"So… what exactly is the truth behind the Eye of the Moon Plan?"
After staying silent for a long time and finally calming down, Kisame Hoshigaki asked the question again, his expression far more serious than before.
Ryūjin did not hesitate.
"The Eye of the Moon Plan is nothing more than the desperate effort of a so called filial son of the Ninja World who is trying to resurrect his mother."
Kisame frowned slightly but said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
"Once everyone is trapped inside the illusion, their bodies will be drained until nothing is left but empty husks. All of their chakra will be absorbed by an old woman who has been sleeping for thousands of years."
Ryūjin's voice remained calm, as if he were talking about something completely ordinary.
"And after that, the old woman wakes up. That is the real goal of the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Kisame stayed silent for a long time.
"So that is what it really is…" he finally muttered, shaking his head slowly.
A cold sweat ran down his back.
If he had actually helped Obito complete that plan, it would have meant he personally helped destroy the entire Ninja World. Even if he believed the world was fake, that did not mean he wanted to wipe it out completely.
"Lord Ryūjin, what about you?" Kisame asked, turning to look at him again. "What exactly do you want? Or rather, what do you need me to do?"
"It's simple," Ryūjin replied with a lazy shrug. "Right now I only need you to find the whereabouts of two people."
Kisame did not ask directly, but the look in his eyes made it clear he already understood that these two people would not be ordinary targets.
"They are not simple people," Ryūjin said calmly. "One of them is the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails. The other is the Jinchūriki of the Six-Tails."
Kisame nodded slowly.
"You mean Utakata? That man defected from the Hidden Mist years ago. As for the Four-Tails Jinchūriki… if I remember correctly, he also disappeared long ago."
He paused briefly, then added without hesitation, "Finding them will not be easy, but since it is your order, I will do my best."
Ryūjin was not worried at all. He understood Kisame very well. Once this man decided to follow someone, betrayal simply was not part of his nature.
"It does not matter. You are not the only one looking for them. Orochimaru is also working for me now," Ryūjin said casually.
Kisame's eyes widened slightly.
"As expected of Lord Ryūjin. Even one of Konoha's Sannin has been brought under your command."
Ryūjin did not respond to the praise. Instead, he took out a black receiver and tossed it toward Kisame.
"If you need to contact me, just inject chakra into this. I will know immediately."
The black receiver was something Ryūjin had created using the Rinnegan. It worked the same way Nagato controlled the Six Paths of Pain.
Kisame did not waste time asking questions. He simply took the receiver and stored it away.
At that moment, a spatial vortex appeared in Ryūjin's eyes, and his entire body was instantly pulled into it. In the next second, he disappeared completely.
---
On the vast sea not far away, another small boat drifted slowly across the water.
Orochimaru stood in the middle of the boat, calmly rowing. His pale face looked almost lifeless under the sunlight.
At the front of the boat sat a white haired boy who looked extremely quiet and withdrawn.
Kimimaro curled himself into a small ball and occasionally glanced at the sea around him with curiosity.
He had never seen the ocean before.
"Kimimaro, how did you meet Lord Ryūjin?" Orochimaru asked casually while steering the boat.
Kimimaro blinked in confusion.
"I do not know either. I just suddenly met the Lord."
To him, everything really had happened suddenly. The clan had called him back, and before he understood what was going on, he was already following Ryūjin without hesitation.
"It seems he chose you personally," Orochimaru said softly, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
Considering Kimimaro's talent, it was not difficult to understand why.
At that moment, space suddenly twisted in front of them.
A vortex appeared out of nowhere, and Ryūjin stepped out calmly.
He glanced at Orochimaru and clicked his tongue lightly.
"I almost forgot to give you this earlier. If I had not sensed you using Sage Mode, it would have taken some effort to find you again."
"Lord Ryūjin."
The moment he appeared, Kimimaro immediately stood up. It was almost instinctive.
For someone who had spent his entire childhood locked inside a cell, Ryūjin was the first person who had truly understood him. Just seeing him gave Kimimaro a strange sense of calm.
Ryūjin reached out and pinched Kimimaro's cheek casually.
"Still alive, I see."
Orochimaru watched quietly from the side and asked calmly, "Does Lord Ryūjin have something to instruct?"
"Yes. I need a secret base," Ryūjin replied directly. "You will handle it."
Orochimaru did not hesitate at all. Ever since his will had been altered by Kotoamatsukami, loyalty toward Ryūjin had become completely natural to him.
"That is simple. I already have several secret experimental bases prepared. Lord Ryūjin can choose whichever one he prefers."
He then explained the details of each base one by one.
Ryūjin listened for a moment before making his decision.
"The one on the island."
He chose it almost immediately.
The reason was obvious. The island was remote, hidden by the sea, and surrounded by natural protection. For ordinary ninjas, reaching it would already be difficult. Even White Zetsu would have trouble monitoring a place like that.
"Go back and prepare it. That place will belong to me from now on."
"No problem," Orochimaru replied calmly.
"Oh, and Kisame Hoshigaki from the Hidden Mist is also working for me now," Ryūjin added casually. "I have already given him the same mission."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Kisame Hoshigaki… the man known for his terrifying amount of chakra?" he said while licking his lips slowly. "I have heard of him before."
After giving a few more instructions, Ryūjin took out two black receivers and handed one to Orochimaru and one to Kimimaro.
He explained how to use them briefly, then activated Kamui again.
Space twisted, and he disappeared once more.
As he thought back to this trip to the Hidden Mist, Ryūjin could not help but feel satisfied.
Not only had he successfully created a new sign in location using Isobu's position, but he had also recruited Orochimaru, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Kimimaro in a single move.
The harvest from this trip was far greater than he expected.
Ryūjin closed his eyes and let out a quiet breath.
This journey had been completely worth it.