Obito's concession wasn't out of fear of Nagato but because the current state of the shinobi world was fraught with hidden dangers.
Though the Akatsuki had successfully collected six tailed beasts, the five great shinobi villages, stung by their losses, had fully banded together and begun comprehensive mobilization.
In the next battle, the Akatsuki might face a massive allied shinobi force numbering in the tens of thousands.
Additionally, the mysterious group led by 'A' was a significant unknown factor. Though they hadn't interfered with the Akatsuki's tailed beast collection in their recent actions, their very existence warranted Obito's heightened vigilance. After all, based on current assessments, 'A's group was likely no weaker than the Akatsuki.
If the two sides clashed, the outcome was far from certain! It was precisely because of these considerations that Obito chose to yield. "I'll send the Two-Tails Jinchuriki over soon."
Nagato nodded and then instructed, "Find out the Mizukage's whereabouts as quickly as possible!"
"Don't worry, he can't escape our grasp!"
With that, Obito turned and left.
Watching Obito depart, Konan said, "They didn't pull any tricks this time!"
"Mm!"
Nagato nodded lightly.
In this surprise attack on the elite forces of the shinobi villages, Obito and his faction had indeed contributed significantly. Not only had Obito personally captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, but the Fourth Mizukage had also been severely wounded by Itachi's dojutsu 'Amaterasu.'
In contrast, Nagato's side—Kakuzu, Hidan, Sasori, and Deidara—had fought hard but achieved little. Only Sasori, working with Hidan, could boast of ambushing the Fourth Kazekage.
However, since the Fourth Kazekage wasn't a Jinchuriki, capturing him without securing a tailed beast wasn't considered a major achievement within the organization.
On the other side.
After leaving the underground palace, Zetsu emerged from the ground and approached, asking, "How did the talk go?"
Obito replied, "Nagato wants control over all the Jinchuriki."
Zetsu asked, "Why?"
"The public reason is to turn those Jinchuriki into a new Six Paths of Pain, maximizing the combat potential of the captured tailed beasts!" Obito paused, then smirked. "As for the hidden reason, he's probably still wary of us!"
Zetsu said, "We do need to bolster our forces. 'A's group always makes me uneasy! According to Hiruko, 'A' likely possesses a pair of Rinnegan as well!"
Obito nodded. "That's why I didn't refuse him!"
Both fell silent.
They both knew exactly where Nagato's 'Rinnegan' came from, so the idea of a second pair existing in the shinobi world was almost unthinkable!
If 'A' truly possessed a Rinnegan, it suggested a terrifying force behind him, too daunting to contemplate deeply! After a moment, Zetsu said, "Per your orders, I've been keeping an eye on Itachi. He hasn't shown any unusual behavior or tried to contact the Hidden Leaf."
Obito narrowed his eyes slightly. "Keep watching!"
In these recent battles, Obito had held back from acting personally because he was monitoring Itachi. He had a gut feeling that Itachi wasn't being entirely truthful with him.
But Itachi's thoughts were too deep, and Obito couldn't see through him easily, so he had no choice but to keep a close, time-consuming watch.
After all, Itachi's strength and cunning were enough to threaten him and the Akatsuki. If such a person wasn't an ally, they could become a terrifying enemy.
Inside a temporary Akatsuki base.
Juzo Biwa, wiping his cracked Decapitating Carving Knife, said, "I didn't expect this battle to be so intense. I nearly didn't make it back!"
"Mm!"
Itachi, sitting nearby, nodded lightly.
Their target this time was the Fourth Mizukage, but they quickly realized he wasn't as easy to handle as expected.
On top of that, the Fourth Mizukage was guarded by elite Hidden Mist Jonin like Terumi Mei, Kisame Hoshigaki, Zabuza Momochi, and Ao, who possessed a Byakugan. As a result, Itachi and Juzo soon found themselves at a disadvantage. If Itachi hadn't used 'Amaterasu' at the critical moment, their fate would have been grim.
After cleaning the bloodstains off the Decapitating Carving Knife, Juzo cut his arm, letting blood drip onto the blade's cracks.
As one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, the Decapitating Carving Knife had the unique ability to repair damage by absorbing iron from blood.
As long as the blade was fed fresh blood, no matter how damaged, it could swiftly recover.
While waiting for the knife to heal, Juzo glanced at the pensive Itachi. "What's wrong? Worried about something?"
Itachi shook his head. "Nothing!"
Juzo didn't press, only chuckling. "You know why I can't stand geniuses like you?"
Itachi asked, "Why?"
Juzo teased, "Because you scheming types always turn simple problems into something ridiculously complicated!"
Itachi was speechless.
Juzo hoisted the Decapitating Carving Knife onto his shoulder. "Worry about it yourself. I'm going to rest!"
Halfway out, he suddenly stopped. "Someone's been watching us lately. You've noticed too, right? Whatever you're planning, be careful!"
Without waiting for a reply, he vanished down the corridor.
Itachi remained silent.
Joining the Akatsuki was both his self-imposed exile and his final duty to the village. Initially, he believed he could balance Obito, slowing the Akatsuki's expansion while giving the Hidden Leaf time to prepare.
But plans couldn't keep up with changes!
The emergence of 'A's group had caused friction between Nagato's and Obito's factions within the Akatsuki, leading both sides to secretly expand their forces.
Nagato's side recruited Hiruko and Kurosuki Raiga, while Obito secretly subdued the demon Moryo and Shinno.
This round of recruitment further swelled the Akatsuki's power, making it impossible for Itachi alone to curb their ambitions from within.
Coupled with frequent leaks of confidential information from the five great shinobi villages, Itachi dared not contact the Hidden Leaf lightly.
For now, staying within the Akatsuki allowed him to gather intelligence and act at critical moments.
If he left the Akatsuki and returned to the village, he'd struggle to prove his loyalty to the village's leadership and lose his last chance to restrain the Akatsuki.
So, despite the turmoil in his heart, Itachi chose to continue his infiltration.
As for the surveillance Juzo mentioned, Itachi had long noticed it. In this battle, if not for his caution about Obito watching him from the shadows, Itachi wouldn't have used 'Amaterasu.'
Even so, he dispelled 'Amaterasu' at the critical moment. Otherwise, the Fourth Mizukage might have ended up like the Fourth Kazekage—dead on the battlefield!