While Allen was plotting how to break through rules and restrictions to master all the essential Professional Skills, far away in a small town on the border of the Land of Fire, Madara had finally located the sole successor he had designated before his death years ago, Obito.
Meeting again after so many years, the two Uchihas stood in silence for several minutes. Neither spoke a word, their eyes merely shifting into the Mangekyō Sharingan as they locked gazes.
After about two or three minutes, Madara was the first to break the silence. "It has been a long time. You seem to have matured quite a bit."
"That is only natural. After all, nearly twenty years have passed; I am no longer that naive boy I once was," Obito replied meaningfully.
Although he currently wished for nothing more than to tear the man responsible for Rin's death into shreds, Obito maintained a facade of utter indifference. True, deep-seated love and hatred are never superficial things, they don't manifest as the constant weeping or melodramatic outbursts found in cheap soap operas. Instead, they settle into the depths of the heart, crystallizing into an unshakeable faith and persistence.
Obito was clearly in such a state. From the moment he resolved to take revenge on the two masterminds behind the scenes, he had been patiently enduring and accumulating power, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"Indeed. So many years have passed without us even realizing it."
A hint of sentimentality colored Madara's tone. He was completely unaware of just how dangerous this "pawn" he thought he controlled had become. However, he quickly changed the subject, asking with a half-smile, "What has Nagato been up to lately? I heard he has become obsessed with helping the Resistance overthrow the shinobi villages, the nobility, and the Daimyō to establish a new order. He seems to have lost interest in capturing the Tailed Beasts."
Obito nodded slightly. "Yes. That is correct. However, I have found a replacement."
"You mean that boy, Allen? I went to see him just now and experienced that power called Nen. For a young man, he is indeed quite remarkable, and he possesses unique insights regarding the Tailed Beasts. Unfortunately, like most people in this world, he hasn't escaped the mindset of a mortal. But you and I are different. We have tasted true sorrow; we have felt pain and powerlessness. Only the Eye of the Moon Plan can create a world of true peace."
Madara spoke with an aura of absolute conviction and dominance, as if he were the only one capable of bearing the world's burdens. Fundamentally, he had never been an "evil" person. On the contrary, his sense of justice was simply excessive. Combined with his intense arrogance and a lack of political foresight, he had been easily led astray by Black Zetsu. His actions served as a perfect testament to the foolish and terrible things that happen when someone with immense personal power but zero administrative talent tries to change the world.
"You trust that young man named Allen?" Obito probed, feigning a playful curiosity.
"I do. Because in my presence, he cannot stir up any significant trouble. Besides, hasn't he already taken the initiative to seal the One-Tails into the Gedo Mazo? That implies he has no intention of sealing all nine Tailed Beasts into his own body," Madara replied nonchalantly.
In his mind, unless one could gather all nine Tailed Beasts and resurrect the Ten-Tails, there was little difference between having one Tailed Beast and having eight. As long as he willed it, he could use the power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to control all the Tailed Beasts at any time.
Understanding Madara's thought process perfectly, Obito offered a low-voiced warning: "I suggest you exercise caution. While I don't know exactly why Allen joined the Akatsuki, there are clearly secret agreements between him and Nagato that we aren't privy to. Furthermore, regarding Nagato, how do you plan to handle him? Will you seize his Rinnegan directly, or...?"
"There is no rush. Until the Three-Tails is resurrected, I don't plan on a confrontation with Nagato. Let him continue to indulge in the delusion that he is the savior."
It was clear from Madara's attitude that he had never once viewed the leader of the Akatsuki as a peer.
"Why not just control Nagato and force him to perform the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu?" Obito asked, genuinely perplexed.
"Because the time is not yet right. The Akatsuki is currently helping the Resistance suppress and wear down the Great Shinobi Villages. If I confront Nagato now, it would be tantamount to helping our enemies. I would rather wait a bit longer," Madara explained bluntly.
Though he had only recently been reanimated, he had already learned of the current state of the shinobi world from Black Zetsu. The Hidden Stone, having already vanished, could be ignored. The Hidden Sand, having lost its Tailed Beast and fallen to second-rate status, and the Hidden Mist, trapped on their isolated island, were likewise not worth much thought. This meant that in the entire shinobi world, only the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Cloud still retained significant power.
If those two villages were allowed to act freely, they would certainly impact the plan. Therefore, Madara preferred to remain in his Reanimated state until all Tailed Beasts were collected. Only then would he settle things with Nagato and let the Akatsuki, an organization that should never have existed in the first place, vanish from the stage of history.
"Understood. But you had best keep an eye on Kabuto and Kisame. Those two are not our people."
With that, Obito used his Mangekyō Sharingan's Kamui and vanished.
Barely five seconds after his departure, Black Zetsu emerged from the ground, asking in an uncertain tone, "You've seen Obito?"
"I have. Just as you said, he is no longer satisfied with being a pawn; he wants to replace me as the player. Unfortunately for him, he has no idea what kind of backdoors we left in his body," Madara replied with a cold sneer.
"What do you plan to do next? Just wait for news of the Three-Tails' resurrection?" Black Zetsu continued to probe.
Madara shook his head with a smile. "No. Of course not. I plan to take a trip to the Hidden Leaf. I want to see for myself what has become of the village Hashirama founded."
"Go to the Hidden Leaf?" Black Zetsu was visibly stunned. He never imagined this extremely proud and arrogant man would want to visit the Hidden Leaf Village at a time like this.
"Let's go. While it hasn't been completely destroyed yet, I'll take one last look. I hope Hashirama's descendants and disciples aren't too disappointing."
Having said his piece, Madara leaped away without looking back, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.
Watching his receding figure, Black Zetsu frowned and muttered to himself, "Is this the destiny of Indra and Asura, entangled for a thousand years? Even now, he's still thinking of their rivalry. I just hope no chaos erupts right when the plan is so close to succeeding."
In Black Zetsu's eyes, no one was trustworthy besides himself. Coincidentally, in Madara's eyes, no one was trustworthy besides himself and Black Zetsu.
It was precisely this mutual distrust and secrecy that gave Allen his opening. These two had no idea that the entire Akatsuki was already aware of their plan, and the Progenitor of Chakra sealed deep within the moon.