Sasuke raised his eyes to Obito and asked in a low voice, "What exactly do you want me to do!?"
Hmph, finally willing to give in...
The expression beneath Obito's mask softened slightly. He sat down nearby, tempering firmness with persuasion. "Well, as another survivor of the Uchiha, I don't want to force you into anything. I simply hope we can continue helping each other."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Helping each other."
Obito said, "Your goal is to take revenge on Konoha for driving the Uchiha into the abyss and restore the clan. My goal is to gather the power of all the Tailed Beasts and declare war on the entire world..."
"..." Sasuke's gaze darkened.
Obito said, "But you can't take revenge on Konoha alone. After fighting me, you should have realized that, shouldn't you?"
"I, Madara Uchiha, am long past my prime. All that remains of me today is an empty shell. Yet even at the height of my power, I lost to Konoha's founder, Hashirama Senju!"
Sasuke said, "Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, is already dead...!"
"But the will and power of the Senju era have been passed down!" His gaze deepened. "Sasuke, how much do you really know about Konoha?"
"..." Sasuke fell into thought.
Obito said, "Sasuke, earlier you used Nagato as a comparison to judge your chances of attacking Konoha. Let me tell you plainly: even if Naruto hadn't intervened, Nagato still couldn't have taken on all of Konoha!"
"Well, if Nagato had insisted on fighting Konoha to the death, their losses might have been far worse than they were. But in the end, Nagato would definitely have been defeated. That's assuming Naruto never showed up..."
"So taking Taka to attack Konoha would only lead to your deaths!"
"..." Sasuke gripped the edge of the stone chair, resentment surging in his eyes.
Then Obito changed tack. "But with the Akatsuki helping you, the outcome would be different."
"Heh, heh, heh..." Sasuke suddenly laughed.
Obito frowned. "What's so funny?"
Sasuke said coldly, "First you belittle yourself, then you put Konoha on such a high pedestal. What's so impressive about the Akatsuki, then? Aside from you, all that's left is a bunch of white things!"
White Zetsu took offense. "Hey, hey, Sasuke, there's a limit to how much you can look down on people, you know?"
Obito gave Sasuke a long look. "Very well. It's time you learned what the Akatsuki truly has at its disposal..."
Sasuke's eyes flickered. "What it truly has at its disposal?"
"Follow me..." Obito stood and led the way.
"..." Sasuke followed, still skeptical.
When they reached the depths of the hideout and he saw the terrifyingly vast army of White Zetsu, Sasuke's eyes widened. "What... is this!?"
Obito said gravely, "Did you think the Akatsuki was collecting Tailed Beasts for fun? Using the Tailed Beast Chakra gathered so far and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as a catalyst, I've cultivated White Zetsu-those white things you mentioned. There are roughly a hundred thousand of them..."
Sasuke was stunned. "A hundred thousand...!?"
White Zetsu added, "More than all the shinobi in the Shinobi World currently capable of fighting on a battlefield~ Incidentally, our individual combat abilities fall somewhere between Chunin and Jōnin. The best of us even reach Kage Level~ And our abilities are more varied than shinobi's, making us ideal for fighting as an army~"
Obito picked up where White Zetsu left off. "I originally intended to use them as the basis for declaring war on the Shinobi World. But the Five Great Shinobi Villages failed to unite through the Five Kage Summit, and I've already obtained the Eight-Tails. There's no need to make unnecessary enemies..."
"Sasuke, I can commit these hundred thousand White Zetsu to help you attack Konoha!"
A gleam shifted through Sasuke's eyes. "Naruto has already betrayed Konoha. What do you gain by helping me declare war on it? Wouldn't declaring war directly on Naruto be simpler?"
Obito understood the matter more clearly. "Naruto has mastered the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique. His movements are impossible to pin down. Without leverage to tie him down, we can't force a direct confrontation!"
Sasuke turned to look at him. "So Konoha is that 'leverage'?"
Obito smiled. "Naruto told you himself, didn't he? If you attacked Konoha, he would stop you! That will draw him out and keep him firmly tied down, giving us a chance to confront him!"
