"True," Black Zetsu hissed, his voice dripping with smugness. "After all, he's only a man. Even if his power can envelop the planet, so what? Time is our ally. He will die of old age, like all mortals. We need only shelter in your Kamui and wait. And when he's gone, the world will be ours."
The idea that flashed through his ancient mind was flawless. All men are mortal. Even the great Sage of the Six Paths could not escape that fate. How is Uchiha Yue any better than him?"
"Your plan is good, but it has a flaw," Obito interrupted, his one eye narrowing thoughtfully beneath his mask. "I've seen Yue. He's younger than me. I fear Nagato and I will wither away while he waits for old age."
The plan was indeed sound—the only logical one in a situation where killing the monster seemed impossible. And Kamui was perfect for it. But the thought of himself going to the afterlife before Uchiha Yue poisoned everything.
"Not necessarily," Black Zetsu froze, and a new, far more sophisticated idea began to take shape in his viscous mind. "We can extend our lives. Or... go into suspended animation. Yes. Suspended animation!"
A new thought flashed through his mind, blinding him with its brilliance.
Under the pretext of saving them from imminent death, they would gather all the shinobi of the world and convince them to take refuge in Kamui's dimension. There, in despair and defenselessness, they would be most vulnerable. They would be offered suspended animation to await Yue's death. And then... he, Zetsu, and Obito would secretly awaken and absorb the power of all the jinchuriki. And then the path to his mother's resurrection would be clear.
Furthermore, Obito, having gained new power, could be allowed... no. Obito would have to be dead by then. Then he would force the reincarnated Madara to fight Yue. And in the midst of their battle, he would strike from the shadows to finally bring his mother back to life.
Brilliant. Simply brilliant!
The longer Black Zetsu pondered this plan, the more ravenous his passion grew.
"The appearance of this monster is not a curse, but my greatest chance!" he exulted. "Only one question remains: is its territory truly capable of expanding indefinitely, cornering the entire world?"
Suddenly, doubt gripped him. Before, he had prayed that Yue didn't have such power. Now, he desperately hoped so.
"Whether that's true or not, however, is unimportant." The main thing is that they—the entire shinobi world—believe it. Once they lose hope, the Kamui dimension will become their last refuge."
"And if Yue is defeated, I have nothing to lose. I'll simply return to the old plan."
Black Zetsu's spirits were lifted by these thoughts. The darkness gathering in his soul vanished without a trace. He looked at Obito with almost warmth, forgetting his usual disdain for this naive fool. Heaven alone knew the icy fear he'd felt all this time.
He knew he wasn't immortal. But as long as he hid in the shadows, unnoticed and unknown, he was safe. And now? Uchiha Yue didn't even need to know of the existence of some creature called Black Zetsu. Once he was within the range of that power, it would be the end. Inevitable and final.
Having laid out the new strategy to Obito (naturally omitting details about his true role and Madara's fate), Zetsu watched as despondency gave way to excitement beneath Obito's mask. The plan was brilliant. Heaven leaves no hopeless path. The existence of this monster was transformed from a problem into a catalyst that would accelerate their plan.
They, of course, presented it differently to Nagato. At the hour of the world's destruction, they would become the saviors of thousands of ninja. And after Yue died of old age, they would reappear as the gods of a new world. Upon awakening, Nagato would absorb all the Tailed Beasts and, wielding the ultimate weapon, bring eternal peace to humanity through fear.
This time, Obito concealed nothing and immediately transported Nagato to Kamui's dimension. Once there and pondering what he had heard, Nagato felt his heart pounding. The plan was flawless. As Obito and Zetsu had said, they had nothing to lose—either success or failure.
If it worked, excellent. If it failed, and the shinobi world itself turned against Uchiha Yue and destroyed him, well, they would simply return to their previous plans.
"Yes, this plan is sound!" Nagato clapped his hands, his haggard face lit up with unhealthy excitement. The pain and darkness left by his encounter with Yue vanished without a trace.
First, they needed to make the great villages realize the full horror emanating from Uchiha Yue. Then, push them to attack. If they killed him, great. If not, their new plan would be enacted.
Soon, all the key members of Akatsuki had gathered beneath the cave's vaults.
Kakuzu, Sasori, Juzo Biwa, Orochimaru, Uchiha Obito, Zetsu, Konan, and Pain, with Nagato himself behind him.
Uchiha Itachi was no longer among them.
"Our world will be destroyed," Nagato began without preamble. His voice, amplified by Pain's techniques, sounded like a death sentence.
"What? Leader, are you serious?" Kakuzu, whose thoughts always revolved around money, was taken aback. "The end of the world? What a ridiculous joke."
He shook his head in disbelief, as if he hadn't heard. The news was too absurd to accept.
"Ha-ha, Leader, are you trying to play a joke on us? I didn't think you had a sense of humor, ha-ha!"
Kakuzu's laughter echoed off the stone walls, but died down when he met the Rinnegan's cold, emotionless gaze. An oppressive silence fell heavily on the assembled group.
"He's not joking, is he?" Orochimaru frowned, studying Pain's impassive face. "Destroying the world... That's completely... unscientific. What threat is Nagato talking about?"
An icy premonition stirred in his soul.