"This..." Obito was at a loss for words, a sense of absurdity rushing to his head.
Wasn't this a truth known to everyone in the Shinobi World? Did he even need to ask why? He almost blurted out a rebuttal.
However, when he met Nagato's Rinnegan, which seemed to see through everything, all the words that rushed to his lips were forced back down.
That look seemed to say: Your knowledge is too shallow.
This caused a surge of inexplicable irritation to rise in Obito's heart, yet he couldn't let it out.
Ultimately, Obito could only squeeze a cold snort from the depths of his throat, suppressing a massive amount of doubt and unease:
"Hmph! I hope... what you're saying is true!"
Before his voice had even faded, his figure rapidly blurred within a spatial vortex, finally vanishing completely from the oppressive room.
He had to find Black Zetsu immediately; this earth-shattering secret and subversive question thrown by Nagato had completely disrupted his entire plan and perception.
He urgently needed verification and to discuss countermeasures.
As Obito's figure finally disappeared at the edge of his vision, Nagato gazed in that direction, an unfathomable smile slowly curling the corners of his mouth.
Even though the other party radiated an aura of reluctance upon leaving, he had ultimately agreed to his proposal.
At this moment, a subtle sense of satisfaction rose in Nagato's heart.
He experienced the feeling that the "Collector" had felt when facing him.
That satisfaction born from seeing through the other person, piercing their high-and-mighty posture, and possessing a touch of mockery and control.
The once mysterious and seemingly all-controlling "Uchiha Madara" now showed confusion and lack of understanding in his eyes, which Nagato truly found somewhat amusing.
However, this brief pleasure was quickly replaced by the weight of reality.
Nagato knew that even if "Uchiha Madara" reluctantly agreed to cooperate, he could never place any substantive expectations on him.
The possibility of that guy slacking off or even secretly sabotaging him was far too high.
Nagato slowly closed his eyes, turning his thoughts toward the upcoming Five Kage Summit.
The Kage of the Five Great Hidden Villages were each peak powerhouses who had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood; none were easy to deal with.
Those names flashed through his mind one by one: Raikage Ay's violent taijutsu and Nintaijutsu, Tsuchikage Onoki's heart-stopping Dust Release, and Fourth Hokage Minato's world-renowned Flying Thunder God Technique...
Even the relatively young Kazekage Gaara, with his Absolute Defense and large-scale attacks through the manipulation of sand seas, was equally troublesome;
And Mizukage Mei Terumi's unique dual Kekkei Genkai, Lava Release and Boil Release, were even harder to guard against.
Facing such a lineup, any underestimation would be fatal.
Turning his gaze back to the interior of the Akatsuki, a deeper layer of worry couldn't help but cloud Nagato's heart.
The organization appeared to be a gathering of the strong, but in reality, it was a pile of loose sand with worrying cohesion.
Looking at the members:
Hidan and Deidara were perhaps the only members capable of following orders unconditionally.
Hidan was immersed in the killing pleasure brought by his twisted Jashin faith, while Deidara fanatically pursued the ultimate explosion of art; their goals for action were relatively "pure."
The Collector's existence was more like that of a cold bystander.
He seemed to enjoy watching the situation develop toward conflict and chaos, like an audience member sitting below a stage enjoying a grand play.
Wanting him to intervene again to break this "exciting" situation? Absolutely impossible.
Kakuzu and Sasori were typical realists.
Kakuzu's only driving force was money, but if the mission's risk far outweighed the reward, or even endangered his hard-won life, he would definitely retreat without hesitation.
Sasori of the Red Sand was the same; the pursuit of eternal "art" was important, but only on the premise that he was alive to achieve it.
Asking them to carry out a suicide mission? It was simply wishful thinking.
Hoshigaki Kisame and Zetsu were undoubtedly "Uchiha Madara's" direct subordinates.
Kisame might faithfully execute Obito's orders, but his actions would certainly prioritize Obito's will;
Black and White Zetsu were even more mysterious in their movements, with their intelligence value being greater than their direct combat value.
How much strength they could contribute to the upcoming actions was full of massive variables.
At this point in his thoughts, Nagato couldn't help but let out a sigh.
Beneath the Akatsuki's gorgeous and powerful "outer garment" lay a core that was fragile beyond compare.
When things were going smoothly and core interests or life-and-death tests weren't touched, the members might still maintain a surface level of cooperation.
