As for the pitiful Orochimaru who had delivered himself to their doorstep, he was still under Uchiha Madara's control, standing to the side like a lifeless puppet.
Should he initiate the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan early?
Uchiha Madara frowned in thought.
He wasn't ready yet, but with the Rinnegan now exposed, all five great shinobi villages had their eyes on the Land of Rain and Nagato.
This was undeniably bad news.
If the Rinnegan were to fall into the hands of the five great shinobi villages, retrieving it would be no simple task.
Madara, relying on the Gedo Statue to extend his life, could barely manage controlling a single Orochimaru. Facing the five great villages, however, was clearly impossible.
Unless someone used the Rinne Tensei Jutsu to revive him and restore him to his prime.
"Lord Madara, I'm afraid we need to reclaim the Rinnegan ahead of schedule. If it falls into the hands of the five great villages, the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan will be jeopardized."
Among those concerned, none were more anxious than Black Zetsu, though he couldn't show it. Instead, he continued to play the part of a subordinate, thinking from Madara's perspective.
"Reclaiming the Rinnegan ahead of schedule would render Nagato useless as a pawn."
"Hahaha, this is getting more and more interesting."
Suddenly, Madara burst into maniacal laughter, leaving Black Zetsu bewildered.
He couldn't fathom why Madara was so amused—this was no time for laughter. If anything happened to Nagato, it would spell disaster.
"Go, bring back the Rinnegan. As for Nagato... forget it. Capture the girl he cares about."
Taking the Rinnegan from Nagato would mean the boy no longer held any value. Madara initially considered continuing to use him as a pawn but soon dismissed the idea. A tool without value wasn't worth a second glance.
Black Zetsu hesitated before replying, "Lord Madara, it seems Konoha has noticed that Obito was captured. From my observations, ever since Tsunade became the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi and Rin Nohara have disappeared."
Knowing full well that Madara was a ruthless man who would sacrifice anyone, Takuya had naturally taken precautions to safeguard his disciples, who were now living blissfully. Tsunade had sent Kakashi and Rin to the Shikkotsu Forest for secret training.
Madara would never imagine such a move by Takuya and Tsunade. To sit idly while the enemy schemed was out of the question.
Using Kakashi and Rin as sacrifices to fully corrupt Obito? Dream on.
Another frustrating setback.
"Disguise yourselves and bring this snake along. He'll do the dirty work."
Nagato was the overt pawn, while Obito remained the covert one. With Nagato unreliable, Madara had no choice but to lean on Obito.
As for the Tailed Beast plan, Madara no longer cared. His sole focus was on achieving a perfect revival.
Using White Zetsu to impersonate someone Obito cared about was an easy task. Both Madara and Black Zetsu had long prepared for such contingencies, though they hadn't expected to use them so soon. Recent changes in the shinobi world were happening at an alarming pace, shattering their carefully laid plans. It felt as if someone was deliberately forcing their hand.
The pitiful Orochimaru had now become nothing more than a tool, obediently following Black Zetsu to the Land of Rain.
One by one, the shinobi of the Cloud, Stone, Mist, and Sand villages arrived in the Land of Rain, secretly investigating.
When it came to information on Nagato, only the Mist and Sand villages, with Konoha's support, had a clearer understanding.
Danzo was indeed hiding in the Land of Rain!
Minato, who had been covertly monitoring the situation, immediately returned to their underground base.
"Danzo has joined forces with the Rain Village?"
Minato nodded. "He's accompanied by several Rain Village shinobi. I've instructed the Anbu to keep their distance and follow discreetly, but there's a chance they'll lose him."
Danzo knew the Anbu's methods all too well, making it risky to rely solely on them. Minato's plan was to act immediately, giving the old schemer no chance to escape. Once alerted, Danzo could disappear, making it nearly impossible to find him again.
"I knew that old fox wouldn't stay hidden for long. Teaming up with Hanzo? He's definitely up to no good."
Takuya was well aware of Danzo's methods. Unlike Orochimaru, who might abandon his previous research, Danzo would persist. Without Konoha's resources and Orochimaru's support, however, Danzo lacked the funds and manpower to continue his work, forcing him to seek allies externally.
Hanzo was the perfect candidate: ambitious, powerful, and willing to take risks. In the Land of Rain, where forbidden and unethical research wasn't taboo, Danzo could conduct his experiments without interference. The abundance of rogue and wandering shinobi, as well as homeless individuals, provided ample experimental subjects.
It was likely that Danzo had already set his sights on Nagato.
Reflecting on the events of the Third Shinobi War, when Danzo and Hanzo had conspired to set a trap for the Akatsuki, Takuya was certain this situation wasn't as simple as it appeared. Hanzo lacked the cunning for such schemes; this had Danzo written all over it.
Danzo would likely use Hanzo to target the Akatsuki, track Nagato's movements, and lay a trap. Unfortunately for Danzo, without hostages like Yahiko and Konan, his leverage over Nagato was nonexistent.
Nagato might sacrifice himself for others, but only for Konan and Yahiko.
"That old fox is definitely after Nagato."
With a chuckle, Takuya stood and stretched, the cracking of his arms and neck echoing in the room. Removing the scarf covering his face, he revealed his eyes.
"Your vision's recovered?"
Minato looked at Takuya's eyes in surprise.
This period of recovery had been frustrating. Though Takuya's exceptional sensory abilities allowed him to live and fight without relying on sight, it couldn't entirely replace his eyes. He had grown impatient with the blindfold.
"Pack your things. We're heading out to pay a visit to the esteemed Lord Danzo!"
The Anbu, ignoring Takuya's sarcastic tone, focused on their orders. They were mere pawns in a game far above their level, and with Danzo now branded a traitor, their only task was to obey.
"Oh, by the way," Minato suddenly said, "Jiraiya-sensei asked me about Nagato. I told him everything, and he's decided to come to the Land of Rain. Based on the timing, he should have arrived by now."
Jiraiya wasn't here on a mission but to search for the so-called savior. Unfortunately, his "savior" was more akin to a ticking time bomb. If he wanted to search, so be it.
For now, the priority was eliminating Danzo and further muddying the waters. Drawing the attention of the five great shinobi villages to the Land of Rain would force Uchiha Madara into the open.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING