Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

"It was Orochimaru who did this!"

Black Zetsu recounted the story in detail.

They recounted in detail the intelligence they had gathered, and it was largely accurate and without any discrepancies.

Then--

"Orochimaru... that bastard is definitely up to no good." Obito Uchiha tore off a piece of toilet paper, wiping himself as he mercilessly cursed Orochimaru, that scoundrel. "And what about Pain? Knowing Orochimaru had ill intentions, why did he still agree?"

"They probably can't bear to part with the prey they've already got. After all, to be honest, Konoha is really hard to deal with right now. If they can get the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in an easier way, they'll naturally want to hold on to it tightly."

After wiping his bottom, Obito pulled up his pants, but instead of leaving immediately, he lowered the toilet seat and sat on it. Once the flushing stopped, he stared at Black Zetsu's half-face and asked in a deep voice, "...You also think this is a good thing?"

He noticed Black Zetsu's unusual attitude.

What I just said seemed to carry a hint of trying to comfort Orochimaru.

"At least it's not bad."

Black Zetsu admitted that his attitude was indeed somewhat biased towards supporting Payne's decision, rather than questioning or opposing it.

"Even if you knew that Orochimaru had hidden a trap here?"

"Pain is well aware of this. Orochimaru is never trustworthy. However... there's no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Let's just look at the facts. From all perspectives, this incident is more beneficial than harmful. Although Nagato can't seal the tailed beast into the golem yet, it wouldn't hurt to capture it in advance if there's an opportunity."

"According to Orochimaru's explanation when he failed to infiltrate Amegakure, Uchiha Sogen has always known the secrets of Akatsuki and the Rinnegan. And Orochimaru deliberately left loose ends. It's estimated that Amegakure will soon face an attack from Konoha. This..."

Obito Uchiha fell silent at the end of his sentence.

I noticed something was off.

He looked at the giant pitcher plant in front of him. "Is this the future that you and Pain both hoped for? A battle between the Hidden Rain Village and the Leaf Village ninjas?"

"There's new intelligence."

Black Zetsu and Obito Uchiha exchanged glances. "Remember what I told you about the incident with Ma?"

"What happened? Are Kazuma and the others finished?"

"Yes."

"As expected, I misjudged that good-for-nothing."

"The problem isn't Kazuma, but rather that it was Uchiha Chihaya who defeated him," Black Zetsu emphasized.

Obito stared at Zetsu with a puzzled look. Was there anything worth mentioning? In his opinion, the only Uchiha clan members worthy of respect were Sogen, Shisui, Fugaku, and Itachi, whom he had once greatly admired.

As for Uchiha Chihaya, Uchiha Arashiyama... he never paid them any attention.

"Uchiha Chihaya has awakened her Sharingan."

Black Zetsu said, word by word.

This "opening of the eye" obviously doesn't mean opening the Sharingan.

Chihaya Uchiha, as a well-known Jonin in the Uchiha clan, had already reached the three-tomoe level. The so-called "awakening of the eye" could only refer to the Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Open your eyes..."

Obito Uchiha's eyes suddenly sharpened. As an Uchiha, he knew very well the difference between an Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan and one who had not. Moreover, the danger level varied greatly depending on the type of eye technique used.

"What kind of eye technique is it?"

"Based on current observations, it should be the ability to manipulate 'wind,' with extremely strong direct destructive power. The specific details are still unclear, but... even so, it's already very dangerous. The Uchiha clan has definitely mastered some kind of method to prevent blindness caused by excessive eye strain. If a few more people awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan..."

Black Zetsu paused for a second, then continued, "I'm afraid even Nagato will find it difficult to conquer Konoha by then."

This is by no means unfounded worry.

Rather, it is a threat that can be foreseen.

Currently, four members of the Uchiha clan have clearly awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, and it can be determined that they possess the Mangekyou Sharingan that will not cause blindness. On the battlefield, this is equivalent to four Susanoo. Perhaps any one of them alone would not be a match for Madara Uchiha, but with the four of them working together, even if Madara Uchiha were to be resurrected, he might have to avoid their sharp edge.

"...So, you're planning to strike first?"

At this moment, Obito Uchiha finally understood why Black Zetsu supported Pain's decision.

"Yes, it's better to fight sooner rather than later. The longer it drags on, the greater the uncertain risks become. Even if it exposes the Akatsuki organization and makes us enemies of the ninja world... it's still better than facing more Uchiha who have awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Black Zetsu's attitude was very firm.

Having lived through a thousand years, he knew very well how troublesome the Uchiha clan was.

To be honest,

The Senju and Uchiha clans were evenly matched only after the rise of the Senju brothers, Hashirama and Tobirama. In the later stages, the Senju clan even suppressed the Uchiha clan. However, looking back, the Uchiha clan was more often the only dominant force in the ninja world, and it took the combined efforts of the Senju, Uzumaki, and other clans to contend with them.

The bond between the Senju and Uzumaki clans is not only due to their deep blood ties, but more importantly, to the camaraderie they forged while fighting side by side against the Uchiha clan.

"Konoha is not easy to deal with, no, to be precise, it's Uchiha Sogen, that guy... don't underestimate him, and Black Zetsu, don't you understand? For us, whether it's home or away, the impact is very small."

"As long as it's not completely useless, it's fine."

Black Zetsu wasn't so easily persuaded, especially since he had a preconceived notion that Obito was afraid of Uchiha Sogen. Of course, he couldn't say this out loud, but he went over it in his mind and strengthened his resolve to support Pain's decision this time.

Whether it's Obito Uchiha, Nagato, or even Madara Uchiha... to Black Zetsu, they are all pawns, puppets!

The life and death of the chess pieces are not important; what matters is the impact their lives and deaths will have on the game. As long as we can win at the end of the game and rescue our sealed mother, it doesn't matter if all the chess pieces are lost.

