"That's the situation."
Black Zetsu handed over the information—slightly altered and exaggerated—to Obito.
Even though Obito already knew countless secrets, had inherited all of Madara's knowledge and legacy, and considered himself the second coming of Uchiha Madara, he was still shocked by the intel Black Zetsu had just delivered.
The descendants of the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother… the Ōtsutsuki clan, watching the ninja world from the moon!
"If they've survived on the moon for over a thousand years, why are they suddenly choosing to make their move now?"
"I'm not sure either. There's no related intel," Black Zetsu replied after a brief pause, his voice grave. "But the cause is definitely linked to Yuki Yoru."
"There was a fierce battle between the two sides. And judging from the situation, the strength of the Ōtsutsuki from the moon is on par with Nagato. Yet in the end, Yuki Yoru still emerged victorious."
"That guy…"
Obito clenched his fist. Beneath the mask, his Sharingan with three tomoe glowed even more intensely red.
Yuki Yoru's power was just too absurd, to the point that Obito had no means of dealing with him. Every single plan had to be adjusted to avoid Yuki Yoru, to go around Kirigakure.
Not only was it exhausting, but the success rate was painfully low.
Even though the ninja world was currently in chaos—a perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters—Yoru's existence forced him to proceed with extreme caution, always afraid that Yoru would catch him in the act.
"What's the situation with Nagato?"
Obito shook his head, trying to pull his mind away from Yoru and changed the subject to Nagato.
The battle in the Land of Iron had almost crippled Nagato. To escape from Yuki Yoru's pursuit, Nagato had made the difficult decision to fuse with a modified White Zetsu, barely saving his life.
Of course, this fusion was far more than just healing injuries.
While Nagato was a member of the Uzumaki clan and had powerful life force—enough to be the vessel for the Rinnegan—the Uzumaki were still not on par with the Senju, let alone the legendary Senju Hashirama.
The modified White Zetsu carried cells from Hashirama Senju. If Nagato could perfectly fuse with them, not only could he heal the injuries he suffered during the battle in the Land of Iron, he might even recover from the toll of using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path in the Land of Rain, and regenerate his legs that had been blown off by explosive tags—greatly boosting his combat power!
A healthy Nagato!
"The fusion has gone quite well. The Uzumaki and Senju were originally close relatives, so their cells didn't reject each other too violently—especially after the White Zetsu was modified."
"Currently, all of Nagato's withered cells, and even his legs, have recovered. However, it will take some time for complete fusion."
Black Zetsu paused again. "What's more interesting now is what's happening between Konoha and Kumogakure."
"Konoha and Kumogakure?"
Obito paused for a moment, then sneered. "Konoha must be falling back step by step—pushed all the way to their own doorstep by Kumogakure, huh?"
During the Nine-Tails Incident, he'd nearly flattened the entire Konoha, killing countless shinobi and civilians. Even the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Kushina Uzumaki, had died.
Although the aging Third Hokage had come out of retirement to stabilize the situation, Konoha's overall strength was now less than one-tenth of what it once was. How could it compare to Kumogakure, who had been steadily building up power since the Third Great Ninja War?
Even without closely following the situation, Obito could imagine the state of the battlefield.
Konoha's situation deteriorates → Hiruzen's poor decisions → Konoha in dire straits → last-ditch efforts → inevitable defeat.
Eventually, either Konoha would be destroyed by Kumogakure, or surrender and sign a humiliating peace treaty.
Of course, Obito considered the latter more likely—after all, the other powers in the ninja world wouldn't just sit back and let Kumogakure swallow Konoha whole.
"At the start of the war, Kumogakure did indeed hold the upper hand. With the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki leading the charge, their elite forces decisively defeated Danzo Shimura. Danzo had to fall back by trading territory for time, while Kumogakure advanced deep into the Land of Fire."
"But then something unexpected happened."
Black Zetsu's voice grew heavy. "The Third Hokage appointed Uchiha Fugaku as the commander of the frontline. And… that guy had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"What?!"
Obito's expression turned serious.
The power of the Mangekyō Sharingan was undeniable. Just his Kamui, or Shisui's unique abilities, had already proven that. Once someone awakened the Mangekyō, their strength skyrocketed—even an average ninja could challenge the strongest.
Mangekyō Sharingan = entry ticket to Kage-level power.
And this time, it was Uchiha Fugaku.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku Uchiha's combat ability and experience were absolutely without question. During the Second Great Shinobi World War, his moniker 'Wicked Eye' had already resounded throughout the Shinobi World. In the Third Great Shinobi World War, Fugaku's performance was also remarkable.
"If it's him, plus the Mangekyō, it's no surprise he could stop Kumogakure," Obito said seriously.
"No—the real key isn't Uchiha Fugaku. It's Soul Society!"
"After Danzo retreated, Soul Society moved in and intercepted Kumogakure's forces, including the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki. All were stopped by the Shinigami from Soul Society."
