...Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
In the Raikage's office, the Fourth Raikage, A, had just finished reading the scroll in his hand. He tossed it onto the large desk with a cold snort.
"Tch! Those Konoha guys have always had decent luck!"
His voice was clearly displeased as he looked toward his secretary, Mabui, standing before him.
"Twelve years old? Wood Release? Defeating the One-Tail? They're making it sound so vivid!"
Mabui looked up slightly and gave the judgment that made A's brow furrow even tighter:
"Lord Raikage, the news cannot be wrong... Konoha has indeed produced another... incredible 'genius'."
"Genius, genius! Why does all the good stuff always fall into Konoha's lap!"
Hearing the word "genius," A instantly recalled the "Yellow Flash" who had repeatedly made him and Killer B suffer during the Third Great Ninja War!!
New and old grudges surged in his heart. He slammed his fist onto the table with a thunderous bang, his face full of irritation and frustration.
"First the Yellow Flash, and now a Wood Release kid! This luck is really..."
Just then, a series of slurred raps accompanied by light footsteps approached from a distance.
"Yo~! Big bro fool~ what's the~ trouble~? New~ intel~ like a poem~? Master B~ will help~ analyze~! Yeah~!"
The office door was pushed open. Killer B, wearing sunglasses, swayed his body while making hip-hop gestures as he sauntered in. A goofy smile was plastered on his face, and he hummed an out-of-tune rhythm with "woo-ah-nn-ah" sounds.
This carefree attitude, completely oblivious to the situation, instantly ignited the Fourth Raikage A's suppressed anger.
Veins popped on A's forehead, and crackling blue lightning arcs suddenly exploded around him. He pointed at Killer B and roared:
"B!!! You bastard!! Be serious!! I don't have time for your nonsense right now!!!"
Killer B was frozen by the sudden roar. The smile under his sunglasses stiffened. He shrunk his neck and muttered softly:
"...Well... I get it, big bro, you fool..."
"Hmm—?!"
That faint mutter made A's ears twitch!
In the next instant, lightning flashed on A's body as he lunged forward with a flying kick toward Killer B!!
Bam!!!
"Waaah—!"
Killer B let out a cry of pain as he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the office wall.
A landed in his kicking stance, glaring at Killer B, who was clutching his stomach and grimacing:
"How dare you call your big brother a fool?! I think you're..."
Mabui stood to the side, watching the scene expressionlessly. She was clearly long accustomed to this kind of "communication" between the brothers.
...
-Somewhere, in a dark underground space...
It was damp and deathly silent, with only the sound of water droplets occasionally falling from the cracks in the rock walls proving that time was still passing.
Suddenly, the ground rippled unnaturally, and a strange figure slowly rose—a half-black, half-white body encased in a giant pitcher plant.
"Yahoo~ Obito~," White Zetsu's side greeted in a flippant tone. "There's some super~ super interesting news! The Ninja World seems to have suddenly become quite lively!"
"I've told you many times, White Zetsu..."
The owner of the voice sat upon a stone throne.
Clad in a black robe and wearing a spiral-patterned mask, a Sharingan slowly rotated in his only exposed right eye as he looked toward the White Zetsu who had just spoken.
"Address me as—Lord Madara!"
Uchiha Obito, walking the world under the name of "Uchiha Madara," spoke through the mask. His voice echoed in the empty underground space as his Sharingan locked onto White Zetsu with murderous intent.
"I don't want... a next time!"
The smile on White Zetsu's half of the face instantly froze. He shrunk his neck sheepishly and muttered softly, "...Well, I got it, Lord... Madara."
Black Zetsu's half of the body then took over with his raspy voice, getting straight to the point:
"A major event has occurred in Konoha Village. A twelve-year-old Genin named Tejima Shinichi used Wood Release in public and single handedly defeated the completely rampaging One-Tail Shukaku."
Upon the high throne, the one called "Lord Madara," Uchiha Obito, leaned forward slightly.
Under the mask, his pupil contracted.
"Wood Release?" Obito repeated the term. "Hashirama's Wood Release..."
