Chapter 238: Testing Each Other
In order to reach and destroy the Akatsuki organization before it could evacuate from the Hidden Mist Village,
a coalition force of over 40,000 ninjas was assembled within just three days and began marching toward the Land of Water in a mighty surge.
Along the way, the small team led by Mei Terumi frequently displayed goodwill toward Konoha.
There was no doubt—their chosen escape route led straight into the Land of Fire.
The foundation of the Hidden Mist Village had been modeled after other major shinobi villages, gathering various ninja clans under one banner. But true unity had always eluded them.
Though Kirigakure once boasted powerful bloodline clans and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, ranking it among the top three great villages in terms of strength,
its cohesion was the weakest of all the Five Great Nations.
Unlike the Hidden Leaf Village and the Hidden Rock Village, which were built on ideology—the Will of Fire and the Will of Stone or the Hidden Cloud Village, ruled by a single dominant clan—the Yotsuki Clan, which held the Raikage seat and suppressed all rivals, even the Sand Village, despite ranking lowest in overall strength, maintained greater unity than the Mist.
In the Land of Water, the various clans had formed Kirigakure entirely out of necessity.
Internal conflict ran rampant. Even high-ranking officials would abandon unfamiliar allies if the situation turned against them.
A perfect example was the Seven Ninja Swordsmen:
when facing Might Guy, they each fought individually, looking down on one another.
When things went south, they retreated without a second glance at their fallen comrades.
The village was plagued with factionalism. Unity was shallow.
The disputes among clans rivaled those of the Warring States Era,
and only the threat of external enemies could force them into temporary alignment.
Thus, when it came time to abandon the Hidden Mist Village, Mei Terumi and her group didn't carry the burden of heavy sentiment.
A wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. A capable official chooses the right master to serve.
Choosing to head toward the Land of Fire and Konoha was the result of careful discussion.
Why settle for something inferior when the best option was available?
With intelligence gathered from within the Akatsuki organization, they had already done Konoha a favor.
Besides, many of their people were currently imprisoned in Konoha, working under surveillance.
So why not use this opportunity to defect directly?
There are no eternal enemies in this world. It all depends on whether your goals and values align.
Since its founding, Konoha had nearly dominated the entire shinobi world.
No single village had ever challenged it one-on-one.
It always took an alliance of multiple great powers just to stand a chance against the Hidden Leaf.
After leaving the Land of Water and breaking through its informational defense lines,
Mei Terumi and her team gathered valuable intel—
including news that Hyuga had already left Konoha.
Of the three founding clans of Konoha, the Uchiha and Hyuga had both been dismantled,
while the Senju had long vanished from the public eye.
Although Konoha's power had declined from its peak,
this very decline increased the likelihood they'd welcome new clans.
After surviving the blood-soaked hell of the Bloody Mist era,
they longed to live under the sun—to feel peace and warmth once more.
The light of Konoha was dazzling. If they could merge with it, they would do so gladly.
As for why they hadn't revealed their intentions immediately?
Simple—they didn't want to be treated as expendable in the coming war against Akatsuki.
Meanwhile, as the joint ninja forces crossed the sea on massive ships toward the Land of Water, deep within the Hidden Mist Village, the Akatsuki held a rare full meeting.
They gathered in the Mizukage's office conference room.
"The traitors have been dealt with, but Genji and his followers have already fled the country,"
Kakuzu said flatly as he flipped through a ledger.
"I assume the location has already been leaked."
He glanced up. "Zetsu, care to explain your incompetence?"
"Well, well, forgive me."
At the end of the table sat the Fourth Mizukage, speaking with the eerie dual-toned voice of White Zetsu—two voices layered into one.
"There are so many people in this village. How could I possibly watch all of them?"
His tone held neither remorse nor anxiety.
It was light—almost playful—like a child who didn't yet understand the concept of fear.
"So, are we running or what?"
Deidara sat with arms crossed, his tone dismissive.
"I heard they held a Five Kage Summit and agreed to wipe us out."