Black Zetsu shook his head, passing another report to Obito.
Obito skimmed through it, and the look on his face grew darker, his frown deepening.
"Even Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin has joined Soul Society?"
The Sannin were famed not just for reputation but also real strength—as shown when Orochimaru joined Akatsuki. So Tsunade's alignment with Soul Society was not something to take lightly.
But for now, all Obito and the Akatsuki could do was regroup and conserve strength.
"Keep monitoring them."
The two fell silent. After a long while, Obito finally said this, then vanished using Kamui.
Black Zetsu stood alone, staring at the empty clearing, eyes deep and troubled.
He didn't understand.
How had things come to this?
It felt like the battlefield of the ninja world had become increasingly unfavorable to them.
For a thousand years, he'd plotted across the entire world. He had masterfully manipulated the paths laid out by the Sage of Six Paths, toyed with Asura and Indra's reincarnations, and even Madara Uchiha had only ever been a puppet dancing in his hands.
That vibrant energy, the realm where all things flourish—was still fresh in his mind.
And now, just because of Yuki Yoru, was all his millennium-long planning about to go to waste?
No matter what, the Rinnegan is still in my hands, and the grand plan remains mine.
The advantage is still mine!
...
Land of Lightning — Kumogakure
Among towering mountains and drifting clouds, Kumogakure stood tall and proud.
While the Land of Lightning's environment was better than that of the Wind, Earth, and Water countries, it still paled in comparison to the prosperity of the Land of Fire and Konohagakure.
Due to the surrounding mountain ranges, many of Kumogakure's resources were extremely scarce. As a result, every generation of Raikage had long desired to expand their territory and gain more resources.
And Konoha… had always been the most coveted target!
This was why Kumogakure not only started the Third Great Ninja War, but also, upon hearing about the Nine-Tails Incident, immediately dispatched troops to invade Konoha.
They needed supplies. They needed land. They needed to expand and provide better living conditions for the people of Kumogakure and the Land of Lightning.
But unfortunately, every attempt they made ended in failure—this time was no exception.
"What?! The frontline forces were ambushed, and Killer Bee was even injured?!"
Inside the Raikage's office.
A massive fist the size of a sandbag slammed down on the desk. The sheer force shattered it into splinters, wood chips flying everywhere.
The towering figure of the Fourth Raikage glared at the ANBU before him, eyes filled with disbelief.
Killer Bee was no longer the same man from the Third War.
After returning from training at the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, Bee had made enormous improvements. His coordination with the Eight-Tails had reached perfection, and his combat power was now on par with the Fourth Raikage himself.
With three thousand elite troops backing him, Kumogakure had marched forward with every intent of storming Konoha directly.
With Konoha's power down to a tenth of what it once was, how could they resist? How could Bee possibly lose?
"The intel from Lord Dodai is accurate. Killer Bee himself confirmed that the reason for his defeat… was encountering the same mysterious organization as before."
The ANBU spoke in a low voice, then hesitated before adding, "Also…"
"The current frontline commander of Konoha is the Uchiha clan head, Uchiha Fugaku. He has revealed the Mangekyō Sharingan—"
"What?!"
The Fourth Raikage snatched the scroll and scanned it with a sharp, deadly seriousness.
Dodai's intel was detailed and thoroughly recorded the shifts on the battlefield.
In the early stages of the war, things had gone exactly as predicted: Kumogakure crushed the frontlines under Danzo, pushing forward aggressively.
But after being ambushed by the mysterious organization, their elite forces suffered heavy casualties. Even Killer Bee had been defeated by Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin, forced to retreat with a severed tail.
Afterward, though the mysterious group had vanished, Uchiha Fugaku took the offensive, wielding his Mangekyō on the frontlines and launching a counterattack.
"Mangekyō Sharingan…"
The Fourth Raikage's brow furrowed deeply.
He didn't know much about these eyes, but based on Dodai's report, their presence alone placed massive psychological pressure on the frontlines.
"Gather all the senior advisors. We need to discuss the frontline situation."
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
The ANBU vanished in a Body Flicker. Soon, there was a knock at the door.
Five elderly, dark-skinned veterans entered the office. Though their hair was snow white, their muscular frames remained solid and powerful.
They were all old relics of the village who had served under the First Raikage and Second Raikage since the village's founding era. While their individual strength might not rival the Raikage's (roughly elite jōnin level), their status in Kumogakure was remarkably high.
Every village had these sorts of elder councils: like Chiyo and Ebizō of Sunagakure, or Koharu and Homura of Konoha.
However, due to Kumogakure's unique tradition of "A is the greatest"—a mindset much like Kirigakure's "strength above all"—these old fellows were essentially mascots, rarely doing more than offering the Raikage the occasional piece of advice.
"How's the frontline situation, A?"
