In a forest in the Land of Fire.
Swish.
Obito, wearing an Akatsuki Organization Red Cloud outfit, descended from the sky and landed in the forest.
At that moment, Orochimaru walked out from behind a large tree, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth. "Still wearing that Red Cloud outfit?"
Obito ignored Orochimaru's teasing and said, "Our cooperation shouldn't be over yet, right?"
"Cooperation?!" Pausing for a moment, Orochimaru chuckled. "Even Nagato was defeated. What cooperation could possibly be left?"
Obito said, "That was the past. We have a new leader now!"
Orochimaru wore a mocking expression. "So fond of finding yourself a master? Sorry, I don't have a penchant like yours!"
"I'm afraid that's not up to you!" Shaking his head, Obito said in a deep voice, "Our current leader is named Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. He is an existence even stronger than Nagato—no, I should say he is an existence that has transcended the very concept of a shinobi! If you acknowledge our cooperation, everything stays as it was. I can even promise to hand over Sasuke Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan to you as compensation afterward."
Orochimaru asked, "And if I refuse?"
Obito shrugged. "Then next time, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki will come looking for you personally, though he won't be as easy to talk to as I am!"
Orochimaru feigned deep thought, then finally smiled. "Very well, I agree to the cooperation!"
Inside an underground shelter in the Land of Fire.
Tsunade walked into the gloomy shelter and, as usual, expertly injected a vial of medicine into the patient lying on the hospital bed.
Afterward, she glanced at the monitor, copied the data onto the medical chart hanging by the bed, and said to the patient on it, "Your condition is starting to improve!"
"Thank you!"
The patient on the