Sasuke looked away, his hand unconsciously clenching. "And once you've forced this 'confrontation,' what then? How do we divide things up?"
Obito said, "Leave Naruto to us! You can carry out your revenge. Of course, the White Zetsu army will still help you..."
"..." Sasuke's eyes clouded, and for a time he gave no answer.
Heh, heh. Sasuke, are you hesitating because you can't bear to see the only person who considers you a friend plotted against like this, or do you simply not trust me?
The thought passed through Obito's mind, but he betrayed nothing. "Well... there's no need to overthink it. From a practical standpoint, your large-scale attack on Konoha will also divide Naruto's attention and improve our chances of victory~ Our interests are still aligned~ Whether we act is up to you."
He and White Zetsu quietly waited for Sasuke's answer.
Then Sasuke Uchiha closed his eyes.
Figures from his memories flashed through his mind... former comrades, village elders, his clansmen, his parents, Naruto. But in the end... they settled on Itachi's smile just before his death!
The flames of revenge ultimately overwhelmed everything!
Snap!
His eyes opened, the eternal Mangekyō Sharingan gleaming with icy coldness!
Sasuke declared resolutely, "I will take revenge on Konoha!!"
Hmph, just as I thought. There is no such thing as hope. No one can escape the chain of hatred. Only Infinite Tsukuyomi can elevate this world...
Obito's lips curled upward. "Good. The Akatsuki will fully support your operation. This war won't be the Akatsuki against the entire Shinobi World, only the Akatsuki against Konoha. The outcome is decided before it even begins!"
"Hm?" Beside him, White Zetsu's expression shifted slightly.
Obito asked, "What is it?"
White Zetsu said, "The individual stationed at the abandoned base sent word. Jugo and Suigetsu have arrived there, looking to meet up with Sasuke!"
After a moment's consideration, Obito said, "Their abilities still have some use. Bring them here..."
About an hour later, Jugo and Suigetsu arrived at the Akatsuki's new hideout under White Zetsu's guidance.
Upon seeing Sasuke, Suigetsu poured out his grievances, recounting everything that had happened since they parted in the Land of Iron.
Sasuke merely sat in the stone chair and listened indifferently. Only when he heard the crucial part did his eyes flicker. "You said... you joined Naruto in attacking Kumogakure? And he took you to Amegakure?"
Whoosh! Obito darted in front of Jugo.
"Don't move!"
The Sharingan beneath his mask shone with the light of genjutsu, immobilizing Jugo!
Then Obito pulled aside Jugo's clothing and saw the Flying Thunder God Marks left on both his shoulders!
"Hmph."
Obito snorted coldly. Without another word, he seized Jugo's arms and tore them clean off!
"Aaargh...!!!" The excruciating pain broke Jugo free of the genjutsu. He screamed and collapsed to the ground, blood and sweat pooling beneath him!
Whoosh!
The Kamui vortex sucked Jugo's arms into Obito's right eye.
"Stop the bleeding, quickly..." Obito left him with those cold words and turned away.
Even Suigetsu couldn't stomach the sight. He shouted at Sasuke, "Hey!! Sasuke!! You're just going to watch him treat one of us like this without saying a word!?"
"..." Sasuke's gaze remained dark, and he gave no response.
"Hah, hah, hah... it doesn't matter. He was right to do it if it eliminated the risk of the enemy invading our hideout!"
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Jugo rose with Suigetsu's support and looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke, Naruto Uzumaki asked me to give you a message!"
Sasuke rested his chin on the back of his hand, his eyes flickering slightly. "What message?"
Jugo said, "He said Danzo isn't in Konoha. He went to Kabuto Yakushi to find a way to make a comeback. You'd better strike first... I think that's the right call!"
Sasuke clenched both hands, staring coldly ahead. "I don't need him telling me how to take my revenge! No matter how much Danzo relies on outside power, no matter how hideously, laughably, pathetically he tries to approach the power of the Uchiha, my hatred will devour him utterly!!!"
"As for Naruto..."
Sasuke's gaze paused briefly, an inscrutable emotion flashing through it.
"He can barely protect himself now. He'd better worry about his own survival..."
Before you continue