"If Fox uses Flying Thunder God to move between different battlefields?"
Ōnoki's heart sank.
That was exactly what worried him most.
The worst-case scenario he had imagined was that Fox would never clash head-on with him or the Raikage at all. Instead, Fox could use Wood Release to massacre the forces on the other fronts.
If that happened, the only thing he and the Raikage could do was ignore everything and charge straight toward Konoha, forcing Fox to fight them by threatening to destroy the village.
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had also possessed Flying Thunder God. Yet to protect six young shinobi, he had been unable to retreat and died at the hands of the Gold and Silver Brothers' unit.
If they forced Fox into a situation he had no choice but to save, they could weaken the speed advantage of Flying Thunder God.
Fox could flee, but Konoha Village could not move.
In that case, he would have no choice but to stand before Konoha and defend it.
As if guessing Ōnoki's thoughts, Deva Path Pain said, "Do not overestimate Fox's morality.
If you and the Raikage push deep into the Land of Fire and reach Konoha's gates, Fox most likely will not return to the village."
"Hm?"
Ōnoki was surprised. He did not understand why Akatsuki's leader would make such a judgment.
Then his eyelids twitched, and he immediately thought of a possibility.
"You mean... Fox would deliberately refuse to return to Konoha and leave Sarutobi Hiruzen to face me and the Raikage?"
Thinking about it, that possibility truly existed.
Cold sweat instantly seeped across Ōnoki's back.
He muttered, "We cannot predict Fox's actions based on normal morality.
If I were Fox, and if my relationship with Sarutobi Hiruzen were poor, wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity?
Sarutobi Hiruzen would be forced to fight for Konoha, and Fox could borrow my hand and the Raikage's to eliminate him.
As for Konoha Village's safety... for Fox, who came out of ANBU and has spent years in cruel struggles within the darkness, perhaps that means very little.
The last two ANBU commanders, Danzo and Sarutobi Shinnosuke, both died under somewhat suspicious circumstances.
Fox was ANBU's strongest fighter, their top enforcer. If someone says he had no responsibility at all... who would believe that?"
Ōnoki realized that his own strategy had an enormous flaw.
He had accounted for almost every situation.
The only thing he had not considered was that Fox might not care about Konoha at all.
Perhaps Fox was even looking forward to Ōnoki and the Raikage charging straight into Konoha and fighting Sarutobi Hiruzen to the death.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's strength could not be underestimated.
In taijutsu, he could hold out for a time even against the Third Raikage.
In ninjutsu, Five Elements Great Barrage could delay Dust Release.
As for secret techniques, Hiruzen's hidden arts were even more terrifying. He had painstakingly studied every secret technique in Konoha. Who knew what trump cards he had hidden?
Perhaps Hiruzen had the ability to take either Ōnoki or the Raikage down with him.
At that point, Fox could massacre one battlefield, return to Konoha as its savior, and clean up Hiruzen's mess.
Fox would be the final winner again.
Pain continued, "Ōnoki, the anti-Konoha alliance's preparations can hardly be called hidden.
Why has Fox done almost nothing?
Is he afraid of you?
Why hasn't he come to assassinate the leaders of Iwagakure and Kumogakure?"
Ōnoki lowered his head slightly.
Yes.
Perhaps Fox was looking forward to this war even more than they were.
If the Third Shinobi World War could help Fox remove Sarutobi Hiruzen, then Fox would dominate Konoha completely.
Gendo said from the side, "The war has not begun yet. Fox may be strong, but if he continuously assassinates our people, wouldn't he become the culprit who started the war?"
Pain glanced at Gendo.
This mediocre man had become an advisor of Iwagakure through loyalty alone. Aside from loyalty, he was truly good for nothing.
Pain said, "Do you think Fox would care about a reputation like 'the culprit who started the Third Shinobi World War'?
Besides, the anti-Konoha alliance has already secretly formed. War is inevitable. Whether you act first or Fox does makes no difference."
Ōnoki smiled bleakly.
"Pain, thankfully you reminded me. I predicted every situation, but I failed to predict that Fox might not care about Konoha at all.
As expected of Konoha—the number one village for internal conflict.
This possibility alone is enough to destroy every arrangement of the anti-Konoha alliance."
If Yako had been here, he would absolutely have said:
Slander! This is slander! I'll sue you for slander!
Avoiding the Third Tsuchikage and the Raikage and letting them fight Sarutobi Hiruzen...
How could such a thing possibly happen?
Look—wasn't someone already preventing it?
Pain said, "To deal with such an extreme situation, Akatsuki possesses a special ability that can solve your problem."
Ōnoki looked up.
"What special ability?"
Pain looked toward Obito.
Obito was extremely displeased.
His space-time Mangekyō ability was his trump card, and he did not want to reveal it to anyone.
But facing the terrifying pressure of Fox, Uchiha Obito had no choice but to offer up that trump card.
Fox was too strong.
So strong that even if Madara-sama were revived, Obito could not say for certain that Madara would defeat him.
Uchiha Obito stepped forward and raised his hand.
"Tsuchikage, relax. Let me touch your shoulder."
Ōnoki allowed Obito to place a hand on his shoulder.
In the next instant, a spiral of space appeared in Obito's eye.
The vortex twisted and swallowed both Obito and Ōnoki.
Gendo was horrified to discover that their Tsuchikage had disappeared.
Roshi and Han reacted instantly, Tailed Beast chakra surging violently around them.
Han directly entered Tailed Beast chakra cloak mode.
Pain looked at the two Jinchūriki and thought:
After Konoha is destroyed, we will deal with beasts like you next.
Two seconds later, a spiral of space appeared again.
Two people had vanished.
Three returned.
Ōnoki, the Third Raikage, and Uchiha Obito appeared in the valley.
The Third Raikage looked at the two groups on either side in confusion.
"Ōnoki, what are you doing?"
Ōnoki stared at Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan and said, "Our ally performed a small verification and helped us patch the weak point in our strategy.
Now, we do not need to fear a situation where Fox deliberately ignores us, deliberately allows us to march straight into Konoha, and deliberately forces us into a deathmatch with Sarutobi Hiruzen."
The Raikage froze.
That possibility existed?
After thinking for a moment, the Raikage said, "Only you could think of something like that. A powerful shinobi deliberately letting enemies attack his own village?
But if you can imagine it, then I suppose it wouldn't be strange if Fox could too."
Ōnoki ignored the Raikage's sarcasm and turned to Pain.
"Akatsuki, I acknowledge your strength.
In the coming war, we will destroy Konoha together."
As he watched Uchiha Obito take the Raikage and Advisor Betsuki away, Ōnoki frowned.
After Konoha was destroyed, this powerful and mysterious Akatsuki organization would become their next major concern.
While destroying Konoha, he would also have to gather intelligence on Akatsuki and develop countermeasures.
They could not be left unchecked.