"Not different?" Konan frowned slightly as she repeated Nagato's words.
Nagato looked at the rain outside the window for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "No. That is not completely right."
"On the surface, he is similar to us," Nagato said. "He is also using force to break the old structure of the Ninja World."
"But we use pain to make the world seek peace. Shinichi is different. He is not trying to guide the world toward peace. He is trying to place himself above it."
Konan listened without interrupting him.
"He is an ambitious man," Nagato continued. "What he wants is not peace, and it is not simply the end of war. What he wants is to stand above everything."
The tower quieted after those words.
Konan looked at him and said, "If that is true, then he will become our greatest obstacle."
Nagato understood her concern. After what Shinichi had done in Iwagakure and Kumogakure, no one could treat him as an ordinary enemy. Even Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, had to admit that Shinichi was troublesome.
But troublesome did not mean unbeatable.
Nagato had never believed that ordinary strength could stand against the Rinnegan.
The power of these eyes was not something the Five Great Nations could understand, and it was not something a shinobi who relied on brute force alone could easily overcome.
So he did not show that pressure on his face.
"It is fine," Nagato said, his voice steady. "Konoha already knows about Akatsuki. Kisame died in their hands, and Orochimaru is also in Konoha's custody. Those two know enough about us."
Konan's expression changed slightly as she understood what he was getting at.
Nagato turned his head toward her. "If Shinichi knows we exist, and may even know that Amegakure is our base, then why has he never come to the Land of Rain?"
Konan fell silent.
With Shinichi's style, if he truly wanted to remove Akatsuki, he should have acted already. He had gone straight to Iwagakure and Kumogakure, yet he had never touched the Land of Rain.
There was only one reason that made sense.
"He is wary," Konan said quietly.
"Wary of these eyes," Nagato said. "Wary of the Rinnegan."
Konan was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I understand."
That answer did not remove all the pressure in her heart, but it at least gave her a reason to believe they were not being ignored. If Shinichi had truly chosen not to come because of Nagato, then Akatsuki still had room to move.
Nagato looked back at the rain outside the window. "So we still have time. He does not dare face me yet, and we only need to complete our plan before that changes."
His voice became colder..."Collect the Tailed Beasts. Build the weapon. Then make this world understand pain."
At the same time, in an underground stone chamber, Uchiha Obito sat alone on a stone platform.
Space twisted behind him, and Black Zetsu and White Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"News from Kumogakure," Black Zetsu said.
Obito did not turn around. "Shinichi?"
"Yes. Kumogakure has submitted. Their envoys are already on the way to Konoha, just like Iwagakure."
The stone chamber fell silent for a while before Obito spoke again.
"So Kumogakure too..."
"Yes," Black Zetsu said. "But there is one strange thing. Shinichi fought the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails, but he did not bring them back to Konoha."
Only then did Obito turn his head.
That was not what he had expected. Based on their earlier judgment, Shinichi had been taking the Tailed Beasts ahead of them to block Akatsuki's plan.
The Four-Tails, Six-Tails, and Seven-Tails were already in Konoha's hands, and Naruto was still there as the Nine-Tails jinchuriki.
But after defeating Kumogakure, Shinichi had left the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails in the village.
"Why?"
Black Zetsu shook his head. "I do not know. Maybe he thinks it is unnecessary. Maybe he has another arrangement. Or maybe he believes his strength is enough, so it does not matter where they stay for now."
"Either way, the situation is bad for us. Konoha already controls most of the board. The Four-Tails, Six-Tails, Seven-Tails, and Nine-Tails are all tied to Konoha. Even the One-Tail is only in Sunagakure in name now that Gaara has chosen submission."
He looked at Obito and added, "On our side, we only have Han."
Obito's expression behind the mask did not change, but the meaning was clear to both of them.
The Two-Tails and Eight-Tails were still in Kumogakure, but that did not make them easy targets.
If Shinichi asked for them, Kumogakure would not dare refuse. Even if Akatsuki moved first, they would still have to consider whether Shinichi was watching from behind.
No matter how they looked at it, Akatsuki could not collect the Tailed Beasts while avoiding Konoha.
After a long silence, Obito stood up.
"It seems we cannot go around him."
Black Zetsu looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"Akatsuki must gather all its strength," Obito said. "Then we attack Konoha."
Black Zetsu was silent for a moment. "A frontal attack?"
"Yes," Obito replied. "Shinichi is there, and so are the Tailed Beasts. Since we cannot go around him, we fight our way in."
For Obito, this was not the best choice. It was only the choice left after every easier path had been blocked. Waiting would only give Shinichi more control over the remaining Tailed Beasts, and acting separately would let Konoha deal with them one by one.
White Zetsu clicked his tongue. "Easy to say, but that is a seven-hundred-meter Buddha statue. Kumogakure's battlefield was crushed like it was nothing."
Obito gave no response, but Black Zetsu seemed to take White Zetsu's words seriously.
"Then we should use this time to recruit more members."
Obito turned to him. "What do you mean?"
Black Zetsu stepped forward and stood beside the Gedo Statue. "I found someone interesting recently. If we bring him into Akatsuki, he may fill one of our biggest gaps."
Obito's eye narrowed.
"Who?"
Black Zetsu slowly said a name.
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