Two days passed quickly.
Konan's Chakra had almost fully recovered.
Unlike Kakashi, who used to be bedridden for days after exhausting his chakra due to the strain of the Sharingan, Konan didn't suffer such severe consequences.
In a room formed by her Paper Person of God Technique, Konan sat neatly on her bed, fully dressed.
After a long while, she gently opened her eyes and put away the ring Naruto had given her, ending her long-distance communication with him.
Nagato planned to make his move against Black Zetsu today. Although Black Zetsu had only ever demonstrated exceptional intelligence-gathering abilities and had never been seen in actual combat, Konan still felt it was wise to be cautious.
She thought that since Naruto knew so much about the situation, he might also have valuable information about Black Zetsu, so she asked him for details.
However, this put Naruto in a bit of a tough spot, as he didn't actually know much about Black Zetsu's abilities.
After all, as a mastermind lurking in the shadows, Black Zetsu had only made a few notable appearances in the original work… most famously, the two times he stabbed someone through the heart. His only real combat feat was using Wood Release, which was decent but not particularly impressive.
In short, Black Zetsu was above average but not top-tier. His true strengths lay in his sensor abilities, stealth, and his shape-shifting capabilities.
On the other hand, the spiral-faced White Zetsu, Tobi, was quite formidable. Created using Hashirama's cells, it could be considered the 'son' of Madara and Hashirama. Its Wood Release was far superior to Yamato's, though in the original work, it mostly fought by possessing others, so its true strength was hard to gauge.
Naruto shared what he knew with Konan and, as always, thoughtfully provided her with information about Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan abilities.
After receiving the information, Konan ended the communication and informed Naruto that she would make a decision after dealing with the internal affairs of the Akatsuki.
Naruto didn't say much in response, as he was already preparing to head to the Land of Rain himself.
---
"How's your recovery going?"
In a dimly lit room, Nagato looked at Konan with a complicated expression, asking about her condition.
With his Rinnegan and sensory ninjutsu, he could monitor the entire Hidden Rain Village. How could he not notice that Konan had been using the Magic Lantern Body Technique?
Konan nodded expressionlessly. Having been Nagato's companion for decades, she could instantly read the emotions in his expression.
She spoke up, "I've obtained information about Black Zetsu from the leader of the Land of Waves, as well as details about that strange Mangekyo Sharingan ability of Uchiha Madara."
"..."
Konan then relayed the information she had received from Naruto to Nagato.
Nagato's expression softened, and he let out a light sigh.
"I didn't expect there would be such a Dojutsu. The powers of the Mangekyo Sharingan are truly something to be wary of."
Nagato recalled the first time they had met 'Madara'.
Back then, Nagato had used every technique at his disposal but hadn't been able to land a single blow on 'Madara.'
'I had thought Uchiha Madara's strength was terrifying, but now it seemed he had merely been relying on his Mangekyo ability.'
"Nagato, that masked man might not be the real Uchiha Madara. There's likely a deeper conspiracy behind all this."
Konan reminded him, and Nagato nodded in agreement and said.
"No matter what the conspiracy is, as long as we capture Black Zetsu, I'll see the truth for myself by examining his soul."
As he spoke, six figures cloaked in black cloaks with red clouds appeared in the dim room, striking dramatic poses.
These were the Six Paths of Pain, created by Nagato.
Nagato turned to Konan. "Konan, you and the Deva Path will deal with Black Zetsu and the new member. The other Paths will set up a barrier to prevent Black Zetsu from escaping using his Mayfly Technique. This will also prevent the battle from harming civilians."
"At the same time, the other Paths will remain hidden, waiting for the masked man to appear before launching a surprise attack."
Konan was momentarily stunned and asked: "But what about your safety, Nagato?"
Nagato shook his head. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Nagato didn't say anything harsh, but the implication was clear: if someone could kill him head-on, having Konan by his side would only result in one more corpse.
Although his real body was crippled and unable to move freely, his strength still far surpassed that of the other Akatsuki's members.
After a moment of hesitation, Konan finally nodded.
"Then be careful."
With that, Konan and the Six Paths of Pain vanished from the dim room.
