"Black Zetsu… have you completed the task I assigned you?"
A low voice echoed through a pitch-black space.
Under the faint, shifting light, Obito's figure slowly emerged. He wore a white tomoe-patterned mask—the same design from the original timeline. This special mask was exceptionally durable, nearly impossible to destroy through ordinary means.
"No problem."
Black Zetsu surfaced halfway from the stone wall, the rest of his body still fused into it.
Moments later, accompanied by a series of heavy creaking sounds, the spacious underground cavern filled with rows of wooden coffins.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
One after another, the coffin lids burst open.
Dozens of corpses were revealed.
If these figures were exposed to the outside world, the entire ninja world would be thrown into chaos.
Every single one of them had once been a legendary shinobi.
From the foremost coffin stepped out a handsome young man with an extraordinary presence. What truly shocked the observer, however, were his eyes—
Byakugan.
If Hyūga Hiashi were present, he would instantly recognize the face. It was identical to the ancestral portrait enshrined within the Hyūga clan's hall.
Hyūga Ichizoku.
According to legend, Hyūga Ichizoku once possessed strength comparable to both Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
And he was not alone.
Beside him stood numerous powerful members of the Uchiha clan—including the fearsome Sengoku-era patriarch, Uchiha Tajima.
If Madara himself were to witness this scene, he might claw his way out of the Pure Land just to slap Obito senseless.
Even more terrifying—
The fathers of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama stood among the ranks.
Former Kage from various villages were also present. Even the Third Hokage was among them—and judging by their placement, his strength wouldn't even crack the top ten.
These were Obito's true trump cards.
With Black Zetsu's assistance, Obito had assembled a force far beyond what Yakushi Kabuto had once achieved. In the original timeline, Kabuto's Impure World Reincarnation had its limits—but this was Obito's Edo Tensei.
Perhaps Obito had conceived this idea the moment he acquired the Impure World Reincarnation technique from Danzō.
He had refined it further, pushing it close to perfection—nearly indistinguishable from the original Edo Tensei in its prime.
So many legendary figures appearing at once was nothing short of terrifying.
"Hahaha…" Obito's laughter echoed from beneath his mask.
"With forces like these, what can Uzumaki Naruto possibly use to resist me?"
"The Eye of the Moon Plan cannot fail!"
"This is all thanks to you, Black Zetsu."
The corpses of Uchiha Tajima, Hyūga Ichizoku, and countless others—every single one had been provided by Black Zetsu.
"It's only natural," Black Zetsu replied calmly.
Yet hidden deep within his gaze was a trace of cold ridicule.
Everything you do only benefits me.
Obito turned his head.
At the very end of the cavern stood one final coffin—still sealed.
Suddenly—
Bang.
The lid fell open.
A familiar figure emerged.
Uchiha Madara.
Obito instinctively pressed a hand to his chest, steadying his breath.
"Madara," he murmured, "just watch."
"I will create a world more beautiful than the one you envisioned."
"This is my Eye of the Moon Plan—not yours."
Inside his heart, Obito laughed wildly.
"Rin… wait for me. It's almost here. Very soon…"
Meanwhile — The Land of Rain
Nagato and Konan also received Obito's orders.
They had already returned from the Land of Snow. After all, Nagato still needed to "turn" the remaining members of the Akatsuki.
If the leader surrendered, how could the members refuse?
At the same time, this also allowed them to secretly gather intelligence for Naruto.
Their explanation to Obito was simple: they had escaped Umbrella using the Rinnegan's Animal Path reverse summoning.
The explanation wasn't flawless.
But Obito—and Black Zetsu—were merely using Nagato.
As long as the Rinnegan remained in their grasp, nothing else mattered.
Once the Eye of the Moon Plan succeeded, Nagato's usefulness would end.
At that point, no matter what schemes he possessed, Obito would never allow him to live.
"Nagato," Konan said softly, "the Masked Man has issued new orders."
"The Masked Man?" Nagato sneered. "Uchiha Obito?"
"What a pathetic man."
His voice was filled with disdain. He had never held any goodwill toward a master-killer like Obito.
