Because of Akatsuki's cooperation with Muzan, once Muzan arrived, Nagato began organizing Akatsuki's members to interfere in the affairs of the Shinobi World.
Yet something was strange. Konoha, at the center of the storm, had not appeared on the battlefield immediately despite the Land of Fire descending into civil war.
Quite a few spies even discovered a strange phenomenon: Konoha was deliberately pulling back its borders and abandoning some missions.
Only the very top powers knew Konoha's true movements.
Many shinobi stationed throughout the Five Great Nations had begun returning to Konoha. It was more like the calm before a storm; once the flames of war were lit, this would no longer be merely an internal conflict within the Land of Fire.
Countless hidden hands would emerge from behind the scenes, seeking to carve up the prosperous Land of Fire and become the new masters of this territory.
Among them, the shinobi of the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind were the most eager to make moves.
Minato Namikaze was no fool. He understood that one small move could affect the whole situation. Everyone was watching Konoha, so the more critical the moment, the less they could panic and reveal any weaknesses.
"Third Hokage, aside from the Land of Waves supporting the rebellion from behind the scenes, I discovered another powerful force."
Akatsuki!
Even the Fourth Hokage did not know what the other side was truly capable of. Compared with Muzan, who had openly stirred up the Shinobi World, Akatsuki was extremely mysterious.
As far as Konoha knew, they were collecting Tailed Beasts, and Orochimaru, one of Konoha's former Legendary Sannin, had appeared within Akatsuki.
They seemed to be deliberately targeting Konoha, and many places had already suffered their attacks.
The Third Hokage, seated opposite the Fourth Hokage,