The Akatsuki base looked like a hellish prison, filled with Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki restrained by black rods of Yin-Yang Release.
Other than the Nine-Tails, all the other Tailed Beasts were now in their hands.
Of course, Akatsuki didn't accomplish this without cost.
Deidara, for example, had lost an arm. Luckily, Shirou's medical skills were impressive, and he had created a new arm for him.
"Huh? This works too?"
Deidara swung his new limb and spread his palm, revealing a mouth identical to the one on his old hand. He was stunned. "It's exactly the same as before! I didn't know medical ninjutsu this amazing even existed!"
"You should consider who healed you," Sasori of the Red Sand grumbled in his low voice, not understanding how Deidara managed to stay so childish.
This idiot, Sasori thought. The person who healed you is Shirou!
Compared to Deidara's lost arm, Sasuke's condition was far worse.
After defeating the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki, he had gone on to challenge the Eight-Tails' host.
Let's just say… thankfully, Madara was by his side. And thankfully, Akatsuki had Shirou. Sasuke had barely scraped by with his life.
"It's a good thing Lord Shirou is here," Madara said, glancing at Sasuke's now-stabilized condition.
"Let's discuss our next plan." He invited Shirou to join the strategy discussion. The capture of eight Tailed Beasts was just a small matter.
The real problem was the rogue Uchiha, Obito.
"That Obito fellow definitely won't give up on the Eye of the Moon plan," Madara said with certainty.
He had personally driven Obito to despair, so he was confident the boy's intent wouldn't change. "We've already captured eight Tailed Beasts, so he must be getting anxious."
"But we still haven't found any sign of him," Black Zetsu whispered from beside Shirou.
"He won't be able to hide for long." Madara snorted, as if he understood Obito's nature completely. "He can never sit still when trouble is brewing—he's not a patient person."
You had to admit, Madara read people accurately. When an Uchiha gained power, their pride tended to swell. Then again, most Uchiha seemed to have that problem.
"We continue with our original plan," Madara said, looking seriously at Shirou. "That guy should be making a move soon, and his target will surely be our Tailed Beasts."
No one in the room was a fool. Shirou, Madara, and Black Zetsu all had their own unshakable goals.
"Even if he gets the eight Tailed Beasts, it doesn't matter," Shirou said. He didn't really care what Obito was thinking or how far he could go.
Honestly, even if Obito managed to revive the Ten-Tails and become its Jinchuriki, Shirou wasn't particularly concerned. But he couldn't say that out loud.
After all, he needed to consider Black Zetsu's feelings. If Shirou seemed unconcerned about a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Black Zetsu might start to suspect that Shirou could even handle the revival of Kaguya.
Shirou offered a condition he knew Black Zetsu would accept: "Just don't let him get the Nine-Tails."
"Even if he does, that's fine," Madara said, even more carefree. "Even if he revives the Ten-Tails, it doesn't matter. I always have a way to weaken him."
"Don't be careless, Madara. If Obito becomes the Ten-Tails' host, his chakra will reach another level," Black Zetsu warned, using Shirou as an example. "After all, Shirou has that power. You should know very well how strong that is by now."
Madara fell silent.
Though Shirou hadn't acted recently, Madara had never forgotten the time Shirou had effortlessly broken his genjutsu. The memory of that terrifyingly overwhelming soul, solid as a mountain, was seared into his mind.
Is he really… that powerful?
"Looks like we need to split up," Madara said, adjusting his plans, his eyes glinting. "Shirou will lead Akatsuki's assault on Konoha, with the others joining him. Sasuke and I will remain at the base."
"The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki isn't in Konoha," Black Zetsu pointed out, his frustration evident. "There's still no trace of Naruto Uzumaki."
"That doesn't matter at all," Madara shook his head, unconcerned. "We only want to lure out that idiot Obito. As for the Nine-Tails… let's catch that idiot first."
Madara tapped the table, making a head-grabbing gesture. "There's always a way to get the Nine-Tails' location from Konoha."
"You're not bringing Sasuke?" Shirou asked, surprised.
"The kid isn't mentally strong enough," Madara said, his eyes lowering.
Having raised Sasuke himself, he felt protective of the boy. "Even if he thinks he's betrayed Konoha, he wouldn't be any use in a raid on the village right now. It's better to keep him with me to help deal with Obito."
"That's fine," Shirou nodded.
With Akatsuki's recent actions being so high-profile, countless spies were lurking in the Land of Rain, gathering intelligence. It was impossible for their movements to remain a secret.
Shirou led the Akatsuki squad out openly.
To lure Obito, he didn't use Yomotsu Hirasaka, instead making a public show of their departure. This quickly drew the attention of many ninja spies.
"Akatsuki is on the move!"
"Judging by their direction, they're heading for Konoha!"
"Shirou is leading them! Madara's whereabouts are unknown—he must be guarding the captured Tailed Beasts!"
Shinobi from various villages quickly sent messages back to their leaders. Although everyone wanted to reclaim their Tailed Beasts, with Madara guarding them, their hopes seemed slim.
After all, that man had destroyed the entire Cloud Village by himself. There was still no word from the Fourth Raikage.
That was because the Fourth Raikage had fought Madara, been severely injured, and fallen into a long coma.
Before passing out, he had ordered his subordinates to take him to Konoha—partly because the Cloud's own medics couldn't save him, and partly to ask Tsunade's advice on how to handle the Akatsuki crisis.
If the Third Hokage were still in charge, the Raikage never would have gone; he didn't trust anyone in Konoha. But Tsunade had saved one of his men before, so there was a degree of trust there.
In the Fourth Raikage's eyes, Konoha's Fifth Hokage had credibility.
-----
Konoha Hospital
Tsunade looked worried. She hadn't expected that, at such a dangerous time, the Fourth Raikage would be brought into Konoha on a stretcher. After hearing the Cloud ninja's story, she understood his reasoning and had him admitted for treatment.
"Tsunade. Your medical ninjutsu is excellent." The Fourth Raikage woke up, covered in bandages. Even as he praised her skills, his expression remained stern, hardly looking like someone seeking help.
"I am a bit curious, though," Tsunade said, folding her arms and gazing out the hospital window at the Cloud ninja guards below. "How strong is Madara, really, to put you in such a state?"
The Fourth Raikage fell silent.
At the mere mention of Madara, even this famously stubborn and forceful Kage's expression darkened. He remembered the terrifying, mountain-like Susanoo.
One strike. Just one strike.
Not only was he defeated instantly, but the entire Cloud Village was smashed apart. Since its founding, the Cloud had never faced such a terrifying enemy, nor had they ever lost their home so completely.
"That guy…" As the Fourth Raikage recalled the almost world-ending scene, cold sweat dripped down his brow. "I can't beat him."
Tsunade couldn't help but snark, "Did you really need to tell me that? Of course you can't beat Madara!"
"You don't understand," the Fourth Raikage shook his head, trying to convey the sheer terror Madara inspired. "We're not even in the same league as him."
"My grandfather was the First Hokage," Tsunade replied with a hint of exasperation.
She wasn't particularly afraid of Madara. he had lost to her grandfather before. Besides, when she was little, she'd heard that Madara had also once lost to Shirou.
Compared to the Raikage's fear of Madara, Tsunade was far more afraid of Shirou, the man who had once been both a teacher and a father figure to her.
It was just as they say… speak of the devil.
A Konoha shinobi soon arrived with news about Shirou.
"Lady Tsunade… Akatsuki has mobilized."
"Lord Shirou is leading them."