After transmigrating into the body of Uchiha Obito, Yamato Arata—now simply Obito—had never stopped planning for the future.
Upon hearing Obito's words, Uoyuki Xiyang looked surprised and asked, "Anyin Village? Isn't that still just something you imagined?"
Obito replied calmly, "Yes, it's just an idea for now. But power makes it easy to turn ideas into reality. Call Tobi—have him come with me."
The room where Kabuto once lived had been converted into a strategic command center. Under the bright lights, a large map of the ninja world hung on the south wall, clearly displaying the five great nations, their respective ninja villages, and the surrounding smaller countries and hidden villages.
Obito walked up to the map and pointed with a small wooden stick at a minor country nestled between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth—surrounded by four neighboring nations.
"This is the Land of Taki," Obito said. "Its landscape is full of waterfalls. The massive cascades make it naturally defensible, and behind one of those waterfalls lies Takigakure—the Hidden Waterfall Village."
He continued, "Soon, Takigakure will vanish from the map, and our Anyin Village will rise from its ashes."
Tobi tilted his head. "There are so many countries you could've chosen. Why Takigakure? Is it because the terrain makes it easy to defend and hard to attack—or maybe because it's scenic?"
Obito sat cross-legged on the table and said in a low voice, "Geography plays a part, yes. But it's not the main reason. Takigakure is the only village besides the Five Great Hidden Villages that possesses a tailed beast."
Indeed, the Seven-Tails—Chōmei—was under the control of Takigakure. And as of now, it had no Jinchūriki, since the girl Fu hadn't been born yet.
Obito elaborated, "Takigakure might be small, but it controls something that only the big villages should have. If I take that village, I'll get a tailed beast for free—and more importantly, I'll disrupt the balance of power among the Five Great Nations. That balance is kept in check because of the tailed beasts."
He tapped the stick against the map again, indicating the countries bordering Taki. "Also, the Land of Taki borders the Land of Iron. That way, we won't have to go out of our way. Once we're done, we can head straight for the Land of Iron and intercept the Five Kage."
Tobi nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah... actually, that does make sense."
Uoyuki Xiyang asked, "Yu, are you planning to just march in and destroy Takigakure?"
Obito shook his head. "No. That's not the plan. It takes a day to travel from the Land of Fire's border to Takigakure. I'll send a clone first—as an envoy. Under the name Uchiha Obito, I'll ask if Takigakure is willing to surrender."
"If they agree, great. No bloodshed. If not, I'll give them time to evacuate their civilians. They can seek allies or prepare for war, I don't care. But one thing's for sure—by this time tomorrow, I will clear that village."
Uoyuki Xiyang's eyes lit up. As expected, Obito wouldn't harm innocent people...
Obito leapt off the table. "Also, have our people pack up everything from this base. Everything useful needs to be moved. From this moment on, this underground stronghold is history."
"Understood. I'll take care of it," said one of the White Zetsu clones, who then left to issue orders. Immediately, the rest of the Zetsu began working in perfect sync, preparing for the evacuation.
There was one secret room in the underground base—off-limits to everyone except Obito.
Inside that room lay Rin's body.
Suspended in a large glass vessel, she appeared as if she were merely asleep. Her slender figure was submerged in a green preservation fluid, her eyes closed peacefully. But the gaping, fist-sized wound in her chest—the one Kakashi had made—was still there.
Even now, despite everything, Obito's heart ached. The emotions tied to Rin were stronger than any bond he'd ever had with Konoha or Kakashi.
And she wasn't just precious to Obito. Back when he was still Yamato Arata, Rin had been his favorite female character. He had never given up the idea of bringing her back to life.
"Just a little longer, Rin," Obito whispered. "One day, I'll bring back your smile—your voice…"
Wearing gloves, he gently placed his hand on the side of the glass chamber.
Whoosh!
A vortex of Kamui power opened, and the entire chamber—including Rin's body—was absorbed into his personal dimension. A place only Obito could ever reach.
"And now," he murmured, "there's still one more… the big one. Where should I place it?"
In the main chamber of the base, Obito turned his gaze toward the Gedo Statue—the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Towering several stories tall, it sat cross-legged in chains, motionless.
"The Gedo Statue… the empty shell of the Ten-Tails. Placing it in Anyin Village would be symbolic, but right now… Nagato's development is more important. He's too weak."
Obito placed his hand on the statue.
Whoosh!
With a single glance of his Mangekyō Sharingan, Kamui activated. The Gedo Statue vanished into the void.
Thanks to the DNA of Hashirama, Obito's chakra reserves were now monstrous. Even transferring a colossal object like the Gedo Statue was effortless.
Outside the Hidden Rain Village, atop a high tower—
Whoosh!
Obito appeared before Nagato and Konan in a swirl of space-time.
"Mr. Obito. Long time no see," Nagato greeted him.
"It hasn't been that long," Obito replied. "Just a little while."
"Your name is becoming more and more well-known across the ninja world," Nagato said.
Obito took a seat and asked, "How's Akatsuki's recruitment going?"
"We're still looking for members," Nagato replied. "Our influence is limited for now, but I believe we'll see progress soon."
Obito nodded. "Slower than I expected, but no matter. The Three-Tails won't resurrect anytime soon. I'll be founding my own hidden village soon."
Konan and Nagato exchanged a surprised look.
"Where?" she asked.
"Takigakure," Obito replied. "The Seven-Tails will be mine soon. As for the Nine-Tails… when the time comes, I'll take care of it myself. That way, Akatsuki will only need to gather the One through Six-Tails. Much less pressure."
"I see," Nagato said. "You've thought this through."
Obito's tone shifted. "That's not the only reason I'm here. I'm here to give you power. I plan to seal the Gedo Statue inside your body."
Nagato froze.
Konan's face tensed. "Why would you do something like that?! That power doesn't belong in this world. You want to seal that thing inside Nagato? You know he became like this because he worshipped a demon!"
Obito looked straight at Nagato's frail frame. "That's exactly why. The Gedo Statue—the shell of the Ten-Tails—holds immense life force. It'll compensate for Nagato's greatest weakness."
"But can you guarantee it won't be dangerous?" Konan pressed.
"Don't worry. Nagato is distantly related to the Senju. He's inherited the Uzumaki clan's vitality. He can handle it," Obito assured her.
Konan clenched her fists. Worry filled her eyes.
Nagato spoke up, "Mr. Obito, I don't understand. You said the Gedo Statue was needed to seal tailed beast chakra. If you put it inside me…"
"I won't seal it completely," Obito said. "Only a partial seal. That way, you'll benefit from its life force. And when the time comes, you'll be able to summon the Gedo Statue and use it to seal the tailed beasts."
"I understand, Mr. Obito. I accept," Nagato said.
"Nagato!" Konan cried out in protest.
"Konan, Mr. Obito saved us," Nagato said firmly. "He wouldn't harm us. And… I need strength right now."
"Alright then," Obito said, rising to his feet. "Let's begin."