"Now that our position's exposed, I bet the army's already halfway across the ocean."
Despite these remarks, no one seemed particularly alarmed by the approaching ninja coalition.
Unlike the Shinobi Alliance, they didn't view the Mist Village as a strategic necessity.
Even when Amegakure had been their base, Akatsuki members rarely gathered.
They were usually scattered across the continent, with little attachment to any location.
"I suggest we keep a low profile for now."
A cold, emotionless voice cut through the room.
Uchiha Itachi didn't look at anyone else—only the red-haired man at the head of the table.
"There's no need for direct confrontation.
If we vanish and they can't find their targets, the alliance will disband on its own."
"The Five Kage can't stay united forever.
Once they return to their villages, we'll strike again."
"Our only real targets are the Tailed Beasts and their Jinchūriki, correct?"
"Indeed. There's no need to face the Five Great Nations head-on,"
Konan agreed calmly, seated beside Nagato.
"But we're out of time."
Nagato, no longer appearing through his Pain avatars,
rejected the proposal outright. He sat in the main seat, his voice resolute.
This was not the frail, emaciated man of old.
His body had filled out with strength, muscles taut with vitality.
He looked reborn—charged with power and purpose.
"This time, the ninja alliance is coming.
And there's a high probability they'll bring their Jinchūriki.
This is our perfect chance!"
Nagato stood, casting his sharp gaze around the room.
"Hyuga Ryosuke has already led the Hyuga Clan out of Konoha.
They've been building power at a frightening pace."
"Other forces might still underestimate the Hyuga,
since they've long hidden beneath Konoha's brilliance.
But we know the truth, don't we?"
"That guy... he defeated me—fair and square!"
His fists clenched. "And I'm sure he wasn't even using his full strength!"
"If the Hyuga gain any more breathing room,
we might lose our window to gather all the Tailed Beasts."
"We need overwhelming power now—enough to crush resistance,
enough to silence the world and enforce true peace!"
His Rinnegan glinted, filled with murderous intent.
Anyone who opposed him now—ally or not—would be cut down without hesitation.
Sitting beside him, Konan had a complicated look in her eyes. She opened her mouth several times but ultimately said nothing.
"Proceed with the original plan," Nagato instructed calmly. "If the ninja army does attack, I'll attempt to break their cohesion."
Seeing no one respond, Nagato's expression revealed a hint of satisfaction. "Since their forces will be scattered, take the opportunity to target the Jinchūriki. Capture them as quickly as possible."
"The outcome of this battle is irrelevant to us. What matters are the tailed beasts and their hosts. Don't hesitate—do what needs to be done."
"But... the news of our plan to attack a ninja village might've already been leaked," Konan said, her voice cautious. "With all the villages on high alert, Nagato… you're not planning to act alone, are you?"
Nagato glanced at her, then turned his gaze ahead.
"In the current ninja world, aside from Ryosuke Hyūga, who else could stop me?"
He looked down at Konan, voice calm yet firm. "It's just a ninja alliance. I can come and go as I please."
"If I wasn't concerned about the Jinchūriki being hidden and protected, I could destroy them all myself."
There was no trace of modesty in his words. Although he had once suffered a crushing defeat, that fall from grace had only fueled his resolve to rise again.
Nagato had found a way to restore his vitality and overcome his inability to control the Rinnegan. With his weaknesses corrected, only Ryosuke Hyūga remained a legitimate threat.
In other words, from the beginning, Nagato had never feared any force in the ninja world.
His only constraint had been the physical toll of wielding the Rinnegan, which prevented him from fighting prolonged battles. That limitation forced him to operate from the shadows, biding his time and building strength.
But now that this weakness had been addressed—what did it matter if the Five Great Nations stood united?
At times, Nagato wondered if he might have been able to dominate the world without relying on the power of the tailed beasts at all. With the Rinnegan alone, he could have suppressed the shinobi world and ended all wars.
But such hindsight came too late.
