Chapter 386: Obito's Plan
The dim light of the cavern flickered against the jagged stone walls, casting long, distorted shadows across the uneven floor. Obito stood at the center of the gloom, his single visible eye gleaming with a cold, predatory light from behind his spiraled mask.
"Since we are going to incite chaos," Obito began, his voice dropping into a harsh, grating register that echoed off the damp stone, "we might as well drag the entire world into the abyss."
He raised a gloved hand, holding up a single finger.
"The operation will proceed in two distinct phases. Phase one. We deploy the White Zetsu, heavily disguised as Konoha shinobi. From their ranks, we form a highly coordinated, hundred-man assault unit."
He traced a line in the dirt with the tip of his boot. "Their primary objective is the joint border outpost recently established by Kumogakure and Iwagakure."
The temperature in the cave seemed to plummet as his tone turned entirely devoid of warmth.
"There is no need to slaughter the entire garrison. Simply ignite the chaos. Leave behind irrefutable evidence of a Konoha-sanctioned strike, and..." A cruel curve formed beneath his mask. "...ensure a handful of survivors escape to deliver the news."
A few paces away, Uchiha Madara leaned against a towering stalagmite, his arms crossed over his crimson armor. His dark eyes, ancient and heavy with absolute authority, tracked Obito's movements with icy detachment.
A harsh scoff echoed through the damp air.
"Child's play," Madara spat, the sheer contempt in his voice cutting through the silence. "Framing others? Sowing discord from the shadows?"
He pushed off the rock, his towering presence demanding the attention of the room. "Obito, it seems your vision has narrowed to the scope of a rat. You limit yourself to playing these pathetic gutter tricks."
To Madara, true, absolute power did not require deception. It demanded direct, overwhelming subjugation. Only the weak and the cowardly carefully plotted such petty schemes of misdirection.
Obito did not even flinch at the insult. His gaze remained fixed forward. He knew the reality of their situation far better than the arrogant ghost of the Uchiha. A head-on collision right now was tantamount to suicide. Uchiha Akira's monstrous strength was a glaring, unavoidable obstacle; if they failed to drag the rest of the shinobi nations into the meat grinder, their chances of victory were nonexistent.
"The method is irrelevant," Obito replied flatly. "Only the result matters."
From the deeper shadows of the cavern, a wet, sickening sound broke the tension. Orochimaru stepped forward, his unnaturally long tongue sliding over his pale lips.
"Framing?" The Sannin hissed, a dark amusement dancing in his serpentine eyes. "A rather old-fashioned tactic, but historically effective."
He tilted his head, his long black hair shifting over his shoulders. "However, Obito-kun... a simple raid on a border outpost is hardly enough to drive the Raikage and the Tsuchikage to absolute madness, wouldn't you agree?"
Orochimaru chuckled, a dry, rattling sound. "Raikage Ay may possess the temper of a rabid dog, but that old fossil Ōnoki is notoriously shrewd. Konoha's current momentum is terrifying, and Uchiha Akira's fearsome reputation casts a very long shadow."
He narrowed his golden eyes. "Unless you cross their absolute bottom line, those two Kage will likely swallow their pride and endure the insult. After all, no one wishes to be the first idiot to stick their neck out and draw the ire of a monster like Akira."
A low, mocking laugh escaped Obito's throat.
"That is precisely why I said we must be ruthless."
He stepped closer to the dim light, his Sharingan spinning lazily. "The second phase is the true killing stroke. The outpost raid is merely an appetizer to draw their eyes."
"What will truly push those two hidden villages into a rabid frenzy... are the Jinchuriki."
Obito's voice hardened, laying out the targets like pieces on a shogi board. "Using the chaos at the border as our smokescreen, we strike the Jinchuriki of both nations simultaneously."
"From Kumogakure: Nii Yugito, the Two-Tails, and Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails."
"From Iwagakure: Roshi, the Four-Tails, and Han, the Five-Tails."
He clenched his gloved hand into a tight fist. "All four of them must be captured. Without fail."
Emerging from the stone floor like a puddle of living ink, Black Zetsu finally broke his silence. His yellow eyes gleamed with malicious intelligence.
"A brilliant deduction," Zetsu rasped, his voice sounding like grinding stones. "In the current geopolitical landscape, there is only one military force capable of simultaneously subduing four fully-realized Jinchuriki."
"Konoha," Zetsu hissed. "More specifically... only Uchiha Akira possesses that level of overwhelming might."
"By the time the dust settles, even if Kumogakure and Iwagakure harbor doubts, the sheer scale of the attack will leave them no alternative. They will be forced to believe Konoha orchestrated the entire affair."
"Exactly," Obito agreed, his sneer deepening. "And Kumogakure will be the easiest to break. The Fourth Raikage, Ay, is a muscle-brained brute driven by emotion. Killer Bee is not just a military asset to him; he is his sworn brother. His most vital partner."
Obito spread his arms, visualizing the impending carnage. "If Killer Bee is dragged away by Konoha operatives, his fate left entirely unknown... that brute will lose whatever little sanity he possesses."
He tightened his grip, the leather of his gloves creaking. He could already picture the flames engulfing the ninja world.
"Until now, Kumogakure and Iwagakure have maintained a fragile alliance, yet they remain paralyzed. They cower behind their walls, terrified of becoming Konoha's next primary target, terrified of sharing the miserable fates of Sunagakure and Kirigakure."
"We are going to shatter that delicate balance."
Obito's voice grew louder, echoing off the cavern walls. "We will hand them a reason they must fight. A reason that forces them to realize that if they do not strike back with every last drop of their blood, they are simply waiting for the slaughter."
Once their Jinchuriki were stolen away, both nations would conclude that Konoha had already initiated their extermination protocol. Cornered beasts did not sit idly by; they bared their fangs.
"The final outcome," Obito declared, his voice rising in a fanatical crescendo.
"Kumogakure and Iwagakure will empty their armories. They will march their full military forces across the continent, conscripting every minor hidden village they can intimidate into their ranks, all to launch a desperate, suicidal crusade against Konoha."
He pointed a finger toward the cavern ceiling. "And while they bleed each other dry... we will strike Konoha's heart."
"Bolstered by Orochimaru's Edo Tensei army and a legion of one hundred thousand White Zetsu..."
Obito's Sharingan flared with manic intensity. "This will be the spark. This is the Fourth Great Ninja War!"
His frantic declaration bounced off the damp stone, lingering in the heavy air.
Beside him, Black Zetsu let out a grotesque, bubbling laugh.
"Heheheh..."
"What a flawless design," Zetsu praised, sinking slightly back into the floor. "Weaponizing the inherent flaws of human nature. Twisting their deepest fears into the very fuel that will burn their world to ash. You have grown quite a bit, Obito."
Obito opened his mouth to detail the deployment, but a heavy, suffocating pressure suddenly flooded the cave.
"Do not include me in this tedious game of make-believe," Uchiha Madara interrupted, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that commanded absolute silence.
Madara uncrossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over the room like a god inspecting insects. "Whether it is the Raikage, the Tsuchikage, or those pathetic beasts you call Jinchuriki... such insignificant extras are entirely unworthy of my time."
He turned his back to them, his massive gunbai resting against the stone behind him. "I harbor zero interest in listening to the wails of the weak. I will step onto the battlefield for one reason, and one reason alone: to crush Uchiha Akira."
Madara glanced over his shoulder, his cold eyes flashing with lethal intent.
"Until that moment arrives, do not disturb me. When Akira reveals himself, I will take his head. As for the rest of these petty errands... you will manage them yourselves."
Retreating further into the shadows, Orochimaru watched the exchange with mounting fascination. A thin, amused smile stretched across his pale face.
'So this is the legendary Uchiha Madara,'Orochimaru mused inwardly.'Even backed into a corner against an overwhelming enemy, that deeply ingrained, suffocating arrogance remains completely untarnished.'
Beneath his mask, Obito's jaw locked. A vein pulsed at his temple. If he had the luxury of choice, he would have driven a fist straight into Madara's smug face.
But he forced his hands to remain at his sides, swallowing the surge of venomous anger. He needed Madara. Without the legendary ghost's overwhelming combat power, their entire grand design would crumble before Akira's might.
"As you wish," Obito finally replied, exhaling a long, measured breath. When he spoke again, his tone had regained its icy composure. "Just ensure you do not falter when you finally stand before Uchiha Akira. We will handle the groundwork."
Madara offered nothing more than a contemptuous snort, closing his eyes. It was the closest thing to an agreement they would get.
Dismissing the insufferable relic, Obito shifted his absolute focus to the Sannin.
"You heard him," Obito said flatly. "Madara refuses to lift a finger. The burden of securing the Jinchuriki falls entirely on us."
He stepped toward a crude map carved into the stone table. "I will personally infiltrate Iwagakure territory to extract Roshi and Han, the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails."
His gloved finger dragged across the map, stopping squarely over the jagged peaks of the Land of Lightning. "However, I cannot be in two places at once. That leaves Kumogakure."
"Nii Yugito and Killer Bee." Obito tapped the stone for emphasis. "These two are not ordinary vessels. Killer Bee, in particular, is a perfect Jinchuriki, possessing complete synchronization with his beast. His combat prowess is monstrous., Raikage Ay's speed is unmatched; getting bogged down in a battle of attrition with him would be disastrous for our timeline."
Obito looked up, his single Sharingan locking onto Orochimaru's golden, snake-like slits.
"Orochimaru."
"Deploy your most formidable Edo Tensei pawns to Kumogakure." The command left no room for negotiation. "You will bring the Eight-Tails and the Two-Tails back to me. Alive."
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