"Are you saying you want to declare war at the 'Kage Summit'?"
Inside the Akatsuki base, Pain's expression was peculiar as he looked at Obito. Orochimaru, standing nearby, also appeared deeply puzzled. Konan's face, however, was filled with displeasure—she felt that Obito Uchiha had completely lost his mind.
"Have you thought about the consequences? Do you realize what will happen to us if you do this?!"
"Don't rush to conclusions. Can you at least listen to me first?"
Obito's demeanor was exceptionally calm. He had already made up his mind—he couldn't let the "Moon Eye Plan" fail. He would think everything through carefully. After being defeated by Kitagawa Minamoto multiple times, he understood he needed to be fully prepared.
"Our ultimate goal is to bring peace to the ninja world. But what is the greatest threat to the ninja world right now?"
"Ōtsutsuki Minamoto."
Pain frowned slightly as he spoke, while Orochimaru immediately guessed what Obito was planning.
"You want to use this opportunity to mobilize the entire ninja world against Ōtsutsuki Minamoto?"
"Exactly," Obito nodded, speaking in a low voice. "And to lure him out, we'll need bait. So..."
"The Ten-Tails."
Orochimaru licked his lips and let out a raspy laugh. "You're planning to use the Ten-Tails to lure Ōtsutsuki Minamoto, aren't you?"
"Precisely, the Ten-Tails," Obito nodded again, making no effort to conceal his intentions. "The One-Tail has already been absorbed, and the Three-Tails is in our plans. As long as the Ten-Tails is released, it will undoubtedly attract Ōtsutsuki Minamoto."
"Indeed, he appears every time something involves the Tailed Beasts."
Orochimaru had already deduced most of Obito's plan, but he couldn't help asking out of curiosity. "You intend to use the Ten-Tails to lure him out, then attack him with the forces you've gathered? But isn't this too risky? Do Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu know about this?"
"They don't. It seems they want to delay things."
Mentioning this, Obito felt a hint of disdain. He didn't understand what those two were thinking, but he had his suspicions. Most likely, they didn't want to risk using the Ten-Tails, fearing they might lose everything in the process!
"They probably plan to wait until the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki emerges, and then mobilize the entire ninja world."
"That's a safer approach."
Konan frowned, but Pain caught onto Obito's implication. "But by then, will Ōtsutsuki Minamoto still show up?"
"I don't know," Obito shook his head, speaking calmly. "But Ōtsutsuki Minamoto isn't stupid. Why would he wait for us to assemble our forces, then come out to be surrounded?"
"But if we delay, won't the ninja world remain peaceful for a while?"
Konan still felt the plan was too risky, but Pain clenched his fists. "But doing nothing changes nothing. The Sage of Six Paths has already told us—true peace can only be achieved by dealing with him!"
Seeing Pain's determination, Obito knew he had found the right ally! Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu were likely focused on some "Sage of Six Paths' brother's relic," searching for ways to counter Ōtsutsuki Minamoto. Then, they planned to rally the ninja world's forces to confront Ōtsutsuki Minamoto together.
That was a cautious approach, but Obito didn't want to wait—nor did he want to see the "Moon Eye Plan" disrupted!
"Exactly, which is why I want to proceed with our method," Obito nodded, speaking in a deep voice. "It's true that it's risky. But don't forget my Kamui. When Ōtsutsuki Minamoto appears, neither Kitagawa Minamoto nor the ninja world's forces will stand idly by."
"At that point, it will buy us time to complete the Ten-Tails' sealing, won't it?"
Pain followed Obito's reasoning, while Orochimaru chuckled. "If the ninja villages' forces, or even impostors posing as them, attack Ōtsutsuki Minamoto, then..."
"It will provoke them into fighting each other, giving us even more opportunities."
Obito nodded in agreement, his gaze serious as he looked at Orochimaru and Pain. "So, shall we give it a try?"
"I'm in." Pain spoke decisively, his conviction unwavering. He was determined to face Ōtsutsuki Minamoto head-on. As the Sage of Six Paths' representative in the human world, he was destined to walk the path of the Six Paths!
"Sounds intriguing. I'm open to considering it." Orochimaru understood that Obito sought him out primarily for the Edo Tensei. Moreover, this plan was being kept from Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu.