However, once a true catastrophe descended and they faced a desperate situation requiring them to fight with their lives, the disintegration of this organization—built on individual self-interest and coercion—was an almost predictable outcome.
The road ahead was dangerously unpredictable with powerful enemies all around, while his own side was like a giant ship riddled with holes; this heavy pressure made Nagato feel an unprecedented solemnity.
...
On the other side, Obito recounted that startling conversation with Nagato from not long ago, word for word, to Black Zetsu, who was hidden in the shadows.
"Absurd! At the moment a Tailed Beast is extracted, a Jinchuriki has absolutely no possibility of survival!"
Black Zetsu's categorical denial blurted out almost instinctively.
The perception deep within it was exceptionally clear: unless one mastered Yin-Yang Release techniques comparable to the world-creating power of the Sage of Six Paths, this iron law could never be broken.
However, this thought involving the Six Paths realm ultimately only hovered in its heart and was not voiced.
In its long-term planning, it fundamentally did not believe that anyone in this Shinobi World could quietly climb to a height comparable to that person.
After all, even Hashirama, hailed as the "God of Shinobi," only possessed power that, in its eyes, was merely inheriting a portion of Ashura's legacy.
He was far from Indra and Ashura in their prime, let alone the Sage of Six Paths who stood above all else.
Looking across a thousand years of the Shinobi World, when had it ever heard of anyone being able to silently touch that legendary realm?
If such a figure truly existed in the world, then wouldn't its own painstakingly orchestrated, thousand-year-spanning layout and actions be as laughable as a clown in the other's eyes?
Thinking of this, the certainty in Black Zetsu's heart became even more deep-rooted.
It absolutely did not believe such a possibility existed.
"Can you... be so sure?" Obito's voice rang out, interrupting Black Zetsu's contemplation.
Because he remembered that Gaara seemed to have survived after his Tailed Beast was extracted.
Nagato's exceptionally certain posture, as if he possessed a subversive truth, began to make him waver, even causing him to doubt this companion before him who claimed to be the "Will of Uchiha Madara."
After all, even as "Madara's Will," it would be within reason to have oversights regarding the unknown secrets hidden within this vast Shinobi World, wouldn't it?
Keenly capturing the undisguised light of suspicion in Obito's eyes, Black Zetsu's words momentarily stalled, and alarm bells instantly rang in its heart.
A thought flashed through its consciousness: if it revealed its true identity buried for a thousand years—one sufficient to shock the entire Shinobi World—all doubts would surely vanish, and its persuasiveness would be unrivaled... However!
It forcefully suppressed this highly tempting impulse.
The identity of "Uchiha Madara's Will," a carefully woven persona used to manipulate the situation, was the most core foundation of its plan and could not tolerate the slightest wavering!
Even if Madara had already passed away, and even if doubts were gradually growing in Obito's heart, it had to steadfastly carry out this lie in the face of any questioning!
"According to all the intelligence and knowledge I possess, this is absolutely impossible to happen..." Black Zetsu's voice returned to its usual steadiness, yet it also had to cautiously leave a way out for itself after this "certainty."
"...But nothing in the world is absolute. Perhaps the other party truly masters some means unknown to us, such as Sunagakure's life-exchanging method."
Ultimately, it could only use such an ambiguous statement to end this conversation filled with suspicion.
The Sharingan beneath Obito's swirl mask locked onto the deeper shadow beside him—Black Zetsu.
His gaze seemed to try and dissect what secrets were hidden beneath that featureless face, which was as moldable as modeling clay.
However, Black Zetsu's face remained motionless, without even a ripple of emotion surfacing.
Obito had no choice but to silently withdraw his gaze and speak:
"Nagato... his current trajectory has completely deviated from our preset path and is entirely out of control. How should we respond next?"
According to the carefully woven script, once Nagato successfully collected all nine Tailed Beasts, it would be time for him to fulfill his final mission.
Using that forbidden "Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique" to completely bring the sleeping legendary Shinobi, the true mastermind Madara, back to the world of the living.
Madara would then, with an invincible posture, become the perfect Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and realize the so-called "Eye of the Moon" plan.
But now, the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
An invisible hand seemed to have suddenly appeared behind Nagato, or some unknown variable had quietly intervened, granting him the power to break free from his puppet strings.
