A hidden base deep within a forest.
The Pein Six Paths had yet to be completed, and as such, Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of Amegakure, was still very much alive. However, with the end of the Great Ninja War and the release of external pressure, the civil war within the Land of Rain intensified... "Rebels dissatisfied with Hanzo's rule" was an unremarkable description, and yet, after summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and taking his control over the Rinnegan to a new level, Nagato's power was now on a completely different scale than before.
However, because he had been injured in the previous battle with Hanzo, losing the use of both his legs and his mobility, Nagato could no longer be considered a proper ninja. From this point forward, he began to act under the identity of "Tendo" (The Deva Path), using Yahiko's body.
In this hidden gathering place, Nagato and Konan were exchanging recent intelligence.
"According to the reports from our spies embedded in Amegakure, Hanzo and Danzo Shimura, the leader of Konoha's 'Root', did indeed have a secret meeting in the Land of Rain. However, because the meeting didn't take place in Amegakure itself, but rather in a remote location, we weren't immediately aware of it," Konan said. Although her tone was relatively flat, one could still sense her regret at letting Danzo slip away.
The hidden base was a cave, and the light drizzle falling outside made the interior rather dim. Despite this, the cave was surprisingly vast... Kakashi and Tenzo were not the only ones skilled in earth and wood manipulation.
Tendo sat on a stone chair, his posture relaxed. The characteristic black rods were already pierced into his face. Konan stood to the right of the chair, and behind it was a large, empty hollow, within which a withered, giant figure bound by chains was visible – the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Danzo had indeed come to the Land of Rain some time ago, but being exceptionally cautious, he hadn't entered Amegakure. Instead, he had arranged to meet with Hanzo at a secret location. Clearly, Danzo didn't trust Hanzo's character, though the two were frequent conspirators.
"What was the content of their conversation?" Tendo asked.
He was concerned about the discussion, because Root and Amegakure's last collaboration had been to eliminate the Akatsuki, and Yahiko had died as a result. Nagato considered Danzo a minor player, someone who liked to stir up trouble despite his lack of real power. And because Danzo was always hidden within Konoha, even more securely than the Hokage, Nagato couldn't easily deal with him.
"Apparently, it was to discuss holding joint Chunin Exams after the war, with Konoha and Sunagakure taking the lead and the surrounding smaller nations participating," Konan replied.
The fact that she could so easily obtain this information indicated that the Akatsuki's spies within Amegakure were highly placed. It also meant that Hanzo could no longer completely control the village; the "demigod's" prestige was a thing of the past.
Ordinary ninjas might think that if the demigod truly possessed the legendary power attributed to him, shouldn't he have easily resolved Amegakure's rebellion?
This line of thinking was natural and reasonable, but it was asking too much of Hanzo. His "demigod" status was a judgment made by mortals, similar in nature to the Third Hokage's title of "Strongest Hokage". How could he possibly defeat a true monster, someone blessed with otherworldly power?
"Konoha is beginning to consolidate the surrounding powers; it's for the sake of post-war order... Joint Chunin Exams, how hollow and insignificant. What meaning is there in such an action?" Tendo stated.
Nagato understood why Konoha was doing this, but he felt it was pointless. Could such a thing really change the ninja world? Not a chance.
Initially, Nagato had been withdrawn and introverted. However, after Yahiko's death, when he became the leader of the Akatsuki, his personality began to shift to the opposite extreme... One could say that anyone who would call themselves a "god" was bound to be a little unhinged.
Consider Hashirama Senju, "God of Shinobi" was a title given to him by others. Or Jiraiya, who called himself the "Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku," clearly expressing a sense of transcendent detachment. But Nagato? Well, he eventually went and "carried rice," becoming a full-blown terrorist.
"Konoha is quite powerful right now; we can't directly attack them," Konan said, a rational assessment.
Nagato didn't respond. After all, someone had already tried that personally. Although that person could unleash the Nine-Tails, they were ultimately beaten to a pulp, unable to even remember their own mother.
Just then, an aloe-like head emerged from the ground not far in front of Tendo. "According to our investigation, the Three-Tails has indeed been revived. It should be under Konoha's control at this time."
"Can you confirm the Three-Tails' location?" Konan asked. She didn't trust Zetsu, but Nagato had already decided to cooperate with that mysterious figure.
"Not at the moment," White Zetsu replied.
Konan frowned. "Weren't you constantly monitoring the tailed beasts in the ninja world?"
Black Zetsu chuckled before explaining, "Don't be foolish. There are always unforeseen circumstances... When dealing with the Three-Tails, Konoha deployed the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. That Jinchuriki is a member of the Uzumaki clan, capable of controlling the Nine-Tails' power. We couldn't get too close, or she would have definitely detected us. At this stage, we must proceed with extreme caution."
The Akatsuki was currently in a phase of accumulating power. After Obito's failure, they wouldn't be provoking the major ninja villages for the time being... well, Kirigakure didn't count.
"We don't need to rush the tailed beast matter. Our first objective has yet to be achieved; there's no need to worry about the progress of the second..." Tendo seemed unconcerned about the Three-Tails' whereabouts. He merely looked towards Amegakure with his Rinnegan.
Zetsu didn't say anything further about the Three-Tails. Instead, he offered another piece of information. "Speaking of Konoha's strength... something interesting happened there. According to reliable intelligence, Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, has defected from Konoha."
"Orochimaru... are you sure?" Konan immediately questioned. She had a deep impression of Orochimaru, and that impression was a "childhood trauma"... During the Second Shinobi World War, in the Konoha-Amegakure battlefield, the young Sannin encountered Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan. Orochimaru, pitying these war orphans, decided to kill them to end their suffering.
This line of thinking truly belonged to a "Namusan Gatling Bodhisattva."(A memetic reference to a Bodhisattva wielding a gatling gun - basically someone who solves problems with overwhelming and deadly force).
"It's true. Regardless of Orochimaru's personality, his strength is undeniable. He might prove useful," Zetsu said.
Tendo stood up and walked towards the cave entrance, step by step. Just before reaching the outside, he extended his right hand, touching the gently falling raindrops.
"I will increase surveillance over the Land of Rain. Hanzo left his lair earlier, and we failed to notice. Otherwise, our first objective should have already been achieved," Tendo declared.
It seemed Nagato also regretted not detecting the movements of Danzo and Hanzo. Even just deploying Tendo would have been enough to eliminate that scheming duo.
Nagato began to use his Rain Tiger at Will Technique, leveraging the light rain to monitor the Land of Rain. However, as soon as he activated the technique, he immediately sensed something amiss.
"...It seems we have guests in Amegakure."
At that moment, Habara was riding on the back of a bird, crossing the Land of Rain.
At that moment, Kakuzu had already been searching within the Land of Rain for a long time... all for the sake of seventy million.
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