The Plan Begins

In Amegakure, beneath the shroud of constant rain, inside a dim and gloomy room.

Light barely managed to push back the darkness, allowing those gathered to only just make out the faces of their companions.

Just then, a mysterious vortex slowly emerged.

Following closely, Obito appeared from within the swirl, wearing his signature orange spiral mask, his black cloak with red clouds fluttering wildly in the vortex's current.

"It seems everyone has arrived."

Obito's voice was low, echoing through the mask within the dim room.

"Then, let us begin the next phase of my plan."

He slowly raised his head, a scarlet light flickering in the single eye visible outside his mask.

He looked in turn at the Six Paths of Pain, who possessed the Rinnegan and controlled the six paths; the calm-looking Konan; and Uchiha Shisui, who was resting with his eyes closed.

Finally, Obito's gaze rested on the bizarre body of Zetsu, who grinned, letting out a hair-raising laugh.

Obito slowly took his seat, tilting his head back slightly as his gaze swept across everyone in the room.

Then, he finally spoke, his voice low and resonant in the dim space:

"Now that the civil war in Amegakure has finally ended, it is time for you to help me fulfill my long-cherished wish."

Deva Path Pain stood silently, his black robe embroidered with red clouds appearing even more mysterious in the faint light.

After hearing Obito's words, he nodded slightly and said:

"I understand. Specifically, what must be done?"

His voice echoed through the room, devoid of any ripples.

The corners of Obito's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a smile hidden beneath his mask that no one else could perceive.

He rose slowly and spread his arms, as if declaring his control over the future.

"First, we must recruit partners."

His voice rose slightly as he continued:

"We need other partners to carry out the plan under the name of Akatsuki. As for the number... let us find ten more, excluding myself and Uchiha Shisui."

At this, Obito paused.

"Aside from Deva Path Pain, Konan, and Zetsu, we still need to find the remaining seven members."

Upon hearing this, Deva Path Pain slowly turned his head to look at Uchiha Shisui, who was resting with his eyes closed.

Uchiha Shisui sat there quietly, as if everything being discussed around him had nothing to do with him.

Deva Path Pain turned his gaze back to Obito and asked in a calm tone:

"Why exclude the two of you?"

"I need to operate from the shadows and will join when the time is ripe," Obito explained unhurriedly, glancing at Uchiha Shisui. "As for Uchiha Shisui... he prefers to act alone."

After listening, Deva Path Pain uttered a few words softly:

"I understand. Assisting your plan is one of the long-cherished wishes I agreed to fulfill."

"Heh..." Obito's eyes narrowed slightly at these words, his arms crossed as he let out a cold snort in his heart.

"Then how shall we go about finding the remaining partners?"

Just then, Konan, who had been standing quietly to the side, spoke up.

Hearing her voice, Obito slowly held up three fingers, which appeared particularly striking in the dim light.

"I have already identified three candidates."

A hint of self-satisfaction showed in his eyes.

"The weak will only add trouble, but the three I have found are troublesome existences in the Shinobi World: Kakuzu, the immortal ninja who stole the forbidden techniques of Takigakure; Biwa Juzo, an S-rank missing-nin from Kirigakure and one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen; and Sasori, the genius puppet master and missing-nin from Sunagakure."

"In that case, Konan, let us depart."

Deva Path Pain turned slightly, his gaze like a calm, deep pool as he looked at Konan beside him, his tone steady.

Just as Pain turned to leave, Obito's voice drifted from behind:

"Persuade them to join Akatsuki. Zetsu will provide you with intelligence throughout the process."

Deva Path Pain tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling like a sharp blade upon Zetsu, who stood to the side, and he nodded slightly to indicate he understood.

Then, he walked out of the room with steady strides.

"Do you have something else, Uchiha Shisui?"

Seeing that Uchiha Shisui was still sitting quietly in place, his figure seemingly merging with the surrounding darkness, Obito asked.

"Before I go to find new members, I need a summoning creature."

Uchiha Shisui slowly opened his eyes and stood up unhurriedly.

"A summoning creature? There are many excellent ones in the Shinobi World. Zetsu will provide you with specific intelligence..."

Obito spoke without a second thought, attempting to offer his assistance to Uchiha Shisui.

However, before Obito could finish his sentence, Uchiha Shisui cut him off unceremoniously:

"No, forget about those small animals. I heard that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha is about to give birth; that little fox would be a better choice."

Upon hearing this, Obito's pupils constricted sharply. Yet, he quickly regained his composure, his face returning to that same unruffled expression as he said indifferently:

"It seems you are quite confident in capturing the Nine-Tails?"

"I wouldn't say very confident, but I'd call it ninety percent."

Uchiha Shisui's lips curled slightly, revealing a smile that was both confident and faintly arrogant.

Obito narrowed his eyes, pondering to himself:

This guy really loves to put on an act. I can only barely control it by relying on the chakra Madara left inside the Nine-Tails, and this guy actually wants to capture it.

After a moment of contemplation, Obito said slowly:

"As it happens, I am also heading to Konoha. Let's act together for this plan."

Uchiha Shisui nodded slightly, looking at Obito with a frank gaze, and spoke with a calm expression:

"Let's go. Setting out from Amegakure, it's about time."

"No need for such trouble. It will be much faster if you follow me."

As Obito spoke, he reached out and placed his hand on Uchiha Shisui's shoulder with a movement that appeared casual yet concealed an irresistible force.

At the same time, a subtle, imperceptible glint flashed in the depths of his eyes, quietly leaving behind a Kamui mark. The mark lay dormant like a lurking beast, hidden beneath the fluctuations of Uchiha Shisui's chakra.

Uchiha Shisui instantly and keenly sensed this small movement of Obito's. He sneered inwardly, yet his face remained impassive.

In his view, although Obito was formidable, he did not pose a threat to him.

He was confident that with his own abilities, he could handle any unexpected situation; this little scheme was nothing more than a futile probe by Obito.

As the vortex slowly appeared in Obito's eye, that mysterious power seemed as if it would drag the entire space into an endless void.

Under the pull of this powerful force, the figures of the two men gradually became illusory, eventually vanishing from the room and leaving only the dim light flickering behind.

The back mountains of Konoha were quiet and deep, the air filled with the fresh scent of earth and leaves.

In an instant, a mysterious vortex slowly emerged.

A moment later, two figures gradually appeared from the vortex, their forms shifting from illusory to solid.

Leading the way was Obito, his black robe snapping in the mountain breeze, the single Sharingan visible through his iconic tiger-skin mask glowing with a deep, crimson light.

Following closely behind was Uchiha Shisui, dressed in the black cloak of the Akatsuki embroidered with red clouds. The robe swayed in the wind, making him appear both dashing and mysterious.

He gently turned the ring engraved with the character "Mei" on his finger, his eyes filled with a mix of scrutiny and nostalgia as he spoke slowly, his voice low and magnetic:

"Still the same as ever. It really brings back memories, though, Konoha is just like this."