Inside the towering stone spire, Third Tsuchikage Onoki floated in mid-air, clutching the urgent letter from Konoha. His wrinkled face was contorted like a piece of dried bark.
"Absurd! This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"
Onoki slammed the letter onto his desk with a violent wave of his hand.
The paper slid across the smooth stone surface and drifted to the floor, the words 'Survival of the Shinobi World' standing out starkly.
"Father, what did Konoha say?"
The tall Kitsuchi leaned down to pick up the letter. After scanning it, his brow furrowed as well. "The Otsutsuki Clan? Celestial visitors? And he wants the Five Kage to gather in Konoha to discuss a plan? This..."
"This is clearly a trick by that blond brat, Minato Namikaze!"
Onoki's beard quivered with rage. "Celestial visitors, the end of the world... if he's going to make up a story, he should at least make it believable! I've lived a long time, and aside from the legendary Sage of Six Paths, I've never heard of any aliens!"
He rubbed his aching lower back and slowly drifted back into his chair, his eyes gleaming with cunning and suspicion.
"That batch of chakra metal from the Cloud went missing at the border recently. Even though no evidence was found, everyone knows it was the work of Konoha's Anbu. And now they pull this stunt."
Onoki snorted. "Furthermore, the Anbu reported that several rogue ninja skilled in explosion jutsu were intercepted while fleeing our village. We were just about to catch them when someone else stepped in. Their methods were bizarre; they didn't even leave bodies behind."
"You mean..." Kitsuchi hesitated.
"Who else besides that snake Orochimaru would be interested in those types of Bloodline Limits?" Onoki slammed his fist on the armrest. "On the surface, Konoha preaches peace and cooperation, but behind the scenes, they're frantically hoarding talent and resources. Now they send this invitation claiming to face a crisis? I bet they want to lure the Five Kage to Konoha and wipe us out all at once, or use us as chips to blackmail other nations!"
"Then we should..."
"Send a reply!" A cold light flashed in Onoki's eyes. "Tell them the Hidden Stone is busy with village affairs and the Tsuchikage is unwell and cannot attend! If there really is a crisis, let Minato Namikaze handle it himself. Isn't Konoha supposed to be the strongest village? Let those with the most power do the most work!"
...
Land of Lightning, Hidden Cloud Village.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the solid wood desk in the Raikage's office was instantly reduced to splinters.
Fourth Raikage A was shrouded in violent Lightning Style chakra, his hair standing on end like a furious lion.
"Bastards! Do they take me for a fool?!"
A pointed at the letter on the floor, which was charred black by lightning. His roar made the window glass hum. "Otsutsuki? What kind of backwater name is that? They expect me to swallow my pride and go to Konoha for a reason like this? In their dreams!"
Beside him, his secretary Mabui held her documents helplessly, long since used to the Raikage's explosive temper. She adjusted her glasses and said calmly, "Raikage-sama, the letter says it was personally written by Minato Namikaze and is quite sincere. Perhaps..."
"Perhaps my foot!"
A cut her off brusquely. "Minato Namikaze is as slippery as an eel on the battlefield. Does he ever say a single word of truth? I haven't even settled the score for how he humiliated me and Bee last time!"
"That's not right of you, big brother, yeah!"
A burly man leaning against the window was humming a strange rap, jotting down lyrics in a notebook. It was the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee. "Konoha might be sly, but Minato's attitude is real, you fool, you jerk!"
"Shut up, Bee!"
A turned and glared at his brother. "What do you know? This is politics! It's a game of strategy! If we go running to Konoha now, wouldn't we be admitting to the whole world that the Cloud is afraid of this so-called crisis? Wouldn't it look like we're following Konoha's lead?"
A took a deep breath to steady his surging chakra.
"If there really is an enemy, my iron fist will crush them. I don't need to go wagging my tail behind Konoha."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Tell the messenger the Cloud refuses! Tell Minato Namikaze to stop with these empty theatrics. If he's got the guts, he can show us what he's made of on the battlefield!"
...
Land of Wind, Hidden Sand Village.
Compared to the Stone's anger and the Cloud's rage, the atmosphere in the Kazekage's office was exceptionally oppressive and calculating.
Fourth Kazekage Rasa sat at his desk, using Magnet Style to manipulate a pile of gold dust, refining it into high-purity gold nuggets.
This was currently the main source of income for the Hidden Sand.
"Kazekage-sama, Konoha's invitation..." Lady Chiyo sat on a nearby sofa, eyes downcast as she tinkered with a puppet part.
"I've seen it."
Rasa didn't even look up as he continued his refining work. "Elder Chiyo, what do you think?"
"Konoha has changed a lot recently."
A sharp light flickered in Chiyo's cloudy old eyes. "Orochimaru has gone quiet, Tsunade has returned, and with Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya... Konoha's current strength is unfathomable."
"Which is exactly why we cannot act rashly."
Rasa placed a finished gold brick on the desk with a heavy thud. "The Hidden Sand is located in a barren land with scarce resources. The wounds from the last war haven't healed, and our budget deficit is severe. We don't have the capital to play this 'save the world' game with Konoha."
"What if the crisis is real?" Chiyo asked.
