"Sooner or later, we'll catch him and drain his power."
Hiruko, wrapped in bandages, whispered, but his own words made him tremble.
That battle left an indelible memory for everyone who was alive and those who had 'died and come back to life'.
"Are you done chatting?"
Nagato didn't stop any of this. He only spoke after everyone had quieted down.
"I know how terrifying they are, and I won't deny that I've lost to both of them before, but it's different now."
As he spoke, he clenched his fists, feeling the immense power erupting within him, and continued.
"As long as we complete our plan step by step, we will surely win, and I am also different now."
Nagato was indeed different. After being nourished by White Zetsu cells, his improvement was unimaginable.
He could feel the power erupting throughout his body, and his healthy physique gave him seemingly infinite strength.
And at this moment, he could better use the power of the Rinnegan. He believed he would have no problem facing Takemi.
As for Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki…
Nagato took a deep breath. That was in the realm of 'gods,' and he needed more power now.
Only by gathering all the tailed beasts and forming Ten-Tails can he defeat this so-called 'god' like the Sage of Six Paths.
He was now fatefully retracing the Path of the Sage of Six Paths.
He believed that he too would succeed just like the Sage of Six Paths.
"So, it's time to begin our plan."
Nagato took a deep breath, calming his excited heart, then spoke softly.
"After these years of accumulation, and with the support of Kumogakure, it's time for us to begin our actions."
"I believe you all know that our goal is to create a world of peace, but to achieve all of this, we need power."
"Tailed Beasts are our best choice. By gathering all the Tailed Beasts, we can summon the Ten-Tails."
"Then we can obtain the power we need, and this is our ultimate goal!"
Nagato's words made everyone present somewhat silent, but no one spoke up to refute him at this moment.
Regardless of why they joined the Akatsuki, regardless of whether they were willing at first, they now had no other choice.
Especially since many people still held a burning resentment, having lost too terribly or died too tragically.
They all wanted to do something, even if it was just revenge.
"Hmph, it seems he has recovered quite well."
In a corner, Obito calmly watched Nagato, then spoke softly to Black Zetsu beside him.
"With White Zetsu's cells, it can indeed help him a lot, but we can control him."
Black Zetsu replied in a low voice, but his gaze drifted towards Orochimaru on the side.
Besides being able to directly control Nagato's body, his control also included an extra layer of preparation.
And that was Madara!
In these three years, Orochimaru had recovered well and had also improved the Edo Tensei jutsu.
But none of that was the most important. The most important thing was that with Kumogakure's resources, they were close to 'assembling' Madara.
With this trump card, he was happy to watch Nagato recover.
"By the way, after all this time, haven't you found the things from the Senju side yet?"
Just as he was thinking, Obito's voice came again, which immediately made him focus.
"The Senju clan is not like the Uchiha clan. Many things are not as easy to find as one might imagine, but I can roughly pinpoint a few locations."
"A few locations?"
"That's right. I can't determine exactly what it is or where it will be, so I still need some time."
"Is that so?"
Obito was full of doubt, but Black Zetsu wasn't panicking now. He had made thorough preparations, and the aging work was almost done.
He believed Obito wouldn't have any problems seeing it. However, he still had an idea: to attract Takemi to see it.
In these three years, he had quietly given Takemi quite a bit of 'guidance.' This was all to make Takemi stronger, so he could deal with Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki.
Nagato, and even Obito, didn't know how terrifying Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki was.
Black Zetsu knew this well, so he absolutely couldn't put all his eggs in one basket.
One more safeguard meant one more chance of winning.
"Don't worry, I said I would give you an answer, and I will." Black Zetsu spoke softly again, and at that moment, Nagato's voice also fell.
"Then, our first target is the Seven-Tails of Takigakure…"
"To ensure no accidents, we will act together."
Inside the Anbu base, Tsunade checked Kakashi's eyes and gave her assessment.
"Not bad, your eyes have recovered very well, and not just your eyes…"
"Your body is also getting better and better. Clearly, those white things had an effect."
"That thing is my older brother's cells, but they've been weakened."
Tobirama glanced at Hashirama, who was curiously observing Kakashi. He crossed his arms and spoke indifferently.
"Even weakened, they are still terrifying, but that Sharingan surprisingly balanced the cells, which is incredible."
"There's nothing strange about it. One is Yin Release and the other is Yang Release, so it's perfectly normal for them to form a balance and resonance."
Takemi smiled, then pointed at Sasuke.
"When you encounter Obito again later, do you want him to try it too? After all, he's one of your disciples, Second Hokage, and also the last Uchiha."
"…"
Takemi's words made Tobirama raise an eyebrow, but he wasn't angry.
After all, training Sasuke, this 'evil Uchiha brat,' he found it quite enjoyable.
Although Sasuke's personality wasn't the best, he was much better than other Uchiha in his memory.
Even if this kid's eyes were completely on Takemi…
"Let's talk about this later. Obito hasn't shown his face in three years."
"That's right, and Itachi…"
Sasuke didn't care about those cells. What he cared most about was Itachi.
These three years hadn't been easy. Not only did he have the strict teaching of Second Hokage, but also Takemi's occasional training.
But his improvement was also immense. He not only mastered various jutsus but also learned Flying Thunder God and Takemi's Purple Electricity.
He longed to meet Itachi now. He believed he could get his revenge.
"They will make a move. I don't believe they're that honest."
Takemi shook his head, appearing very calm, as he had intelligence.
Both Kisame and Kabuto had been continuously providing him with necessary information. Besides the intelligence from these two, he also discovered an interesting thing.
"Is Black Zetsu guiding me to do something?"
His expression was a bit strange, because he could occasionally catch the presence of Black Zetsu.
And after that, he could always find some suggestive things when browsing through data.
Such as the Uchiha stone tablet, or certain specific stories.
Even some strange locations, seemingly wanting him to explore.
"If it were a native, they would probably thank some divine grace for the guidance, but I'm neither a native nor have I received your Chakra…"
However, Takemi remained silent. Why not take advantage of a good thing?
He roughly knew Black Zetsu's intentions, nothing more than the same as Konoha and its allies.
"They all want me to deal with myself…"
Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki's appearance was too frightening, so it wasn't surprising for Black Zetsu to react. But putting the target on him was somewhat amusing.
"You simply don't know how terrifying the current Takeshiki is."
[Name: Kitagwa Takemi]
[Bloodline: Ōtsutsuki (62%)]
[Dōjutsu: Tenseigan (Full Moon Eye)]
[Special Ability: God Tree Source (Stage Six)]
[Special Skills: Ice Release, Magnet Release, Dust Release, Storm Release, Lava Release…]
As he pondered, his brow suddenly twitched. He found that Kisame had sent him intelligence.
"Akatsuki is preparing to move all members to capture the Seven-Tails?"
Seeing this message, Takemi stroked his chin. He felt that everything was coming at just the right time.
He was just about to do something, and someone came knocking.