The moment Nagato took to the sky, the ground began to explode.
The deafening sound of explosions echoed endlessly. Even the earth itself erupted, sending countless clumps of dirt blasting high into the air.
Only then did Black Zetsu realize what was happening.
*That bastard Nagato actually set a trap for me!*
At that moment, the explosive tags on the ground all around him detonated. The smoke from the blasts instantly swallowed his body.
Watching this scene from high above, Nagato felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Konan had told him before that these guys couldn't be trusted, and that his Rinnegan had been implanted into his body by them. Naturally, these guys never had any good intentions toward him.
It took over ten minutes for the explosions to finally cease. A massive, bottomless crater had appeared in the ground. Thick smoke from the detonated explosive tags still billowed from the pit.
*It seems Black Zetsu is dead for sure,* Nagato thought. With that, he steered his summoning beast back toward the Rain Village. After being on the run for so long, his body was feeling a bit exhausted. It would take a long time for him to fully recover.
Not long after Nagato left, small puddles of black liquid seeped out from the dirt in the crater, slowly coalescing back together.
Checking his surroundings, he noted that Nagato had likely left. It was none other than Black Zetsu.
Such a massive explosion had completely destroyed the White Zetsu clone he had attached himself to. Even his own physical form had been blown apart. Now, only his core consciousness remained. That was the only reason he had managed to survive.
Right now, he was seething with rage. The Rinnegan, the most crucial element for reviving his mother, was actually lost!
It left him in despair. *Is the plan I've been plotting all this time going to fail?*
Yet, he was incredibly unwilling to accept this. *I can't just give up like this. A plan upheld for thousands of years won't be derailed by this minor setback.*
Fortunately, he still had the Impure World Reincarnation technique he got from Orochimaru. He could use it to summon Uchiha Madara. *When the time comes, I will definitely grind that so-called God King's bones to dust.*
His mind finally began to calm down. Now, he had to return to the Mountains' Graveyard in the north. He needed to restore his physical form as quickly as possible and deliver this news to Obito. This God King who had suddenly popped up in the shinobi world was making him a bit uneasy.
He immediately burrowed into the ground and headed north.
A few days later, he finally arrived back at the Mountains' Graveyard in the north. He immediately merged with another White Zetsu, which finally restored his physical form.
At that moment, a swirling spatial distortion appeared in the space ahead. Obito appeared in the clearing.
Looking at Black Zetsu's current state, he couldn't help but furrow his brows. "How did you end up looking like this?"
Given Black Zetsu's abilities, there were very few people in the shinobi world who could reduce him to such a pathetic state. After all, he was a special conscious entity with the ability to travel underground.
Black Zetsu spoke with bitter resentment. "That bastard Nagato betrayed us. He meticulously prepared a massive amount of explosive tags just for me. He even defected to that so-called God King. The Rinnegan is now in that God King's hands as well."
Hearing this news, Obito's mind went blank for a moment. Without the Rinnegan, how could he cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi? How could he create a world where Rin existed?
His mental state began to crumble. He swayed, barely able to stand steady.
"Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Seeing Obito's reaction, Black Zetsu felt equally grim, but he still recounted the events to Obito.
Knowing the full details, Obito's face darkened considerably. He forced himself to calm down.
"We must get the Rinnegan back. Otherwise, the Eye of the Moon Plan is completely ruined."
"Indeed." Black Zetsu completely agreed with Obito, though he still harbored some concerns. "Even if we want to snatch the Rinnegan back... that so-called God King was able to make Nagato submit. His strength is likely terrifying, and now he even possesses Madara's Rinnegan. He won't be easy to deal with."
Hearing this, Obito also felt it was a thorny issue, but then he felt a wave of relief. "That guy shouldn't be able to use the Rinnegan properly, right? He isn't the true owner of the Rinnegan, nor does he have Hashirama's cells integrated into his body."
Black Zetsu agreed with this assessment. "You're right. To use the Rinnegan, one must fuse with Hashirama's cells. Fortunately, when I went out to the Sand Village this time, I unexpectedly ran into Orochimaru and reached a cooperative agreement with him to attack the Leaf Village together. I provided him with a White Zetsu, allowing him to successfully summon the First Hokage, and in return, I obtained the Impure World Reincarnation technique. That guy also promised to help collect the Leaf Village's Tailed Beasts."
Obito's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Good, that's truly great news. With the Impure World Reincarnation technique, we can summon Uchiha Madara as well. Once we collect the Tailed Beasts, we can even restore a portion of the Ten-Tails' power."
Although summoning Uchiha Madara was a dangerous move, at this point, it was their only option. Moreover, the Impure World Reincarnation could control the dead; even Uchiha Madara could be kept in check.
Obito looked at Black Zetsu. "Then give me the Impure World Reincarnation scroll. I will be the one to summon Uchiha Madara."
Black Zetsu's face, however, turned bitter. "The scroll was destroyed in the explosion. But I will find Orochimaru and ask for another copy. He agreed to attack the Leaf Village in a year's time, so we still have enough time."
Obito, who had initially been deeply disappointed to hear the scroll was destroyed, felt relieved again. "Then go find Orochimaru. I need to work overtime to produce more White Zetsu clones. After destroying the Leaf Village, we still need to find that so-called God King. When the time comes, we'll dispatch a massive number of White Zetsu to search the entire shinobi world. That guy definitely won't be able to hide."
"Alright," Black Zetsu agreed.
After merging with the White Zetsu, his body felt much better. He would be the one to handle the task of requesting the Impure World Reincarnation scroll.
...
One month later.
In the Leaf Village, during this period, Ryōsuke hadn't gone out again. Instead, he had resumed his long-neglected training, continuing to strengthen his taijutsu.
Naturally, he wanted to become stronger. He wasn't in a rush to wipe out Orochimaru and Obito. After all, those conspirators definitely wouldn't be able to sit idle. Not to mention, the Tailed Beasts and Madara's Rinnegan were both in his possession. That guy Obito would get the news sooner or later.
*They are the ones who should be anxious. They will eventually make a move. When that time comes, I just need to wait for the prey to come to me.*
During this month, thanks to Konan's initiative, she had successfully become pregnant. Now, naturally, she was resting to nurture the baby.
After finishing his training, Ryōsuke washed up and headed to Ichiraku Ramen in the Leaf Village. Because business was so good, Ichiraku Ramen had now begun to expand.
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