Eve of the Storm
Time flew by amidst laughter and noise, and this final gathering had finally come to an end.
Zabuza and Haku escorted the completely drunk Ringo Ameyuri home. Koko politely declined Kimimaro's offer to accompany them, and carefully supported the barely conscious Mei Terumi, who could barely stand, as they slowly walked towards her house...
The streets Mist Village, the sea breeze was refreshing at night, and most of the villagers had turned off their lights, making the journey exceptionally peaceful.
"The Old Man are pressuring us again... It's so annoying..."
"Don't tell me I'm already this age, and if I don't hurry up, no one will want me anymore! It's not that exaggerated!"
On the way home, Mei Terumi, supported by Kokoro, drunkenly complained:
"It's not that I don't want to look, but I'm always so busy with work, I don't have the time."
But thinking about it, it makes sense. I'm already twenty-seven, and I've never even been in a relationship...
The bride... I'm a little bit envious...
Listening to Mei Terumi's increasingly incoherent drunken ramblings, Kō couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion:
"I didn't expect the timeline... to finally come to a conclusion."
Even after Mist Village took a completely different path due to her influence, Mei Terumi ultimately followed the old path of "career delaying marriage and love".
Moreover, as the new business progressed, she became even busier than the Fifth Mizukage in the original timeline, and didn't even have much time left to think about these things.
"Hiss... Could it be that this is actually my fault?"
Kōshi muttered something guiltily, then turned his head slightly to look at Mei Terumi, which leaned against his shoulder and looked somewhat tired in the moonlight, yet still beautiful and charming. He remained silent for a while.
No matter how you look at it, she's an absolute beauty.
It's rather strange, in a way, that such a beautiful woman would have trouble finding a husband.
But then I thought, even a handsome guy like myself isn't all that great...
Kou chuckled self-deprecatingly, and before he knew it, he had helped Mei Terumi to her doorstep.
He took a spare key out of his pocket, opened the door, then took Genin boots and put on slippers for her. He then carefully led Mei Terumi to the bed in the bedroom, pulled the blanket over her, and gently covered her with it.
After doing all this, he quietly left Mei Terumi's house and gently closed the door.
He walked down the gray stone steps in front of the door, stood in front of the wooden fence of the Mei Terumi family's house, where a few purple flowers were still climbing, and looked back one last time at the house that looked particularly quiet in the moonlight.
After a moment, Kou slowly withdrew his gaze, turned his eyes, and looked coldly at the deepest part of the building across the street, where the moonlight could not reach.
The lingering warmth in his eyes vanished instantly.
"You followed me the whole way without any shame, how come you suddenly feel ashamed?"
Come out now! Do I have to invite you out?
As soon as the knocking voice fell, a tall figure dressed in Black Cloak with Red Clouds Spiral Mask slowly emerged from the shadows.
Obito was exactly the same as he was five years ago, wearing that mask, Akatsuki robes, and even the faint, chilling aura emanating from him remained unchanged.
"I just didn't want to spoil your good mood since you were in such a good mood today."
Obito met Kotori's impatient gaze, a playful smile slowly curved the corners of his mouth beneath the mask:
"Did you have fun at the victory celebration party?"
"Tsk, so much nonsense."
Kouchi clicked his tongue in annoyance and asked Obito in a cold voice:
"Speaking of which, didn't you go to Amegakure to discuss important matters with Nagato? Now that you're back, it means things have basically been settled, right?"
Tell me, what are the specific arrangements? How many people will Akatsuki send for this collaboration with Sand Village?
"... Everyone."
Obito met Kotori's gaze, which seemed particularly profound in the moonlight, and said with a firm tone:
"Including Nagato's Six Paths of Pain and you, the entire Akatsuki will participate in this operation."
"Everyone... Ha, that's really exaggerated."
Kou said this without showing much surprise.
"After all, you'll lose if you don't take it seriously."
Obito shrugged, a hint of apprehension in his voice:
"The Fifth Hokage Jiraiya, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kakashi, Guy, Asuma... each of these guys is a rather troublesome character."
Perhaps a few of our comrades will lose their lives in this mission; who knows?