The one variable he couldn't measure… was the full extent of Ryosuke Hyūga's strength.
Even after strengthening himself, Nagato believed he still needed the power of the tailed beasts to ensure total dominance.
The pre-war meeting was straightforward. Unlike the tense diplomatic talks among the Five Kage, there were no arguments—no dissent.
After the Six Paths of Pain had been damaged and Nagato was forced to step out from behind the curtain, he made it clear through sheer power what it meant to obey.
"Toby, stay behind."
As the others began to leave, Nagato called out to Uchiha Obito—disguised under the alias 'Toby.'
Obito didn't object. He simply returned to his seat with a light smile.
Though the others were curious, no one asked questions.
Konan didn't leave either. She remained seated, and Nagato made no move to dismiss her.
In moments, only the three of them were left in the dimly lit chamber.
"Is there a mission for me?" Obito asked coldly, the playfulness gone from his voice now that the others had left. His tone carried the arrogance of the man he impersonated—Uchiha Madara.
Nagato didn't reply immediately. He glanced at Konan, then rose from his chair and walked to Obito's side.
"I do have a task for you… Senior," he said, voice calm.
"But before that... despite your legacy, I don't think we've ever properly tested each other's strength."
With those words, he suddenly raised a hand.
A powerful suction force burst forth—Banshō Ten'in, attempting to pull Obito from his seat.
But the masked man remained still, arms crossed over his chest, his scarlet Sharingan glowing coldly. He didn't budge an inch.
From across the room, Konan had already moved to the doorway, her eyes fixed on Obito's back.
"You've gotten a bit arrogant since regaining your vitality, Nagato," Obito said with disdain. "Don't forget—I'm the one who saved you from Ryosuke Hyūga."
"Just because your body is restored doesn't mean you're invincible. Those eyes of yours aren't enough."
"To me, you're still a child."
Nagato slowly lowered his hand. He wasn't surprised that Obito had resisted his technique.
"I merely wanted to gauge your current level," he replied evenly. "What I'm about to ask isn't simple."
Before he could elaborate, Obito interrupted.
"You want me to destroy Iwagakure—to break the ninja army's morale."
The other Akatsuki members didn't know which village was the target, but Obito and Zetsu were already aware.
"You're the only one in the organization capable of pulling it off," Nagato admitted. "Even if I don't respect the alliance's strength, we can't afford any mistakes."
"For the plan to succeed, we need to keep the ninja forces from focusing entirely on us."
He paused, then added, "If Iwagakure is destroyed, there's a high chance Ōnoki will withdraw from the alliance's main forces. This not only weakens them tactically but also increases our odds of capturing the Four-Tails."
"Even if Ōnoki sees through our plan and stays, his continued presence will act like a thorn in their side, disrupting their unity."
Nagato was no longer blindly overconfident. Though he once considered himself a god, his defeat had taught him caution.
Obito listened in silence before scoffing.
"Then why don't you destroy Iwagakure yourself? Why make me face the army?"
In a blink, he vanished—reappearing beside Nagato, their faces almost touching.
"You're not trying to get rid of me, are you?"
Whoosh!
Before Nagato could answer, Konan struck.
Blades of paper shot toward Obito's back, aimed to intercept him before he got too close.
"Stop!" Nagato shouted.
Obito didn't dodge.
The paper blades phased through his intangible body—and kept flying toward Nagato.
But Nagato was ready. He raised his hand and activated Shinra Tensei, the repulsive force blowing the paper away.
"They see you as a terrorist," Nagato said, unfazed. "You want to stay in the shadows? Fine. But now is not the time to prove yourself."
"And remember—I am the leader of Akatsuki. We share a goal. Does it really matter who delivers the blow?"
The Rinnegan, patterned with rippling spirals, stared directly into Obito's tri-bladed Mangekyō Sharingan.
The air between them was still. Their breaths were quiet, steady, but full of tension.
"…Hmph."
After a long silence, Obito scoffed and took a step back.
"I'll go to Iwagakure."
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