"Yes," Black Zetsu confirmed. "...Now, the entire Ninja World is stirred by this news!"
White Zetsu couldn't help but chime in again, marveling:
"Yeah, yeah! That kid is ridiculously strong! It's as if the First Hokage has come back to life! Yeah!"
Obito fell silent.
"...Hashirama's power... defeating a Tailed Beast," he repeated in a low voice, his tone complex. But then he gave a proud cold snort. "Hmph, so what? Before my Mangekyo Sharingan, even true Wood Release will ultimately have flaws. Besides..."
He changed his tone, judging from a high vantage point:
"He is only twelve years old after all... and he is not Hashirama himself."
In the knowledge and plans he inherited from Uchiha Madara, the power of the Sharingan evolves to its ultimate form—the Rinnegan!!!
It was enough to rival or even control everything.
A child who had just awakened his power, even if exceptionally gifted, was not yet truly placed on the same level as him, "Uchiha Madara."
However, standing below, Black Zetsu's half-white, half-black face remained as calm as a deep well, but his heart surged with completely different thoughts.
'Obito... you are too arrogant.' A hint of gravity also rose within Black Zetsu. 'You only see the surface power of Wood Release, but you don't see the significance of the fate behind it!'
'...Ashura... Indra... reincarnations of fate...' these terms echoed in Black Zetsu's mind!
'...The Ashura reincarnation of this generation has already appeared in Konoha, and his name is—Tejima Shinichi!'
There's no mistake—!!!
Black Zetsu was absolutely convinced of his judgment!
First, the timeline was impeccable.
Uchiha Madara's time of death perfectly aligned with Tejima Shinichi's birth age.
According to the iron law of Indra and Ashura's chakra reincarnation cycle, once a host dies, that lingering will immediately seeks a new vessel.
Add to that the unique power trait Tejima Shinichi displayed—Wood Release, the source of All Creation, the manifestation of the God Tree's power, and the symbol of the Ashura reincarnation's dominance in the Ninja World.
A youth carrying the Senju bloodline, awakening Wood Release strong enough to suppress a complete Tailed Beast at the tender age of twelve... Other than the support of Ashura's immense life force and special chakra, Black Zetsu couldn't imagine a second explanation.
If Tejima Shinichi isn't Ashura, then who is?!!
Who else is qualified to be Ashura?!!
Thinking this, the sense of urgency in Black Zetsu's heart grew stronger.
Ashura's reincarnation had appeared, which meant he didn't have much time left. He had to push the plan into the next phase as quickly as possible.
"The initial capital accumulation and personnel integration of the Akatsuki Organization are basically complete. The dormancy period should end." Black Zetsu stared at Obito and advised, "It's time to officially launch the Tailed Beast Capture Plan... Any further delay will only be a useless waste!!!"
Sitting on the stone throne -the mask was hiding Obito's expression, but in his exposed Sharingan, his gaze flickered slightly... He clearly agreed with Black Zetsu's judgment.
Although he didn't think a twelve-year-old boy could immediately threaten his plan, the reappearance of Wood Release in the Ninja World was itself a signal of a massive variable.
And the Akatsuki Organization indeed needed to pick up the pace and seize the initiative before the various factions reacted further.
'Indeed... I can't wait leisurely anymore.'
Uchiha Obito stood up from the stone throne, his black robe falling.
"You're right... The Akatsuki Organization's dormancy ends here."
The three-tomoe Sharingan spun violently, the tomoe merging into a windmill pattern—the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Kamui!!"
"The Tailed Beast Capture Plan starts immediately. And ... it's time to meet Nagato. The final stage of the 'Eye of the Moon Plan' must begin. From now on, Tailed Beast capture plan will officially be the Akatsuki Organization's highest priority mission!"
The vortex of Kamui appeared, and Obito's figure merged into it. In the final moment before being swallowed, a sweet-smiling girl appeared in his mind:
'Rin... don't worry, I will definitely create a world... with you in it! —Wait for me!'
Looking at where Obito had disappeared, Black Zetsu let out a meaningful whisper.
"Yes... the plan must be accelerated!"