Hayashi thought it through carefully, yet the timing still felt off.
His objective in obtaining the Rinnegan was simple, either destroy it or use it for himself.
Destroying it, however, was not an option.
If Hayashi wanted to prevent the Ten-Tails from appearing or stop the Infinite Tsukuyomi from being activated, then destroying the Rinnegan now would be the most effective solution. But the problem was that his own plan required the use of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
At this point, he was no different from Black Zetsu, waiting in silence for everything to fall into place so he could claim the final result.
But awakening the Rinnegan came at too great a cost. Hayashi was not confident he could achieve it on his own. If he failed, then the pair of eyes left behind by Uchiha Madara would remain the only Rinnegan in existence.
Because of that, it absolutely could not be destroyed yet.
As for taking it now, that was even worse.
His Mangekyō Sharingan had only reached a moderate stage of development. Even if he obtained the Rinnegan, he would not be able to transplant it yet. Since it would not be his own eyes, he would be unable to use its full power.
Worse still, if he took it without being able to use it, it would become a burden instead.
Black Zetsu and Uchiha Fugaku would do anything to retrieve it. Hayashi was strong, but not invincible. There were still too many uncertainties he could not fully control.
There was also another problem.
If he held the Rinnegan and wanted to use the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he would have to personally carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan. But with his current identity, capturing Tailed Beasts from other villages would be the same as Konoha declaring war on the entire ninja world.
Even in history, when Uchiha Obito moved to capture the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, it escalated into a full-scale war. Compared to that, it was far better to let the Akatsuki handle such matters.
There was no need for him to step into the spotlight and become everyone's target.
Remaining behind the scenes, waiting until the right moment to take everything, that was the smarter choice.
In the end, the conclusion was clear.
Now was not the time.
With the matter settled, Hayashi finally relaxed. For once, he allowed himself to enjoy a brief moment of peace.
He dragged a chair near the entrance of the tent and sat down at an angle. Outside, heavy rain poured endlessly. From the corner of his eye, he could see Uchiha Mikoto sitting calmly, while Konan, still slightly flustered, was gradually relaxing.
What began as restraint soon turned into light conversation. Konan even started making small jokes with Nawaki.
It felt... peaceful.
Hayashi hugged his knees, resting his chin on them. Listening to the steady rhythm of rain and Konan's soft laughter, his eyes slowly closed.
Before long, he drifted into sleep.
By the time he woke up, the meal was ready.
A rich spread filled the table, teriyaki chicken rice, grilled chicken, hand rolls, and a pan-fried salamander dish.
As expected from Mikoto and Konan, everything looked and smelled excellent.
Sitting down, Hayashi smiled lightly.
"Eat more salamander. It's good for your skin."
Nawaki froze.
Looking at the pile in his bowl, his expression twisted slightly. He clearly remembered it being said to boost something else entirely.
He had been eating it every meal lately.
At this point, he was sick of it.
Poking at the food with his chopsticks, he quickly lost his appetite.
Konan, on the other hand, showed no such hesitation. Despite her gentle appearance, her eating style was anything but slow. She ate quickly, almost as if afraid the food might disappear.
It was likely a habit from her childhood, when food had been scarce.
Mikoto ate more gracefully, taking small bites. Hayashi followed suit, picking up a roll and eating at a steady pace.
After finishing several pieces of salamander, Konan paused and looked at Hayashi.
"How do you plan to deal with the Sunagakure forces?"
Hayashi picked up a piece of carrot, lightly tapping his chopsticks to shake off the garnish before speaking.
"We will intercept them at the border of the Land of Rain."
Even without Konan's report, Konoha had already been tracking Sunagakure's movements, including the appearance of the Akatsuki at their camp.
Still, hearing her firsthand account made one thing obvious.
It was a setup.
The entire situation carried the clear scent of manipulation, meant to provoke conflict between Sunagakure and Hanzō.
His first thought was Uchiha Fugaku.
Ever since the war in the Land of Water ended, Fugaku had remained with the troops. Hayashi had deliberately kept him close rather than letting him return to the village.
Whether he was trustworthy or not, it was better to keep him under watch.
Fugaku had also kept a low profile. Within the Uchiha clan, no one even considered him a candidate for clan head anymore.
At this point, the position was practically decided. Once the war ended, Hayashi would take it.
As for Shimura Danzō, Hayashi dismissed the idea quickly. The man was currently in the Land of Hot Water, making his involvement unlikely.
If anything, Fugaku was taking the blame for something Danzō had nothing to do with.
Konan frowned slightly.
"The Sunagakure army isn't small. And you're also dealing with Iwagakure. Can you handle it?"
There was no suspicion in her tone, only concern.
Hayashi smiled faintly.
"It's not as difficult as you think. This time, I will intercept them alone."
Konan blinked, stunned.
"Alone? There are at least two thousand ninja!"
Even their entire group would not dare confront such a force, yet Hayashi intended to do it by himself.
One against two thousand.
It sounded absurd.
Seeing her reaction, Hayashi sighed as if mildly annoyed.
"You really have that little faith in me? I invaded Kirigakure alone and destroyed it. Even Hanzō cannot defeat me. At the very least, I can be considered one of the strongest in the world right now."
Konan smiled slightly, glancing at Nawaki and Mikoto. Neither of them seemed worried.
Hayashi continued,
"I won't be entirely alone. Hanzō and the Third Hokage will join me."
He paused, then looked at her.
"As for the Akatsuki..."
Konan immediately straightened.
"What do you need us to do?"
Hayashi shook his head.
"You don't need to do anything. Stay away from this battlefield."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"Survive. That's enough."
Konan fell silent for a moment before nodding.
"You too."
…
In the autumn of Konoha's thirty-eighth year, Sunagakure forces gathered at the edge of the Land of Wind and officially declared war on the Land of Rain.
Smoke rose across the desert.
At the border, three figures stood firm.
Facing an army of two thousand.