"Zizi, the ninja world's getting lively again~"
"Looks like another conflict is about to break out~"
"Obito, your plans might be ruined~"
Hearing Zetsu's words, Obito—already irritated by the intelligence reports—felt even more vexed.
Out of nowhere, a battle was about to erupt,
throwing all of his arrangements into disarray.
He had just taken revenge on Konoha once, unleashed the Nine-Tails,
and crippled Sunagakure.
He was ready to begin his Moon Eye Plan,
to create a world for Rin alone.
But, unable to endure loneliness, he had reached out to Itachi Uchiha,
planning to recruit the boy into Akatsuki.
Unfortunately, Sarutobi Hakuto Sarutobi's chaotic meddling
had solidified the Uchiha clan unexpectedly,
cutting off all contact with Itachi.
Obito was furious.
He had hoped to lure Itachi,
but now the ninja world was about to ignite again.
"Hmph! My plan was flawless!"
"It was only a matter of time anyway."
"I'll remember this!
I'll settle the score with Sarutobi Hakuto Sarutobi!"
Ignoring Zetsu's presence, Obito left.
To him, Zetsu was just a tool left behind by Madara.
Little did he know that Zetsu was the greatest mastermind of all.
Although his plans were disrupted, Obito wouldn't waste this opportunity.
A major war was about to break out,
and the Uchiha clan would surely take the field.
It was also the perfect time to stock up on Sharingan eyes.
And if possible, he could find Itachi on the battlefield,
kidnap him, and bring him into Akatsuki.
With this thought,
Obito's form began to distort.
Accompanied by a strong suction,
he vanished from sight entirely.
"Zizi… looks like Obito is off causing trouble in Konoha again~"
Watching Obito disappear, White Zetsu speculated,
while Black Zetsu silently observed,
calculating something in its mind.
Meanwhile, at Akatsuki's headquarters,
the organization was still in its infancy—
just a few members: Deva and Animal Paths, Kisame, Kakuzu, Sasori, and Orochimaru.
Others, like Itachi Uchiha and later Deidara, had not yet joined.
The base felt quiet, almost empty.
Yet today, Pain surprisingly gathered everyone together.
"Everyone, what's the latest intel from the ninja world?"
Reactions varied.
Kisame and Sasori seemed uninterested.
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed—he was thinking about profiting from the battlefield.
Orochimaru's gaze flickered, unreadable as ever.
After a brief discussion, Pain dismissed the meeting.
The organization was short on personnel,
and the collection of tailed beasts couldn't be exposed yet.
They would need to develop in secret,
and for now, they could only ignore the news of the ninja world.
Still, it was time to identify talents worthy of joining the organization.
In a hot spring town within the Land of Fire,
news of the impending war spread throughout the ninja world.
Panic gripped the Land of Fire.
Jiraiya had spent a long time finding an open hot spring inn,
relaxing in the warm water,
yet his expression remained serious.
"Ah… the ninja world is about to descend into chaos again~"
"Seems like it's time to return to Konoha. Troubled times indeed!"
Years of traveling across the ninja world had given Jiraiya plenty of intelligence,
but what concerned him most was the mysterious masked man who had killed Minato during the Nine-Tails' attack.
This had been Jiraiya's focus for years.
Now, as war loomed,
Jiraiya realized he couldn't delay any longer.
He had to return to Konoha to help—or the village would suffer severe losses.
Elsewhere, on Shakuyaku Street,
usually bustling, the town had grown eerily quiet in anticipation of war.
Still, the gambling dens remained packed.
After all, gamblers were always fearless, and war was nothing to them.
The most eye-catching figure was Tsunade Hime, known as "The Big Fat Sheep."
"All in on the big one!"
"Deal it for me!!!"
"One! Two! Three! Six small!!!"
The chips she had just bet vanished in an instant.
Tsunade didn't flinch, showing no reaction.
Yet Shizune, beside her, panicked.
With Tsunade losing again and again,
they were about to lose even their last meal money.
"Tsunade-sama! Please, not again!"
"We'll be sleeping on the streets if you keep this up!"
"Save a little! This is our last money for food!"
Tsunade ignored her pleas,
shoving the remaining chips into the pot.
Once again, they were gone.
Shizune sighed in despair.
Following Tsunade meant three days of starvation out of nine,
and the constant need to evade creditors.
When would this madness end?
For Tsunade, however,
this was how she drowned her worries.
Years of gambling had taught her one lesson:
All-in was an art of wisdom.
Shizune silently wished it weren't such "wisdom."
The coming war didn't even register with Tsunade.
The two slowly disappeared from Shakuyaku Street,
their chips gone, ready to escape yet again.
Back in Konoha,
"So… Kumogakure has started sending troops to the border?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama. We've also tracked the movements of their jinchūriki."
"This time, Kumogakure clearly came prepared."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned,
silently puffing on his pipe, lost in thought.
After a pause, he finally spoke,
"Go and bring the assistants and the two advisors here."