The river flowing deep in the valley splashes water, dancing with the blowing wind.
Descending along the mountain stream, there lies an incredibly lush forest at the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Rivers.
The cold stream sends mist scattering, surrounding everything with a damp chill, making one feel mentally clear.
Nagato stands here, his red hair slightly lifted, a pair of cold and indifferent eyes on his sharp face - the Rinnegan.
The war in the Land of Rain has ceased, and the Land of Rain has surrendered to the Land of Fire, with the Hidden Rain Village becoming a vassal of Konoha. This was already realized through the intelligence gathered by White Zetsu.
The might of the Land of Fire and Konoha instills immense fear.
Even Nagato, at this moment, dares not face such a formidable entity head-on.
Therefore, the current operations should remain stealthy, all actions must proceed quietly in the shadows.
However, one thing is quite clear, and that is the sovereignty of the Land of Rain must be reclaimed from the Land of Fire and Konoha, it cannot be allowed to remain oppressed.
Presently, this is entirely unattainable.
The only option is to wait until the interior of Konoha is vulnerable, to then make a new plan.
Yet rather than relying on others to weaken Konoha, it's better to act on one's own, causing Konoha to fall into a weakened state, thereby gaining more initiative.
But how to cause Konoha to weaken requires careful consideration and strategic action.
"Lord Nagato, the target has been located."
A voice suddenly sounded from behind; Black Zetsu emerged from the ground. If not for the sound, standing there, he might not have even been noticed.
As a reconnaissance agent, Black Zetsu's aura can be described as extremely faint.
"Thank you for your hard work, tell me the information now."
Nagato turns around, his exposed Rinnegan void of emotions, his gaze calm to a frightening degree.
"Yes." Black Zetsu nodded respectfully, and began reporting to Nagato: "The situation is this, Lord Nagato. About five days ago, the undead Kakuzu was almost cornered under pursuit by the Hidden Sand, then suddenly vanished mysteriously amidst the Hidden Sand ninja's encirclement."
"Vanished? Was he secretly taken away by someone?"
Nagato could only speculate this.
"Yes."
"Can it be determined who did it?"
"For now, it cannot be determined. When I arrived, I couldn't find a trace of the undead Kakuzu anymore. However, this morning, our people discovered his trail in the Land of Tea, it seems he plans to exchange Hanzou's corpse for a bounty at the underground exchange in the Land of Tea."
"In that case, departure in half an hour, I need to prepare some things."
"Yes. Then I shall take my leave now."
Black Zetsu did not object; his body sank, merging with the earth, his aura completely vanished.
When he emerged from the ground again, he had already arrived in another forest, where a White Zetsu awaited him.
"Lord Nagato's aura is becoming more stable, no longer unable to control his Chakra as initially. It seems the integration with the newly acquired power is quite smooth."
Black Zetsu expressed his observation about Nagato without reservation.
"Of course, otherwise Lord Madara would not have directly abandoned Obito, entrusting everything to him. The Uzumaki Clan's constitution is truly formidable, typically transplanting the Rinnegan would instantly result in being crushed to death by its power."
"Having merged Hashirama's Cells with the inherent power of the Uzumaki Clan, achieving this outcome was somewhat anticipated. How is Atsui doing?"
Black Zetsu inquired about the matters he cared about.
The White Zetsu replied: "Currently honing the newly acquired power of the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"Is it going well?"
"No problem. He transplanted the Mangekyo Sharingan into a special White Zetsu, and then wrapped that White Zetsu with his body to achieve control. With Atsui's power, he should quickly be able to master and use that power fluently."
White Zetsu seems exceedingly confident in Atsui.
Being the strongest entity among all White Zetsus, Atsui's powers are distinctive.
This includes his mind.
Not every White Zetsu has a fondness for feces.
Atsui managed to stand out among all White Zetsus, not only due to his powerful Wood Style capabilities, but also his passionate research into feces, which made him as remarkable as a crane among chickens.
"Advise him not to slack off, to promptly grasp the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, as Lord Nagato might need his strength at any moment."
Hearing Black Zetsu now addressing Nagato as 'Lord' with utmost respect, the White Zetsu's expression turned helpless.
"Hey, Nagato is just a pawn of Lord Madara, after all, not present him, is it necessary to put so much effort into the act? He can't see now, anyway."
Loyalty to Nagato is merely a task left for them by Madara.
But it doesn't mean they are truly Nagato's subordinates.
"Lord Madara, before leaving, entrusted everything to Lord Nagato. Lord Nagato is now our new master. No more remarks like this in the future, otherwise, I will let Lord Nagato decide on your disrespect."
Black Zetsu's tone carried a warning, loyal to a fault, everything he did was for Nagato's benefit.
"..."
This idiot, could he really have pledged allegiance to Nagato? Daring to report their little schemes to Nagato.
White Zetsu cursed inwardly, but outwardly laughed carelessly.