Chapter 83: Black Zetsu's Determination — The Plan Must Not Be Destroyed!
Inside the dark, towering space of Akatsuki headquarters, three figures stood in different positions, each enveloped in heavy silence.
It had been four full days with no word from Sasori of the Red Sand.
The man had completely vanished—no response even to Pain's Deva Path's Thought Wave.
"It seems Sasori has defected as well."
Pain's Deva Path calmly stated his conclusion.
"What do you plan to do, Madara?"
He turned his head toward Uchiha Obito.
Obito's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He stood with arms crossed, remaining silent.
"These latecomers really aren't reliable at all!"
"I should have just killed them from the start."
Kakuzu muttered irritably to himself.
"It's still too early to conclude anything. Let's wait for Zetsu to return and hear what he has to say."
Obito finally spoke.
He had already dispatched Black Zetsu to investigate.
He wanted to know exactly what had happened to Sasori that caused him to go dark for several days.
Hearing Obito's words, both Deva Path and Kakuzu fell silent again.
After waiting a short while, a figure suddenly rose from one of the massive fingers of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path on the left.
It was the merged Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, looking almost identical to their main bodies.
"Did you find the information we needed?"
Obito asked the moment he saw Black Zetsu and White Zetsu appear.
"We have some leads, but the results probably won't make you happy."
White Zetsu said with a playful tone.
Before he could continue teasing, Black Zetsu spoke gravely:
"Sasori of the Red Sand has defected. About four days ago, he abandoned his assigned mission route and went straight to Kirigakure."
"He has now joined Kirigakure and is working under Hōzuki Oborotsuki."
"Working under Hōzuki Oborotsuki? That kid?"
Kakuzu's eyes widened in disbelief at Black Zetsu's words, but he clearly didn't buy it.
In his eyes, Sasori wasn't particularly impressive.
But to think the man would willingly submit to someone like Oborotsuki? Impossible.
That guy wasn't the type to bow his head easily.
"Heh heh… don't underestimate Oborotsuki. He's now the number-two figure in Kirigakure!"
White Zetsu added with a mocking,阴阳 tone.
Kakuzu's pupils flickered. His sharp, blade-like gaze turned toward White Zetsu:
"So… Sasori really did betray us. What do you plan to do, Uchiha Madara?"
Kakuzu turned to Obito.
When he first learned that the man secretly directing all of Akatsuki's movements was actually this guy, Kakuzu had been shocked.
Now he was much calmer.
"There's another piece of bad news."
Before Obito could respond to Kakuzu, Black Zetsu spoke again.
Obito's gaze darkened to an extreme.
He stared at Black Zetsu without a word.
"After Orochimaru defected, intelligence confirms that he too has joined Kirigakure."
"Hōzuki Oborotsuki not only has the Nine-Tails and Three-Tails—he's actively poaching our members. It's clear he intends to be our enemy."
"His goal is obvious. If we don't take action soon, our ultimate plan will be seriously threatened by that kid…"
Black Zetsu warned Obito once more.
But at this point, Obito's eyes had calmed.
He looked toward Pain's Deva Path without emotion.
"If it's one-on-one… what are your chances of winning against that kid?"
This question was no small matter.
First, Kirigakure was a whole village. Though greatly weakened, it still had many elite shinobi.
The current Fifth Mizukage, Terumī Mei, was also a formidable opponent.
Moreover, both Orochimaru and Sasori had now joined Oborotsuki's side.
Add Konan to the equation, and the other side already had near parity with Akatsuki.
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu together only counted as half a combatant.
From this perspective, the other side might even hold a slight advantage.
Because Akatsuki only had three usable fighters.
Obito had fought Oborotsuki before—he knew very well how strong that guy was.
If they couldn't eliminate the kid, any move they made now would have low chances of success.
"From our past few encounters, Oborotsuki has been growing at an alarming rate. His strength is improving far too quickly—unnaturally fast."
Deva Path didn't answer directly at first.
He first analyzed the observations he had made about Oborotsuki during this period.
"What are your odds of beating him?"
Obito asked again.
"Less than forty percent."
"Even with all Six Paths of Pain together, against Hōzuki Oborotsuki, our chances are only forty percent."
"And that would still require careful preparation beforehand…"
Deva Path finally answered.
Obito fell silent.
Black Zetsu also said nothing. Only Kakuzu looked incredulous again:
"What are you two talking about?"
"Leader—with your strength, you only have a forty percent chance of beating that kid in a one-on-one fight?"
Kakuzu recalled Oborotsuki's appearance and demeanor, finding Deva Path's statement simply absurd—unbelievable!
But facing Kakuzu's doubt, Deva Path offered no further explanation.
Obito also remained silent.
In the end, it was Black Zetsu who spoke again:
"I have already confirmed the locations of the remaining tailed beasts."
"If we ignore the risks of capturing them and the enormous chakra required for the Tailed Beast Sealing Technique, we could begin capturing the remaining seven tailed beasts immediately."
"From the current situation, Hōzuki Oborotsuki will undoubtedly become the biggest obstacle to our plan."
"To avoid falling into an even more passive position, we must accelerate the plan."
Black Zetsu urged Obito once more.
This wasn't about some nonsense Moon's Eye Plan. It wasn't about bringing eternal peace to the world.
Black Zetsu had only one goal: revive Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
He had worked so hard for so many years.
Everything had been going exactly according to his design—until Hōzuki Oborotsuki suddenly appeared.
His instincts told him: if he didn't make changes soon, his plan would fall apart.
"Reviving Mother Kaguya is non-negotiable!"
"I absolutely will not allow anyone to destroy my plan!!"
Black Zetsu thought viciously in his heart.
Just as he was about to speak again while watching Obito, the latter finally spoke:
"Deva Path—you and Kakuzu form a team. Starting today, abandon all bounty missions."
"Our only goal now is to capture the remaining tailed beasts at full force!"
"Once the seven tailed beasts are sealed, we will deal with Hōzuki Oborotsuki and Kirigakure with everything we have!"
After weighing the pros and cons, Obito finally made his decision.
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