Despite often expressing disdain for Orochimaru, Jiraiya's bond with the other Sannin was genuine. Even though Orochimaru frequently entertained the idea of killing him, Jiraiya still considered him one of the most important people in his life.
So when Takuya mentioned that Orochimaru might be in danger, Jiraiya couldn't sit still.
"What exactly happened?"
Back up.
Jiraiya, with his usual distinctive smell of travel and battles, leaned so close to the table that Takuya could barely stand it. Rolling his eyes, Takuya shifted back a bit.
"If nothing unexpected happened, Orochimaru likely ran into an 'old monster.' He's probably under their control, but the odds of him being killed are low."
Orochimaru's ability to escape was top-notch, and Uchiha Madara likely wouldn't kill him outright. Orochimaru still held value—for example, in his research on the Edo Tensei technique.
As for what exactly Orochimaru might be going through, Takuya couldn't say for certain. But whatever it was, it wouldn't be pleasant.
"Who?"
There weren't many in the shinobi world who could be called "old monsters." Even with Orochimaru's strength, it was rare for anyone to threaten his life.
Just how many secrets are you people hiding from me?
Jiraiya glanced at Takuya, then at Minato, who could only shrug helplessly.
Jiraiya was starting to feel like he was outdated, as if he'd spent years secluded in the mountains. A lot had happened, and he was clueless about most of it.
"Well… someone who was the First Hokage's best friend and someone the Second Hokage both hated and feared."
"???"
I understand every word you just said, but together, they make no sense. The First Hokage's best friend and someone the Second Hokage hated and feared? Who on earth is that?
Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain, Black Zetsu had arrived with Orochimaru in tow, weaving through the chaos as various factions searched desperately for Nagato's hiding place.
Black Zetsu's thoughts were a mess.
He couldn't understand how the original plan had gone so wrong. The intention had been to weaken the five great shinobi villages, elevate Nagato's status, control him, and proceed with the tailed beast collection plan.
But before a new round of wars could erupt, before Nagato could be properly empowered, everything had already fallen apart.
To make matters worse, Obito's conditioning had also hit a snag.
Kakashi and Rin Nohara had disappeared.
Black Zetsu had scoured Konoha from top to bottom but couldn't find any trace of them. It was as if the two had vanished into thin air.
Now, with the five great shinobi villages focused on Nagato, Black Zetsu debated whether to initiate the plan to revive Madara early.
"Kakashi, Rin, wait for me. I'll be back soon."
"…"
Watching Obito gaze longingly toward Konoha, still obsessed with returning, Black Zetsu felt utterly exhausted.
This idiot!
He realized he couldn't afford to wait any longer. Even if Kakashi and Rin couldn't be found, the plan had to move forward. Obito needed to be fully pushed into darkness. Otherwise, if something happened to Nagato, the entire plan could fall apart.
The situation had devolved to the point where there was no time for subtlety or long-term schemes. If Nagato were lost and the Rinnegan fell into the hands of the five great villages—or worse, was sealed away—the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan would face a catastrophic failure.
The original plan had been to nurture Nagato, corrupt Obito, and use them as the central figures to orchestrate events, including weakening the villages through war and capturing the tailed beasts. Once the Ten-Tails was revived, Madara could then be brought back.
But now, everything was in chaos.
Fortunately, during a previous infiltration of Konoha, White Zetsu had absorbed some of Rin's chakra. Without that contingency, corrupting Obito would have been even harder.
The thought of Obito descending into extremism, only to then calmly accept Kakashi and Rin's relationship, left Black Zetsu incredulous.
Human emotions are ridiculous.
One moment, someone is ready to end the world over a grudge. The next, they're accepting the situation and even offering their blessings.
Every time Obito expressed these thoughts, Black Zetsu wanted to crack open his head to see what was going on inside.
Since subtle methods were proving ineffective, Black Zetsu decided it was time for drastic measures.
Bringing a contingent of White Zetsu, he scattered them across the Land of Rain to gather intelligence and track down Nagato.
Regardless of whether Nagato could still be used as a pawn, the Rinnegan could not be allowed to fall into the hands of the great villages.
In the original timeline, the Akatsuki had layers of safeguards: Itachi, Nagato, Konan, and even Obito had their precautions. Itachi's short lifespan, however, meant much of his intel was pieced together from guesswork. Nagato and Konan trusted no one. Even after his descent into darkness, Obito had hidden one of the Rinnegan to guard against Madara.
Despite these complications, Black Zetsu had never been worried. He had always been able to control their lives, their actions, and their plans. Worst case, he could flip the table and revive Madara early.
What Black Zetsu couldn't accept was the possibility of the Rinnegan falling into the hands of the five great villages.
Who knew where they might hide it?
The situation with Kakashi and Rin had already shown Black Zetsu a vulnerability.
If Konoha could hide two people so thoroughly that even he couldn't find them, what if they took the Rinnegan and hid it away? That would render the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan utterly useless.
Finding Nagato wasn't difficult; even if he was in hiding, both Madara and Black Zetsu had left contingencies on him.
The priority now was creating a backup plan—a suitable replacement. If something happened to Nagato, this replacement would ensure Madara's revival could still proceed.
"Why do I have to keep hiding underground? I want to go back to Konoha!"
In the underground base, Obito's frustrated voice echoed as he complained once more about the darkness and confinement.
Unfortunately, he had no means of resistance.
Glancing at the puppet-like Orochimaru standing nearby, Obito sighed. If someone as powerful as one of the Sannin couldn't escape Madara's control, how could he hope to?
Growing increasingly agitated, Obito poured his energy into training, determined to grow stronger and eventually free himself.
The good news was that under Madara's pressure, Obito had already awakened his Sharingan, now at the stage of two tomoe.
Sometimes, Obito daydreamed about returning to Konoha and surprising Kakashi and Rin with his new eyes.
"Something's wrong! Orochimaru escaped!"
White Zetsu's grating voice, full of feigned panic, startled Obito.
Orochimaru escaped?
Could it be true?
Unbeknownst to Obito, this was all an act designed to manipulate him. He truly believed Orochimaru had managed to break free.
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu searched high and low for Orochimaru but found nothing.
Damn that snake.
Obito, meanwhile, began to see a glimmer of hope. If Orochimaru could escape, then maybe he could too.
At Nagato's hidden base, Takuya arrived, ready to take the next steps in this unfolding chaos.
___________________________
(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING