Underground in the Land of Grass, a dim underground space.
Several White Zetsu corpses hung from the ten fingers of the Gedo Statue, adding a touch of eeriness to the gloomy environment.
On the ground, complex Edo Tensei formulas were drawn.
Obito stood at the center of the formula. He formed hand seals, channeling Chakra into the inscription.
"Edo Tensei!"
Dust and paper fragments swirled, gradually coalescing into a tall figure with spiky black hair, wearing a red layered armor.
As he opened his eyes, an invisible aura of dominance spread.
"Hmph... Edo Tensei, huh." Madara moved his neck, producing a slight cracking sound. "This isn't what we agreed upon."
Obito was silent for a moment, his voice low: "Nagato is dead. Capturing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is impossible. The plan is interrupted. I had no choice but to awaken you."
Madara said coldly: "So, you want me to go capture the Nine-Tails?"
"No," Obito shook his head. "Konoha's current Hokage is Uchiha Sasuke. He's too strong. Capturing the Nine-Tails from him isn't realistic."
"Uchiha?" Madara was quite surprised. "Konoha actually agreed to let an Uchiha become Hokage?"
"Of course they didn't agree." Obito shook his head again. "He defeated everyone and forced his way into becoming Hokage."
"Hah, interesting." Madara became intrigued. "I didn't expect the Uchiha to produce such an outstanding descendant."
Obito shook his head. "He is indeed outstanding, but he is also the biggest obstacle to our plan. He is too strong, a variable completely beyond expectations."
"Let alone you in your current Edo Tensei state. Even at your peak, you might not be a match for Uchiha Sasuke."
The air instantly solidified.
Madara sneered: "Hah. Have you ever witnessed my peak?"
"Madara, this is not the time to argue," Obito said calmly. "If you want to prove your strength, there will be plenty of opportunities later."
"I awakened you because the [Eye of the Moon Plan] needs adjustment. Since a direct attack on Konoha is too risky, I plan to complete it using the half of the Yin Nine-Tails sealed within the Shinigami by the Fourth Hokage."
"But I don't know how to undo that seal. You should know the method, right?"
Madara stared at Obito for a few seconds, then suddenly let out a cold, ambiguous snort.
He didn't immediately answer Obito's question, as if still bothered by Obito's questioning of his strength.
Obito didn't urge him, simply waiting quietly.
He knew Madara would speak, because the [Eye of the Moon Plan] was also Madara's ideal.
...
Two weeks later, the Land of Iron.
With the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki captured, the Raikage called for the Five Kage Summit.
Inside the solemn and majestic hall, the Kage of the Five Great Ninja Villages and their guards sat in five directions.
As the meeting began, the atmosphere was already heavy.
The Fourth Raikage suddenly slammed the table, staring at Sasuke, launching the first attack. "Does a usurper have the right to sit in this seat?"
The other Kage had varied expressions, but none stopped him.
Sasuke didn't get angry, simply mocking calmly: "Usurper? What? Did this strike a nerve with you thief Ninja Villages?"
"What did you say?" The Raikage flew into a rage, lightning flashing around him. "How dare you slander us, Kumogakure!"
Sasuke sneered: "Slander? There are plenty of such incidents. Do I need to give specific examples?"
"For instance, twelve years ago, to obtain the Byakugan of Konoha's Hyuga Clan, you sent an envoy ostensibly to sign a peace treaty, while secretly dispatching Ninja to infiltrate the Hyuga Clan's compound, attempting to kidnap Hyuga Hinata, who was only three years old at the time."
"As a result, that person was discovered and killed on the spot by the Hyuga Clan's leader, Hyuga Hiashi."
Sasuke's gaze casually swept over the Byakugan-wielding boy in the Konoha delegation, whose expression had already frozen, his fists clenched tight.
"After the incident was exposed, your Kumogakure not only showed no shame, but instead turned the tables, using the envoy's death as a pretext to bite back, forcing Konoha to hand over the so-called murderer."
