Chapter 111: Underlying Currents

Meanwhile, outside the Hidden Leaf Village, in the perpetually rainy Hidden Rain Village…

Inside a dimly lit underground chamber, a swirling vortex suddenly appeared in midair.

From within the vortex, a masked man exuding an ominous aura stepped forward. His gaze shifted towards a frail red-haired man, his body riddled with black rods, thin to the point where his bones were clearly visible.

"Nagato, in one month, we go to Konoha to capture the Nine-Tails."

"Hmm?"

Nagato, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them, casting a cold gaze at the masked man. "Do you even understand what you're saying?"

Ignoring the hostility in Nagato's tone, Obito nodded. "I know this disrupts our initial plan, but this is an opportunity. Orochimaru will launch an attack on Konoha in a month. That will be our best chance to capture the Nine-Tails."

"Hmph—"

Nagato scoffed, his immense chakra flaring outward as he eyed Obito with disdain. "Madara, are you telling me we need to rely on Orochimaru to deal with Konoha? You're making me doubt your identity."

Beneath the mask, Obito's eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained composed. "Konoha is not as simple as you think. There are forces at play that even we don't fully understand."

He paused before adding, "Recently, Konoha has undergone some strange changes. A new kind of creature has appeared—something called 'Pokémon.' They are incredibly powerful. If we don't act soon, we might lose our chance to capture the Nine-Tails entirely."

Nagato scrutinized Obito, sensing that he wasn't joking. "Pokémon? Beings powerful enough to pose a threat to us?"

Obito nodded. "Exactly. If it weren't for these Pokémon, I wouldn't be so eager to move against Konoha yet. But the longer we wait, the harder it will be."

"Our mission isn't just about the Nine-Tails anymore. We need to bring these Pokémon under our control."

Nagato fell into deep thought, a hint of hesitation flashing across his face.

"Nagato, this is our only chance!" Obito pressed. "These Pokémon are growing stronger at an alarming rate. If we don't act now, they could completely derail our plans in the future!"

At that moment, a blue-haired woman with a paper flower in her hair descended gracefully. Konan's cold gaze rested on Obito, her voice tinged with suspicion.

"Madara, where exactly are you getting this information from? We haven't received any such reports."

Obito barely reacted to her presence, his voice calm. "It's my intelligence. You don't need to know the source, but I assure you, it's accurate."

Konan frowned but didn't press further. She turned to Nagato, waiting for his decision.

Nagato sat in silence for a moment before finally nodding. "Fine. Next month, I'll send people to Konoha."

Obito didn't seem surprised. He nodded in approval. "Good. But I advise sending a strong team—this mission won't be easy."

With that, another vortex appeared, and Obito vanished without waiting for a reply, as if he had never been there.

As he disappeared, Konan landed beside Nagato, her expression filled with concern.

"Nagato, are we really doing this? Facing Konoha right now is risky. We don't even fully understand their current strength."

Nagato shook his head. "We have to. What he said might be true. If these Pokémon become a major force, they could threaten our plans."

Konan sighed, gazing into the darkness. "I don't know if this is the right decision… If Yahiko were still alive, he wouldn't have agreed to this."

Crack!

At the mention of Yahiko, Nagato's eyes snapped open, his chakra surging wildly, shaking the entire underground chamber.

"Konan, we must do this. For Yahiko's sake!"

"Cough…"

Nagato suddenly let out a weak cough, and Konan immediately rushed to his side, worry etched across her face.

"Nagato, are you alright?"

He waved a weak hand. "I'm fine… Konan, inform Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori. They will be the ones sent to Konoha."

Konan hesitated but eventually nodded in agreement.

"Alright. But be careful. You're pushing yourself too hard. I don't want to be the only one left behind."

Nagato's sharp gaze softened slightly as he looked at her, then nodded. "Don't worry, Konan. Until Yahiko's dream is fulfilled, I won't fall."

Konan bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then spread her wings of paper and flew out of the chamber.

As she left, Nagato's eyes turned sharp again, staring at the ceiling of the underground lair.

"No one… will stand in the way of my plans!"

With that, he closed his eyes once more, the chamber returning to its eerie silence, broken only by the occasional sound of dripping water.

Meanwhile, in another underground chamber in the shinobi world, a familiar vortex appeared once again.

Obito stepped out, and from the darkness, a peculiar half-black, half-white figure emerged from the ground.

Zetsu's voice was laced with curiosity. "So? Did they agree?"

Obito nodded. "They did. But I'm not sure how many members they'll send."

Zetsu's expression subtly shifted, though Obito failed to notice.

"This isn't ideal… You should have pushed for a full deployment. If we can't resolve this issue now, it will complicate our future plans."

Obito frowned, turning his gaze to Zetsu. "Why do you seem so… concerned?"

Zetsu flinched slightly before responding, "Of course I'm concerned. This is Madara-sama's plan. We can't afford to take any risks."

"Heh—"

Obito chuckled coldly. "You think this is my fault? You want to control Nagato? Be my guest. But let me warn you—Danzo is also not to be trusted."

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