---
In a research facility in the Land of Rain, the room was filled with high-tech equipment.
At this time, a young man with white hair and red eyes, dressed in a high-collared coat, stood at a lab table, examining the body of a White Zetsu with jagged patterns across its skin.
Suddenly, a venus flytrap-like figure emerged from the ground.
"Hiruko, how's the progress on improving the Forbidden Technique?" Black Zetsu asked as soon as he appeared.
Without looking at Black Zetsu, the young man called Hiruko continued to fiddle with the White Zetsu in his hand and said with interest.
"Even using this thing as a sacrifice, we can only bring out about 50 to 60 percent of the deceased's original strength."
Black Zetsu lowered his head and pondered for a moment, and soon made a decision in his heart.
'At this stage, even with only half their strength, those two should be more than enough.'
The main issue was that Obito had become too unreliable. With his Mangekyo ability exposed and his other eye taken by Naruto, things were becoming increasingly complicated.
Black Zetsu felt that it was becoming increasingly unrealistic to rely on Obito to carry out the plan.
'It is necessary to let someone who can really suppress Nagato come out to control the situation a little.'
"In that case, let's resurrect these two people first."
Black Zetsu pulled out two petri dishes from his cloak, each containing a piece of flesh.
At the same time, two coffins rose from the ground behind him, containing White Zetsu with high-quality bodies, which are prepared in advance.
When feeling the flesh and blood in Black Zetsu's hands, Hiruko's pupils shrank slightly, and he couldn't help but exclaimed.
"Is this the flesh Shodaime Hokage?"
Hiruko could feel the terrifying life force and devouring power contained in one of the pieces of flesh. His eyes burned with desire.
"Then whose flesh is this other piece?" Hiruko asked eagerly.
'Anything that could be placed alongside Hashirama's cells must belong to an extraordinary powerhouse.'
Black Zetsu didn't answer directly. Instead, he said: "When you resurrect him with Edo Tensei, you will naturally know."
Black Zetsu wasn't worried about Hiruko gaining control over Hashirama and Madara's powers through Edo Tensei. After all, Madara's strength was on a completely different level compared to Obito's.
"Heh, it seems like partnering with you was indeed the right choice."
Hiruko said, the corners of his mouth under the bandages almost curling into a grin. "Then I'll start now!"
Hiruko couldn't wait any longer. He knew that the legendary God of Ninja, even at only 50 to 60 percent of his strength, would be unmatched in the current Ninja World.
He also wanted to see the power of the legendary God of Ninja with his own eyes.
Just as Hiruko was about to form the hand seals, Black Zetsu suddenly spoke up.
"Huh? Why are they here?"
"Who's coming?" Hiruko asked, sensing the approaching Chakra Signatures.
He quickly detected Pain and Konan heading their way.
"What should we do now? Should we still proceed with the Edo Tensei?" Hiruko asked for Black Zetsu's opinion.
Although he was nominally a member of the Akatsuki, he knew that the strange existence in front of him was his real boss.
After all, he had just casually handed over such a large piece of Hashirama's flesh.
Black Zetsu didn't answer immediately. He felt a sense of unease, unsure why Pain and Konan were coming to see them at this moment.
'And didn't Konan go to the Land of Waves a few days ago? Why did she suddenly appear in the Land of Rain today?'
Then, his expression changed abruptly. A barrier had sealed off the area, preventing his main body from merging with the ground.
"Do it!"
Black Zetsu shouted, tearing off his Akatsuki cloak to reveal his black-and-white body covered in branches.
The branches on Black Zetsu's body plunged into the ground, and countless vines surged out, enveloping the entire research facility.
Hearing Black Zetsu's order, Hiruko quickly formed the hand seals to activate the Edo Tensei.
Outside the research facility, Pain noticed the vines wrapping around the building.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A terrifying repulsive force gathered in Pain's hand and then exploded outward.
In an instant, the entire research facility was reduced to rubble.
Only the two coffins, which Black Zetsu had desperately protected, remained standing, though they were now covered in cracks.
Hiruko was nowhere to be seen, likely buried under the debris.
Black Zetsu then slowly peeked out from behind the coffins.