The command center did not tell Chiyo or Pakura what Plan B was; they used Ninjutsu to maintain real-time contact with them.
Shikaku suspected that there were spies for Ryou and Madara within the Shinobi Allied Forces, so they wouldn't inform anyone about major operations in advance.
Even when it was time to act, they would just order them to do it without explaining the reason behind it.
Their counter-espionage was maxed out.
Ryou rubbed his chin, trying to guess the Shinobi Allied Forces's plan.
It wasn't hard to figure out.
Orochimaru had already used Edo Tensei to summon Tobirama; he had likely summoned all those powerful Shinobi from Konoha's past as well.
For example, Sakumo, Uchiha Kagami, Kato Dan...
Or perhaps the First Hokage—Hashirama.
Ryou found it a bit strange; since Tobirama had appeared, why hadn't Hashirama followed?
If Hashirama had been present during the earlier fight, Ryou would have fled immediately.
Ryou guessed that Hashirama was with the Shinobi Allied Forces, secretly infiltrating Amegakure to deal with Madara.
Then the Shinobi Allied Forces's plan must be for Orochimaru and Tobirama to block Ryou's ascension here, while the rest of the Shinobi Allied Forces supported Hashirama's attack on Amegakure.
To fight a decisive battle against Madara.
But this was just a guess.
Only Shikaku knew the real plan.
Moreover, the Spore Clone that had once been brainwashed by Shisui had already passed on the intelligence about Madara's Rinnegan to them.
Since these people knew how terrifying Limbo was, they should be trying to find a way to avoid it.
"Forget it, I won't think about it anymore!"
Ryou stopped thinking about the Shinobi Allied Forces's plans, and the Spore Clone synchronized his meeting with Itachi in the genjutsu space to Ryou.
Ryou wasn't really angry.
He could choose to be a lone wolf, but that didn't mean everyone else could.
Humans are social creatures after all; once detached from society, they are just beasts.
His connection with the Uchiha.
Ever since Ryou's Forbidden Jutsu was exposed, the Uchiha's first reaction wasn't to cover for him, but to capture him and hand him over to the Hokage, which had already severed their ties.
Nowadays, the only one Ryou cared about was Mikoto.
Candy said, "Fish Ball and Fortune have clashed with Minato; the two of them can't possibly be Minato's match."
"What should we do? Should we tell them to retreat?"
Ryou rubbed his chin and thought for a moment, then looked at Satori: "Satori, you go back and help the clone block the Shinobi Allied Forces!"
Satori was in the middle of torturing Manda and enjoying a meal, not expecting Ryou to interrupt its feast once again.
But that's how tools are; they never have any human rights.
Satori nodded, waiting for the summoning from Ryou's clone.
Ryou's main body was in Ryūchi Cave, where his strongest combat power was. Satori's mind-reading ability was useless against Tobirama, and it was likely useless against a mysterious Great Sage like the White Snake Sage.
It was better to send Satori to the clone. The Summoned Beasts of Mount Myōboku likely knew about Satori's identity, but what good would knowing do?
In the original work, Gamabunta recognized Satori and knew its abilities, but he still had no way to counter Satori's mind-reading.
Even if he could counter it, Satori could fight and run thanks to its top-tier flight stats; even Ōnoki couldn't fly faster than it.
Moreover, Ōnoki was in the Second Division, and the ones with flight capabilities in the First Division were the Shinobi from Hoshigakure whose chakra could be activated.
Speaking of Hoshigakure, one had to mention that great beauty, Natsuhi.
Seeing Natsuhi's beauty transmitted from the Spore Clone, Ryou wanted to possess her.
He specifically instructed Satori: "Satori, after you get there, keep an eye out for a person in Hoshigakure named Natsuhi. Don't kill her; I want to control her."
Satori mourned in its heart—another person about to be controlled by Ryou.
Being controlled by this demon, who knew when it would ever end.
Ryou then gave an order to the Spore Clone: if Satori arrived and still couldn't block the Shinobi Allied Forces, then summon the Great Tree of Takigakure from Hozuki Castle.
The stats of the Great Tree of Takigakure were already close to the main body's. The ancient tree was now equivalent to Ryou's strongest clone; it could transform into the Thousand-Armed Kannon without relying on Ryou's chakra.
Such a behemoth, throwing punches that could level small hills on the battlefield, would be a devastating blow to the Shinobi Allied Forces.
It wasn't that Ryou absolutely had to block the Shinobi Allied Forces; this was Madara's mission, and if he didn't put in some effort, Madara would hold him accountable afterward.
If he could keep the low-level Shinobi out of the Land of Rain, that would be considered fulfilling his duty.
As for those experts, there was nothing he could do about them.
Ryou then asked Candy: "What about the situation with Tsunade, Konan, and Nagato?"
Candy said: "Everything is fine, but Ryou, the spore you planted inside Tsunade is gone! It was erased by a mysterious power."
Ryou's expression turned gloomy; he didn't need to think to know it was Madara's doing.
Madara intended to have Tsunade die in front of Ryou, thereby forcing Ryou to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Although Ryou also harbored intentions of using Tsunade, killing his own woman to gain power...
This way of gaining power was too pathetic.
But Ryou had no way to resist Madara.
The only way now was to awaken the Mangekyo before Tsunade died.
But Ryou's parents were gone, he had no siblings, and the only one who could be considered family was Mikoto.
Did he have to go and kill Mikoto to save Tsunade?
Wasn't that penny-wise and pound-foolish?
Besides, he had never heard of anyone being able to lead the evolution of their own Mangekyo.
Madara and Izuna both awakened the Mangekyo passively after seeing their closest ones die.
Obito saw Rin killed by Kakashi; Shisui did it out of remorse for not saving his companion; Itachi witnessed Shisui's death.
Sasuke saw Itachi's death and, upon being told by Obito, realized that Itachi had been protecting him all along, which is why he awakened his Mangekyo.
The evolution of the Sharingan into the Mangekyo is an explosion of emotion; this emotion is not self-directed, but influenced by external forces.
How could someone who directs it themselves possibly endure intense negative emotions?
It's like hitting your lover with a car to get the insurance payout, and then crying your eyes out in front of the insurance company to commit fraud.
Anyone with a discerning eye can tell at a glance that you're trying to scam them.
Because you don't love her at all, you can accept her death with a clear conscience.
If there was no love to begin with, how could you gain power from losing love?
It's like love; because she doesn't love you, everything you do is wrong!
If there really was someone who could lead the evolution of the Sharingan into the Mangekyo by themselves, there would only be one person: Indra.
In the original anime, Indra actively killed two of his followers and then awakened the Mangekyo.
This is too ridiculous; one must know that in the manga, Indra was born with the Sharingan, he is the origin of the Sharingan.