(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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"How do you want to approach this?"
Obito asked, looking at Nagato, curious to hear his plan.
"We'll join forces and destroy Konoha."
Pain's words were deliberate and measured. But the meaning was indeed overbearing, as if what he proposed was something insignificant.
Obito pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Alright"
"You'll handle Konoha's strong shinobis, and I'll capture the Nine-Tails."
Pain remained silent. His stare was blank but it made Obito pause.
Indeed, if Pain could manage it by himself, why would he need Obito's help?
Pain looked at this 'Madara' as if he was stupid.
Noticing Pain's look, Obito felt a twinge of awkwardness in the air.
"Is Kamiyo Colt really that formidable?" he couldn't help but ask.
Pain sighed.
"His speed is overwhelming. Aside from the Deva Path, the other five paths are completely useless against him."
"Even the Deva Path's attacks can be evaded by him."
Obito's mood grew heavier. He was well aware of Pain's power.
He knew Kamiyo Colt posed the greatest threat, but reliable allies were scarce at this moment.
Gritting his teeth, he pulled out a tube.
Since it had come down to it…
"This is..."
**********
Land of Lightning
After Itachi was killed, Obito took Sasuke back and revealed the so-called truth to him.
Without hesitation, Sasuke joined the Akatsuki, and Obito sent him and Kisame to capture the Eight-Tails as a demonstration of his loyalty.
Sasuke's small team accompanied him.
"You don't need to interfere; I'll handle the Eight-Tails myself."
As they entered the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, Sasuke, now brimming with confidence after acquiring the Mangekyō Sharingan, addressed Kisame.
Three years ago, Colt had defeated the Eight-Tails on the battlefield.
Today, Sasuke intended to do the same, proving that the Uchiha name was not inferior to anyone.
Kisame grinned lightly.
"No problem. Capturing the Eight-Tails is your task. I'm just here to assist if needed."
Sasuke snorted, suspecting that Kisame was also there to monitor him.
But he didn't voice his thoughts, having his own plans for dealing with Obito, whom he still believed to be Madara.
Besides he believed he could easily deal with Kisame should the need arise.
As they ventured deeper into the valley, they unexpectedly encountered Killer Bee.
After some of Killer Bee's trademark rapping, Sasuke charged in with his Kusanagi sword.
If Colt were there, he would have admonished Sasuke for his recklessness.
He had warned him multiple times: never engage in a sword fight with someone more skilled in swordsmanship.
It was just that Sasuke still couldn't tell who was better than him in swordsmanship due to his arrogance.
Within minutes, Sasuke was beaten badly, and injured in multiple places.
If not for Karin's healing, he and his group might have all been dead.
"Yo, Mangekyō? Not so special though!"
Killer Bee struck a strange pose, feeling pleased with himself.
Since his defeat by Colt, he and Gyūki had been training rigorously, determined to one day avenge their loss.
Defeating another Sharingan user was a satisfying start.
Hearing Killer Bee's taunt, Sasuke's fragile ego took another hit.
"Amaterasu!"
The black flames of Amaterasu engulfed Killer Bee, causing him to scream in pain.
In pain, he transformed into his tailed beast form, shedding the flames with a Chakra cloak.
"This isn't enough... I'm still not as good as Itachi." Sasuke kept muttering.
Who knew that Kisame at that moment would confirm that?
"If Itachi were here, the Eight-Tails would have been captured by now."
As Sasuke panted heavily he heard that.
Those words drove him into a frenzy.
He forced himself to activate the Susanoo, clashing fiercely with Killer Bee in his tailed beast form.
But Sasuke had only just awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, and his control was still lacking.
After a prolonged struggle, he was defeated, his vision beginning to blur from overusing his powers.
In the end, Kisame stepped in, using the Samehada's unique abilities to capture Killer Bee.
Thanks to Colt's earlier warnings, Kisame easily saw through Killer Bee's trick of escaping by shedding his tail.
With Killer Bee strapped to Samehada and an unconscious Sasuke in tow, Kisame left the Valley of Clouds and Lightning.
He brought them to a hidden stronghold where White Zetsu was waiting.
"Did it work?"
"Yes, but Sasuke nearly exhausted his powers fighting the Eight-Tails."
Kisame laid Sasuke on the ground, and White Zetsu prepared the Sharingan that Obito had provided.
"Then let's begin..."
**********
Land of Water
In a remote area of Kirigakure, Orochimaru and Kabuto continued their search for powerful individuals' graves.
"I've found it—the Seventh Ninja Swordsmen, and the Second Mizukage."
Orochimaru and Kabuto had been hiding and relentlessly searching for the graves of powerful ninjas and ancient temples tracing to years back.
Kabuto, growing weary of grave-digging and the endless tales of forgotten history, was tired, but Orochimaru remained fervently interested.
Now, their focus was on Kirigakure's legendary shinobis.
As always, Orochimaru left the dirty work to Kabuto, who dutifully unearthed the remains.
After acquiring cells from the corpses, Orochimaru produced several White Zetsus.
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
With the sacrifice of White Zetsus, the reanimated forms of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and the Second Mizukage emerged.
Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction but then frowned—his supply of White Zetsus was dwindling.
Originally, White Zetsus, who had been searching for the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, had been plentiful.
But now, they were scarce.
"It seems I'll need to negotiate with the Akatsuki again."
Orochimaru's gaze turned toward Amegakure.
In his search through ancient texts, he had uncovered many secrets.
Though he had been primarily interested in ninjutsu and science, he had never imagined so much history lay hidden beneath the surface.
He had confirmed that the Rinnegan was indeed the eye of the legendary Sage of Six Paths.
As for why the Akatsuki were gathering the tailed beasts, that remained unclear.
But he was certain they had a unique purpose.
That's why he had taken the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki.
As long as he held onto it, the Akatsuki would have to seek him out eventually...
**********
Konoha Village
After returning from Amegakure, Colt began considering the safety of Hinata and the others.
While their strength was respectable, the upcoming battles, where the enemies were practically on a different level, required more.
The priority now was to ensure the girls had some means of self-defense.
Among them, Hinata showed the most promise.