"Why so anxious—something happened?"
"What could possibly happen? With our overall strength, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi himself showed up, he couldn't stop Killer Bee!"
"Haha, true, true…"
The old fellows chuckled, completely unconcerned, but upon seeing the grim look on the Fourth Raikage's face, their smiles slowly faded.
Raikage took a deep breath and handed them the scroll. The advisors flipped through it carefully, their expressions growing darker by the second.
When they reached the words "Mangekyō Sharingan", it was as if they'd seen a ghost. Their faces changed dramatically!
"Retreat! We must retreat immediately!"
There was no hesitation, no regard for seniority or rank.
One of the elders slammed his hands on the shattered desk and shouted, "Fourth Raikage, we must withdraw our forces. We cannot continue this war!"
Retreat?
The Fourth Raikage's expression twisted in frustration.
The situation on the frontlines had shifted unexpectedly, sure—but not enough to justify a full retreat.
Let's not forget: those three thousand elite troops and Killer Bee were just a fraction of Kumogakure's full might. The Two-Tails Jinchūriki and himself hadn't even entered the fray yet.
And Konoha? They had only Uchiha Fugaku!
Even with those mysterious Shinigami from Soul Society interfering, Kumogakure still had cards to play.
Worst-case scenario, he could drag Ōnoki of Iwagakure into it again. It'd be just like the late stages of the Third War—triggering the Fourth Great Ninja War if necessary.
Yet this old advisor still insisted on retreat…
The Fourth Raikage glanced at the other elders.
Though they remained silent, their faces clearly agreed.
Retreat.
Now that got the Fourth Raikage's curiosity up.
Getting these stubborn relics to agree on anything was rare. Was it all because of the Mangekyō Sharingan?
If he remembered correctly, that eye was the cornerstone of Madara Uchiha's domination during the Warring States Era—long before the Hidden Villages even formed.
"Tell me everything you know about the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
The elders immediately started talking all at once.
They spoke of its terrifying instant-cast dojutsu, its nearly invincible Susanoo, its dreadful genjutsu capable of controlling tailed beasts…
For these old veterans who had survived the founding era, no one had left a deeper impression than the twin legends: Uchiha Madara, the Asura of the Shinobi World, and Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi.
That trauma was eternal, etched into the core of their being, even after decades had passed.
"We must retreat, Fourth Raikage! Killer Bee hasn't even engaged Uchiha Fugaku directly. If they fight and Fugaku's Mangekyō can control the Eight-Tails…"
The elder who slammed the desk earlier now looked deadly serious. "I don't know if a Perfect Jinchūriki can resist the Mangekyō's power. But we can't take that risk!"
"Right! Bee's annoying as hell, but we can't lose him!"
"If Fugaku controls the Eight-Tails…"
"We still haven't lost much. If we retreat now, Kumogakure will still be the strongest force in the ninja world."
"Exactly…"
Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!
The elders were all talking over each other. Their tone made one thing clear—they had no intention of continuing the war.
Veins bulged on the Fourth Raikage's forehead, his temper flaring.
From the moment the Third Raikage died and he took over, he'd held one belief:
Expand Kumogakure's territory. Bring more resources. Give his people a better life.
Yet in the final stage of the Third Great War, his bold moves had ended in a fizzle.
Now, Konoha was crippled by the Nine-Tails Incident. He had seized this opportunity again, and yet—was it going to end in another letdown?
"I don't understand!"
The Fourth Raikage slammed the desk again, finally shattering it to pieces.
"Why are you all treating the Mangekyō Sharingan like some unstoppable force—as if this war has already turned into our funeral procession?!"
"Before the war, we were full of confidence, shouting about how we'd crush Konoha and unite the Land of Fire and Lightning."
"After the war began, wherever my forces went, Konoha shinobi fled in panic. Danzo's troops were scattered and crushed. My army surged forward, unstoppable. That vibrant energy, that realm where all things flourished—it was right before our eyes!"
"And now, just a few days later, you're telling me that one pair of Mangekyō eyes have turned the entire battlefield against us?"
"Kumogakure still has me, Yugito Nii, and Killer Bee! Konoha only has one Mangekyō user!"
"Three against one! The advantage is ours!"
The Raikage's voice rang out with unshakable confidence.
But his words only made the elders even more anxious.
"No! Absolutely not! We must retreat!"
"Even if you and Yugito are powerful, you're too far from the frontlines. You can't make it in time!"
"That's right! The priority now is to use reverse summoning to withdraw the troops safely!"
"Fourth Raikage-sama, we can't allow you to act on impulse today. We must retreat!"
"If you don't order the retreat, I'll smash my old bones right here!"
The old men grew more agitated, some threatening their lives to make their point. After much arguing, they finally calmed the furious Raikage down.
This ambitious leader was silent for a long while. Finally, he slowly closed his eyes and murmured:
"…Fine. Order the retreat."