Akatsuki was moving far too fast.
It wasn't just Konoha that was shaken—Uchiha Obito was even more concerned. He was certain that Madara and Lord Shigen were doing everything they could to find his whereabouts.
And for once, as Obito's ally, Orochimaru wasn't planning to betray him.
For one, they were bound together by circumstance.
And two, Obito still held secrets that piqued Orochimaru's curiosity.
Now, Orochimaru's visit to Tsunade in Konoha was a joint decision between the two of them.
They needed to make use of Kakashi Hatake's Kamui Sharingan.
And more importantly... they needed Konoha's cooperation.
In the Kamui Dimension.
This Mangekyō Sharingan-created space had become strangely bustling.
To evade Akatsuki's surveillance, Obito and Orochimaru had relocated everything here.
Even Itachi and Kisame were hidden within.
And truthfully…
It was incredibly secure.
Only Obito and Kakashi could open the gateway to this realm using their respective Kamui eyes.
Even Kakashi himself had never been here before.
Despite possessing the Kamui eye, he had always avoided experimenting with the dimension for safety.
But all that didn't matter right now.
The moment he laid eyes on Obito inside, his expression changed.
"Obito!"
"Hmph..."
Obito scoffed. He had no desire to meet Kakashi again, were it not for the threat of Madara. That guy had always rubbed him the wrong way.
Meanwhile...
Orochimaru and Tsunade chatted with surprising ease.
"This place is the only one that can be truly secure," Orochimaru explained with a smile.
"Akatsuki has a creature called Zetsu. It can hide anywhere and steal information undetected. Right now, the Kamui space is the only place where secrets are safe."
"Three Konoha traitors..."
Tsunade scowled at Orochimaru, then at Obito and Itachi.
"You I can almost forgive... but those two? One started the Nine-Tails attack, the other massacred his whole clan!"
Indeed...
Orochimaru had caused little direct harm to Konoha.
But Obito and Itachi?
Their crimes were enormous.
Tsunade had no desire to work with them.
"You don't have a choice."
Obito cut in coldly.
"Neither do we."
"Face reality, Fifth Hokage. Shigen and Madara aren't something you can fight. They could wipe Konoha off the map in a blink."
"I don't even need to work with you."
Obito's gaze turned to Kakashi.
"I could just take back the eye I gave him. But Orochimaru convinced me that cooperation is smoother. That's the only reason I'm entertaining this plan."
"You—!"
"Enough."
Orochimaru smiled and smoothed things over.
"Now's not the time to argue about the past. Our mutual enemy is Shigen and Madara. Let's focus on them."
"Orochimaru-san," Itachi suddenly spoke,
"Explain the plan."
"Gladly."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with amusement.
Now was the time to lay his cards on the table—and perhaps win Tsunade over completely.
The plan was simple.
Akatsuki had gathered all the other tailed beasts.
Only Konoha still had the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
Akatsuki's attack on Konoha was inevitable.
But that attack could create an opportunity.
If Konoha's defenses were strong enough, Akatsuki would be forced to split their forces.
At least one of Madara or Shigen would need to appear personally.
At that moment...
Obito would also act.
Only those two—Madara or Shigen—could possibly stop Obito.
If one of them appeared elsewhere, the Akatsuki base would be unguarded.
"That's when..."
"Kakashi will infiltrate Akatsuki's headquarters," Orochimaru continued.
"Using the resonance between their twin Kamui eyes, Obito can send him deep into Akatsuki's base."
"Then, we free the captured tailed beasts and Jinchūriki."
He glanced casually at a massive structure within the Kamui dimension.
"Afterward, we rally the other villages and gather all of the ninja world's strength for one final battle."
This plan hinged on exploiting the spatial resonance between the two Kamui eyes.
Kakashi and Obito could send people or objects across great distances in an instant.
It was, essentially, a tactical teleportation play.
Even if Madara or Shigen could teleport using Flying Raijin, they wouldn't be able to react in time to return to the Akatsuki base.
And so...
The plan looked airtight.
Konoha didn't have to do much—just defend itself.
All they needed to commit was Kakashi's Kamui eye.
"We have no other options, Tsunade."
Orochimaru narrowed his snake-like eyes, his tone both persuasive and pressing.
"Even the power of former enemies must be used, if it means saving the world."
"Let me think."
Tsunade rubbed her temples.
"We don't have time," Orochimaru pressed,
"And neither do you."
"Even if your plan works and we recover the tailed beasts..."
Tsunade's voice was low.
"We still might not win the final battle."
"True."
"But it's our only chance."
Orochimaru licked his lips.
"We can't just sit here waiting to die."
Even if hope was slim...
They had to act.
Tsunade and Kakashi left the Kamui space.
But she'd already decided—she would cooperate with Orochimaru to stop something even more dangerous.
At the same time...
Tsunade realized something else.
If she could ally with Orochimaru, why not the other villages?
This was the perfect time.
Every village had witnessed Akatsuki's horror.
They knew no single village could stand alone.
A united Shinobi Alliance was possible.
But...
As soon as Tsunade and Kakashi were gone, the tone between Obito and Orochimaru shifted.
"If this plan succeeds..."
Obito tore down a veil within the Kamui space, revealing the towering Gedo Statue.
"I'll infiltrate Akatsuki's base and steal the Gedo Statue containing the beasts. Once I have that, Shigen and Madara are no longer threats..."
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Powerstones?
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