Kirigakure, Mizukage's Office.
The room was dim, its corners thick with shadow.
Hidden in the darkness, Obito listened quietly as White Zetsu reported every detail of the upheaval in the Land of Wind. A Tailed Beast Bomb had leveled the Daimyo's Mansion, Rasa had died at Sasori's hands, and the One-Tail had been sealed away.
Obito said nothing for a long time. His fingertips tapped the table in a dull rhythm, betraying impatience and suspicion.
"Since when did Sasori start acting on his own?"
"Capturing the One-Tail was part of the plan. But slaughtering a nation's Daimyo and wiping out its court... that's neither Nagato's order nor his way."
Black Zetsu slowly emerged from the shadows, his voice low and distant. "You suspect someone's interfering behind the scenes?"
Obito slowly clenched his fist until his knuckles whitened. Beneath his mask, his eye turned cold.
"On Clan Massacre Night, someone impersonated us, slipped into Konoha, slaughtered the Shimura and Sarutobi clans, and made Akatsuki take the blame."
"This time, with the Land of Wind in chaos, Akatsuki ended up cleaning up the mess and bearing all the blame again."
"Every time something happens, Akatsuki becomes everyone's target."
He rose, his lone eye narrowing behind the mask. "That New Hokage in Konoha... is he in seclusion? He'd better be."
"If he isn't... he's far more calculating and patient than I thought."
Black Zetsu spoke in a low voice. "Will the Daimyo of the Land of Wind's death disrupt our plan?"
Obito paused. "It's hard to say what effect it'll have. The One-Tail killed that Daimyo, not Sasori and the others. It shouldn't be a major problem."
"And now that we have the One-Tail, we'll see what Nagato decides next."
He turned to White Zetsu. "Find out the exact circumstances of every Tailed