The White Zetsu army base loomed beneath the earth, a cavern of twisted roots and damp stone, its air thick with the scent of moss and decay. Obito stumbled from his space-time vortex, his masked form swaying as Naruto's words—Lin's voice—echoed in his skull, a relentless stab at his buried guilt. His footing faltered, the Mangekyō in his lone eye dimming as he steadied himself against a gnarled pillar, breath ragged.
A rustle broke the silence—Black and White Zetsu emerged from the soil, their aloe-like forms slithering into view. White Zetsu's voice chirped, eager with news. "Big scoop! Konoha's Nine Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto, bolted from the village. Word is, he's teamed up with our Six Paths Pain and even tangled with Sasuke's crew hunting Eight Tails!"
Black Zetsu's tone was colder, analytical. "No clue what that kid's up to, but it's a win for us—Nine Tails just got easier to snag."
White Zetsu tilted his head, grinning. "Get this—Sasuke's White Zetsu scouts say Naruto's rocking Akatsuki gear, and Pain's tagging along like his shadow!"
Black Zetsu's eyes narrowed, suspicion coiling. "Impossible. Nagato wouldn't…" He trailed off, turning to Obito, who stood rigid, his silence a storm brewing.
"Nagato's betrayed Akatsuki," Obito said, voice low, cutting through the damp air like a blade. The words hung heavy, Black and White Zetsu gasping in unison, "How?!"
Obito's gaze sharpened, thoughts racing. Naruto knew—his identity, his past, every shadowed corner of his sins. How? Kakashi? No—Kakashi thought him dead, and their clash in the Land of Iron showed no recognition. Naruto's knowledge defied reason, a puzzle with jagged edges. Did he alone hold these secrets, or had Konoha's elite unraveled his mask? The uncertainty gnawed at him, eroding his calculated calm.
Black Zetsu's voice cut in, urgent. "The Rinnegan's still with Nagato. If he's out of our grip, we can't let it fall to outsiders."
Obito nodded, jaw tight. The Rinnegan was the linchpin of the Moon's Eye Plan—irreplaceable, non-negotiable. But Amegakure was a hornet's nest now, and Naruto's presence a wild card he couldn't yet counter. "I'll dig into Naruto later," he muttered. "Can't risk facing him blind."
White Zetsu piped up, tone lighter. "Bright side? Sasuke nabbed Eight Tails."
Obito blinked, skepticism threading his voice. "After Naruto? He had the strength left?"
"Sasuke's a beast," White Zetsu said, grinning. "Post-Naruto, his Susanoo hit full form—overdid it, though. Rested up, then stormed Eight Tails anyway."
A rare smirk tugged at Obito's lips. "Finally, some good news." Sasuke's grit was a spark in the chaos—unstable, yes, but useful. Too many variables swirled now; he'd secure this win himself. "Where's he at?"
"Heading to the rendezvous," White Zetsu replied. "Close now."
Obito's smirk widened. "Time to greet our hero." With a swirl of space-time, he vanished, leaving the Zetsus in the cavern's gloom.
A ruined construction site sprawled beneath a gray sky, its skeletal beams jutting like broken bones. Sasuke slumped against a rusted girder, chest heaving, sweat and blood streaking his pale face. Beside him lay Killer Bee, Eight Tails' Jinchuriki, his body scorched by Amaterasu's black flames, unconscious and bound. Jugo loomed nearby, restored to his towering self, cradling a limp Karin in one arm while gripping Suigetsu—half-melted into jelly from Bee's cannon blast—in the other.
"You good, Sasuke?" Jugo asked, voice steady but edged with concern.
Sasuke sucked in a breath, wincing. "Yeah… just gotta move. Rendezvous is ahead." He pushed to his feet, reaching for Killer Bee's prone form.
"No need," a voice cut through, smooth and assured. Obito stepped from a vortex, his mask glinting as he eyed Bee. "Well done, Sasuke—I knew you'd pull it off."
Sasuke snorted, wiping blood from his lip. "Deal's done. Eight Tails is yours." He turned, cloak swirling, ready to leave.
"Hold on," Obito called, stopping him mid-step. "Where to next?"
Sasuke paused, staring into the forest's shadowed depths, voice flat. "Heal up first. Then—Konoha."
Obito's mind flashed back, memories unspooling. After revealing Itachi's truth—his sacrifice, Konoha's betrayal—Obito had probed Sasuke's heart. "Knowing this, will you carry Itachi's will? Protect the village?"
Sasuke's answer had been ice, unyielding. "Itachi's way—dying for that place? I don't accept it. Losing him hurt more than any peace it bought. I won't inherit that." His voice had darkened, venom seeping through. "Konoha's elders—Danzo especially—they'll pay. And the villagers, basking in a peace built on his blood? Guilty too. All of them."
Obito had pressed further. "Just the leaders?"
"No," Sasuke had snarled. "The whole village—every soul who scorned Uchiha, drove my family to slaughter each other, forced Itachi to his end. The Senju-worshipping trash—they're all my targets. No one escapes."
Now, watching Sasuke's retreating back, Obito sighed inwardly. Love bred hate—a truth carved into Sasuke's soul as surely as it had been into his own. "Sasuke!" he called again.
Sasuke halted, glancing back, eyes cold and distant.
"Danzo's half-dead," Obito said, voice measured. "Naruto took his right eye, his arm—crippled him. Recover, hit Konoha, and he's yours for the taking."
Sasuke's breath caught, a flicker of shock breaking his mask. Naruto's parting words echoed—"I roughed up Danzo, left him for you." Clarity struck: Naruto had struck at Konoha's heart, carved a path for him. Why? Confusion churned, a tangle of gratitude and rivalry he couldn't unravel. That idiot… He snorted, turning away, and resumed his march, Jugo trailing with Karin and Suigetsu in tow. The forest swallowed them, shadows closing over their path.
Obito stood alone, Killer Bee at his feet, the weight of Sasuke's will pressing against his plans. Eight Tails was secured, a victory snatched from chaos, but Naruto's shadow loomed larger—unpredictable, piercing. Sasuke's vengeance would ignite Konoha, a wildfire Obito could stoke, yet Naruto's moves gnawed at him, a riddle unsolved. The game shifted, and he tightened his grip, resolved to master it.
***
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