"Resurrect Orochimaru?"
Konan's brow furrowed the instant she heard the plan.
As one of the earliest and most core members of the Akatsuki, her perception of Orochimaru was abysmal. From the moment that man joined the organization, he had never been anything but trouble.
First, he had coveted Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan, only to be instantly defeated by a single gaze, and then he had deserted without authorization to establish the Hidden Sound Village, lurking in the shadows to conduct his loathsome business.
In Konan's eyes, Orochimaru was a venomous snake hiding in the tall grass; he was fundamentally untrustworthy. No one knew what he was truly thinking, let alone when he might suddenly turn and strike.
"Correct," Allen nodded slightly. "Given the threat Madara Uchiha poses, we must find him a distraction, or chaos will surely ensue. Orochimaru, with his mastery of the Reanimation Jutsu, is the perfect candidate. Furthermore, Naruto Uzumaki currently only holds half of the Nine-Tails' chakra; the other half was taken to the Pure Land by Minato Namikaze. I must bring it back."
"And can you guarantee that Orochimaru will side with us once he is resurrected?" Konan asked with a faint sigh.
"I cannot. Orochimaru possesses an intensely independent will; he will not submit to anyone and acts only according to his own whims. However, I am certain he does not wish to see this planet's life energy drained until it becomes a barren wasteland. Thus, barring any surprises, he should be an ally rather than an enemy," Allen analyzed rationally.
To be precise, once the truth of the Eye of the Moon Plan and the ambitions of Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra, were revealed, most people in this world would never stand with Black Zetsu.
Even Madara might pull an immediate face-heel turn.
"You are right. Orochimaru should indeed not be our enemy."
Nagato, being more pragmatic than the sentimental Konan, grasped Allen's logic more easily. A pensive expression appeared on his haggard, weakened face.
"Since you agree, I will head to Konoha shortly to find Anko or Sasuke and use the Heaven's Curse Mark left by Orochimaru to resurrect him. But before that, let us seal these Tailed Beasts into the Gedo Mazo. I need to clear space for the final three: the Three-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails."
As he spoke, Allen subconsciously placed a hand on his stomach.
Clearly, for him, the other Tailed Beasts, aside from the Two-Tails he had just sealed, were no longer of much use. Throwing them into the Gedo Statue early would also lower Madara's guard against him; it was a move that killed two birds with one stone.
"I will help you."
Nagato, controlling the Six Paths of Pain, walked with Allen into the chamber housing the Gedo Statue. They quickly formed hand signs, beginning to guide the Tailed Beasts' chakra into the husk of the God Tree.
Each time a Tailed Beast's chakra was fully extracted, one of the nine eyes on its head would snap open, casting an incredibly eerie and terrifying aura over the room.
By the time the four Tailed Beasts were stripped away in their designated order, even someone like Nagato, who possessed the Uzumaki bloodline and a massive reserve of chakra, was on the verge of collapse. He returned directly to his room to rest.
Allen, meanwhile, used the Flying Raijin Technique formula he had previously placed inside Konoha. Utilizing space-time ninjutsu, he crossed the vast distance instantly, appearing in the small room that had once been his.
Judging by the thick layer of dust on the table and floor, no one had been here for a long time since his departure. The surrounding Genin housing was in a similar state.
It was a clear sign that, with the rise of the Resistance and the repeated blows dealt to the village, the number of Konoha shinobi had dwindled to a pathetic low. The number of Genin was likely less than a fifth of what it had been before the Konoha Crush.
"Quite the apocalyptic sight. Elite-driven shinobi versus Nen users chosen from the general populace... the former's war potential and mobilization capabilities are simply no match. This is why almost every elite rule that disconnects itself from the masses eventually collapses without exception."
Allen stood on the desolate, empty street, feeling a sense of poignancy.
As the primary culprit behind this outcome, he felt no regret for his actions. In fact, he was somewhat gratified that the commoners' rebellion had come faster and more fiercely than he had anticipated.
However, sentimentality aside, he hadn't forgotten his objective.
Having spent time in Danzō's Root organization, Allen knew where Anko lived. After all, as Orochimaru's only disciple, she had always been a high-priority target for surveillance by the village, particularly Root.
But as the casualty count among the shinobi climbed, Konoha's internal control had weakened significantly.
By the time he slipped silently into Anko's residence, he found that there wasn't a single person guarding the vicinity.
The moment he prepared to enter the courtyard, a figure suddenly flickered behind him. An arm swung forward, unleashing several venomous snakes: "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Unfortunately, the snakes bit nothing but air, passing straight through an afterimage.
"Impressive alertness."
With reflexes and speed dozens, if not hundreds, of times beyond that of an average human, Allen didn't just dodge the strike; he countered by seizing Anko's arm and pinning her firmly against the roof tiles.
"You?! What are you doing in Konoha?"
Upon seeing the intruder's face, Anko's expression changed instantly. During the Konoha Crush, she had witnessed the terrifying destruction Allen caused with the Tailed Beast's power before his departure. She knew her strength was nowhere near enough to oppose him.
"Relax. I'm not here for Konoha this time; I'm here for you. More specifically, I'm here for that Heaven's Curse Mark on your body."
Allen didn't waste words. He tore open the top of Anko's garment and injected a massive amount of chakra into the three comma-like patterns on her skin.
In the next second...
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
The unbearable agony caused Anko to let out a blood-curdling scream. In a flash, a massive white snake erupted from the Curse Mark.
But it didn't end there.
Once the giant snake's head fully emerged, it unhinged its jaws and vomited out a living human being from its gut.
That man was none other than the long-dead Orochimaru.
Manifesting a living person out of thin air was clearly a heavy burden on Anko's body; she slumped into a semi-conscious state shortly after.
In contrast, the resurrected Orochimaru appeared to have regained his full strength. He first took a moment to sense the chakra and Nen within his body, before letting out a low, raspy, and bone-chilling laugh.