"If it is, the tall ones will hold up the sky when it falls."
Rasa spoke coldly. "The Land of Fire is vast and wealthy, and Konoha is full of talent. Let them be the saviors. If they win, we just miss out on some glory. If they lose... we can take the opportunity to escape the exploitation of our allies and perhaps even claim a share for ourselves."
Rasa looked up, his dark-circled eyes full of a merchant's shrewdness.
"Reply to Konoha and say the Hidden Sand is fully committed to managing the desert sands and cannot spare any help. We will 'wait and see' and support Konoha's actions in spirit."
...
Land of Water, Hidden Mist Village.
A thick mist that never dispersed shrouded this isolated island.
Inside the Mizukage's office, the lighting was dim.
Fourth Mizukage Yagura sat stiffly in his chair, his once-vibrant purple eyes now hollow and lifeless.
In the shadows behind him, the air rippled and distorted.
Obito Uchiha, wearing an orange spiral mask, stared coldly at the intelligence report with his single eye.
"Otsutsuki... a crisis..."
Obito's voice was low and raspy, carrying a hint of amusement. "It seems Jiraiya wasn't lying. They really did get some incredible information from Black Zetsu."
'Was Madara's plan really a scam from the very beginning?'
Obito crumpled the letter in his hand.
Ever since Black Zetsu mysteriously disappeared, combined with the clues he found in Konoha, his doubts about the Eye of the Moon plan had reached their peak.
Now, Konoha was publicly gathering the Five Kage to oppose the Otsutsuki.
This suggested that Black Zetsu had not only betrayed the Akatsuki but might have been captured by Konoha or even reached some kind of agreement with them.
"Interesting."
Obito let out a soft chuckle. "Since even that sewer rat Black Zetsu has chosen a side, I can't stay in the dark forever."
Although he had already guessed most of the truth, he wanted definitive information.
Even if that truth overturned everything he knew about his life, and even if it meant Rin's death was nothing more than a complete conspiracy.
"Go."
Obito issued the command to Yagura.
Yagura's stiff body shuddered slightly before he nodded and spoke mechanically, "Accept... the invitation."
"I want to see for myself what this 'Otsutsuki' really is."
Obito's silhouette vanished into the darkness as the space distorted around him. "If this world is truly to be destroyed, it can only be ended by my own hand."
...
Land of Rain, Hidden Rain Village.
Steel towers pierced the clouds, while cold rain washed over the city that seemed to be eternally weeping.
On the highest terrace, two figures stood silently in the rain.
Konan held several intelligence scrolls, reports sent back from various nations via her special paper clones.
"Nagato."
Konan looked at the emaciated red-haired man in the wheelchair, her eyes full of worry. "Except for the Hidden Mist, which accepted the invitation, the Stone, Cloud, and Sand villages have all rejected Konoha's proposal."
Nagato didn't speak.
The Deva Path Pain he controlled stood on the railing, his pale purple Rinnegan overlooking the rain below. His gaze was as cold as ice.
"As expected."
The Deva Path spoke slowly, his voice indifferent. "Humans are such foolish creatures. Until they feel true pain, they will always suspect and fight one another for immediate gain."
"Jiraiya-sensei is too naive."
Nagato's voice came through the Deva Path, tinged with mockery. "Does he really think that through words, through so-called 'bonds' and 'trust,' he can make those Kage set aside their prejudices and join forces?"
"Pathetic."
"The Stone is calculating profits, the Cloud is worried about saving face, and the Sand is weighing its losses."
Nagato raised his hand, catching a drop of cold rain. "The Otsutsuki threat is imminent, yet they are still bickering over their own little plots of land. Is a shinobi world like this truly worth saving?"
"Then what should we do?" Konan asked. "Black Zetsu has betrayed us. Although Jiraiya-sensei said it was to revive Kaguya, the arrival of the main Otsutsuki family is a fact. If we don't act..."
"Of course we will act."
The tubes behind Nagato writhed, and a fanatical, distorted expression appeared on his gaunt face.
"Since they aren't willing to join forces on their own, and since they won't listen to gentle persuasion..."
"Then I will help them."
The Deva Path Pain suddenly threw his arms wide. Chakra erupted, and the surrounding rain was instantly repelled by a repulsive force, creating a vacuum.
"I will become the greatest terror in this world."
"I will let the world feel pain."
"When they realize they will be destroyed by me unless they unite, they will naturally set aside their ridiculous prejudices and band together."
Nagato's logic came full circle at that moment.
If peace could not be achieved through understanding, it would be forged through fear.
If the Otsutsuki were a future threat, then he, Pain, would become the 'Otsutsuki' of the present.
"Nagato, you mean to..." Konan covered her mouth.
"Pass down the order."
The Deva Path's voice echoed through the tower. "Assemble all members of the Akatsuki. Since the major villages have rejected Konoha's invitation, it shows they have become too complacent."
"We will begin the hunt for the Tailed Beasts."
"Let these sleeping swine feel the sting of pain."
"Only through pain will they learn reverence and unity."
Boom!
A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the cold, ruthless face of the Deva Path Pain.
"I am Pain. I am God."