Chapter 4: Turbulent Undercurrents  

In the wilderness of the Land of Fire, the skeletal remains of a massive beast mark the entrance to an underground lair.

This is the Akatsuki's base, where the Gedo Statue sits on an altar, bound by chains.

Before the statue, Tobi, wearing his orange spiral mask, sits on a stone chair. Through the hole in his mask, his Sharingan glows dimly, flickering in the candlelight, a reflection of his fluctuating aura.

Black and White Zetsu bring three startling pieces of news, leaving this cunning schemer in prolonged silence.

First, the supposedly invincible Pain—Nagato—has been defeated.Second, Nagato betrayed him, using the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu to resurrect the dead of Konoha.And third, Naruto seems to have turned against Konoha, taking Nagato's body with him.

From beneath the mask, Tobi's deep voice echoes:"Nagato's betrayal was unexpected, but Naruto's actions are even more surprising."

White Zetsu asks, "So, what should we do now?"

Tobi turns to him. "Did you hear Naruto's conversation with Konan?"

White Zetsu shakes his head. "No, that brat has the power to sense natural energy. Getting too close would have been dangerous."

Tobi looks away. "The worst possibility is that Naruto has set his sights on the Rinnegan.

"Additionally, according to the intelligence we intercepted, the Raikage has called for a Five Kage Summit. The purpose of this summit is to organize a strike against Sasuke."

Tobi clenches his fist on his knee. "I had intended to use this opportunity to declare war on the Five Great Nations and reveal the Moon's Eye Plan to the world.

"But the foundation of our war declaration is the power of the seven tailed beasts we've captured and sealed within the Gedo Statue. To control that power, the Rinnegan is essential."

White Zetsu exclaims, "Then isn't this bad? If Naruto has the Rinnegan, he could summon the statue anytime and use its power against us!"

Tobi replies calmly, "No need to panic yet. The Rinnegan's ocular powers are not easy to master. Even Nagato took years to summon the statue successfully."

Though he speaks confidently, Tobi calculates in his mind:"Naruto possesses a Uzumaki body, no weaker than Nagato's. If he is determined, it's only a matter of time before he succeeds. Whether it's defeating Pain or this sudden ambition, he can no longer be treated as a mere brat."

Tobi rises slowly, stretching out his hand toward the Gedo Statue.

Whoosh!

A swirling vortex emerges from his right eye, and the entire statue is sucked into the Kamui dimension.

Snap!

The vortex dissipates, and the statue is gone.

"This temporarily eliminates the risk," Tobi declares.

White Zetsu marvels, "Impressive as always—moving such a massive object in an instant!"

Black Zetsu speaks in a low tone, "What's your next move?"

Tobi contemplates. "Deploy all White Zetsu units to track Naruto. He should still be in the Land of Fire. Report to me immediately once you find him. We must retrieve the Rinnegan before things spiral out of control."

White Zetsu nods. "Understood!"

Tobi turns his gaze to Kisame Hoshigaki, who has been silently standing nearby.

Not long ago, after the battle between Itachi and Sasuke concluded, Tobi revealed his true identity to Kisame. Among the Akatsuki, aside from Zetsu, Kisame is the one he trusts the most.

"Kisame, the Eight-Tails is yours to handle."

"Got it," Kisame replies.

Tobi's eyes narrow. "We cannot let a minor setback shake us. The war declaration against the Five Nations will proceed as planned. Additionally, it's time to let the Five Kage unknowingly nurture another pair of eyes for us. Heh... Let's pay a visit to our defeated warrior. The matter of the Eight-Tails must be addressed, right, Sasuke?"

In the Land of Fire, Team Taka is resting in a forest, preparing to march toward Konoha.

Before Pain's attack on the village, Sasuke led his team in an assault on the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, severing a single tentacle of the Eight-Tails. Afterward, Team Taka left the Akatsuki to focus on their mission of revenge against Konoha.

At a riverside, Jugo is alone, gathering water. Birds perch on his shoulder, singing softly, and a gentle smile graces his lips.

Chirp, chirp, chirp!

Suddenly, the birds scatter in fright!

Jugo turns sharply toward the woods, where a blonde-haired boy with a bandage over his left eye steps forward.

"Hmm? It's you," Jugo says, recognizing Naruto.

During Konoha's earlier search for Sasuke, one of Naruto's shadow clones had encountered Team Taka. Jugo still remembers his face.

For Naruto, who has returned from the future, Jugo is also a familiar face.

With a smile, Naruto greets, "It's been a while, Jugo. You really do have a way with animals."

Jugo responds curtly, "Not really. Are you here for Sasuke?"

Naruto shakes his head, a mysterious glint in his eye. "No, I'm here for you—or, more precisely, for someone I can meet through you."

Jugo's expression hardens. "That's not going to happen."

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two shadow clones suddenly appear, charging with Rasengan in hand!

Shocked, Jugo exclaims, "When did he create clones?!"

Boom!

The explosion forces Jugo to retreat across the water, leaving deep gouges in his shoulders.

"He has an even stronger Sage Mode than I do!"

Naruto steps onto the water, calm and composed. "That's just a scratch for you. If you cooperate, I won't need to use more force."

Jugo quickly calculates. "Sasuke is ten kilometers away. If I unleash my Cursed Seal's Sage Power, Karin should sense what's happening here."

Crackle, crackle!

The power of the Cursed Seal courses through Jugo's body.

Naruto's eyes narrow. In a flash, using a speed rivaling Shisui's Body Flicker, he closes the gap, pressing his palm against Jugo's chest.

In his past life, when Sasuke's Rinnegan was destroyed, he lost the ability to teleport between dimensions. To compensate, Naruto made it a point to master the Flying Thunder God Technique.

As for the space-time marking needed for the jutsu, his clones had already left it during their attack.

Naruto's left hand presses against Jugo's chest.

Creak!

Jugo's Cursed Seal energy flows continuously into Naruto's palm.

"You're absorbing my chakra?!" Jugo exclaims.

As his Sage Power is drained, Jugo's body shrinks until he reverts to a childlike state, collapsing unconscious.

"What a fascinating body," Naruto mutters, slinging Jugo over his shoulder and returning to the riverbank.

Whoosh!

Paper swirls in the air, forming Konan's figure. "That went smoother than expected."

"He's strong. To avoid complications, I had to strike first. If Sasuke had arrived, the outcome would've been uncertain."

Naruto's experiences in the apocalyptic future had taught him caution. He never acted without absolute confidence, and even then, he erred on the side of caution.

Laying Jugo on the ground, Naruto removes his wet robe, replacing it with a dry one to prevent Jugo from catching a cold.

Konan asks, "Aren't you taking him with us?"

Naruto glances at his palm, where the remnants of the Cursed Seal linger. "I've absorbed enough of the Sage Power. There's no need to take him."

Konan gazes at the bandage over Naruto's left eye, her thoughts stirring. "Even with the optic nerve not fully connected, he's already able to use the Rinnegan's basic powers. Perhaps he's even more suited to these eyes than Nagato was."

Naruto dons Jugo's black robe, now dry on his shoulders, and as he turns, the hem of the cloak flutters dramatically.

"Let's move on to the next location."