"That wasn't easy. We've finally gotten our hands on all nine Tailed Beasts. So, how long will it take to drain the media from these last two?"
Allen sat on the ground at the entrance of the dungeon instance, leaning his back against the white marble wall as he spoke.
"At least eighty days. Especially the Nine-Tails; the media it contains is almost more than the previous eight combined," Vaelastrasz provided a precise timeframe without a second thought.
As the plan neared its final stage, she was becoming impatient to swallow the Ten-Tails, the God Tree, and Kaguya whole, turning them into nourishment for her evolution.
"Eighty days? Looks like I'll be staying here for a while." Allen instinctively reached out to pet the young wolf pup lying beside him.
Yes. After such a long period of gestation, Lupos II had finally sired Lupos III.
Unlike his father and grandfather, this little newcomer had been modified by Vaelastrasz while still a fertilized egg. Having been born only a short while ago, he already possessed the full Power of the Six Paths and the Rinnegan. At this rate of iteration, by the time Lupos V or VI arrived, he could probably pin the Sage of the Six Paths to the ground and have his way with him.
"Whine..."
The pup extended its tongue to lightly lick its master's palm, its eyes full of attachment. In another hundred days, he would likely enter a sub-adult state, just in time for the final battle that would reshape the entire Shinobi world.
"Here! These are your favorite roasted quails. Eat up. You need to be full to grow quickly so you can help me tear into our enemies."
Allen pulled several portions of roasted quail from his pouch and set them before the little guy. Ever since arriving in this world, he had been collecting all sorts of useful items and trump cards; now that the harvest was finally at hand, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
Lupos and Lupos II could only watch as this pup gradually became the new alpha of the pack. It couldn't be helped; because Vaelastrasz was constantly evolving, the later-born wolves would always be stronger than their predecessors.
Furthermore, the integration of new power systems led to increasingly clear specializations within the pack. Lupos was a classic long-range manipulator, primarily dealing damage by creating Shadow clones that self-destructed. Lupos II was more of a Warrior; his physique was far sturdier than either his father's or his son's. After his modification, a layer of thick, hard scales grew beneath his fur. Combined with his Enhancement-type Nen and human-like Taijutsu, even Allen would have to exert significant effort to kill him.
In contrast, Lupos III, who inherited the bulk of the Chakra system's power, was more like an Assassin. He preferred hiding in the shadows, utilizing his superior speed for a one-hit kill.
After feeding his three pets, Allen began attempting to integrate all the abilities, powers, and trump cards currently at his disposal. A hundred days in the dungeon wasn't exactly long, but it wasn't short either. If utilized properly, it would definitely take his strength to the next level.
…
On the other side, after concluding his battle with his old rival, Madara headed straight for the Hidden Rain Village with Black Zetsu, intending to have a showdown with Nagato.
But when he saw Nagato sitting in a wheelchair with nothing but two hollow, bloody sockets where his eyes should be, he was consumed by rage. "What happened? Where is the Rinnegan?!" he demanded sharply.
"We were careless! The Rinnegan was stolen by a calculating Kabuto Yakushi!" Obito replied, intentionally maintaining a dark, somber facade.
"Kabuto? The fellow who used Edo Tensei to reanimate me?" Madara's body radiated a terrifying killing intent. He never dreamed that a rat-like junior would harbor such hidden ambitions, to dare steal what belonged to him.
"Exactly! Not only that, but he also summoned away the Gedo Statue. Now, we no longer hold the initiative."
Obito, fully committed to his "Best Actor" performance, clenched his fists tightly, his expression as agonized as if he had lost his own father. In contrast, the sightless Nagato sat motionless in his wheelchair like a dead man, seemingly having lost all will to live.
Naturally, this was all an act for Madara's benefit. In reality, every bit of this was part of the script Allen had arranged in advance. Through the premier mole, Kisame, the Akatsuki had easily leaked the secrets of the Ten-Tails and the Rinnegan to Kabuto.
As predicted, Kabuto's ambition proved uncontrollable. He desired to stand at the apex of the Shinobi world, perhaps even becoming its only god. During the retreat, he had used his Edo Tensei army to ambush Nagato. With Nagato intentionally "throwing the fight," Kabuto quickly seized the Rinnegan and made a clean escape.
Currently, Kabuto had already implanted the Rinnegan and was waiting for Allen to appear so he could negotiate, hoping to acquire the final Tailed Beasts through a trade. Little did he know, he had unwittingly become the prime candidate to cast Rinne Rebirth and fully resurrect Madara Uchiha.
"Find him! Now! Immediately!" Madara commanded Black Zetsu without looking back. Unlike Obito, Kabuto wasn't a pawn with a "backdoor" built into him. If he became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, even Madara might suffer a bitter defeat.
"We don't just need to find Kabuto! We need to find Allen too! Don't forget, he still has the last of the Tailed Beasts," Obito added, feigning urgency.
"I know! But does anyone know where he's hiding?" Madara turned to ask.
Obito shook his head with a wry smile. "Unclear. That guy often disappears inexplicably for periods of time. No one knows where he goes. All we can do is wait. Ten days isn't that long, anyway."
"Ten days! We must find Kabuto within these ten days! The Eye of the Moon Plan must not end in failure!"
With those words, Madara flickered and vanished without a trace.
Once sure that the dangerous man was far away, Obito let out a cold laugh. "It seems Madara has taken the bait. For the next few days, he'll waste all his energy hunting Kabuto and fighting Hashirama Senju."
"It really went much smoother than expected. I can hardly believe Allen predicted every reaction from Madara and Black Zetsu. Could it be... he possesses some kind of power to foresee the future?" Nagato asked tentatively.
"Perhaps," Obito shrugged noncommittally. "But the current situation is most favorable to us. Notify Kisame to keep a close watch on Kabuto; ensure we can locate him at any moment. Once the timing is right, we'll have him use Rinne Rebirth to resurrect Madara and initiate the final God-Slaying plan."
"Don't worry, Kisame has been a mole for many years; he knows what to do. Rather than him, I'm more concerned about where Allen went. Will he really show up in ten days as promised?"
As he spoke, Nagato touched his empty eye sockets. Because Kabuto's "attack" had been timed so perfectly, he hadn't had the chance to implant the duplicate backup eyes yet. However, as long as the plan went smoothly, he didn't mind being blind for a little while longer.