In the wilderness of the Land of Fire, the massive skeleton of a beast marked the entrance to an underground lair.
This was one of Akatsuki's hideouts. The Gedo Statue sat motionless on an altar, its hands bound by heavy chains.
The masked Obito sat on a stone chair in front of the statue. Through the single hole in his orange mask, his Sharingan glowed faintly, its dim light flickering in rhythm with the unsteady flames of the torches that illuminated the cavern.
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu had brought three shocking pieces of news, leaving the calculating man in prolonged silence.
Nagato, renowned for his invincibility as Pain, had been defeated.
Nagato had betrayed him, using the *Rinne Rebirth Jutsu* to revive the dead of Konoha.
And Naruto appeared to have betrayed Konoha, taking Nagato's body with him.
From beneath the mask, Obito's voice emerged, low and steady. "Nagato's betrayal was unexpected, but Naruto's actions... they are even more surprising."
White Zetsu asked, "What should we do now?"
Obito turned his head slightly. "Did you overhear Naruto's conversation with Konan?"
White Zetsu replied, "No, that kid can sense natural energy. If I got too close, I'd be in danger."
Obito turned his gaze back. "The worst-case scenario is that Naruto has set his sights on the Rinnegan..."
"Additionally, according to intelligence intercepted by Akatsuki, the Raikage has called for a Five Kage Summit. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss Sasuke's punishment."
"I had originally planned to use this opportunity to declare war on the Five Great Nations and reveal the Moon's Eye Plan to the world..."
As he spoke, Obito clenched his hand tightly on his knee. "But our ability to declare war depends on the power of the seven Tailed Beasts we've sealed in the Gedo Statue up to now."
"And to wield that power, the Rinnegan is indispensable!"
White Zetsu exclaimed, "Then this is bad! If Naruto has the Rinnegan, he could summon the statue away at any moment and turn its power against us!"
Obito replied, "No need to panic just yet. The Rinnegan's ocular power isn't so easily mastered. It took Nagato years to summon the statue successfully..."
Though his words were calm, Obito's mind was racing: Naruto possesses an Uzumaki physique comparable to Nagato's. If he's determined, it's only a matter of time before he succeeds. Whether he defeated Pain or suddenly revealed his ambitions, I can no longer treat him as a mere child...
"To be safe, I'll take an extra precaution."
Obito slowly rose to his feet and extended his hand toward the Gedo Statue.
Whoosh!
A vortex of Kamui spiraled out from his right eye, engulfing the entire statue.
Snap!
The vortex closed, and the statue vanished without a trace.
Obito said, "This will eliminate the immediate risk."
White Zetsu cheered, "As expected of you! Moving such a massive statue in an instant!"
Black Zetsu spoke in a low voice, "What's your next move?"
Obito pondered aloud, "Deploy all the White Zetsu to search for Uzumaki Naruto's whereabouts. He should still be in the Land of Fire. Report to me immediately if you find any leads. We must reclaim the Rinnegan before things spiral out of control."
White Zetsu replied, "Understood!"
Obito then turned to Kisame Hoshigaki, who had been silently standing nearby.
Not long ago, after the conclusion of the battle between Itachi and Sasuke, Obito had revealed his true identity to Kisame. Among the members of Akatsuki, Kisame was the one he trusted most, apart from White Zetsu.
"Kisame... I'm entrusting the Eight-Tails to you."
"Understood."
Obito's gaze grew deep and contemplative. "We can't let a small setback throw us off course. The declaration of war against the Five Great Nations will proceed as planned. As for a certain pair of eyes, let's see how the Five Kage can help nurture them. Hmph, let's pay a visit to our defeated warrior. After all, the matter of the Eight-Tails needs to be addressed, doesn't it, Sasuke?"
---
In the Land of Fire, Team Taka was resting in a forest as they prepared to head toward Konoha.
