vncnus Chapter 406 The Situation
Chapter 406 The Situation
Chapter 406 The Situation
The icy rain relentlessly washed over Amegakure, striking the cold metal walls of the central tower and producing a continuous hum.
The council chamber at the top of the tower was dimly lit, with massive pipes winding and twisting like the veins of a giant beast along the walls and ceiling, emitting a low, pulsating sound.
Pain, the Deva Path, had orange hair that looked like burning embers in the shadows, and his purple Rinnegan stared blankly at the endless rain before him.
Xiao Nan stood quietly beside him, white paper flowers swaying gently in her hair. Her face was always calm, with only a hint of worry occasionally flashing deep in her eyes.
The ripples spread silently across the center of the council hall, like pebbles thrown into stagnant water.
Obito Uchiha, wearing a spiral mask, and Zetsu, whose body was half pitch black and half pale white, stepped out from the vortex-like spatial distortion.
"Pain, Konan." Obito mimicked the tone of "Uchiha Madara" from his memories, saying in a low voice, "Mission accomplished, Kurama released."
Pain slowly turned around, and the ripples of his Rinnegan seemed to shift slightly, focusing on Obito.
Xiao Nan's gaze also turned towards them with a questioning look.
"Oh?" Pain's voice was flat and emotionless, like a cold machine. "It seems Konoha was quite a spectacle last night. Tell me about it, Mr. Madara."
Obito's lips, hidden beneath his mask, seemed to twitch slightly as he began his "report."
His account is naturally full of selectivity and exaggeration of his own "achievements".
In his description, everything was under control:
How did he manage to snatch the baby from among so many guards?
And how did they use the baby to restrain the Fourth Hokage and Tsunade, and successfully break the seal on the Nine-Tails?
Then, the Nine-Tails was hypnotized and summoned to Konoha, causing huge losses to the village.
"That woman, Kushina Uzumaki," Obito's voice carried a cruel smugness, "The Nine-Tails was forcibly released, and the Jinchuriki is doomed. Minato Namikaze could only watch helplessly as his wife met her end in agony."
"As for the Nine-Tails," Obito paused, seemingly savoring the destructive power, "it went completely berserk, turning the central area of Konoha into a battlefield of carnage."
Although the Third Hokage arrived with reinforcements, he could only barely force them out of the village; their struggle was futile. The foundation of Konoha had been shaken, and its strength severely diminished.
Pain listened quietly, his Rinnegan revealing no emotion, but his slightly forward-leaning body seemed to indicate that he had developed a slight interest in the "results" of this "Uchiha Madara's" operation.
Being able to severely damage Konoha, the strongest village in the ninja world, is indeed an important part of the Akatsuki's plan.
Konan frowned slightly, as she keenly noticed certain details that Obito deliberately avoided in his words, especially regarding Minato Namikaze and Matsushita Taichi, which were not mentioned much.
Sure enough, Obito abruptly changed his tone, and the deliberately created ease and smugness instantly vanished, replaced by a sense of solemnity and urgency, even with a hint of barely perceptible apprehension.
"But!" His voice suddenly rose, his single eye fixed on Payne, "While the plan succeeded, it also exposed a huge hidden danger! A threat we must immediately take seriously, even eliminate as a priority—Matsushita Taichi!"
"Matsushita Taichi?" Pain's voice remained icy. "That rising star of Konoha?"
"An elite?" Obito let out a short, mocking laugh. "Pain, our previous intelligence severely underestimated him! Significantly underestimated him!"
He took a sudden step forward, his tone urgent, filled with the shock of witnessing it firsthand: "When the Nine-Tails raged, the Third Hokage was helpless, and the Konoha ninja were in despair, it was he who stood up!"
The power he displayed far exceeded our previous intelligence; the Nine-Tails had almost no chance against him.
Obito began to describe the terrifying scene: the massive water-style techniques, the astonishing fire-style techniques, the powerful sealing techniques—basically, he described them as incredibly powerful.
"His growth rate in such a short period of time is simply unbelievable! It exceeds all common sense!"
