(A/N: I tried out a different writing style for a few days while working on these chapters, but it involved way too much bolding and italics. It ended up being more of a hassle than it was worth, so I dropped it.)
After the funeral of Nagato finally concluded, Team Seven—consisting of Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Sai—along with Inoiki, began their journey back to Konoha. Jiraiya, however, decided to remain in Amegakure to handle the aftermath. The Hidden Rain needed a steady hand now that its leader was gone. He felt obligated to be present there following Nagato's death.
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While these events were unfolding in Amegakure, a different kind of gathering was taking place somewhere within the Land of Grass. The remaining members of Akatsuki were holding a meeting: Obito, Kisame Hoshigaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and the rest of Team Taka. This group now represented the entirety of the fractured organization.
Kisame's large, pale eyes scanned the others—a mix of indifference and grim acknowledgment in their small circle. "Now that Pain is dead," he said, his voice a low, raspy rumble, "we are on our own." He paused, a momentary silence settling over the group.
(The dynamic had shifted completely.)
"Although there is only one Tailed Beast left to be sealed, it is with Killer B, the Jinchūriki of Kumogakure. More importantly, he is the younger brother of the current Raikage." Kisame's teeth flashed in a shark-like grin that held no humour. "The Raikage will absolutely not permit his brother to be attacked; he will do everything in his considerable power to prevent us from taking away the last Tailed Beast. And even if Kumogakure, by some miracle, manages to look the other way, people from Konoha will most certainly intervene. We need to be ready for a coordinated counterattack."
Obito, listening intently to Kisame's assessment, gave a slow, deliberate nod. His voice, a low and controlled rumble from behind his mask, confirmed the danger. "You are absolutely right on this point, which is why we must proceed with extreme caution. Especially concerning Inoiki." Obito's masked gaze seemed to sharpen. "He is the biggest anomaly in all of this. If it were just his normal psychokinesis powers as before, it wouldn't have been such a large issue to capture him, or even kill him. But from the moment he achieved his second awakening, his powers have increased drastically. Now, he can even command space itself." He paused, his focus distant as if observing a subtle ripple in the world. "I can feel that his control over space is not yet adept, but in the near future, he will definitely reach a level where he can even interfere with my Kamui."
Every person present in the room nodded in grim agreement, the gravity of the threat settling over them. Currently, only Sasuke looked somewhat uncomfortable.
(The world around him was beginning to blur and dim.)
He had almost lost all of his eyesight, and could barely make out the shapes around him.
Obito turned his attention to the young Uchiha. "You, come with me," he instructed, his tone brooking no argument. "I will ensure you get free from this curse of the Mangekyo Sharingan." With that, Obito took Sasuke with him, leaving only Kisame and the remaining members of Team Taka behind. They were currently sheltered in one of Orochimaru's hidden hideouts—a location Sasuke had led them to, thanks to his long period of residence with the Sannin and his knowledge of the network of secret bases.
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Inoiki and Team Seven finally reached the gates of Konoha. There was no time for rest; they immediately reported everything that had transpired in Amegakure: the death of the Akatsuki leader, the subsequent escape of Sasuke and the remaining members, and the loss of the Rinnegan, which Obito had successfully taken away. Every detail was relayed by Inoiki and Kakashi to Tsunade, the reports heavy with implications.
After hearing their full account, Tsunade leaned back slightly in her chair, her expression stern and resolute. "You all did very well," she said, a brief moment of praise preceding the strategic shift. "Now, we need to give our all. This is the absolute best time to search for all the remaining Akatsuki members and eliminate them as quickly as possible. For that purpose, I am going to call for the Five Kage Summit."
(A decision of this magnitude could not be taken lightly.)
Inoiki was not surprised by this fact, knowing that it was the only logical course of action. If they intended to conduct a worldwide search for the remaining members of Akatsuki, Konoha alone simply could not succeed. The enemy was too widespread and could be hidden anywhere across the globe. Therefore, only by cooperating with the other four major villages could they hope to locate the remnants of Akatsuki and put a final, decisive stop to their ultimate plan. The goal of the enemy was known: they wished to revive the Ten-Tails by combining all nine Tailed Beasts. This creature would be so immensely powerful that it could destroy anything—any village would be rendered meaningless if someone controlled the Ten-Tails, guaranteeing a total disaster for the Shinobi World.
This vital intelligence—the truth behind the Akatsuki's final goal—had been provided by Konan. While the basic necessity of capturing the Tailed Beasts was known by all Akatsuki members, the detailed, ultimate objective had been kept secret from most. Konan had laid bare the entire plot, revealing the true objective: the Infinite Tsukuyomi using the newly revived Ten-Tails. After all, she, Nagato, and Obito had been the core members who were privy to the entirety of the sinister real plan.
The majority of the Akatsuki members had only been told that by capturing all nine Tailed Beasts, they would create a powerful, forbidden jutsu weapon, one they could use to forcefully impose peace upon the world.
(They believed they were mercenaries of necessary destruction.)
They were completely unaware of Obito's true, overarching Infinite Tsukuyomi scheme (except for Kisame). This deeper plan was so profoundly sinister that when Kakashi, Naruto, and the others first heard of it from Konan, and now as Tsunade and Shizune absorbed the details, they were all utterly shocked and deeply enraged. By enacting this plan, the Akatsuki was attempting to turn every person in the entire world into a puppet, devoid of any genuine will or choice. They would all be living in a blissful dream world, which was nothing more than a manufactured lie—a false reality that suppressed the truth of life.
Thus, the impending Five Kage Summit suddenly became even more significant. All five Kage absolutely needed to be informed of this catastrophic plan—the Infinite Tsukuyomi—so they could join forces to prevent it from ever being enacted.
(The weight of the world now rested on their cooperation.)
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