By the time that moment arrives, perhaps I will no longer fear the power of Konoha.
Ruri and Ayane possess strength comparable to the Five Kage, and my own combat power, combined with numerous clones, can also easily handle a single Kage.
Seven or eight years later, when the talents of the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Uzumaki clans mature, top-level combat power will become increasingly abundant.
Therefore, regarding the settlement of scores with Konoha after the war, Hakushi isn't terribly worried.
What he worries about, however, is another matter—
The issue of Uchiha Madara and White Zetsu.
Simply because of the intimidation that name carries, without complete preparation, Hakushi does not plan to confront Uchiha Madara head-on.
The most secure method is to eliminate White Zetsu, causing Uchiha Madara's intelligence system to collapse, so he is cut off from information about the outside world, slowly driving him into a corner.
Of course, the specifics would need to adapt according to Madara's response, rather than being set in stone.
"So, have those White Zetsu been dealt with?"
Hakushi asked Ayane about the progress of her work these past days.
"Some have been dealt with, but many have slipped through; they are hiding deeper and deeper now."
Ayane's response was as Hakushi expected.
"Is that so? You showed up without authorization this time, disrupting the plans here somewhat. But from another angle, there might be something valuable we can exploit. And…"
Hakushi continued.
"And what?"
"If my speculation is correct, Uchiha Madara's goal should be the Tailed Beasts. Currently, the Tailed Beasts are held by the major nation's Ninja Villages like Konoha. The only one not held by the major nation's Ninja Villages is the Seven-tails of Hidden Waterfall Village in the Land of the Waterfall. I have already sent people to infiltrate Hidden Waterfall Village as informants. If there are any issues, they will report back."
"What about the problem of Uchiha Obito?"
"Old age has slowed his movement, and he desperately needs a spokesperson aligned with his ideal. Honestly, fools are easier to control. Hence, the next step is to eliminate the White Zetsu beside Uchiha Obito. I want to see what kind of response Uchiha Madara will have if the White Zetsu beside his ideal puppet is dealt with."
"Do you want me to chase those rats again?"
"No, there is no rush for now. The plan needs to proceed slowly, and the route must be determined while controlling unforeseen risks along the way. With opponents as cunning as this, a slight misstep can lead to traps. Madara won't make the same mistake twice. No matter how hard we search now, we can only find White Zetsu, but not where he is directly."
As long as Madara himself can't be located, exterminating White Zetsu is meaningless.
Therefore, eliminating White Zetsu is not the final goal; finding Madara's physical location through the clues from White Zetsu is key.
Before that, ample combat preparation and enhancing one's own power are vital components of the plan.
"Your return is just in time; I urgently need your Byakugan to assist."
"Assist with what?"
"Mapping."
Hakushi stated seriously.
"Mapping?"
"Yes. I have significant plans for this. I want to understand the geographical layout of every area in the Land of Demons."
"Are you setting up a large laboratory?"
Ayane asked.
"No, it's for a place even more important than a lab. I plan to establish a 'nation within a nation' similar to Roran. However, the nation within a nation I am building is somewhat unique. In this nation within a nation, everyone from officials to civilians will master Natural Energy as 'neo-humans.' I am temporarily calling this plan the 'Peach Blossom Spring' plan."
Hakushi is unsure of the consequences if the Natural Energy system suddenly flows into the world.
Therefore, he wants to create a special 'Peach Blossom Spring,' which can also be seen as a key experimental area for the stable formation of a societal system where Natural Energy is fully utilized.
The Chakra system has already caused some distorted development in the Ninja Realm.
The significance of civilians is severely overlooked, or rather, the power held by ninjas creates severe 'wealth' inequality with regular people.
However, the Natural Energy system can potentially reduce the 'wealth' gap between all individuals.
What consequences this will bring, Hakushi does not know, nor can he predict; he has no idea if such a world system will bring new life or destruction.
Hence, the temporary definition of the Peach Blossom Spring experiment plan has a reason for coming into being.
It is also a crucial step in reforming this world.
Choosing the right location, involving the people, ensuring the secrecy of this 'Peach Blossom Spring,' as well as supervising personnel, and many other unforeseen complex issues need to be perfected beforehand.
The preparation for the pre-launch phase alone might require several years.