"7
Obito's voice carried an unprecedented solemnity and urgency: "Our previous assessment was far too conservative! He's no longer just a potential threat; he's a massive threat capable of shaking the very foundation of our plans!"
He pointed sharply at Payne: "We can't let him grow up so recklessly anymore, we must act immediately!"
"Restrict him! Ideally—" A chilling killing intent flashed in the single eye beneath Obito's mask, "Eliminate him completely!"
"At the same time," Obito said rapidly, clearly having already planned ahead, "the plan to capture the Tailed Beasts also needs to be brought forward; we can no longer wait step by step! However, to avoid arousing premature suspicion from the Five Great Nations, we must proceed in secrecy!"
He extended his gloved fingers and pointed them in the air: "Targets, prioritize those tailed beasts that are not under the strict control of the five great ninja villages!"
For example, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki of Takigakure! Takigakure is weak and located in a remote area, making it easy to take down and control the situation.
Furthermore, there's Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast, which hasn't yet revived and whose chakra is scattered! Sunagakure is currently preoccupied with its own problems, making this the perfect opportunity for us to secretly search for its chakra, revive it, and capture it!
Obito paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through space, landing on a distant Iwagakure ninja: "And—when I was setting up my scheme in Iwagakure, I successfully sowed discord among the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Rōshi!"
That stubborn old man, due to his ideological differences with the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, is already planning to leave Iwagakure. Once he's alone, capturing him will be far easier than forcibly taking him from the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Obito's plan sounded meticulously crafted and aggressively ambitious. However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a cold, clearly disapproving voice rang out.
"I object, Mr. Madara." Konan stepped forward, her paper flowers fluttering even without wind. Her sharp gaze met Obito's mask. "Capturing the Tailed Beasts is not something that can be done in secret as you casually make it sound!"
Each tailed beast possesses world-destroying power, and every capture is inevitably accompanied by an earth-shattering battle! Whether we choose the Seven-Tails, the One-Tails, or track down Rōshi, it is impossible to completely conceal the commotion!
Once detected, the five great ninja villages will immediately be on alert, and might even form an alliance to encircle and annihilate us! Akatsuki's current strength is far from sufficient to simultaneously confront the entire ninja world!
She looked at Payne, her tone earnest: "Payne, exposing ourselves now is too early! The organization needs time to build up its strength and perfect its preparations. As for that Matsushita Taichi—"
Xiao Nan frowned slightly. "He has indeed demonstrated astonishing strength, but hastily launching a full-scale plan to deal with him, which might even invite a joint attack from the five major powers, is a risk that is completely disproportionate to the reward! This is more like—a reckless act driven by personal fear."
"Reckless?" Payne's emotionless, mechanical voice finally broke through Konan's words. His purple Rinnegan gleamed with a cold yet arrogant light in the dim light.
"Konan, you're being overly cautious." Pain's voice was devoid of emotion, only displaying a detached indifference that seemed to look down upon all living beings. "The power of the Tailed Beasts is indeed formidable, but before the power of a true god, they are nothing more than slightly larger playthings. As for that Matsushita Taichi—"
He let out a very soft, yet disdainful snort.
"Sage Art? Adamantine Sealing Barrier? Five Elements Ninjutsu?" Pain slowly shook his head, his Rinnegan turning to Obito with an almost pitying question, "Madara, you seem to be blinded by the smoke of Konoha's battle, even—your mind has been shaken?"
"So what if he's just a Konoha ninja? Even if he has some talent and good fortune? No matter how strong he is, can he compare to those eyes?"
He slightly raised his chin, revealing the arrogance of a "god": "These eyes of mine are the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths!"
It is the supreme power that surpasses all bloodline limits and all ninjutsu in the ninja world!
Matsushita Taichi? He might be a force to be reckoned with on ordinary battlefields, but before the power of the Rinnegan, he's nothing more than a—slightly stronger ant. Your fear of him is so great, even to the point of disrupting our carefully crafted plans, that I truly find perplexing.”
