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The Rinnegan was immensely powerful – Kazuki would concede that point. Simply comparing the level of power, the only thing that could rival the Rinnegan was the Tenseigan. The problem was, while the Rinnegan was undoubtedly powerful, it also depended on whose Rinnegan it was.
Even if Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan fell into Obito's hands, so what? Would Obito dare to use it casually? Could he even bring out the Rinnegan's true power? In the original timeline, why had Obito only implanted a single Rinnegan? Aside from the sheer might of Kamui, the greater reason was that he simply couldn't withstand the burden. A single Rinnegan could still be sustained and utilized with the support of Uchiha bloodline and the White Zetsu cells.
If it had been a pair of Rinnegan, Obito would have absolutely become Nagato Version Two – perhaps even more wretched than Nagato. Obito didn't possess Nagato's monstrous vitality or chakra reserves. If he dared implant a pair of Rinnegan that didn't belong to him, the moment he tried to wield them, he'd likely be drained completely dry – not a single drop left. If Obito truly came seeking trouble with the Rinnegan, Kazuki would simply crook his finger at him: "Bring it on"
Forget a pair of Rinnegan – even with just one, Obito wouldn't be able to pull off any tricks.
The Fourth Great Ninja War in the original timeline was the best proof. On the surface, Obito had implanted a Rinnegan, but in practice, that eye was essentially a decorative vase. He relied almost entirely on his own Mangekyo. To put it bluntly, the Rinnegan wasn't so easy to master, especially someone else's Rinnegan. Unless the Sage of Six Paths suddenly took a shine to Obito, adopted him as a godson, and used his own chakra to evolve Obito's Mangekyo into a Rinnegan like Sasuke's – only then could Obito wield it freely. No, wait. Even free usage wouldn't work, because the Rinnegan was an immense chakra drain... Without vast chakra reserves to support it, without a Rinnegan truly belonging to him, even possessing the thing would make it little more than a decorative piece.
To save his mother, Black Zetsu had endured in the shinobi world for countless years. His ability to read people was second to none. A single glance was all Black Zetsu needed to know what was going through Obito's mind. This guy had set his sights on Madara's Rinnegan. Speechless as he was, Black Zetsu had no intention of warning Obito. There was simply no need. In fact, he even hoped Obito would show some initiative and ideally handle all the preparatory work for the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan on his behalf, saving Black Zetsu the trouble of running around the world, expending heart and soul.
Regrettably, Obito was far from that reliable. Not only was he unreliable, but he was also a walking basket of problems, brimming with petty schemes. Black Zetsu was destined for no rest. He could only continue his frenetic pace, dashing across the shinobi world, living his perpetually busy existence.
"Lord Advisor, the delegations from the Mist Village and the Sand Village have arrived."
"Arrange accommodations for them. Be mindful to keep their quarters far apart. Don't pull any of those roundabout tricks like making them neighbors." This was a ploy every village loved to employ – not just the Leaf. Placing two villages at odds right next to each other left both sides feeling disgruntled in their lodgings, prone to stirring up trouble, and ultimately leading to mutual humiliation. However, for the peace talks between the Mist and the Sand, Kazuki had no intention of playing any petty games. Therefore, these kinds of underhanded tactics could be dispensed with. "Yes, my lord."
"It's rather strange, come to think of it. I just casually threw it out there, yet the Kazekage and Mizukage actually agreed and set the location for the peace talks right here in our Leaf Village." Originally, after discussions between the Mist and the Sand, the chosen location for the talks had been at the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind. As for the exact site, the two sides had been locked in a tug-of-war. Unable to stomach the indecision any longer, Kazuki had offhandedly suggested: why not just hold the talks in the Leaf Village? To his surprise, both Mei Terumi and Rasa, after brief consideration, had agreed. And so, the negotiation venue was moved to the Leaf Village.
Holding the peace talks in the Leaf Village was, logically, a very reasonable choice. Previously, neither Rasa nor Mei Terumi had proactively suggested it; they had only asked Kazuki to serve as an intermediary. Since both sides wanted a location advantageous to themselves, leading to constant deadlock, why not simply hold it in the Leaf Village? And Kazuki himself had voiced the suggestion.
So, the Leaf Village it was. Mei Terumi and Rasa were remarkably decisive. Ironically, the one left feeling aggrieved was Kazuki himself. I was just running my mouth! Why did you have to take it seriously?! While hosting the peace talks in the Leaf Village was certainly good for the village's prestige, Kazuki had no need to go through such troublesome affairs to boost the village's reputation.
The arrival of the two village delegations, conducted openly and without any attempt at concealment, was a clear declaration to the entire world: the peace negotiations between the Mist and Sand Villages were taking place in the Leaf Village. Conveniently, with the Leaf Village acting as the intermediary, there was no location more suitable. Being the intermediary and hosting the peace talks was undoubtedly a matter of immense prestige. Had it been the Third Hokage, he would have been ecstatic.
Unfortunately, Kazuki had no taste for this kind of thing. To him, reputation was fine if it was good; if not, so be it. Personal strength was what truly mattered. Look at the Cloud Village – was their reputation good? So what if their reputation wasn't stellar? They were still a formidable power among the Five Great Shinobi Villages
A single stomp of their foot was enough to make other villages sit up and take serious notice. Even if the Leaf Village's reputation wasn't pristine, as long as its own strength was sufficient, that was enough. Of course, earning a good reputation was also a positive. That was why Kazuki had grudgingly accepted the situation. Otherwise, he would have told Rasa and Mei Terumi to get as far away as possible.
"It's because both sides need a powerful intermediary to keep the other in check. As luck would have it, our village possesses the strength to stabilize the situation, and you, Lord Advisor, possess the personal power to overawe both the Kazekage and the Mizukage," Shikaku pointed out. Kazuki might not be thrilled, but Shikaku was delighted to see such a beneficial situation land squarely on the Leaf Village's head. In any case, once they were in the Leaf Village, neither Mei Terumi nor Rasa would be able to throw their weight around, ensuring the peace talks proceeded smoothly.
One had to understand that during critical negotiations affecting the interests of two entire villages, if the mediator couldn't command the room, the talks would become a grueling slog. Both sides could end up screaming at each other, faces red and necks bulging, over the tiniest scraps of advantage. Those with more volatile tempers might even flip the table and storm out.
"I suppose so," Kazuki conceded, a chuckle escaping him. "The Kazekage is one thing. Someone who's been beaten tends to develop a psychological shadow. As for the Mizukage, that's a different matter. After all, I can't just go around bullying a anyone without cause." Bullying Rasa carried no psychological burden for Kazuki. Bullying Mei Terumi without reason, however, was something he found difficult to do. Especially in the past. Back then, Mei Terumi was merely an elite jonin of the Mist Village, and a talented kunoichi at that. Going out of one's way to bully her for no reason... if word got out, people would absolutely conclude that Kazuki had a few screws loose. "Though the Jonin Exams held in the Cloud Village did give the Mizukage quite a fright."