The surging lightning, like a battle axe, split the ground with a deafening roar!
However, the Third Raikage, who had unleashed such a powerful strike, showed no sign of joy on his face.
Because... he had missed!
Well, saying he missed wasn't entirely accurate.
Visually, his attack had indeed landed squarely on the masked man in front of him.
But the Third Raikage's brain received no feedback from his hand.
Most importantly, under such a devastating blow that could split the ground, the enemy remained completely unmoved, as if... as if he were nothing more than a phantom!
"What's going on here?"
Faced with this bizarre situation, the Third Raikage frowned deeply.
He quickly stood up and, refusing to believe it, threw another punch at the enemy.
But just like before, his fist passed through the man as if he were air.
This made the Third Raikage's heart sink with unease.
He immediately retreated, putting distance between them to assess the situation.
Seeing this, Obito Uchiha chuckled lightly and said, "Lord Raikage, you're too impatient. I came here today simply to propose a collaboration with you."
The two failed attacks had made the Third Raikage wary of the masked man.
"What kind of collaboration?" Seeing that the hot-tempered Raikage was finally willing to stop and talk, Obito's lips curled into a faint smile beneath his mask.
"You should know my identity... Madara Uchiha, one of the founders of Konoha, and also its most powerful rogue ninja." The Third Raikage didn't outright deny Obito's claim.
For him, whether the man was truly Madara Uchiha wasn't the most important thing. What mattered was whether his presence could bring significant benefits to Kumogakure.
Thus, he stared at the man warily and said coldly, "I don't care who you are. What I care about is the collaboration you mentioned. If you can't give me a satisfactory answer, I won't hesitate to mobilize Kumogakure's Anbu to hunt you down!"
Given the Third Raikage's personality, even if the real Madara Uchiha stood before him, he would likely have the same attitude.
Of course, if he were beaten into submission, that would be a different story.
Hearing the Third Raikage's arrogant response, Obito, who was posing as Madara, felt a flicker of irritation.
After all, he was supposed to be Madara Uchiha, the legendary "Ghost of the Uchiha."
When had he ever been threatened like this?
But for the sake of his plans, he had to swallow his pride. "I want to invite you and Kumogakure to join me in attacking Konoha," Obito finally revealed his true objective.
However, instead of excitement, the Third Raikage looked at the masked man as if he were an idiot.
"Attack Konoha? Are you joking?" His voice grew low, and a faint killing intent emanated from him.
Attacking Konoha? If it were that easy, Kumogakure would already be the strongest village in the ninja world!
Would he, the Third Raikage, have lost an arm in the Great Ninja War if Konoha were so weak? Sensing the Raikage's killing intent, Obito remained unfazed and instead smiled.
"Lord Raikage, don't be hasty. Since I'm proposing this collaboration, I naturally have a way to deal with Konoha."
This statement made the Third Raikage calm down slightly.
He decided to hear out the man claiming to be Madara Uchiha. If the plan lacked substance, he could always attack later.
Seeing the Raikage's calm demeanor, Obito decided to stop beating around the bush and said directly, "According to intelligence, Konoha's Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Kushina Uzumaki, is about to give birth. When a jinchūriki gives birth, the seal on the tailed beast is at its weakest. At that time, I will personally take control of the Nine-Tails and cause it to rampage. As for you, Lord Raikage... all you need to do is station your forces at the border before I act, to divert some of Konoha's attention. If Konoha falls into chaos, Kumogakure can take advantage of the situation. If my plan fails, you can simply withdraw your troops. No matter how you look at it, it's a win-win situation."
Obito's low, persuasive tone outlined his plan.
Hearing this, the Third Raikage's eyes flickered with hesitation.
The proposal did sound tempting.
If what the man said was true, it could be a great opportunity for Kumogakure.
If successful, he could avenge the loss of his arm and potentially elevate Kumogakure to the top of the ninja world.
Even if it failed, there would be no real loss.
At worst, Konoha would issue some condemnations.
It wasn't as if they would start a war just because Kumogakure stationed troops at the border.
After some thought, the Third Raikage began to feel that this might be worth a shot.
Seeing the Third Raikage's growing interest, Obito pressed further, "If you're willing to collaborate, then within ten days, lead your forces to the border and make a show of preparing for an attack. Whether or not you want to take this gamble depends on your ambition, Lord Raikage."
With that, Obito didn't wait for the Raikage's response. His body phased into nothingness, and he disappeared on the spot.
Watching Obito vanish into thin air, the Third Raikage narrowed his eyes.
The desire to take a risk grew stronger in his heart.
After all, someone who could come and go from Kumogakure so effortlessly was unheard of in the entire ninja world.
With such an ability, this man might truly be able to cause significant trouble for Konoha!
With this in mind, he quickly returned to the Raikage's office.
After pulling his son out of the Raikage's seat, he immediately convened a high-level meeting.
---
After leaving Kumogakure, Obito didn't return directly to Kirigakure.
Instead, he went to a remote, little-known place—Takigakure, the Village Hidden in the Waterfall.
Hidden within a volcanic crater and concealed by a massive waterfall, this village harbored a powerful force: the only tailed beast not under the control of the five great nations—the Seven-Tails, Chōmei!
"If we want to cause enough destruction in Konoha, just the Nine-Tails won't be enough," Obito muttered, his eyes gleaming with malice as he stared at the waterfall.
"Is the intelligence confirmed?" he asked, turning to a White Zetsu that had emerged from a crevice in the rocks.
The creature grinned widely and replied, "Confirmed. The Seven-Tails jinchūriki is about to die, and they're preparing to seal the tailed beast into a young girl. Now is the perfect time to seize the Seven-Tails!"
Hearing this, a faint smile finally appeared on Obito's face.
"Teacher, I wonder... when two tailed beasts go on a rampage at the same time, what choice will you make? Will you choose your wife and child, or will you choose the village?"
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