensory ability had detected something.
A familiar chakra.
Fast.
Approaching Konoha.
Very fast.
Naruto's smile disappeared.
Nagato immediately noticed.
"What is it?"
Naruto turned toward the village wall.
His blue eyes sharpened.
"A guest."
"A very troublesome guest."
Far outside Konoha.
A masked figure stood atop a distant cliff.
The orange spiral mask concealed his expression.
One crimson Sharingan stared toward the village.
Obito had arrived.
And this time, he wasn't planning to leave empty-handed.
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