"Now I actually hope Konoha will go to Amegakure. On the contrary, if Konoha remains inactive, there might be big trouble later." Especially in Nagato's mind, as long as all nine tailed beasts are gathered and the so-called "strongest tailed beast weapon" is created, peace can be born from suffering.

As he spoke,

Black Zetsu fixed his gaze on Obito Uchiha.

"...Since you've made up your minds, I have nothing more to say." After a half-minute silence, Obito Uchiha acquiesced. The matter was settled, and saying anything discouraging would not only be pointless but might even have the opposite effect.

"If Konoha really makes any unusual moves, I have no objection to assembling the Akatsuki and having a fight with Konoha."

Obito Uchiha stood up.

He reached out and pushed open the toilet door, walking out. But just as he stepped out, he suddenly stopped and said, "However, Black Zetsu, don't just focus on Konoha. Don't forget to manage Orochimaru and Sasori, those two sources of risk. And... I know it's annoying to say the same thing many times, but I'll say it again here: don't underestimate Uchiha Sogen. I lost to him not because I was too weak, but because he was as strong as a monster!"

After he finished speaking, he took another step.

"Alright, I'm going out now. If I don't leave, Deidara will think I fell into the toilet, and that brat will actually come in and try to fish me out of the toilet."

I washed my hands at the sink.

As soon as Obito Uchiha stepped out of the restroom, he heard that young voice.

"Obito-senpai, you're so slow! If it weren't for the fact that there was no noise coming from the toilet, I would have suspected that you were attacked."

"How could that be? I ate too many dumplings yesterday, and my stomach is upset."

"Huh? Is that so? Luckily, I'm not that interested in dumplings. Although they're both round, fried eggs definitely taste better. Nutritionally speaking, fried eggs also provide more protein than those sticky dumplings..."

The endless stream of nonsense gradually faded into the distance.

On the roof of the toilet, a large pitcher plant peeked out, from which one could see Obito Uchiha and Deidara's retreating figures. "Uchiha Sogen... perhaps, it's indeed time to make some preparations." Although he couldn't imagine how the Rinnegan would lose.

but,

Over the past thousand years, he has encountered more than one instance of turning the impossible into the possible.

Miracle,

This is not unfounded.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Konoha Village.

The old laboratory beneath the Nanga Shrine.

Unlike Obito Uchiha, who was found by Zetsu while squatting in the toilet and had a rather interesting conversation, Sogen was obviously much luckier. As he watched Shisui inject Chihaya Uchiha with the Mangekyou Sharingan Chakra Stabilizer, Shisui appeared beside him with information.

As the name suggests, this [Mangekyou Sharingan Chakra Stabilizing Agent] is a special medicine used to stabilize the unstable ocular power of Uchiha clan members after they awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, and to prevent them from going blind.

It was the first result of Scorpion's research under Zongxian's 'careful' supervision.

Things like white cloaks are all later additions.

It was an unexpected delight.

Special medicine,

That was Zongxian's initial and only goal. He didn't expect Sasori to work for him sincerely. His minimum goal at the time was for Sasori to find a safer and gentler way to use the White Zetsu's corpse to help Shisui and Elder Fugaku stabilize the power of their Mangekyou Sharingan, so that they wouldn't keep taking advantage of Samehada.

Even if Samehada can absorb and refine chakra,

But that takes time, and the number of prisoners in the prison is ultimately limited. It can satisfy one person, but when Samehada has to work hard to refine Yang Release chakra to repair the damage to the eyes, he is a bit overwhelmed.

Living weapons are not human beings.

But you still need to rest, okay?

Even the most robust machine can't withstand 24/7 operation for long. Samehada can only provide temporary relief; the problem of the Mangekyou Sharingan causing blindness still requires a different approach.

"How are you feeling? Any unusual reactions?"

Zongxian looked at Uchiha Chihaya lying on the hospital bed and asked softly.

"Hmm, my muscles feel a little warm, but it's not uncomfortable; in fact, it feels quite comfortable," Uchiha Chihaya honestly described her feelings. "Also, my eyes were a little sore before, but now... it's not so noticeable anymore."

"very good."

Zongxian nodded in satisfaction. Sasori truly lived up to his reputation as a genius who could research human puppets and was also proficient in pharmacology. The "long and straightforward-named potion" he developed was very effective. So far, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Fugaku, and now Uchiha Chihaya have not experienced any rejection reactions.

This is much safer than the brutal will of the White Zetsu's body tissue.

"For the next week or so, don't move around too much. Just rest here and relax. After a week, you can move around however you want without me interfering."

"I see."

Uchiha Chihaya lay peacefully in bed.

She was in a very good mood.

Thinking about how she could fully control this eye power in the future and fight alongside Zongxian and Shisui, a mere week of recuperation was nothing. She had that much patience.

Seeing that Uchiha Chizuru showed no abnormalities after receiving the injection, Sogen pulled Shisui around and out of the room into the corridor. Looking at Shisui's serious expression, he teased, "What happened? You look terrible!"

"It's Naruto."

Shisui took a deep breath and then said in one breath, "The liaison team received a top-level emergency communication from the northeastern border defense forces. Kakashi Hatake's Team 7 encountered Orochimaru, an S-rank rogue ninja who had joined Akatsuki, and another person while on a mission in the coastal area where the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves meet."

"After a fierce battle, Kakashi Hatake was seriously injured and on the verge of death. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha went missing, suspected of being kidnapped by Orochimaru. Only Sakura Haruno was safe and sound. Under the orders of her mentor Kakashi Hatake, she rushed to Yugakure and found the command post of the northeastern border guard stationed in Yugakure. She then used the border guard's channels to transmit the information back to the village."