Samiu never expected that the truth once sought by several great nations at great cost had now been so easily revealed by Mabui.
Still, after her initial shock, Samiu remained skeptical. "How did he do it? He seems so young—wasn't he still a child back then?"
"There's something wrong with his body—he hasn't returned to his prime yet," Mabui replied grimly. "I know it's hard to believe, but I have no reason to lie to you."
Seeing the look on Mabui's face, Samiu felt a flicker of belief stir inside her. She gripped Mabui's hand tightly. "Since you know all this, please tell me everything, okay?"
Such crucial intelligence could not be taken lightly.
Mabui gave a bitter smile and met Samiu's gaze directly. "Then first, tell me—what is your real purpose in getting close to him? Don't lie. I can tell when you're hiding something."
Samiu fell silent for a moment before regaining her composure. After a brief pause, she finally answered, "My mission from the village was to lure him away from Konoha and get him to join Kumo. If that failed, we'd proceed with Plan B."
"And what exactly is Plan B?" Mabui knew that was the real issue.
Samiu took a deep breath. "If necessary, assassinate him and take his Sharingan."
Though Mabui had already suspected as much, she showed little surprise at the confirmation. Instead, she seemed slightly relieved. "At least no major mistake has been made yet."
Samiu, however, grew visibly angry. "You care about him that much? To the point of betraying your own village?"
"No," Mabui shook her head. "You just don't understand him well enough. This place is dangerous. His reach is far greater than you can imagine. Once you truly acted on your plan, you would only provoke him—and when that happens, the entire Kumogakure will be in danger. If Sasori were to find out, the situation could spiral out of control, possibly triggering the Fourth Great Ninja World War."
"Sasori? Who is he?" Samiu frowned, puzzled. It was just an assassination mission after all—why did it sound so dangerous?
Mabui explained, "Sasori—he is the current Kazekage."
Having just finished guiding Neji, Sasori couldn't wait to meet Anya again. It had been a while since they last parted ways in Konoha.
Seeing Sasori hurrying over, Anya couldn't help but grin. "What's up? Not staying with Tenten today?"
A rare, soft expression crossed Sasori's face. "She's already gotten the basics of my new puppet techniques down. The rest requires daily practice—she doesn't need me watching over her constantly anymore."
Anya asked curiously, "Have you ever thought about what comes next between you two?"
"Next?" Sasori looked confused.
Anya spoke bluntly, "Yeah, marriage. Ever considered it?"
For a moment, Sasori looked genuinely stunned. Clearly, he had never seriously considered such a thing before. Had he even realized that the bond between him and Tenten might actually be love?
Tenten was someone he had watched grow up from childhood. To him, their connection had always felt more like family. But now, with Anya pointing it out so directly, the realization hit him like a sudden jolt. Sasori suddenly found himself overwhelmed, caught between confusion and unexpected anxiety.
Anya cut to the chase: "Has the Akatsuki Organization started collecting the nine Tailed Beasts?"
Seeing that Anya had changed the subject, Sasori immediately dropped his previous mood and became serious. "Yes. The organization has basically completed investigations on the whereabouts of most Tailed Beasts, except for one that seems to have disappeared completely, as it hasn't appeared at all from beginning to end."
"Oh?" asked Anya curiously. "Which one is it?"
Sasori quickly provided the answer: "Three-Tail. It doesn't have a Jinchuriki and should be a wild Tailed Beast."
"Three-Tail?" Anya carefully recalled what he knew. Among several Jinchuriki, aside from those frequently seen, others were only vaguely remembered. He really wasn't clear on this one.
Sasori smiled confidently and said, "No worries. Since the Tailed Beasts have massive bodies, there aren't many places suitable for their survival. Furthermore, since it's a water-type, it's only a matter of time before we find it."
Anya didn't press further but asked instead, "Have the remaining Tailed Beasts already been assigned targets?"
"Yes," replied Sasori. "The Akatsuki divides its members into pairs, with each pair tasked with capturing two Tailed Beasts. Currently, One-Tail is in Sunagakure; Two-Tails and Eight-Tails are in Kumo; Four-Tails and Five-Tails are wandering outside but their movement tracks have been locked down; Six-Tails is in Kirigakure; Seven-Tails is in Takigakure; Nine-Tails resides in Konoha, currently guarded by Jiraiya."
Other than that one wild beast, all other Jinchuriki were already under Akatsuki's watch. They were simply waiting for the right moment to strike before the Five Great Countries could react.
"One-Tail and Seven-Tails are under our control. Big Brother Kurotsuchi, what's the plan?"
Anya paused in contemplation before replying with a single word: "Wait."
Nodding, Sasori said, "Based on the Akatsuki's current progress, they won't wait too long before making their move. However, what about your physical condition?"
"Not yet at optimal state, but I'm ready to take action," Anya smiled. "I've found Empress Megatron, and thanks to her, I've re-mastered a Sage Art, fully integrating my sage chakra. Right now, as long as the Six Paths doesn't appear, there's no one who can rival me."
"Great! So Empress Megatron really survived after all." Sasori first showed delight, then urged, "Then why wait? Let's start attacking directly!"
Anya didn't agree immediately but questioned instead, "What do you think about Pain's strength?"
After some thought, Sasori answered, "He's never unleashed his full strength in front of me. Back before I learned Sage Mode, I couldn't guarantee victory over him. Now though, unless he has hidden cards I don't know about, he wouldn't stand a chance against me."
"After upgrading the Sharingan into the Mangekyō, various extraordinary powers can be obtained—some through genjutsu, some through ninjutsu, and some even possess space-time abilities. For example, I obtained the Temporal Power." Anya's gaze turned distant. "There is one particular ability that belongs exclusively to the Rinnegan."
"What is it?"
Anya slowly explained, "Control over life and death."
Suddenly understanding, Sasori asked, "You want to obtain this power, right?"
"No," Anya responded. "What I want is to awaken this power. But I'm not sure whether I can succeed, so I must wait."
Anya's gaze turned resolute. "We've already waited this long, a little more time won't make a difference."
Sasori understood the ambition Anya harbored for the Rinnegan. He nodded and asked, "What do you need me to do?"
Anya took out a blueprint that covered all the known nations of the Ninja World, although some areas were missing.
Once the blueprint was fully unfolded, she picked up a pen and began sketching on it.
"There's far more than enough for you to do. Once the Zero Organization's plan is complete, the Ninja World as we know it will cease to exist. Now, let's shape the new world that's about to come."
A brilliant light flared in Sasori's eyes as he readily agreed. "Fine."
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