Half a year later.
"Nagato, we've found traces of Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki." A White Zetsu brought Nagato a major piece of news.
"Where?" Nagato asked at once.
"In the region where the Tsuchigumo Clan lives," White Zetsu replied.
Nagato pondered for a moment, then said, "Don't alert him. Keep watching him. The time isn't right yet."
"Understood." With that, White Zetsu sank into the ground.
Nagato believed this was not the best time to act, because the shinobi villages that possessed tailed beasts did not seem to have completely lowered their guard.
Moreover, Nagato had sensed signs that war would break out again. The mood in Konoha was quietly shifting, and Danzo, the Fifth Hokage, was actively preparing for war.
Large quantities of ninja tools from markets across the shinobi world were flowing into Konoha. Meanwhile, Danzo was widely publicizing the wars other shinobi villages had once waged against Konoha, greatly stoking the villagers' hatred of those villages.
Over the past two years, Danzo had expanded the Ninja Academy. In recent years, large numbers of students had graduated early from the Konoha Ninja Academy and become shinobi after receiving only basic training.
"Perhaps the Fourth Shinobi World War is about to begin," Nagato murmured to himself.
"The Fourth Shinobi World War is about to begin!" At the same time, Neji, in the Land of Waves, reached a similar conclusion.
According to intelligence from the Ninja Cat Clan, most of the clan's ninja tools were now being secretly bought up by Konoha.
Taken together with the rapid expansion of the Konoha Ninja Academy and its accelerated graduation schedule, this suggested that war would come within the next two years.
"The Akatsuki will probably act after war breaks out," Neji said, looking at Sasuke.
Sasuke nodded. "That seems likely."
As time