Shigure didn't stop for a second. He returned directly to the Hidden Mist Village.
Danzo was dead now, and as far as Shigure was concerned, there was no reason to linger in Konoha any longer.
Naruto was stable, and comforting him was something the people of Konoha could handle themselves.
What mattered more was understanding Obito's next move.
Obito let out a helpless, bitter laugh.
Inside the Akatsuki's hidden base, he sat with a troubled expression. His mask had been removed; with no other Akatsuki members around, there was no need to hide his identity.
Nagato looked at him calmly.
"Did the Hidden Mist operation fail because the Mizukage returned?"
Obito shook his head.
"No."
Nagato frowned.
If it wasn't Shigure who stopped him, then how could the operation have failed?
Seeing the confusion on Nagato's face, Obito gave a wry smile.
"Hidden Mist Village is nothing like other villages. Powerful shinobi are everywhere."
"In fact… the Hidden Mist is probably the strongest village in the entire shinobi world right now."
Shock flashed in Nagato's eyes.
Meaning—they failed not because Shigure intervened…
…but because the Mist Ninja stopped them without the Mizukage even appearing.
"How many powerhouses does the Hidden Mist have?" Nagato muttered.
Obito exhaled.
"Deidara was supposed to create chaos and draw attention. But he couldn't even cause a disturbance."
"He was suppressed from start to finish. If even Deidara was shut down like that… you can imagine the rest."
Deidara's power was undeniable—especially his destructive strength, one of the highest in the Akatsuki.
Yet he was suppressed by the Mist's shinobi working together.
"What exactly happened in the Hidden Mist Village?" Konan asked, brows knitted.
Obito lifted his head and recounted slowly:
"Deidara launched his clay bombs, but the Mist Ninja detected them instantly. He was shot out of the sky before he could start anything."
"And the very first group that stopped him were all Shikotsumyaku users from the Kaguya Clan."
Nagato's eyes widened.
The Kaguya Clan.
Shikotsumyaku—Bone Manipulation Kekkei Genkai.
A clan feared for their brutal, overwhelming close-quarters combat.
"Deidara's jutsu couldn't even hurt them," Obito continued.
Nagato wasn't surprised. Against the bone-manipulating Kaguya Clan, explosive clay would indeed lose much of its effectiveness.
"And that was just the beginning," Obito said. "Hidden Mist Village is overflowing with Kekkei Genkai."
"Ice Release, Boil Release, Lava Release, Scorch Release, Storm Release, Invisibility Release… they rotated their attacks nonstop."
"And besides that—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were all present."
"Plus the new sword wielders trained in Shigure's techniques."
"And the Jinchūriki currently stationed in the village."
"And on top of it all… the Fifth Mizukage was also there."
When everything was stacked together—
Even without Shigure, the power of the Hidden Mist Village was enough to overwhelm the Akatsuki entirely.
Hearing Obito's words, Nagato's jaw slowly dropped in disbelief.
Even if he personally attacked the Hidden Mist to capture a Jinchūriki, facing that kind of power… destroying the village would be far more difficult than what happened to Konoha.
Let alone Deidara and Obito.
Obito was excellent at survival—but his offensive ability was limited.
"I never thought the Hidden Mist would become so strong after years of isolation…" Konan whispered.
She glanced at Nagato.
Seeing his silent expression, Konan felt a rising urge to speak the truth:
Nagato, let it go.
Their dream to change the world—
The Akatsuki's path—
Had reached a dead end.
Only three of them remained.
Four, if Zetsu was counted.
"Deidara was captured alive," Obito added suddenly.
Nagato froze.
"Then… the Eye of the Moon Plan—"
"Even if Deidara hadn't been captured alive, the Mist probably already knows everything. Don't forget—Kisame defected and returned to the Mist Village."
Nagato's expression darkened further.
"So that's why Shigure even knew my abilities…"
Just as he spoke, Zetsu's voice echoed from the ground.
"What are you all discussing?"
"You all look depressed."
"Losing to him isn't something to be ashamed of."
Zetsu slowly emerged from the floor—holding someone.
Nagato's eyes narrowed.
"That is…?"
Zetsu smirked.
"The Two-Tails' Jinchūriki. A kunoichi from Kumogakure."
Nagato was slightly surprised.
He hadn't expected that while every other mission had failed—
Zetsu had succeeded.
But then again, the Two-Tails wasn't exceptionally powerful compared to other Jinchūriki, and with Zetsu's ability to manipulate terrain and ambush, capturing her wasn't too surprising.
"This operation… planned for so long… and in the end, we only captured the Two-Tails."
Nagato's voice was heavy with frustration.
Everything—every failure, every setback—could be traced back to one person:
Shigure.
If not for the sudden rise of the Mizukage of the Hidden Mist, the Eye of the Moon Plan would already be nearing completion.
If one followed that logic…
The one who truly deserved to die more than anyone was Danzo.
If Danzo hadn't sent Shigure to the Hidden Mist all those years ago, the Akatsuki would never have ended up in this situation.
"We still have a chance."
Obito suddenly stood up, his tone firm.
"There are two opportunities left. First—if news spreads that the Four-Tails and Five-Tails are currently in the Hidden Mist Village… Iwagakure will definitely make a move."
Nagato's expression darkened.
Konan had mentioned this option before. He rejected it immediately at the time—but Obito brought it up again now.
This time, Nagato did not refuse outright.
"And second," Obito continued, "we currently possess three Tailed Beasts: the One-Tail, the Two-Tails, and the Eight-Tails. If we become Jinchūriki ourselves… then we'll have a chance to fight."
Nagato's eyes flickered.
If he could gain the combined chakra of multiple Tailed Beasts…
He was certain—absolutely certain—that he could defeat Shigure.
His gaze slowly turned toward the Gedo Statue.
"Then let's do it," Nagato said quietly. "Let's borrow the power of the Tailed Beasts… for one final struggle."
Hidden Cloud Village
Within the thunder-wreathed forests of Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage surveyed the devastated battlefield alongside his elite ninja.
First, Killer Bee—the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki—had been taken.
And now, Yugito Nii—the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki—was gone as well.
Bang!
With a roar, the Raikage smashed a tree apart with one punch, splintering it at the trunk.
His eyes were blazing like lightning.
"Does he think the Hidden Cloud is so easy to provoke!?"
"Attacking us again and again—taking our Jinchūriki one after another—"
His fists tightened until sparks crackled at his knuckles.
This humiliation would not be forgiven.