What? They Already Have the Nine-Tails?

"Nagato was right. The information we gathered matched his."

Kakashi nodded in confirmation.

"Good work, everyone. Since we've gotten a clear picture of the situation, we'll prioritize persuasion for now. Do not resort to force unless necessary."

"Next, let's discuss each of your assignments."

Lord Senju smiled.

Nagato spoke first as usual. "My primary mission is to gather the Tailed Beasts. I've already learned some information about them."

"According to Jiraiya, the number and forms of the Tailed Beasts in this world are the same as in ours. The only difference is that the Tailed Beasts here are sealed inside human bodies and used as strategic weapons by each village."

"These vessels that contain Tailed Beasts are generally called Jinchuriki. Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts coexist; if the person dies, the Tailed Beast dies as well. Furthermore, Jinchuriki are secrets of their respective villages, usually hidden among the populace and difficult to find."

"Of course, as deterrent weapons of a nation and village, they will definitely appear when their villages are threatened or destroyed. Obito and I can easily control Tailed Beasts with our ocular powers, and I can even summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to make them serve us, turning them into stable sources of energy output for constructing the Cross-Dimensional Channel."

Nagato concisely laid out the important intelligence he had gathered.

"Understood. Considering that the current cross-dimensional transmission coordinates have been discovered, the situation is somewhat unstable. Constructing the Cross-Dimensional Channel remains the primary task for now. Nagato, don't act alone anymore. The three of you should stay together and look after one another!"

Lord Senju issued his orders.

"Please rest assured, Lord Senju. I'm about to rendezvous with Obito and Kakashi."

On this side, Obito and Kakashi exchanged strange looks.

Kakashi's face darkened.

It's over!

"Ahem, well, regarding the Cross-Dimensional Channel Nagato just mentioned, I think we should be able to build it very soon. We already have the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in our hands..."

Obito's grin was harder to suppress than his little brother at the sight of Rin in a swimsuit.

Nagato's eyes immediately widened, his face filled with disbelief.

"Nani?!"

How long had they been apart? They had actually gotten their hands on the Jinchuriki of the strongest Tailed Beast already?

"However, this Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has a special identity. He is Naruto of this world... I suspect he is most likely Ashura's reincarnation as well..."

As Naruto listened to the incomprehensible things they were saying, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Naruto! Your teacher isn't feeling well. Can you go to a nearby pharmacy and buy some medicine for me? Also, buy a few servings of ramen. Everyone has been walking all day and hasn't eaten yet."

"Sakura, you go with him too!"

Kakashi took out a money pouch and handed it to the two of them. Naruto immediately took it without a care in the world and led Sakura into town to have fun.

Obito and Kakashi did not stop them, but their gazes remained fixed on Kakashi.

Kakashi awkwardly scratched his head.

"Naruto doesn't know about these things. He's still a child, and we've been keeping it from him... I hope... you understand..."

The two of them did not care. Kakashi had marked Naruto with the Flying Thunder God Technique, so he definitely could not escape. Besides, the bridge in the Land of Waves had not yet been built, making it difficult to leave this place.

Moreover, his teacher and Sasuke were both here.

"Mm, then be careful. You must protect Naruto of that world. It would be best if you can recruit him to serve the Empire. If not, he will still be important for Orochimaru's experiments into the fundamental reason behind Ashura Chakra reincarnation! Don't kill him under any circumstances!"

Lord Senju thought for a moment. Not every world's Naruto was kind and righteous. For example, in the manga he had read before, Naruto had been controlled and corrupted by the Nine-Tails, then immediately...

Although that had been a manga world, who knew whether they would really encounter one? After all, something as absurd as crossing worlds had already happened.

If they encountered a Naruto like that, there would be no value in cooperating with or recruiting him. He could just become a lab rat!

"After Obito and I separated from Nagato at the Valley of the End, we also gathered quite a bit of intelligence along the way. This world currently has a five-nation balance of power, with scattered smaller countries throughout. We are presently in the Land of Waves. The original plan was to head to the isolated Land of Water and secretly establish the Empire's infrastructure there. But since we already have the Nine-Tails, we plan to go to the Hidden Sand Village next and capture the One-Tail, then build a transmission channel first. Even if it cannot transport people, we must at least ensure that communication with the Empire is not cut off!"

As the team leader, Kakashi's thinking was also the clearest and most logical.

"Fine. If there is anything you need the Empire to support, just ask!"

Obito rubbed his hands together. Seeing that Kakashi had finished speaking, he could not wait to open his mouth.

"I took Indra of this world as my disciple!"

Lord Senju smiled. Seeing Obito's face full of expectation for praise, he could not help but say, "Alright, Obito. We know you're the most promising person in the Empire. Just as expected! When I chose you back then, I knew it was a sure thing!"

Thinking of the difference between this world's Obito and the one in the original story, he could not help but feel emotional.

Compared to the Obito who had murdered his teacher and slaughtered his clan, this Obito had not lost Rin and was relatively much more innocent. In every respect, he was like a child who had never grown up.

Praised by the Emperor, Obito was overjoyed. However, he rarely became serious.

"First, regarding the recruitment of talent in my mission, the Kekkei Genkai in this world have basically been slaughtered by their own people. We've already captured a ninja with the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, but he refuses to join our Empire. Other than that, there is my disciple Sasuke. Like me, he is a member of the Uchiha Clan, and he is also the only remaining Uchiha bloodline in this world..."

Obito was nowhere near as concise as Kakashi and Nagato.

"Regarding your theory about the Eternal Mangekyo... Lord Senju, you were right. I successfully exchanged an eye with this world's alternate version of myself. After transplanting his Mangekyo Sharingan into my left eye, I could feel limitless ocular power surging out from within it. I'm certain this eye will no longer risk blindness."

"However, there is something that will disappoint you. Because this world is too diseased, the Uchiha Clan has already completely perished. The mass creation of Eternal Mangekyo you mentioned probably cannot be carried out in this world for the time being..."

There was some guilt in Obito's words. He felt that he had let the Emperor down.

More than half of the Kekkei Genkai clans were dead, and the matter of the Eternal Mangekyo had come to nothing as well.

"It doesn't matter. Your mission for now is to cooperate with Nagato and Kakashi and build the transmission channel first! Kakashi is right. No matter what, we must ensure we can communicate at any time. Even if the channel is temporarily unstable and cannot transport people, it must be built first!"

"Yes!"

"Alright. Based on your descriptions, I will compile some of my conjectures about that world and send them to you. Keep an eye out for messages at all times. In that world, be sure to protect yourselves. Personal safety comes first!"

"Understood!"

"Good. Contact me anytime if there are problems. Good work, everyone!"