Obito, in his hoarse and deep voice, recited the names of those old acquaintances one by one, his tone devoid of any superfluous emotion. He paused only briefly at the end of his sentences before continuing slowly:
"Well, considering the gains from this mission, even with some losses, it's all worthwhile."
One-Tail, Nine-Tails, plus the Seven-Tails who was sent by Takigakure to study in the Land of Rice, and then there are the Six-Tails and Three-Tails on our Mist Village side...
If this operation is a great success, we will directly control five Tailed Beast.
By then, the progress of Eye of the Moon Plan will be greatly accelerated.
Hearing Obito's smug words, Koko snorted coldly and very "thoughtfully" reminded him:
"You're dreaming! Aren't you afraid the plan will fall apart? After all, the place we're going to this time is Konoha's home ground."
Don't forget, Itachi was a spy planted by Konoha within the Akatsuki.
Most of the people in Akatsuki are still completely unaware of this.
If that guy betrays us at the crucial moment, hehe...
"There's no need to worry too much about Itachi."
Obito casually shifted his position, giving the figure in front of him a meaningful look:
"After all, we still have you on our side, don't we?"
"With your current strength, and with Raiga Kurosuki, who has Red Eye, assisting you, the two of you are enough to keep Itachi under control."
As long as the other members of Akatsuki can successfully carry out their missions, and with Nagato and the Six Paths of Pain overseeing the main battlefield, the operation to capture Jinchuriki will not be difficult.
"... That's true."
Kou casually replied, then remained silent for a moment, Obito, who stood calmly before him, a deep look:
"And what about you?"
While we're all on a mission in Konoha... what are you planning to do?
"I'm going to personally capture the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails."
Obito hung his hands at his sides, gazing at the full moon in the night sky, a cold glint flashing in his single eye beneath the mask:
"After so many years of investigation, White Zetsu and Black Zetsu have roughly determined their exact location."
I will personally oversee their arrest.
In this way, once both sides have completed their actions, the final pieces of the Eye of the Moon Plan will only be the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails from Kumogakure.
As he spoke, Obito turned his head, his single eye beneath the mask fixed on Kotobuk beside him, and a hint of excitement suddenly appeared in his hoarse voice:
"You must be looking forward to it too, kowtow."
Our dream... will soon come true!
He stared at the slightly deranged Obito before him and remained silent for a long while.
The bright moonlight cast flickering shadows on his profile, concealing all the emotions in his eyes within the shadows beneath his eyelashes.
After a long while, Kō looked deeply at Obito and murmured meaningfully:
"Ah, I really... I'm looking forward to it."
--
Konoha, Hokage's office.
"That's roughly how it is. Akatsuki has already reached an agreement with Sand Village."
"During the third round of the Chunin Ninja Exams Konoha, all members of the Akatsuki will participate in this operation."
After ending his conversation with Obito, Koko used the Flying Thunder God Technique to arrive in Konoha and told the three people in front of him the information he had just learned from Obito without reservation.
As they listened to the information shared by Koko, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Minato, who was possessing Naruto's body, all fell into a long silence in the office.
A long silence fell over the office, with only the old pipe from the Third Hokage casting a wisp of smoke in the quiet air.
After a long while, Minato was the first to raise his head and nod earnestly and solemnly to Koko:
"Thank you for the information, knock."
Don't worry, we will make thorough preparations and will absolutely not let Xiao's plan succeed!
Jiraiya suppressed the complex emotions surging within him, turned his resolute eyes to Kokoro, and solemnly said:
"I, as your master, will deal with Nagato's Six Paths of Pain."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was watching him with concern.
"As for the other members of Akatsuki, Old Man, I'll leave them to you and Kakashi."
With the key intelligence that Kou shared with us, we should be able to...
"No, you don't need to do anything about Xiao."
Suddenly, Kou spoke, interrupting Jiraiya before he could finish speaking.
"You just need to stay by the Jinchuriki's side and protect their safety."
As he spoke, meeting the surprised gazes of the three, he slowly stood up and calmly said:
"To deal with Xiao, I alone... am enough."
--
beep, I need to ask for leave.
One chapter today, the other one will be added later.
The FGO gacha pull ends on the 8th, and I absolutely have to finish the main story and get 1000 KOF before then!! ꒦ິ^꒦ິ