Before Pain's assault on Konoha, Sasuke and his team had attacked the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, retrieving only a tentacle from the Eight-Tails. Afterward, Team Taka had severed ties with Akatsuki and set out on their mission to seek revenge against Konoha.
Jūgo was alone by the river, filling a container with water. Birds chirped softly on his shoulder, and a gentle smile graced his lips.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp...!"
Suddenly, the birds scattered in alarm!
Jūgo turned toward the forest behind him, only to see a blond-haired boy with a bandage over his left eye approaching.
"Hmm? It's you..." Jūgo recognized Naruto immediately.
During Konoha's large-scale search for Sasuke before the battle between the Uchiha brothers, one of Naruto's shadow clones had encountered Team Taka, leaving a lasting impression on Jūgo.
To Naruto, who had returned from the future, Jūgo was also a familiar face.
With a smile, Naruto greeted him, "It's been a while, Jūgo. You really do have a way with animals."
"They're alright," Jūgo replied curtly. "Are you here to see Sasuke?"
Naruto's expression turned enigmatic. "No, I'm here for you—or more precisely, for someone I can only meet through you."
Jūgo's gaze darkened. "That's not going to happen..."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, two shadow clones lunged from the side, each wielding a Rasengan!
Jūgo was shocked. "Shadow clones... When did he—?!"
Boom!!!
The explosion forced Jūgo to retreat, skimming across the water's surface before stopping in the middle of the river. His shoulders bore deep, concave wounds where they had been nearly severed.
"He has Sage powers... stronger than mine!"
Naruto stepped onto the water, his demeanor calm and composed. "These minor injuries won't be a problem for you. If you come with me willingly, I won't have to get rough."
Jūgo's mind raced. Sasuke is ten kilometers away. If I unleash my Cursed Seal Sage Mode, Karin's sensory abilities should pick up on the situation here...
Zzzzzz!!
Cursed Seal energy coursed through Jūgo's body.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. In an instant, he used a Body Flicker Technique rivaling Shisui's speed to appear directly in front of Jūgo, pressing his hand against his chest.
In his previous life, after Sasuke's Rinnegan was destroyed, he had lost the convenience of spatial manipulation. Forced to seek alternatives, Naruto had specifically learned the Flying Raijin Jutsu!
Now, having traveled back in time, the techniques engraved into his soul were naturally available to him.
As for the spatial markers required for the Flying Raijin...
"My clones left the marker during the initial attack."
Thud! Naruto's left hand pressed firmly against Jūgo's chest.
Gurgle, gurgle...
The energy of Jūgo's Cursed Seal flowed continuously into Naruto's palm!
Jūgo gasped, "You're absorbing my chakra?!"
As the Cursed Seal energy drained away, Jūgo's body rapidly shrank until he reverted to a childlike form and collapsed unconscious.
"What a fascinating body... No wonder Sasuke chose you."
Naruto sighed, lifting Jūgo onto his shoulder and returning to the riverbank.
Whoosh!
Konan materialized from a flurry of paper. "That went more smoothly than I expected."
"He's actually quite strong," Naruto admitted. "To avoid complications, I had to strike first. If Sasuke and the others had arrived, the outcome would've been hard to predict."
His years in a post-apocalyptic world had instilled in Naruto an extraordinary sense of caution. He never acted without absolute certainty, and even when confident, he erred on the side of caution.
Naruto gently laid Jūgo down, removing the boy's wet clothes and covering him with Naruto's own dry cloak to keep him warm.
Konan asked, "You're not taking him with us?"
Naruto glanced at the Cursed Seal mark on his left palm. "I've already absorbed enough of his Sage energy. There's no need to bring him along."
Konan stared deeply at the bandage covering Naruto's left eye, silently marveling: Even with his optic nerves not fully connected, he's already capable of using the Rinnegan's basic powers. Perhaps he's even more suited to these eyes than Nagato was...
Naruto donned Jūgo's damp black cloak, the fabric clinging to him as he turned, his own cloak billowing dramatically. "Let's go. On to the next destination..."