Inside a tall tower in Amegakure.
Pain, Potted Plant Zetsu, Kakuzu, the Masked Man, and the White Tiger of Akatsuki had gathered there. Of course, there was no way to know whether this White Tiger really was a "white tiger."
"Although our alliance with Iwagakure has kept the other villages from making any rash moves..."
"Our biggest problem now is manpower. Every village is ramping up its military preparations, keeping a close eye on its own ninja."
"In this situation, let alone finding rogue ninja, we probably can't even forcefully recruit a few capable people..."
"Besides, several Amegakure ninja have gone missing in quick succession lately. The moment they leave the Land of Rain, it's as if they vanish off the face of the earth."
Potted Plant Zetsu spoke in a low, gloomy voice.
"Even you can't find our hidden enemies?!"
A flash of blood-red light flickered in the Masked Man's single eye, and his tone carried a note of surprise.
"Konoha and Sunagakure both have people with exceptionally keen sensory abilities. If I get too close, they'll definitely notice me."
"Especially Minato Namikaze. If he gets on my trail, that'll be a problem..."
Half of Zetsu's body was black. He spoke with evident wariness.
"What about Orochimaru?"
"Didn't he defect from Konoha a while ago?"
"Could we bring him into the organization?"
Deva Path Pain, whose eyes held the Rinnegan, asked in his deep, resonant voice.
"Orochimaru..."
"He seems to have been working with Sunagakure lately."
"His underground lab should be on the outskirts of that newly built city in the Land of Birds."
"But they've set up warning barriers there. They were clearly made by a sealing master, and I can't sneak in without alerting them."
As Black Zetsu spoke, he looked toward the Masked Man, implying that