What Nagato didn't realize was that—without Naruto—he himself would have once walked the same road.
But now, everything was different.
"Pass the message to Naruto," Nagato said slowly, his expression grave.
"If Uchiha Obito dares to launch a full-scale war, his preparations won't stop with just us."
"Tell Naruto to be extremely cautious."
His thoughts drifted to the remaining Akatsuki members.
Deidara obsessed over explosive art—foolish, but easy to manipulate.
Hiruko had joined only after defeat, an ambitious man who could be controlled through threats.
As for the rest…
Nagato believed Naruto would know how to handle them.
As for Sasori, Konan personally brought him back.
He was a rare talent—rumored to have long researched mechanized puppets. That alone was enough to make him valuable, especially to someone like Naruto.
The others could be dealt with later.
Kisame, however, was different.
He had been brought in by the Masked Man—no, by Uchiha Obito himself. There was no doubt about it: Kisame was Obito's man through and through.
After some thought, Nagato made his decision.
He would approach each person based on their individual temperament. If persuasion worked, good. If it didn't, he would use force.
If one beating wasn't enough—
Then he would beat them twice.
Aside from Nagato, Obito also had Black Zetsu deliver letters detailing the plan to attack Umbrella to the Raikage, the Tsuchikage, and several other key figures.
In the Land of Lightning, the Raikage stared at the letter in silence, his expression unusually solemn.
After suffering several crushing defeats, he had finally calmed down.
The Eight-Tails was still in Umbrella's hands, and the memory of that overwhelming loss remained vivid. Experience had forced him to become cautious—forced him to think.
"The letter proposes forming an alliance with Ōnoki and the Akatsuki to jointly attack Umbrella," the Raikage said slowly, handing the letter over. "What do you think, Mabui?"
Mabui was no longer surprised by the Raikage's recent changes. Perhaps those setbacks hadn't been meaningless after all. If nothing else, the current Raikage might surpass his predecessors.
She carefully read through the letter before speaking.
"It claims the Akatsuki can provide one hundred thousand troops," Mabui said. "Along with a large number of high-level combatants. Do you believe that?"
That was precisely the Raikage's concern.
The Akatsuki had always been a mercenary organization. Even if they possessed many S-rank rogue ninja, where would they obtain a hundred thousand combat-ready shinobi—most of them at chūnin level?
More importantly, the so-called advanced combatants.
Those qualified to be called that were at least elite jōnin.
Ordinary jōnin could only be considered pillars of strength—not true high-end assets.
And yet, according to the letter, there were even multiple individuals with strength comparable to the Five Kage.
With power like that, overthrowing the Five Great Nations might not even be impossible.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" the Raikage asked directly.
Mabui replied calmly, "Cooperating with that mysterious Masked Man is like asking a tiger for its skin."
"They are far more dangerous than Umbrella. We don't know their true objective. Remember—they were hunting Tailed Beasts. More than half of them have already fallen into Akatsuki's hands."
"Umbrella's goal, on the other hand, is very clear," Mabui continued. "They want to unify the ninja world and eliminate resistance. Compared to Akatsuki, that goal is far less destructive."
"So my recommendation is this—observe and wait."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Raikage slammed his fist onto the table and stood up abruptly.
"No," he said firmly. "This is an opportunity."
"It's our chance to defeat Uzumaki Naruto."
"If Umbrella is allowed to continue developing, once they fully absorb their territories, even the citizens of the Land of Lightning will begin to see themselves as part of Umbrella."
"By then, it will be too late."
"I will not let Kumogakure die in my hands!"
Mabui sighed inwardly.
She understood now—Uzumaki Naruto had become a psychological barrier for the Raikage. Even if it meant destruction, he would rather face it head-on than be slowly consumed by Umbrella's silent expansion.
From what she knew, Umbrella treated civilians extremely well.
Perhaps they weren't wrong.
But in war, right and wrong depended on position.
In the end, only fate would decide.
Mabui said nothing further and quietly began carrying out the Raikage's orders.
...
(End of Chapter)
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