Movements of the Three Sides

"We have to kill that Black Shadow Ninja! Otherwise, no matter what plan we have, I’m afraid we won’t be able to carry it out." Obito Uchiha clenched his fists and forced the words through gritted teeth.

"But that guy’s strength should be no weaker than Lord Madara’s, right?" Black Zetsu, appearing behind Obito, said with a grin. "With your strength, Obito, I’m afraid you’ll have a hard time being his match."

"Perhaps we should revive Lord Madara Uchiha first!"

In truth, Black Zetsu was far more patient than Obito Uchiha. After all, it was a long-lived being; even a single conspiracy took thousands of years to set in motion.

The most important Rinnegan had already been obtained anyway. If things truly went badly, it only needed to seize the Rinnegan and make arrangements slowly afterward. The Uchiha clan had not been exterminated yet, so Indra’s reincarnations would continue to appear eventually.

Isn’t it just manipulating Indra? I’ve done it so many times that I’m practically an expert.

Of course, it would naturally be best if it could free Mother sooner. Black Zetsu thought to itself.

"Revive Madara Uchiha…" Obito Uchiha fell slightly silent, a measure of resistance rising within him.

To be honest, Obito Uchiha was not truly stupid. Madara Uchiha had left no obvious evidence behind in the things he had done, but the final outcome was right there in plain sight. Following the logic that whoever benefited the most was the most suspicious, it would have been stranger if Obito Uchiha had never doubted Madara Uchiha at all.

But suspicion alone was useless. Obito Uchiha was now too deeply trapped in the Eye of the Moon Plan to pull himself free, especially after he had unleashed the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha. The sunk cost was simply too great. Other than walking this path into darkness, he had no other choice.

It was like an online scam. After putting in more and more money, one might have long since grown suspicious, yet keep convincing oneself otherwise, because once one admitted to being deceived, everything invested before that would go down the drain.

Under such circumstances, no matter how much Obito doubted Madara Uchiha, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and make a decision for the Eye of the Moon Plan to proceed smoothly.

"Fine. Go bring Madara Uchiha’s corpse here. I’ll use the Impure World Reincarnation first and test this Black Shadow Ninja’s strength!"

Obito still retained a trace of caution. He was unwilling to surrender control, and even less willing to let Madara Uchiha truly return to life. Otherwise, after reincarnating Madara Uchiha, he should have immediately gone to force Nagato to use the Rinne Rebirth Technique.

As for how he would force him, naturally, he would threaten Konan. Obito Uchiha did not know about Black Zetsu’s various abilities; otherwise, he would not have been betrayed by Black Zetsu in the final battle.

The Impure World Reincarnation had long since been perfected by Madara Uchiha. Otherwise, he could never have dreamed of being revived. Though it might not compare to the version later refined by both Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi, it could still bring out eighty or ninety percent of Madara’s combat power.

Combined with an immortal body, the Madara Uchiha summoned through Impure World Reincarnation would probably possess strength in the Eternal Mangekyo range, which was already enough to make him invincible throughout the shinobi world.

Black Zetsu verbally agreed, but inwardly, it was somewhat dismissive and began considering another plan.

I know Impure World Reincarnation too. I might as well directly control Nagato, have him use Impure World Reincarnation first, then the Rinne Rebirth Technique, and revive Madara completely.

Given Obito’s current state, he probably can’t deal with this Black Shadow Ninja. Damn it, where did a troublemaker like him even come from?

But where exactly did this guy come from? How can he so easily absorb the Bloodline Limits of the Senju Clan and the Uchiha clan, even controlling the Mangekyo Sharingan and Hashirama Cells with such ease?

Could he also be Mother’s descendant? Is that why he can absorb and revert to the power of the Ōtsutsuki clan? If that’s the case, perhaps I can include him among the candidates for observation. His traits may be more suitable for becoming Mother’s vessel!

With these thoughts in mind, Black Zetsu sank into the ground and went to search for Madara Uchiha’s corpse.

Obito Uchiha was still fantasizing about turning the tables, unaware that Black Zetsu had already resolved to betray him.

What neither of them knew was that the base beneath the Rain Ninja Village had long since been completely cleaned out. Even the Nagato beneath the God Tree was Yota in disguise!

As for Yota, Orochimaru, and Sasori of the Red Sand, after obtaining the Shikotsumyaku, they prepared to lie low in the Land of Water for the time being. Sasori of the Red Sand wanted to create two Shikotsumyaku Human Puppets, Orochimaru wanted to study the secrets of the Shikotsumyaku, and Yota also wanted to test the optimal way to fuse all Bloodlines.

At the same time, Kirigakure itself was also taking action. Although the Fourth Mizukage had already been controlled, Kirigakure was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages and possessed a deep foundation. Shinobi were naturally cautious and attentive, so many people had sensed that something was wrong.

"Lord Genshi, may I ask why you summoned me?"

A female shinobi with a seductive appearance, a full figure, and long brown hair entered the room and addressed the Kirigakure elder within.

Genshi could be said to be the oldest shinobi in Kirigakure today. He had even fought alongside the First Mizukage to establish Kirigakure. Though Kirigakure was a village where the strong preyed upon the weak to an extreme degree, it still held an elder with such seniority in great respect.

However, this elder rarely involved himself in matters during ordinary times. He was already eighty years old, and Chakra did not extend one’s lifespan at lower levels. Most of the time, even if he wanted to intervene, he simply lacked the energy.

Likewise, this meant that anything requiring him to personally step forward was certainly no minor matter.

"Oh my, little Mei is here." The rather aged-looking Genshi raised his head. "Sit down first. We can discuss the matter afterward."

Mei Terumī swept her gaze around. Besides Genshi, several other shinobi were seated there: Jūzō Biwa, wielder of the Executioner’s Blade; Ringo Ameyuri, wielder of the Lightning Blade; and Ao, a sensory shinobi possessing the Byakugan seized from Konoha.

Mei Terumī knew that something major was bound to happen this time, so she obediently took a seat. A moment later, the door opened again, and two unexpected figures entered.

"Mangetsu Hozuki? Zabuza Momochi?" Mei Terumī spoke in considerable surprise.

She could hardly help being surprised. Her relationship with Mangetsu Hozuki was far from good. After all, both of them were regarded as the most likely candidates to become the next Mizukage, so an unspoken sense of competition naturally existed between them.

As for Zabuza Momochi, he could be considered an isolated figure throughout Kirigakure. The moderates disliked his ruthless methods, while the supporters of the Bloody Mist Policy believed that he was precisely the one responsible for destroying that policy. He was someone who pleased neither side.

If Zabuza had not been so powerful, he would probably have died in some sewer long ago.