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As Black Zetsu spoke, everyone in the cave fell silent.
Yes, who in this cave doesn't have their own secrets?
All of you are ninjas who defected from different villages. None of you have been able to live a satisfactory life in your former homes. You've been labeled as enemies, fools, and madmen by the villages you once belonged to.
Why is it that in this world, you have to conform to be considered normal? If someone doesn't fit into the larger group, they're cast out.
Under a ray of light, Konan looked at Yahiko's body, controlled by Nagato. Her eyes, always so empty, reflected a deep darkness. How could there be so much cruelty in this world? If wars hadn't ravaged them, Yahiko and the others would never have died. This was why the Moon Eye Plan must succeed.
Konan tugged at Nagato's clothes with her delicate hands.
The Rinnegan eyes of Nagato, now controlled by Yahiko's body, met hers, but before either could say anything, a rough, hoarse voice rang out through the cave.
"Enough! No one is to mention Uchiha Obito's identity again. This matter ends now."
"And Obito, no more pretending to be Uchiha Madara."
Nagato's voice echoed, speaking through Yahiko's body. Everyone in the cave looked at him, but no one spoke. Each person thought deeply, but they all nodded respectfully, acknowledging Nagato as the leader.
Deidara, with his golden hair, and Hidan, who had a teasing look in his eyes, remained silent.
Kakuzu's eyes glimmered from the shadows, his expression unreadable. He stood there like a cold killing machine, not offering any opinions.
Nearby, Scorpion—handsome, with red hair—remained expressionless, like a living puppet. His eyes moved mechanically, focused on Obito, who stood in the middle of the room with his mask still covering his face.
As Nagato worked to resolve the tension around Obito's identity, Black Zetsu, always plotting for his own gain, was the first to benefit. It seemed Nagato wasn't angry over Obito's deception, which meant the Moon Eye Plan could proceed as planned.
Seeing this, Black Zetsu seized the opportunity to shift the conversation.
"Now that the misunderstanding is resolved," Black Zetsu began, "should we turn our attention to Kirito, the Golden Flash of Konoha Village?"
As Black Zetsu's words hung in the air, everyone turned their gaze to him, their expressions growing more solemn. They had just received reports detailing the events of the battle in Konoha Village. The documents not only described Kirito's actions during the fight, but also contained his comments about Uchiha Obito, and the details of Orochimaru's battle with Kakuzu.
Kakuzu, with a mask over his mouth and his green eyes glinting, spoke slowly, his voice muffled but clear.
"If Kirito's strength is really as it's described in these documents, then we're dealing with a truly powerful Kage-level ninja. In fact, his abilities might even surpass the Kage level."
As Kakuzu's words sank in, Nagato waved his hand, sending three documents to Itachi, Kisame, and Obito.
"This is the report from your battle in Konoha. You were there—take a look and verify the details, especially the parts that stand out."
Itachi, Kisame, and Obito reached for the documents, carefully flipping through them. After a moment, Kisame, his sharp teeth bared, addressed Nagato.
"The information is completely accurate. Kirito is even stronger than what's described here."
"We should prepare for him accordingly."
Nagato's eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade, and turned to Itachi and Obito. Obito remained silent, his expression unreadable, but Itachi nodded slowly, his cold face showing agreement with Kisame's assessment.
As Itachi nodded, the rest of the cave's inhabitants took a collective breath. It seemed that this Golden Flash was truly formidable.
Deidara and Hidan exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
"This is good," Deidara said with a grin. "The stronger he is, the more artistic it will be."
"My Death Scythe is getting a bit thirsty," Hidan added. "If Kirito won't join my cult, then I'll send him to see God myself."
The two of them spoke, but Kisame and Itachi exchanged knowing glances. There was a flicker of concern in their eyes.
Kisame smirked inwardly. *I hope you two don't think Kirito is an easy target. He's not some fool to be turned into art.*
Itachi's thoughts aligned with Kisame's, though neither spoke their concerns aloud.
"Aren't we trying to recruit him?" Scorpion, with his blank expression, voiced his doubts.
Kakuzu's green eyes flickered. "Are you suggesting we exploit Kirito's love for money?"
Before the conversation could develop further, Itachi's cold voice interrupted.
"Stop thinking like that. Although Kirito loves money, he's a man of principles."
"Our real target is his disciple, Uzumaki Naruto. If we want to release the Nine-Tails from Naruto's body, it would cause irreparable harm to him. Kirito will never agree to that."
Deidara clicked his tongue in mock sympathy. "If that's the case, we'll have to get rid of Kirito, won't we?"
Black Zetsu sneered at the group. "If we want to carry out the Moon Eye Plan, we can't afford to leave Naruto unchecked. That means we can't afford to let Kirito stand in our way."
Nagato, the leader of the Akatsuki, slowly spoke, the weight of his words filling the cave.
The conversation had begun with the intention of recruiting Kirito, but now, seeing how things were unfolding, Nagato understood that they could not afford to keep him alive.
No matter how powerful Kirito was, he would not stop the Moon Eye Plan.
The tailed beasts in the ninja world must be controlled.
"When will the plan begin, leader?" Deidara asked, his voice tinged with excitement.
Nagato fell into deep thought.
At that moment, Uchiha Obito, who had been silent throughout, finally spoke.
"Orochimaru's Konoha collapse plan has already involved the ninjas of the Sand Village. It's rumored that the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, is dead. If we launch the Moon Fang Plan now, we can use the conflict between Konoha and the Sand Village to our advantage. This will create chaos, allowing us to capture Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and Gaara, the One-Tails Jinchuriki."
Obito's words echoed in the cave, and for a moment, the entire organization seemed to freeze, considering the possibilities.
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