"What? A ninja organization calling itself the Akatsuki is assisting the Resistance?!"
Inside the Hokage's office in the Hidden Leaf Village, Tsunade slammed her hands down and bolted upright from her chair, her face a mask of utter disbelief.
The core objective of the Resistance was to overthrow the rule of the nobility, the Daimyō, and the hidden villages. In her eyes, there shouldn't have been a single ninja or hidden village willing to support such a cause.
Shikaku Nara rubbed his temples, his expression bitter as he replied, "I'm not entirely sure how it happened either. But one thing is certain: the individual manipulating the clay bombs possesses extremely high mobility, allowing him to traverse various battlefields in a short amount of time. His goal is simple, to sabotage our containment of the Resistance, and he has undeniably succeeded."
"Who is this person? Does the Intelligence Division have a file on him?" Tsunade turned her gaze directly toward the archivist in charge of records.
The assistant glanced at the photograph, searched his memory for a few seconds, and immediately replied, "The blond individual is named Deidara. He was once a disciple of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki. His ability involves using clay to craft various high-yield explosives. He went rogue some time ago under unclear circumstances."
"A rogue ninja?" Tsunade stroked her chin, sinking into thought.
Normally, rogue ninjas spent their lives hiding from the great villages. Why would one suddenly leap into the spotlight to oppose Konoha, especially by siding with the Resistance?
While she was grappling with this mystery, two more shinobi burst into the room, placing several intelligence scrolls onto her desk. "Hokage-sama, these are urgent reports from the Land of Lightning and the Land of Wind. They appear to be under attack by the Akatsuki as well. Thus far, we have confirmed three more identities: Sasori, the genius puppeteer who deserted the Sand; Kisame Hoshigaki of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist; and Itachi Uchiha. Additionally, there is one unidentified individual."
"Sasori, Kisame Hoshigaki, Itachi Uchiha, Deidara... damn it! This Akatsuki organization has managed to assemble so many dangerous S-rank criminals right under our noses! Their ambitions must be immense!"
Tsunade realized the terrifying scope of the Akatsuki almost instantly.
Every single one of these rogue ninjas was, without question, Kage-level in strength. Even more chilling was the realization that if an organization could force such prideful, unruly men to follow orders, how powerful must its leader be?
Silence fell over the Hokage's office.
As the saying goes, one wave follows another. Konoha was already struggling with the headache of a Resistance that seemed to multiply no matter how many cells were liquidated. Now, with the sudden emergence of the hostile Akatsuki, it wouldn't be long before the fragile ruling structure of the Land of Fire descended into absolute chaos.
The Resistance, in particular, was ruthless, executing any noble they captured without hesitation. A mass culling of the nobility would lead to a total collapse of social order, leaving the Daimyō unable to govern or collect taxes.
If the Daimyō lacked tax revenue, he naturally couldn't fund his armies or provide the massive subsidies required by the hidden village.
Consequently, Konoha's situation would grow increasingly dire, allowing the Resistance to seize the opportunity to expand. It was a classic, unsolvable vicious cycle.
"We must eliminate the Akatsuki! At any cost!"
Tsunade slammed the desk again, making a public executive decision.
Her reasoning was straightforward: I might not be able to provoke Allen and his weapons of mass destruction, but I certainly won't be bullied by a band of rogue ninjas.
Furthermore, the Akatsuki wasn't just targeting the Leaf; they were hitting the Cloud and the Sand as well. While it might be difficult for Konoha to face so many dangerous criminals alone, a coalition would make the task far easier.
Under the command of the Fifth Hokage, the shinobi of Konoha mobilized rapidly, some gathering intelligence, others departing as envoys to forge alliances with other villages.
Unbeknownst to her, however, every one of her reactions was being observed and anticipated.
Watching the shinobi constantly streaming in and out of the village gates, Black Zetsu, hiding in the shadows, couldn't help but reveal a playful smile. He lowered his voice and said to the Obito beside him, "With the Akatsuki drawing the attention of the great hidden villages and Allen handling the collection of the Tailed Beasts, it seems the plan is back on track."
"Indeed. It's just a pity we're currently missing the Three-Tails, and his body can't accommodate more than five Tailed Beasts yet. After capturing the Six-Tails, he'll likely stay quiet for a while." Obito nodded nonchalantly.
"How much longer until the Three-Tails resurrects?" Black Zetsu asked without turning his head.
"Probably two or three years. During that time, we need to throw the entire Shinobi world into as much chaos as possible, leaving the great nations exhausted and desperate, to the point where they might even forget about the Tailed Beasts. Are you ready?" Obito's lips curled into a meaningful smirk.
Black Zetsu immediately replied, "Of course! I've already infiltrated the Hidden Sound Village in the Land of Rice Fields. Once Orochimaru dies, that place will become ours. Whether it's the Resistance or Kabuto Yakushi, they will all unknowingly serve the Eye of the Moon Plan."
"Be careful. If Allen finds out you're tampering with the seeds he's sown, it could be very dangerous," Obito reminded him with feigned concern.
"Don't worry, I'm not that easy to catch. And besides... I truly do hope these commoners manage to overthrow the rule of the Daimyō, the nobles, and the hidden villages."
With that, Black Zetsu sank into the ground and vanished without a trace.
However, less than a minute after he left, a swirling black hole appeared in the air.
In the next second, Allen stepped out of the portal, asking with a knowing smile, "Is it all set?"
"Yeah, it's done. The only reason Black Zetsu could deceive so many people in the past was because no one knew his origin or identity. Now that everything is exposed, how could someone of his intellect possibly be our match?" Obito replied, his voice laced with a cold, cruel satisfaction.
It was evident he was relishing the process of revenge, savoring the feeling of playing his former manipulator, the one who had toyed with his emotions, for a fool.
There was no helping it. From the moment he watched Rin die, his heart had fallen completely into darkness, never to bask in the sunlight again. Anyone who stays in the dark too long is bound to become a bit twisted.
His only remaining desire was to drag Madara and Black Zetsu into the abyss with him before he finally sank into the endless void.
Allen understood Obito's thirst for vengeance and had no intention of stopping him. He merely smiled and lamented, "True enough. Black Zetsu was never the terrifying part; the truly terrifying thing is the human heart! If it weren't for people like you, Nagato, Madara, and Indra, people with intense dissatisfaction and resentment toward the world, how could he have stirred up such a storm, no matter how cunning he was? So, for the sake of this world and the ordinary people struggling to survive, we must settle the score with the Progenitor of Chakra once and for all."
"I will atone for my past mistakes... with my own life," Obito whispered, lightly touching his two new Kamui Sharingan.