After some thought, he decided there was no reason to refuse. After all, a battle would benefit Kimimaro. Not to mention, he was curious to see how Ōtsutsuki Minamoto would fare against the entire ninja world.
"Good, then it's settled." Obito finally breathed a sigh of relief. Convincing them was a significant step forward for his plan.
"When the 'Kage Summit' begins, I'll personally declare war."
"I'll go with you." After some thought, Pain spoke up, causing Konan to look worried. However, Pain shook his head, and in the end, Konan could only sigh and remain silent.
"Also, bring Kimimaro along—he's not ordinary anymore." Orochimaru chimed in, but before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly sensed something.
His expression turned peculiar, and he began forming hand seals. In the next moment, a coffin appeared before them. The coffin was shattered with a single punch, revealing Sasori's furious and twisted face.
"Chiyo, you wretched old hag!"
"Konoha, White Fang—you all deserve to die!"
"So, Sasori was ultimately taken away by a summoning jutsu?"
"Yes, I apologize that we couldn't complete the mission."
In Konoha, inside the Hokage Tower, Sakumo Hatake was delivering the mission report. This task should have fallen to Kakashi, but Sakumo had voluntarily taken responsibility. Besides, the mission hadn't gone smoothly, and as someone who was technically dead, he was the perfect person to shoulder the blame.
However, the Third Hokage showed little reaction to the news. After all, Kitagawa Minamoto hadn't participated in this mission. The target was an Edo Tensei reincarnation who had already begun acting before they arrived—failure was understandable.
"What about Chiyo?" It was Kitagawa Minamoto who spoke up with interest. "And Sasori—how did they react when they saw you?"
"..."
The Third Hokage, Kakashi, and the others were speechless. This guy's mischievous sense of humor knew no bounds. Sasuke and Naruto swallowed nervously; they knew Minamoto could hold a grudge, but this seemed excessive.
"Chiyo attacked us on sight," Sakumo recalled with some embarrassment. Especially when he thought about Sasori's behavior during the battle—the hysterical screaming, the frenzied cursing. He couldn't help but shake his head.
"And Sasori was cursing the entire time..."
"Who was he cursing?"
"...Everyone."
"What a petty guy. He's already dead, and he still can't let go of the past?"
"..."
"And Chiyo dared to attack our people? Has the world turned upside down?"
"..."
Sakumo Hatake now understood why his son, when speaking of Kitagawa Minamoto, would always add "sometimes has a rather unpleasant personality" after listing his many positive qualities. He genuinely felt that Konoha's educational standards must have seriously declined after his death.
But he couldn't say anything—as long as Minamoto treated his own people well, that was what mattered.
"Lord Fifth, besides Sasori escaping, the Fifth Kazekage's Tailed Beast was also extracted."
"Extracted?" The Third Hokage couldn't help but sigh, while Naruto cursed under his breath.
"Those damn bastards, they're truly despicable..."
In this world, Naruto and Gaara didn't share as deep a bond as in the original timeline. After all, Naruto had a relatively good life. At most, he envied Gaara for becoming Kazekage, but they were both Jinchūriki. Seeing the Tailed Beast extracted from Gaara struck a chord with him.
"However, Sunagakure seems to have a very special technique," Sakumo Hatake suddenly lowered his voice, speaking quietly. "Chiyo, perhaps provoked by Sasori's harsh words, made a decision after he was taken away—to revive the Fifth Kazekage."
"Oh?" Even Sarutobi Hiruzen looked incredulous upon hearing this. With the One-Tail extracted, Gaara's death was inevitable. Yet Sakumo Hatake was talking about resurrection!
"Sunagakure possesses such a technique?"
"Perhaps it's Chiyo's personal jutsu. She's no ordinary shinobi," Minamoto naturally knew what they were discussing. He smiled and said, "Quite interesting. It seems we need to learn more about Sunagakure."
"Indeed." The Third Hokage nodded subtly, then spoke seriously. "This information must not leave this room. It will be our most critical secret, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto immediately adopted serious expressions. Sakumo Hatake also nodded—his professional integrity was beyond question.
"I never expected such a development," after Kakashi and the others left, Sarutobi Hiruzen held back Minamoto, who was also about to leave, and remarked thoughtfully. "But we need to carefully consider this matter. Even if we obtain this technique, we cannot..."
"I understand," Minamoto nodded. A small favor earns gratitude, a large one breeds resentment—some taboos shouldn't be casually broken.
"Good," Hiruzen smiled. When Minamoto took things seriously, he was extremely reliable.
"Moving on from that topic, the 'Kage Summit' is about to begin. Who are you planning to bring as your guard detail?"
Time always passes quickly. Before they knew it, less than two weeks remained until the 'Kage Summit' opened. The venue had been decided, and the Fire Daimyō had obediently opened his purse for the arrangements. Otherwise, Tobirama Senju might have needed to have a conversation with him...
As Konoha's representative at this summit, especially on home ground, Minamoto naturally needed to maintain proper formalities.
"My guard detail..." Minamoto thought for a moment, then simply said, "Sasuke and Naruto will suffice. Those two can handle plenty of situations."
"Good choices, but let me offer a suggestion," Hiruzen wasn't surprised, and continued with a smile. "Bring the Ino-Shika-Chō trio as well. They might not help much in combat, but they can contribute in many other ways."
"Ino and her team? That works," Minamoto smiled, thinking further. "And let's have Kakashi-sensei bring his former teammate Rin Nohara. It will help her better adjust to the present."
The Third Hokage was likely considering the clans behind these three, but Minamoto didn't need to worry about that. As for Rin Nohara, it was purely for a change of scenery. And perhaps to see if they might encounter Obito...
"Are you still playing ninja games here? If you really wanted to resurrect someone, don't you have better methods?" As he prepared for the 'Kage Summit,' Kaguya within him expressed her dissatisfaction.
"And didn't you say more Ōtsutsuki had arrived? Why haven't they shown themselves yet, and why aren't you making preparations?"
"Their lack of appearance might be related to my previous battles with Isshiki and Urashiki," Minamoto replied leisurely after leaving the Hokage's office. "Besides, how do you know I haven't prepared?"
"Then what exactly are you planning to do?" Kaguya frowned, speaking coldly. "This isn't just one person coming, and both Isshiki and Urashiki's Kāma are present."
"Don't worry, I have my arrangements," Minamoto shook his head. He knew the newcomers must be Momoshiki and Kinshiki. He was also familiar with their capabilities.
If it were the Momoshiki from the "Boruto era" who had experienced defeat and learned ninja combat techniques, it might be troublesome. But now...
"Besides, I can 'see' their every move. There won't be any problems," Minamoto smiled, his eyes revealing a hint of anticipation. "Actually, I hope those two show up. After all, this way..."
"It will better validate my 'Divine Ascension Stairway'!"
"Tch, they know nothing at all."
Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki casually tossed aside the corpse of a ninja, shaking his hand with disgust. To him, touching such an inferior race felt like an insult.
Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki stood silently nearby, also analyzing the information in his mind.
"My lord, there's no information about Lord Isshiki or Kaguya, nor about that mysterious Ōtsutsuki. However, there are stories about someone called the 'Sage of Six Paths.'"
"Just another boring individual," Momoshiki snorted dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. After all, they had destroyed countless planets and eliminated numerous self-proclaimed gods and sages. In the end, these beings were merely lower life forms who could, at best, manipulate natural energy.
"The only interesting thing is that the Ten-Tails has been divided, and this world also possesses Chakra."
"Indeed, I never expected these lower beings to master the use of Chakra," Kinshiki nodded, then continued after some thought. "My lord, those Tailed Beasts are in the hands of this world's 'ninja villages,' and we might need to go through these villages to learn more."
"True," Momoshiki nodded, pondering for a moment before speaking. "The leaders of these ninja villages are apparently called 'Kage,' and they're about to hold some kind of summit."
"My lord, are you suggesting..."
Kinshiki seemed to understand Momoshiki's thinking, but still respectfully asked for clarification.
"Rather than going to individual ninja villages to find them..." Momoshiki smiled and looked into the distance. "Why not go directly to this summit and capture their leaders? That would save us considerable trouble..." ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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