Kirigakure
As Deidara and his companions departed, they left chaos in their wake.
Standing atop a roof, Obito surveyed the ruined western sector of Kirigakure. Collapsed buildings, destroyed streets, and scattered corpses told the grim tale of the night's brutality.
"Obito, what now?"
Zetsu's figure rose silently from Obito's side.
"This time, too many escaped, and too many died. We're facing a severe shortage of… raw materials," Black Zetsu remarked, its voice grim.
"Our manufacturing plans will likely need to pause for now," Black Zetsu added.
Obito's Sharingan glinted with an unreadable emotion as he stared into the distance.
"This was unexpected. Who could've predicted that Nagato would suddenly take an interest in Kirigakure?"
"And Deidara—his abilities are simply too well-suited for this kind of combat. If it had been Itachi or Sasori, they wouldn't have caused such devastation to Yagura and the village."
"So, what now?" White Zetsu couldn't wait any longer and impatiently asked again.
Obito didn't respond immediately. Instead, his tone shifted to reveal another concern.
"At this rate, we're losing leverage over Nagato. He's starting to slip further out of our control."
"True," Black Zetsu agreed.
From the beginning, Nagato had been nothing more than a tool for them. His purpose was to gather the Tailed Beasts and, when the time was right, use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to resurrect Madara Uchiha. They cared little for Akatsuki's development or Nagato's ideals of peace.
But Nagato, being his own person, wasn't someone who could be completely manipulated.
"This is definitely a problem."
"What's your plan?" Black Zetsu asked, its gaze fixed on Obito. It knew that if Obito had noticed these issues, he likely already had a solution in mind.
"First," Obito raised a finger, "we'll intensify our efforts to portray Akatsuki as a global threat, provoking the Five Great Shinobi Nations into waging war against them. This will weaken Nagato's growing influence and eliminate Akatsuki's auxiliary forces."
"And it'll also help replenish our raw materials," he added.
Black Zetsu appeared slightly taken aback by this audacious plan.
"But aren't you worried that the Five Nations might actually succeed in destroying Akatsuki? We still need them to gather the Tailed Beasts."
"They won't," Obito replied with certainty.
"Even if they unite in name, their mutual distrust will keep them from truly cooperating. Their attacks on Akatsuki will be half-hearted at best.
"Meanwhile, Akatsuki's roster includes many Kage-level individuals. Deidara and Kisame, in particular, excel in large-scale conflicts. Handling a disjointed assault from the Five Nations won't be an issue for them."
Black Zetsu considered this for a moment, then asked, "What's the second step?"
"The second step..." Obito paused for emphasis, "is to activate the contingency plan."
"Contingency plan?!" White Zetsu exclaimed.
"Isn't that going a bit far?" Black Zetsu pressed.
Perhaps sensing his own paranoia, Obito softened his tone slightly.
"With the Kirigakure plan in shambles, we've gained an additional two years. We might as well use this time to prepare for every eventuality."
Black Zetsu nodded. "That's reasonable.
"After Yagura was exposed today, we managed to temporarily fend off that woman. But she'll undoubtedly return soon, and we'll lose control of Kirigakure entirely."
"Why not just kill her?" White Zetsu suggested bluntly.
Black Zetsu refrained from answering, leaving the matter to Obito, whose face darkened.
"I can't," Obito replied curtly, unwilling to elaborate.
Though his Kamui made him formidable, his actual combat ability wasn't strong enough to take down someone like Mei Terumī, especially if she stayed vigilant.
...
Mount Myōboku
Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sage Regions, was a mystical and revered place.
Known as a sanctuary of systematic Sage Mode training, its existence was a stark reminder of humanity's limits. Despite being the dominant species on Earth, no human had successfully passed on the art of Sage Mode.
Today, Jiraiya, who had been out gathering "research materials," was summoned by the Great Toad Sage. Hurrying to the mountain, he dared not show even a hint of displeasure.
After all, the Great Toad Sage was a legendary being, said to have lived for over a thousand years and possibly even connected to the Sage of Six Paths himself.
When Jiraiya arrived at the grand hall, he found the Great Toad Sage, as always, perched in a large basin of water, its orange body adorned with prayer beads and a scholar's cap. The ancient toad appeared to be dozing, oblivious to the world.
Accompanying Jiraiya were Mount Myōboku's de facto leaders, Fukasaku and Shima, a married pair of elder toads.
Fukasaku stepped forward first, bowing respectfully. "Great Elder, young Jiraiya has arrived."
But the Great Toad Sage remained unresponsive, still half-snoozing in its basin.
"Great Elder! Great Elder!" Fukasaku called softly.
"Hmm? Who's here?" The sage cracked open one eye, its voice groggy.
"It's young Jiraiya," Fukasaku repeated.
"Ah, Jiraiya! This time I called you here to..." The Great Toad Sage began, only to trail off mid-sentence, its expression once again hazy.
"Wait… who's here again?"
"For goodness' sake, you senile old fool! It's Jiraiya!" Shima snapped, her fiery temper flaring. Dealing with the Great Toad Sage's forgetfulness had always been a trial for her.
"Don't talk to the Great Elder that way!" Fukasaku scolded, though his words carried little weight.
"Ah, Jiraiya!" The Great Toad Sage repeated its earlier greeting, finally snapping back to focus.
Jiraiya could only smile wryly at the familiar routine.
"Great Toad Sage, what was it you needed me for?"
"There is a new prophecy," the Great Toad Sage finally revealed.
"A new prophecy?" Jiraiya's expression grew serious.
"Yes. A new sun has risen in the sky, and the shinobi world will face unprecedented upheaval. Even the destiny of the Child of Prophecy will be altered.
"Jiraiya… you must stop this new sun, or else the shinobi world will spiral into the unknown..."
Before the Great Toad Sage could finish, it dozed off again. The hall fell into silence, the weight of the prophecy lingering in the air.
"Do you have any leads?" Fukasaku asked as they exited the hall.
Jiraiya scratched his head, troubled. Prophecies were always vague, and he still hadn't fully unraveled the mystery of the Child of Prophecy. Now, there was a new variable to consider.
"I'll do my best to uncover the truth!" Jiraiya declared resolutely.
After all, the fate of the entire shinobi world was at stake.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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