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Chapter 216: Is It Too Late to Say I'm an Impostor?
🕑 Added 2025-08-17 13:50:38 +0000 UTCChapter 216: Is It Too Late to Say I'm an Impostor?
Black Zetsu wasn't thinking far enough ahead.
Konan and Nagato weren't just pinning their hopes on 'Madara Uchiha'; they were even pinning their hopes on it. This was the third Flying Thunder God user in the ninja world!
Moreover, Orochimaru would praise it from time to time, saying that Zetsu-kun was a powerhouse who had once played both him and Fugaku Uchiha in the palm of his hand. His mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique had perhaps even surpassed the Fourth Hokage!
To achieve the goal of slandering Zetsu, Orochimaru had even 'compiled' a file on it: proficient in the First Hokage's Wood Style, had improved upon the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique, surpassed the Third Hokage's taijutsu mastery, and had speed on par with the Fourth Hokage…
Aside from its appearance, it was practically a perfect product of human experimentation. At least in terms of combat power, it sounded formidable!
Except for Orochimaru himself, everyone else thought Zetsu was Orochimaru's creation…
"Zetsu, the organization is in urgent need of powerful combatants right now…" Konan clenched her fists, pacing beside the Venus flytrap-like figure and looking it straight in the eye. "Every bit of strength is important…"
Black Zetsu gave a few perfunctory replies, not understanding the full implication. "I will go and gather intelligence on S-rank rogue ninjas to supplement our manpower…"
Konan shook her head gently, her expression serious. "No, we believe you should join a combat squad. Because in the upcoming plan to capture the Tailed Beasts, with the assistance of a Flying Thunder God user, we can speed up our progress."
Black Zetsu: "…"
So now they're pinning their hopes on me… But I really don't know how to use the Flying Thunder God Technique! The Mayfly technique could help transport the jinchuriki captives…
And if it were to participate in the battle to capture the Tailed Beast jinchuriki…
Controlling the jinchuriki's will could be a viable method…
However, for even the intelligence operative to have to go to the battlefield, this Akatsuki organization seemed completely hopeless. It was better to revive Madara Uchiha as soon as possible… And before leaving, it had to find a way to squeeze out all the remaining value of the Akatsuki!
Black Zetsu looked up and asked softly, "Hehehe… Konan, which Tailed Beasts is our organization confident in capturing right now?"
"From the One-Tail to the Five-Tails."
The iris flower trembled slightly. The angel of the Hidden Rain Village slowly raised her arm, and sheets of paper converged in the air to form a massive map.
"According to the intelligence our organization currently possesses, the One-Tail jinchuriki belongs to the Hidden Sand Village. Sasori has already confirmed his identity: Gaara, the son of the Fourth Kazekage."
"The Hidden Sand is the weakest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. The strength of the Fourth Kazekage is not a concern, and Sasori of the Red Sand from our organization happens to be a Sand rogue ninja. We have sufficient confidence in capturing the One-Tail…"
Black Zetsu suddenly cut in, "That's right. The mission to capture the One-Tail can be handed over to me. Sasori's power can be fully utilized elsewhere…"
Coincidentally, he knew where Orochimaru had fled. He could use this to strike a deal with Orochimaru. There was no deal Orochimaru wouldn't dare to make.
After using that guy to revive Madara Uchiha, wouldn't capturing a One-Tail jinchuriki be simple? Besides, this was something he and Obito had discussed before, so it wouldn't arouse the suspicion of that tool…
Konan nodded in surprise. "Very well. Then we will send Sasori to capture the Two-Tails jinchuriki. Next, the former Three-Tails jinchuriki, Yagura, has been confirmed to be dead. We recently discovered that the Three-Tails has been reborn in the Land of Water."
Speaking of this, Konan looked at the tiger-striped mask and said coldly, "Mr. Madara's actions in the Hidden Mist Village have already spread throughout the Land of Water. I imagine capturing the Three-Tails would be a familiar task for you."
"I can do it."
The mysterious masked man didn't mind. The Land of Water was a dragon's den for others in the Akatsuki, but for him, it was familiar territory.
"As for the Four-Tails and Five-Tails jinchuriki, they belong to Iwagakure. Coincidentally, the relationship between Iwa and Konoha is not exactly harmonious. We can seize them in one fell swoop." Konan waved her hand, dispelling the large map behind her. "Pain and I will handle it together."
"As for the other Tailed Beasts, besides the Eight-Tails jinchuriki whose identity has been confirmed, the remaining jinchuriki still need to be located."
"Since the power of the Tailed Beasts is not easy to control, we must capture as many jinchuriki as possible before the other great ninja villages find out…"
"There's one thing I don't quite understand." The man under the tiger-striped mask, who was half-leaning against a table, suddenly spoke. "Why do we need to capture five Tailed Beasts before alerting the Five Great Nations…"
Konan paused, then said in a low voice, "Because it's very likely we will have to use the Gedo Statue in a battle against Konoha's ninjas. Therefore, we need to seal enough chakra into it as quickly as possible to support its actions…"
"Also, due to the extreme manpower shortage caused by Orochimaru's defection, Pain must continue to research the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path: Nine Phantom Dragons Seal, to find a more concise way to seal the Tailed Beasts into the Gedo Statue…"
The Akatsuki was in big trouble.
Because they had previously relied too heavily on Orochimaru's reanimated army, they had long neglected to recruit new members. The mercenary organization, which once had some prestige in the ninja world, was now on the brink of dissolution overnight.
Among the organization's members, many were just ninjas who went out to earn operating funds. Those who could play a role in the second step of the plan, capturing the Tailed Beasts, were few and far between. They didn't even have enough people to perform the Nine Phantom Dragons Seal.
To freely control the Gedo Statue required both the Rinnegan and the Sage's Body. The Rinnegan alone could only use a portion of its power, which was why the Nine Phantom Dragons Seal was needed as a shortcut.
The mysterious masked man clasped his hands. "Then let's proceed according to this plan!"
Konan's plan didn't quite align with his expectations. He wanted to wait until the Gedo Statue had completely absorbed all nine Tailed Beasts before seizing Nagato's Rinnegan, becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, and casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
However, because the meddling bird was too powerful, Nagato's strength was clearly insufficient… Never mind capturing nine Tailed Beasts; it was estimated that even surviving in the ninja world would be difficult…
In any case, he already had a new plan in mind…
Mm, a plan he had formulated while hiding it from that Black Zetsu.
After all, Pain's complete defeat in last night's all-out battle meant that the Akatsuki had become a hot potato. Although Nagato still possessed the strength to crush the other great ninja villages, the Akatsuki's failure was only a matter of time.
"Besides that, there is one more thing."
"The Hidden Rain Village is our organization's base, and it is also my and Nagato's home."
Konan straightened her body and bowed deeply to the mysterious masked man and Zetsu. "Itachi Uchiha's ninja squad is on its way to the Hidden Rain Village. We would like to ask you two to cooperate with us with all your strength to drive away the enemy."
"Perhaps our individual strengths are not enough to defeat them, but as long as we cooperate with all our might, we will surely make them pay a heavy price."
"We're begging you… Mr. Madara… Zetsu-kun…"
The mysterious masked man: "…"
At this moment, he had the sudden urge to take off his mask!