"Confused?" Obito's face under the mask twisted instantly, and a surge of evil fire rushed to his head.
He recalled Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique, which was so fast that even he, with his Kaleidoscope Sharingan, couldn't react in time.
He was reminded of the absolute power that Taiyi had in the wasteland, manipulating the Nine-Tails at will!
Although it was somewhat embarrassing, at those two moments, he truly felt a chill run down his spine, a fear that he might die at any moment.
"Pain!" Obito's voice suppressed rage, trying his best to calm his tone, "You've never even seen him fight! You have no idea what he is—"
"Enough!" Pain's voice suddenly rose, the cold purple light in his Rinnegan piercing Obito as if it were a tangible force. "Madara, it's your lack of understanding of the power of a god! Your fear has blinded your judgment!"
He stepped forward, his enormous black robe with red cloud patterns resembling unfolded wings of death in the dim light: "Since you so highly praise his strength and consider him a major threat—then let me personally assess his worth!"
Pain's gaze swept over Obito and Konan before he made his final decision: "Until we confirm it with our own eyes, the plan to capture the Tailed Beasts will proceed as scheduled. As for Matsushita Taichi—"
His voice was cold and resolute. "I will go to him myself. If he truly possesses the power to threaten the plan, as you say, then before he becomes a complete obstacle, I will crush him with my own hands, using divine power to make him understand what true despair is!"
Obito's teeth clenched beneath his mask, his single eye glaring at Pain, his anger and a sense of humiliation at being looked down upon almost bursting through the mask.
He abruptly turned his head to look at Jue in the shadows. On Jue's face, which was a mix of black and white, the black Jue remained deep and expressionless, while the white Jue grinned, revealing a silent, mocking, and exaggerated smile.
"Hmph!" Obito finally let out a suppressed snort from deep in his throat.
"Since you've made this decision, then fine, Zetsu, you'll cooperate with Payne and provide information on Matsushita Taiichi's whereabouts."
He then turned to Payne, offering a final warning, "I hope your Rinnegan won't disappoint you, Payne."
"God's eyes never fail," Payne replied indifferently, turning his gaze back to the endless rain outside the window, as if the argument had never happened.
Konan looked at Pain's indifferent profile, then at Obito, who exuded a gloomy and angry aura, and sighed silently.
The Nine-Tails' rampage in Konoha Village was like a bolt from the blue; it couldn't be hidden.
That night, the Nine-Tailed Fox's enormous, mountain-like body ravaged the village. Its violent chakra flames soared into the sky, dyeing half the night sky an ominous orange-red. The Nine-Tailed Fox's power was so great that it could be clearly heard several kilometers away.
Such a momentous event could not possibly be contained within the walls of Konoha.
Spies from various countries, lurking within Konoha Village and the surrounding area, acted like sharks smelling blood, immediately transmitting this intelligence through their respective channels.
Iwagakure Village, Tsuchikage's Office.
Two Libra Ōnoki's short body floated in mid-air, holding the newly deciphered secret report in his hand.
On his face, etched with the wrinkles of time, a look of disbelief and astonishment first flashed across his face. Then, like frozen ground cracking open, a complex smile slowly bloomed, a mixture of schadenfreude and relief, which finally turned into undisguised joy.
"Heh—heh heh heh—" A deep laugh echoed in the empty office. "The Nine-Tails! It's the Nine-Tails that has completely gone berserk in the heart of Konoha! Good! Very good!"
He slammed the intelligence scroll down on the table, his cloudy old eyes gleaming with a sharp light. For Onoki, Konoha's decline was, in effect, Iwagakure's growing strength!
The hatred and rivalry left over from the Third Shinobi World War have never truly disappeared, and the incident in Konoha this time has truly relieved him.
With his hands behind his back, he slowly floated to the huge French windows, looking down at the somewhat desolate Iwagakure village below, and his good mood sank to the bottom again.
Iwagakure's foundation is still too shallow, not as solid as Konoha's. They haven't fully recovered from the great battle yet.
Even so, there were still some people in the village who opposed him every day.
