There was no doubt that following the "Konoha Crush" and the terrifying explosion at Iwagakure, Allen was no longer an obscure figure. He had become a high-priority, dangerous individual who demanded constant surveillance.
Consequently, when he led his team out of the Land of Rice Fields, the entire shinobi world grew tense. The Land of Fire, being the closest neighbor, immediately entered a state of high alert, terrified that Konoha might inadvertently become the next Iwagakure.
However, upon discovering that his destination was the Land of Waterfall and Takigakure, both Tsunade and Jiraiya breathed an involuntary sigh of relief. Yet, after that brief moment of relaxation, Tsunade's brow furrowed as she murmured to herself, "This guy has been dormant for so long. What is his objective in going to Takigakure now?"
"I don't know. But whatever his goal is, Takigakure certainly lacks the strength to resist him," Jiraiya replied with a helpless sigh.
He clearly loathed this awkward state of affairs, being forced to watch from the sidelines, unable to intervene. Since Iwagakure was wiped off the map, the other Great Villages had fallen into a state of paralyzed panic. While previous Great Ninja Wars had caused horrific casualties, they were essentially struggles over interests. No one ever truly intended to annihilate another village; at most, they sought to force a concession and sign favorable treaties.
But Allen?
Simply because he deemed Tsuchikage Onoki his enemy, he leveled the entirety of Iwagakure. Tens of thousands of shinobi had no chance to resist; they were simply erased. Although a few who were out on missions survived, they lacked the power to rebuild and didn't even dare show their faces as Iwa shinobi anymore.
This completely irrational, terrifying style of operation made the Kage, who bore the weight of their villages, unwilling to take risks. Even Jiraiya dared not act rashly. He knew that if he interfered, Allen would undoubtedly target Konoha for retaliation, a trait that had been glaringly obvious during the Konoha Crush.
"No! We can't just let him do as he pleases! If I remember correctly, he has a decent relationship with Kakashi and Might Guy, right?" Tsunade said, slamming her desk.
"True. What are you planning?" Jiraiya asked, rubbing his chin.
"To figure out Allen's objective, of course! We know too little about him and have no idea what his endgame is. This can't continue. I intend to use this opportunity to test his attitude," Tsunade explained.
Using emotional bonds and "ties" to strengthen a shinobi's loyalty to the village had always been a specialty of Konoha's higher-ups. Though this practice had led to many tragedies, they never felt the system itself was flawed.
"I see. I'll go inform Kakashi and Guy to head to the Land of Waterfall."
After a moment's thought, Jiraiya agreed it was a sound plan. At the very least, it was better than sitting here in the dark, waiting for the unknown.
About an hour later, Team 7 led by Kakashi and Team 3 led by Might Guy departed from Konoha, racing toward the Land of Waterfall at top speed. They failed to notice a black-and-white figure, Zetsu, lurking in the shadows, watching everything with a cold sneer.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side, Allen had already crossed into the borders of the Land of Waterfall. Taking in the countless cascading rivers and falls, he praised with a smile, "The Land of Waterfall certainly lives up to its name!"
The word Taki (滝) literally refers to a waterfall or rapid flow of water. The most prominent feature of this land was its abundance of waterways; sometimes, one could see four or five waterfalls of various sizes within a single line of sight. It was easy to imagine that a heavy downpour would turn the region into a vast sea. Perhaps this was why the Land of Waterfall had avoided invasion by external powers throughout the last three Great Ninja Wars.
"Do you know the specific location of Takigakure?"
Sasuke, who had stubbornly insisted on tagging along to see the commotion, asked with a localized scowl.
"Of course. I got a map from Orochimaru and Kabuto. However, the terrain here is more complex than expected. Finding it might take a bit of time." Allen spread out the map, roughly confirming his current position.
While the map was quite detailed by local standards, it was still primitive to a modern eye. Only a few main roads and major rivers were marked; everything else was a blank white void. With a map like this, avoiding getting lost was a feat in itself, let alone finding a hidden village.
"It's fine. Once we're near Takigakure, I can sense the chakra within the shinobi," Karin said, adjusting her glasses.
Her Mind's Eye of the Kagura could detect anomalies within a ten-kilometer radius, representing the pinnacle of sensory Ninjutsu. Augmented by Enhancement Nen, she was essentially a human radar, leaving Neji's Byakugan several dozen leagues behind.
Just as Sasuke was about to snap back with a sarcastic remark, a figure draped in the Akatsuki uniform appeared out of thin air. A low voice questioned, "Are you collecting the Tailed Beasts?"
"Ah! Correct. I'm here for the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki," Allen replied with a nod and a smile.
From the unique entrance and the crimson Sharingan visible behind the mask, he was certain the person before him was Obito Uchiha.
"What is your purpose in gathering the Tailed Beasts?"
Obito's tone was heavy with suspicion. Through the power of his Mangekyo Sharingan, he could clearly see that the Four-Tails and Five-Tails were already sealed within Allen. Without the integration provided by the Gedo Statue, the husk of the Ten-Tails, no one could withstand the violent chakra of nine Tailed Beasts simultaneously. One or two might be manageable, but exceeding a certain threshold would result in instant death.
"No special purpose. I'm just curious about these fascinating lifeforms and couldn't resist studying them. On the other hand, why are you so concerned about whether I'm collecting them? And how exactly did you confirm my location?"
As Allen asked, he activated his own Mangekyo Sharingan and drew his bow, aiming at the man.
Obito didn't respond, merely staring at the aimed arrow with disdainful eyes. It was obvious he was unaware that Allen's left eye ability was Guaranteed Hit. He intended to use Kamui to show off, then reveal his fake identity as Madara Uchiha to see if he could turn this "world's most dangerous man" into a pawn. After all, collecting the Tailed Beasts was an Akatsuki goal; if someone else was willing to do the legwork, all the better.