Land of Rain, Akatsuki.
"Is that guy nad Yakushi Kabuto really a mber of our Akatsuki?"
After the Akatsuki received news of what had happened in Iwagakure, the first one to voice an objection was Sasori.
After all, when the Deva Path had killed Ōnoki, Sasori had already wanted to turn him into a human puppet.
Unfortunately, Pain had given Ōnoki a dignified end back then, causing Sasori to lose out on an incredibly powerful human puppet.
If things had ended there, it would have been one thing. But Yakushi Kabuto had not only dug up Ōnoki's corpse, he had even used another thod to make Dust Release shine once again in the shinobi world. That left a bad taste in Sasori's mouth.
"He is indeed a mber of the Akatsuki. But he's one of their people."
Pain couldn't help frowning as well.
He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the man suspected to be Uchiha Obito no longer cared about the Akatsuki the way he used to. In fact, there was even a faint sense that he wanted to turn the Akatsuki into a public enemy of the shinobi world.
They had attacked Iwagakure because the Akatsuki had indeed been wronged by Iwagakure—but also because, after suffering such a massive loss at Uchiha Chizumi's hands, the Akatsuki needed a victory to stabilize morale.
After that, whether it was Pain or Kakuzu and the others, they had all remained in the Land of Rain. Their plan was to let the news of the Akatsuki breaching Iwagakure cool down for a while. After all, Uchiha Chizumi was the one drawing most of the shinobi world's attention.
Originally, everything had gone smoothly. Especially after Uchiha Chizumi swept through the entire Grass Country, the shinobi world's gaze had shifted fully toward the three-nation alliance and Uchiha Chizumi himself.
But Yakushi Kabuto's actions had pushed the Akatsuki back into the eye of the storm.
After Pain finished speaking, both Kakuzu and Sasori frowned.
Of course they knew who Pain ant by "their people." Or rather, the Akatsuki was already faintly showing signs of splitting apart.
On Pain's side were Nagato and his Six Paths, Konan, Kakuzu, and Sasori. As for Hōzuki Gengetsu and Kimimaro, Kakuzu and Sasori both suspected they were likely on Obito's side.
And now Obito's side had gained another person—soone who seed to have inherited Orochimaru's legacy.
"How about we just split from that guy who might be Uchiha Obito?"
"That guy hides his head and shows his tail. Their actions could very easily interfere with ours."
"We're supposed to be one organization, but we know nothing about what they're doing!"
Kakuzu couldn't help advising it.
From the outside, the Akatsuki looked like it was thriving, but in Kakuzu's eyes, the organization had plenty of problems. Having once been betrayed, Kakuzu was worried he might suffer betrayal again.
"White Zetsu's intelligence-gathering ability is too important to us. Too important to give up easily."
"I'll talk to Obito's side. If we can't even get notice of their future actions, then we'll split into two organizations."
Pain shook his head.
If the Akatsuki wanted to gather all nine tailed beasts, White Zetsu's intelligence was indispensable.
He had also realized that he needed to talk to Obito. If the other side had already given up on the Ten-Tails plan, then Pain would have to find another way to gather intelligence himself.
Obito, anwhile, still hadn't realized that Pain's side was already extrely dissatisfied with him.
"Impure World Reincarnation… This jutsu should be one of the backup plans Madara left for himself, right?"
"There's just one thing I don't understand. Why would Madara know for sure that soone who could use Impure World Reincarnation would appear in the shinobi world?"
Uchiha Obito was in a bad mood too.
When he learned that Yakushi Kabuto was Orochimaru's disciple and had also learned Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation, Obito realized Black Zetsu had also kept sothing from him.
Clearly, he was the successor Madara had chosen. He had even inherited Madara's na. Yet Black Zetsu had done so many things behind his back that he knew nothing about.
"He didn't know. It was just one possible escape route."
"Madara-sama didn't know whether a shinobi capable of using Impure World Reincarnation would appear or not, but he did consider that possibility. He treated it as a fallback in case you and Pain's side failed."
Black Zetsu shook his head.
It didn't really understand Kabuto's actions either.
Fine, you mastered Impure World Reincarnation. But why did you have to go show it off in Iwagakure?
"Is that so?"
Obito fell silent for a mont, then seed to accept Black Zetsu's explanation and nodded.
At this ti, Black Zetsu and Obito were heading toward the Land of Earth to et Yakushi Kabuto.
What they didn't know was that not long after they left their base, a figure with closed eyes appeared outside it.
"So the Hyūga clan's Tenseigan is inside here?"
"I can feel it. This Tenseigan is crying…"
Ōtsutsuki Toneri clearly had his eyes closed, yet he seed able to perceive everything around him. He could even sense the Great Tenseigan inside the base through layers of earth and stone.
"Hyūga clan… I will help you rise again."
"After I take this Great Tenseigan and complete all preparations for the ceremony, I will marry the Hyūga Princess."
"Several hundred years ago, the Hyūga clan split away from the Ōtsutsuki clan. Several hundred years later, my union with the Hyūga Princess will bring our two families together once more…"
"At that ti, we will beco the progenitors of a new humanity and create the peaceful world of our ideals!"
Sapphire-blue light blood in Ōtsutsuki Toneri's hand.
As the light flashed, the base hidden several ters underground was pierced straight through by that sapphire radiance.
This was the power of the Tenseigan. Even across two celestial bodies, through the faint connection between the two Tenseigan, Ōtsutsuki Toneri could still borrow the power of the Tenseigan on the moon.
Toneri's own strength wasn't particularly great.
Or rather, ever since his birth, what he had studied was how to control the power of the Tenseigan. Even though he was currently eyeless, his mastery of the Tenseigan had reached an astonishing level.
Expressionless, Toneri stepped into the base.
And as he approached, the Great Tenseigan created by the Hyūga clan actually began radiating sapphire-blue light, as if responding to him.
anwhile, Black Zetsu, who was traveling toward the Land of Earth with Obito, instantly received the ssage through the White Zetsu it was attached to.
"Go back!"
"Return to the base where the Tenseigan is being stored!"
Black Zetsu's expression turned utterly ugly.
It had never dread that the Tenseigan it had stolen would be targeted by soone else.
And judging by that person's appearance, there seed to be so special connection between him and the Tenseigan.
~~~
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