"That stubborn old man, Shiki!" Onoki's brows furrowed again as usual, feeling annoyed at the thought of that obstinate four-tailed jinchūriki.
That guy spends all day promoting his ridiculous "peace" ideology, contradicting his own strategy of strengthening Iwagakure in every way. He's utterly stubborn!
And then there's the recent situation in the village—Onoki's eyes turned slightly cold, sensing an undercurrent of unease stirring within him, as if someone was fanning the flames in the shadows, attempting to shake the foundations of his rule.
However, with Konoha's own backyard on fire and the village preoccupied with its own problems, the immense pressure from Konoha has suddenly eased.
This gave him more time to resolve internal conflicts.
Hidden Cloud Village, Raikage Building.
The atmosphere was completely different from the gloating of the hidden rocks; here, there was a kind of excitement and urgency that a predator felt after discovering that its prey was seriously injured.
The Fourth Raikage, A, stood before the battle map with a burly body like an iron tower, his muscles bulging beneath his bronze skin.
He had just finished listening to the detailed report from the Jonin of the Intelligence Department, his sharp eyes fixed on the location of Konoha Village in the Land of Fire on the map.
"Is this for sure?" Ai's voice boomed like thunder, brimming with excitement. "The Nine-Tails has completely broken free of its seal," rather than just going berserk and out of control as usual?"
"Yes, Lord Raikage!" the intelligence jonin replied decisively. "Our eyes" had witnessed the crucial detail: the Sharingan pattern appearing in the Nine-Tails' eyes. Based on the overall assessment, it wasn't a Jinchūriki going berserk, but rather the Nine-Tails breaking free of its Jinchūriki.
"Alright!" Ai slammed his fist down on the heavy solid wood table. The hard wood groaned under the weight, leaving a clear fist mark. "When a tailed beast leaves its jinchūriki, the jinchūriki is doomed."
A terrifying light flashed in his eyes—not sadness, but the excitement of a beast seeing an opportunity. "In that case, Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is gone!"
Even if the Nine-Tails is recaptured and sealed after the death of an old Jinchūriki, it will not be able to regain its fighting power in a short period of time, and its deterrent effect will be greatly reduced.
Moreover, the situation described in the intelligence report was shocking: the village center was reduced to scorched earth, countless ninjas and civilians were killed or injured, and the village was severely weakened!
"Give the order!" Ai whirled around, his voice booming like a bell, making the entire room buzz. "Assemble the First and Third Assault Regiments, a total of one thousand elite soldiers! Led by Samui, they will set off immediately and be stationed at the border of the Frost Kingdom!"
His finger slammed down on the location of the Frost Kingdom on the map. "Let them stay there! Ready for battle!"
A's gaze swept over the Cloud Village's high-ranking officials present. "Closely monitor Konoha's every move! Once subsequent intelligence confirms Konoha's weakness, I want this force to immediately advance into the Land of Hot Springs!"
The Land of Hot Springs, a buffer zone rich in resources and with a huge number of missions to be assigned, was firmly controlled by Konoha in the later stages of the Third Shinobi World War, and has always been a thorn in the side of Kumogakure.
Now that Konoha has suffered such a heavy blow, it is the perfect opportunity to regain its share and push its sphere of influence far beyond its borders!
"What a pity!" Ai's excitement was mixed with a hint of resentment. He looked at the direction of the Land of Wind and the Land of Water on the map and clenched his fist tightly.
"Sunagakure is still half-dead, a bunch of stray dogs, completely unreliable! And those guys in Kirigakure are even more inexplicable, locking their doors like iron barrels, not even a fly can get out! Otherwise—"
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. "If we could unite several major ninja villages to put pressure on Konoha simultaneously, the chances of success would be much greater!"
The disaster in Konoha is like a boulder thrown into the deep pool of the ninja world, and the ripples it has created are spreading at an alarming speed.
The smugness of the Hidden Stone Village and the sharpening of swords by the Hidden Cloud Village were merely the first ripples in this turbulent undercurrent.
In the darker depths, the shadow known as "Akatsuki" is silently adjusting its fangs.