Mei Terumi knew that Aoba was a formidable and dangerous figure, he was someone who single-handedly reformed and shaped the current Konoha into a powerhouse that now dominated the entire ninja world.
But she never imagined that Konoha would now be preparing to take action against the daimyo of the Land of Fire. Weren't they worried about triggering a backlash from the entire ninja world?
Then again, recalling how Konoha had recently crushed the combined forces of Kumogakure and Iwagakure head-on, Mei realized that perhaps they truly weren't afraid.
Mei herself came from a traditional ninja background and had no objections to the idea of a ninja village obeying the daimyo's orders. Aoba, however, offered no explanation and instead arrogantly presented her with a choice.
"What level do you expect us to act at? Assassinate the daimyo of the Land of Fire?"
"Of course not. I don't want to throw the Land of Fire into chaos just yet. So we'll need a simple, well-thought-out plan," Aoba replied.
The daimyo was protected by the Twelve Guardian Ninja, all of whom were at least Special Jonin-level or higher.
In other words, ordinary ninja wouldn't be able to get the job done.
However, Mei's group consisted of the Hidden Mist's finest elite, and she herself was close to Kage-level. This mission was certainly within their capabilities.
Yet Mei was fully aware that this mission was essentially another test of her loyalty. If she accepted this time, there would certainly be a next time and a time after that.
Eventually, her group would simply become tools in Aoba's hands.
The harsher truth was that without Konoha, they wouldn't even qualify as tools in other villages. At least Aoba still maintained an outward respect for them. Mei didn't dare imagine what would happen if they fell into the hands of Iwagakure or Kumogakure.
"We'll take the mission," Mei said decisively.
"Excellent. You have half a month to prepare," Aoba replied.
The issue of the daimyo was, in Aoba's eyes, a relatively minor matter. His real concern was the movements of Black Zetsu and Madara.
Those two were the real threats.
Currently, Black Zetsu and Madara had full control over Kirigakure. Konoha's Anbu forces couldn't penetrate it, but some spies placed by Root in the past were still operational and capable of transmitting basic intelligence.
After analyzing all the information and combining it with what he already knew, Aoba came to a conclusion: Madara and Black Zetsu's next move would likely be to reclaim the Rinnegan and use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to resurrect Madara fully.
This was originally supposed to be guided by Black Zetsu manipulating Nagato, but the situation had spiraled out of control. Given Madara's personality, he would undoubtedly want the Rinnegan under his direct control.
Aoba pulled out another intelligence report from the Anbu regarding the Akatsuki's recent attack on Kumogakure.
The Akatsuki were now the most active faction on the board. Having already acquired the Eight-Tails, they had set their sights on the Two-Tails.
The previous test strike confirmed Kumogakure's weakened state. Their next move would likely be a full-scale assault to seize the Two-Tails.
At Kumogakure's peak, the Akatsuki would have needed their entire organization to take on the village. But now, with Kumogakure's strength significantly diminished, it was uncertain if they could fend off the Akatsuki.
However, that wasn't the end of it. Aoba combined these pieces of information with his knowledge of Madara and Black Zetsu's ambitions.
Attacking Kumogakure would leave it vulnerable. If he were in Black Zetsu or Madara's position, what would he do?
In the original timeline, Madara emerged when the Akatsuki was already in shambles and Nagato had died. Thus, we never saw a battle between Madara and a fully functional Akatsuki.
In reality, if the Akatsuki had all its members intact and fought together, they might have had a chance against Madara.
Of course, that chance would rest entirely on Nagato's Rinnegan. However, Nagato's body was weak; in a prolonged fight, Madara could easily outlast him.
Currently, the biggest constraint on Madara going on a rampage in the ninja world was Aoba himself.
After pondering for a moment, Aoba contacted Hidan, who informed him that the Akatsuki planned to attack Kumogakure to capture the Two-Tails in a week. Whether Nagato would personally lead the assault remained uncertain.
Aoba took out a scroll and used the Uchiha clan's messenger cats to deliver it to Konan.
Seven days was a tight timeline. By then, Aoba's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan fusion might not be complete.
Even so, this didn't mean he couldn't intervene.
...
Amegakure, Akatsuki's Headquarters
In the secret laboratory, Konan observed Hiruko working tirelessly.
"How is it?" she asked.
"It's... hard to describe," Hiruko replied, frowning. "The cell sample's vitality is nearly depleted. But strangely enough, even though the cells are drained, they somehow keep regenerating a small amount of vitality to sustain themselves.
"I've never seen anything like this before. It's as if an unimaginably powerful life force was forcibly extracted, leaving the core intact but barely surviving."
Konan remained silent for a moment before asking:
"Based on your observations, how much longer can it last?"
"Are you referring to the owner of these cells?" Hiruko responded.
"To be blunt, not much longer. I'm not sure what has happened to his body, but from my analysis, these cells likely have no more than a year left before their foundation is completely destroyed.
"Once the self-repairing ability is lost, the host will exhaust their remaining life force in an extremely short time and die."
Konan was about to say something when a messenger cat suddenly appeared before her, delivering a scroll.
Konan accepted the scroll and unsealed it, revealing two vials of liquid along with a letter.
Her expression shifted slightly as she read the letter. Without hesitation, she handed the vials to Hiruko.
"Analyze these," she instructed, then swiftly left the laboratory with the letter in hand.
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Currently on Chapter 254 - The Road Ahead