The light flickering in those Rinnegan of his was no longer a tool available for manipulation, but was mixed with an unpredictable will.
Would that "tool" they once viewed as a chess piece truly still be willing to offer up his own life to complete that task?
The foundation of the plan was now in jeopardy.
"Hehe..." A low, spine-chilling laugh escaped from Black Zetsu's "mouth."
"No need to worry, Obito. Nagato, even if he knows more secrets than he should, his 'essence' has never changed.
Those inseparable bonds and obsessions deeply rooted in his soul are precisely his fatal weakness...
And isn't this the sharpest trump card in our hands?"
Black Zetsu's voice was full of certainty, as if Nagato's great power was, in its eyes, merely a doll whose life-gate it precisely grasped.
Obito fell into silence.
The mask concealed his entire face, and only that exposed Sharingan had its pupil suddenly contract, followed by a flash of complex emotion so thick it couldn't be dispersed.
He naturally understood Black Zetsu's subtext.
Those so-called "weaknesses" were the existences Nagato viewed as his life and was willing to pay any price for: Yahiko and Konan.
To protect them, Nagato could become an Asura or sacrifice himself.
And this sentiment instantly pierced through Obito's sealed memory barriers.
In a daze, that beautiful figure always bathed in a halo of light, that gentle smile, that crisp voice calling his name... appeared so clearly before his eyes.
"Rin..."
This name buried deep in his heart seemed to carry a scalding temperature, shouting silently in the depths of his soul.
A suffocating pain gripped his heart.
He understood it all too well; if... if Rin were still alive in this world, and if she were like Yahiko and Konan were to Nagato—becoming a bargaining chip for an enemy to coerce him...
Then his choice, his path, would also be no different from Uzumaki Nagato's choice at this moment!
So, Black Zetsu was right.
No matter what power had appeared behind Nagato, it could not change his end!
...
A biting cold wind, carrying dense snowflakes, raged across the land of the Land of Iron.
The world was a expanse of silver and white, with extremely low visibility.
It was in such harsh weather that five figures, each shouldering the fate of their respective hidden villages, one after another from different directions, braved the wind and snow to resolutely head toward the same destination.
They all wore bamboo hats, which were not only symbols of identity but also the marks of the highest power in the Shinobi World: the Five Kage.
Despite the wind and snow blocking their path, they still arrived at the meeting room carefully prepared by the Land of Iron at the appointed time, some earlier and some later.
Konoha's Fourth Hokage Minato was the first to step into the venue.
He stood quietly to the side, his gaze like a torch, meticulously observing each "Kage" and their accompanying guards who arrived afterward.
The demeanor of each Kage and the strength and state of their guards were, in his eyes, silent signals for interpreting the current situation of their respective hidden villages.
For example, the three from Sunagakure were all familiar faces—precisely the three, including Gaara, who had come to Konoha during the Chunin Exams.
That such youthful faces were forced to appear in such positions fully illustrated how poor Sunagakure's situation was.
When he saw Iwagakure's Third Tsuchikage Onoki, Minato's gaze couldn't help but narrow.
The heavy bandages wrapped around Onoki's body appeared particularly jarring.
Clearly, the injuries caused by the last incident had still not healed; this veteran Tsuchikage hadn't even left himself enough time to fully recover before resolutely convening this Five Kage Summit.
This undoubtedly signaled his determination for this meeting, as he would surely push for certain key matters to be settled.
If not for this, given that Iwagakure's current predicament relied almost entirely on Onoki alone to struggle through, he would never have risked other hidden villages taking advantage of his absence to come in person.
Onoki also had his own difficulties in not passing on his title; it wasn't that he was unwilling to pass it to his son Kitsuchi, but rather that Kitsuchi still showed deficiencies in certain key abilities required of a Kage.
On the other hand, Kumogakure still appeared incomparably aggressive; whether it was the Fourth Raikage or the guards behind him, they all radiated a 'tough' aura, appearing not to be trifled with.
As the final person, Kirigakure's Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi, stepped into the venue with her guards, the General of the Land of Iron and the moderator of this summit, Mifune, stood up.
His face was resolute, and his voice was steady and powerful as he broke the slightly heavy atmosphere in the room:
"I, Mifune, am responsible for moderating this summit."
Looking around and confirming that the Five Kage were all gathered, he announced loudly:
"Then, the Five Kage Summit begins now!"