As the tides of conflict shifted, the shinobi villages of Iwagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Konoha, as well as Sunagakure, which had come to follow Konoha's lead, all began to take action in response to the growing threat of Gensou.
Naturally, the Akatsuki, ever watchful of the Great Nations, took note of these movements.
High atop the tower in Amegakure, hidden by a veil of rain, Pain gazed down upon the blurry village below. His expression was as indifferent as always.
"I can sense the coming of war," he muttered.
Beside him, Konan stood quietly and asked, "A war between the Five Great Nations and Gensou?"
"The major nations, who consider themselves the center of the world, will never peacefully relinquish their positions. They will continue to inflict the pain they've dealt to others upon any challenger, until those challengers kneel in agony and beg for mercy. It has always been this way," Pain coldly explained.
Amegakure had experienced this same pain long ago.
The once-mighty Hanzō of the Salamander had fought against the likes of Sunagakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure to free his country from being a battlefield for the major nations.
But in the end, even a "demigod" like Hanzō could not alter the will of the Great Nations.
The Five Great Nations would never allow a new power to rise among them.
Not even a demigod could change that, and neither could someone who once stood alongside the gods.
"Gensou's emergence is rather timely," Konan remarked, her thoughts mirroring those of Uchiha Obito. "If a war truly breaks out between Gensou and the Five Great Nations, it will give Akatsuki the perfect opportunity to quietly collect the tailed beasts."
After Itachi and Kisame's failure to capture the Nine-Tails, Akatsuki had been thrust into the spotlight of the Great Nations.
Although they had kept a lower profile over the past two years, the major shinobi villages remained vigilant.
If the Great Nations were to focus their efforts on Akatsuki, even with their S-rank criminals and Kage-level forces, Akatsuki would struggle to survive, let alone achieve their goal of collecting the tailed beasts.
Fortunately, a new threat had emerged: Gensou and the combined power of the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans.
This threat was far greater than Akatsuki, diverting the attention of the Great Nations.
However, Pain, self-proclaimed as a "god," had his own thoughts on Gensou. "In the end, Gensou is bound by the vision of mortals."
When Gensou had reappeared in the world, Pain had paid close attention, wondering if this man could disrupt his plans.
But after two years of watching, Pain had realized that Gensou seemed content to live quietly, showing little interest in world affairs.
Pain had briefly considered the possibility that Gensou was secretly laying the groundwork for something greater.
Yet now, it seemed clear that Gensou, like many before him, was merely consolidating his strength for a predictable, mortal goal. Most likely, he would unite the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans to challenge the Five Great Nations, aiming to secure his place as one of the rulers of the shinobi world.
In the end, Gensou sought only power and influence for himself and his people.
No matter how powerful someone was, as long as their actions were driven by self-interest, they would never be able to transcend the cycle of pain and conflict.
They could never grasp the vision needed to bring true peace to the world.
That was the role of a true "god."
Pain raised his head to the sky, looking up at the weeping heavens. "Send word to Sasori. Suspend the plan to attack Sunagakure and capture the One-Tails. He and Deidara are to focus on locating the Three-Tails."
"A major war is approaching, and Akatsuki must keep a low profile. The Jinchuriki of the One-Tails, Two-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails are all entrenched in the hidden villages. We'll capture them later. For now, focus our efforts on capturing the wild Three-Tails, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki who wanders outside the villages, and the Six-Tails Jinchuriki who recently defected."
Once they captured the Three, Five, and Six-Tails, and once the Great Nations were weakened by war, Akatsuki would move in swiftly to claim the remaining tailed beasts and unleash the ultimate weapon to achieve true peace.
Konan, ever loyal, had no objections. "Who will capture the Five-Tails and Six-Tails?" she asked.
"The Five-Tails will be dealt with by Kakuzu and Hidan. As for the Six-Tails, I'll handle it personally," Pain replied, extending his hand to feel the rain falling into his palm.
Soon, new orders were issued throughout Akatsuki.
Pain himself left Amegakure, though few noticed his departure.
Meanwhile, the streets and alleys of the village had seen an unusual increase in stray cats.
"Meow~~~"
One particularly scruffy-looking orange cat, its fur deliberately dirtied and its belly swollen with kittens, gazed up at the towering, pipe-covered buildings. It sniffed the air, catching the scent of gold.
Back at Gensou's bright, spacious laboratory, Sasuke, his eyes tightly wrapped in bandages, heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching and couldn't help but ask, "Gensou, is a war coming?"
"War? What makes you ask that?" Gensou replied, casting a surprised glance at Sasuke.
Sasuke explained, "The combined power of the Hagoromo and Uchiha clans is too great, especially with you leading them. Konoha and the other villages won't just sit idly by. After the way we marched through the village, Konoha won't take it lightly."
Gensou chuckled. "It's good that you're thinking about such things."
The Sasuke of old wouldn't have had room in his mind for anything beyond training and revenge.
Concepts like the status and interests of the shinobi villages or the causes of war wouldn't have even crossed his mind.
For Sasuke, growing stronger had been his sole focus.
But since Gensou had taken him under his wing, forcing him to read through the extensive archives of the Hagoromo clan, Sasuke's perspective had broadened significantly.
With more refinement, he would become a worthy leader for the Uchiha Clan in the future.
With that thought, Gensou nodded. "Indeed, war is coming."
Sasuke was about to speak, but Gensou's next words caught him off guard.
"But it won't be a war with the Five Great Nations."
Sasuke was confused. "If not with the Five Great Nations, then who?"
Gensou smiled faintly. "People often focus on what they can see—land, population, money, resources, even love and peace. But in truth, there's only one thing truly worth pursuing above all else."
"What's that?" Sasuke asked, intrigued.
"Eternity."
Gensou gazed at his own hand, slowly curling his fingers into a fist.
"Time brings change. Lands shift, populations grow and shrink, wealth comes and goes, resources are exhausted, and even love and peace are fleeting. No matter how great a hero, there comes a day when they die. No matter how perfect a system of governance, it eventually deteriorates. This cycle repeats endlessly—that is the law of the world."
"But only eternity can transcend that law and change everything."
"And so, yes, war is coming."
"The target... is Akatsuki."
(End of Chapter)
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