"Ultimately, this forced Hyuga Hiashi's younger brother, Hyuga Hizashi, to die in his brother's place, to appease your anger."
"And you, taking the body of the head of the Hyuga Clan's branch family, returned satisfied. Am I right, Raikage-dono?"
Inside the hall, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The faces of the Kumogakure's representatives flushed red. They wanted to refute but found no words.
On Konoha's side, Neji's body trembled slightly.
Since childhood, the version he had heard was 'his father voluntarily sacrificed himself for the clan', 'this is the Hyuga Clan's honor'.
No one had ever torn apart this bloody truth to vindicate his father.
His eyes towards Sasuke were filled with gratitude. Sasuke, however, didn't notice, his gaze locked on the Raikage:
"Only the Third Hokage was weak enough to yield. If it were me, no matter how weakened Konoha was at the time, I would have dragged you down with us, even if it meant Konoha's destruction."
"You..." The Raikage trembled with rage, his Lightning Release Chakra almost out of control.
"Haha." Onoki couldn't help laughing, his face full of schadenfreude.
However, Sasuke's gaze fell on him the next second.
"Onoki, what are you laughing at? You, an old undying source of calamity, what right do you have to laugh here?"
Onoki's smile froze on his face, his expression instantly turning grim. "Uchiha Sasuke! Mind your words. I am the Tsuchikage!"
"Tsuchikage?" Sasuke sneered. "A schemer who used the Akatsuki as a secret military tool for Iwagakure, secretly providing them with funds, intelligence, even mission commissions, helping them grow?"
"If it weren't for your support behind the scenes, how could the Akatsuki have developed so smoothly in its initial stages? How could they have had the resources and intelligence to capture Tailed Beasts?"
"Now that the Akatsuki has spiraled out of control and threatens the entire Ninja World, you put on the airs of a victim and sit here for the Five Kage Summit?"
"At the root, you old scoundrel are one of the biggest driving forces behind the Akatsuki's growth!"
"You... you're spouting nonsense!" Onoki was shocked and angry, vehemently denying it.
"Haha..." This time, it was the Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei, who laughed softly.
She watched Sasuke with interest as he verbally sparred with the two Kage, finding this young, handsome, and highly aggressive new Hokage very interesting.
"Sasuke-kun is really... very aggressive. But our Kirigakure doesn't have all these messy things, oh~"
Sasuke's gaze turned to Mei: "Kirigakure? Hah, two consecutive Mizukage were controlled by Genjutsu, turning the village into the [Bloody Mist], leading to internal strife and a decline in talent. You're truly the shame of the five Great Ninja Villages..."
The smile on Mei's face vanished instantly, replaced by extreme shock and urgency.
"Uchiha Sasuke! How do you know the Mizukage was controlled? This is the village's highest secret! Who told you? Who was the controller?"
This was the fundamental cause of Kirigakure's decline over the years, and the biggest thorn in Mei's heart.
However, Sasuke only glanced at her indifferently, without answering, as if her question wasn't worth his time.
His gaze slowly moved to the last side… Sunagakure.
The Sunagakure's representatives immediately grew tense.
Sasuke was like a powder keg ready to explode. Could they, Sunagakure, be spared?
However, contrary to everyone's expectations, Sasuke simply let out a sneer.
This single sneer was more humiliating to the Sunagakure's representatives than direct insults.
Kankuro couldn't hold back and loudly asked: "Uchiha Sasuke! What do you mean? Do you look down on us, Sunagakure?"
"Do you really want me to spell it out?" Sasuke mocked. "At least the Mizukage was controlled by Uchiha Madara. What about your Sunagakure?"
"The Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest Kazekage in history, was killed by Sasori of the Red Sand and made into a human puppet. The Fourth Kazekage, your father, Rasa, was easily assassinated by Orochimaru."
"These two Kazekage are truly the shame of the Five Kage. Is your Sunagakure specially in the business of producing Kage-level experience packs?"