Escaping the Mist Ninja starts with backstabbing your teacher.

After Nagato and Konan left, Obito, covered in the smell of blood, emerged from the vortex in the nearby forest.

According to the plan, he had already dealt with all the Akatsuki's underlings. He needed to plunge Nagato into the darkest period of his life so that he could be easily deceived and corrupted.

Looking at the traces left by the battlefield, Obito asked in a low voice, "Zetsu, what's the situation here?"

Beside him, pitcher plants emerged from the trees, slowly unfolding to reveal the upper body of a human.

Black Zetsu, attached to White Zetsu, said, "Just as planned, Yahiko died, and Nagato, in despair, unleashed the power of the Rinnegan."

This made Obito nod slightly; he was quite satisfied with the outcome he had created.

Thinking back to Yahiko's attitude when he first met the three of them, a cold mockery appeared in the single eye beneath his mask.

Yahiko's existence hindered his plans; with someone as radiant as Minato-sensei around, it was impossible for him to achieve his goals.

Since his existence is hindering the plan, extinguishing this light will drag Nagato into an even deeper abyss.

Only those who have witnessed hope and light can fall into the deepest darkness, and only then will the power they unleash and the emotions within them be the most intense.

He facilitated this event, making Hanzo feel threatened by the Akatsuki organization, and he also exposed the information that Nagato possessed the Rinnegan.

Similarly, Xiao Nan's arrest was also a result of his own actions, all to achieve the current outcome.

"Well done. Without Yahiko as an obstacle, and without the other comrades, Nagato will have no one to rely on."

"The flames of revenge will constantly burn his heart, and he will do anything to gain power, regardless of whether it comes at a price."

"Only in this way can I control and dominate him."

As someone who had been through it all, Obito knew best the pain of witnessing someone who shone with light in your heart die before your eyes, or even dying at the hands of your own people.

Extinguish the other party's hopes, shatter their reliance; when no one is standing in front, he must stand in front himself.

Black Zetsu looked at Obito expressionlessly, but inwardly he sighed with admiration, thinking, "No wonder he was chosen by Madara Uchiha."

At first, it didn't understand, and even wondered why such a foolish guy was worth so much investment. It didn't expect that it had underestimated Madara Uchiha's understanding of the Uchiha clan.

After Obito turned to the dark side, his methods and ideology evolved so quickly, which can be described as a continuation of his lineage.

Perhaps he will never know that the ending he is now bringing about is also a plot that Madara Uchiha has created for him.

It can be said that the dragon slayer becomes the dragon himself; those who have experienced pain are most adept at inflicting the same pain on others.

But Black Zetsu had to report to his superior again: "There's one more thing, although it's just a small incident, I feel it's necessary to report it to you."

"Hmm?" Obito let out a soft exclamation, frowning slightly, and continued, "Did something unexpected happen?"

Black Zetsu composed himself slightly and then said, "It wasn't exactly an accident. It was just that Izumi Taketori, who had disrupted the first peace talks between Kirigakure and Sunagakure, seized the Byakugan, and defected to Kirigakure, appeared unexpectedly."

"Beside him were the [Scorching Release] ninja, Yekura, and a girl from the Uzumaki clan."

"However, it seems that they were only accidentally drawn to the battle here, but they attacked Danzo, so it seems that they have some grudge against him."

Obito pondered this unexpected situation for a moment, wondering if he hadn't expected such a little incident to happen.

Corpse Bone Pulse, Byakugan, Scorching Release, the Uzumaki Clan—he's really gathered quite a few strange things. But what is this guy's future goal?

After thinking for a moment, Obito continued, "Has he contacted Nagato?"

Black Zetsu shook his head: "Both sides seemed to be wary of each other, and only looked at each other from a distance before Taketori Izumi left with the other two."

"And the direction they left was not to pursue Danzo, but towards the Land of Rivers."

Despite the strange behavior and movements, Obito couldn't glean anything from the intelligence reports.

"The Land of Rivers, I remember when you reported to Madara Uchiha, the enemy had escaped from the Land of Rivers. Why have you gone back now?"

"What a strange fellow. But how strong is he? Does he meet the requirements of our plan?"

Black Zetsu recalled what White Zetsu's clone had seen; the other party's mastery of the Corpse Bone Pulse power was completely different from the battle maniacs of the current Taketori clan.

"conform to!"

"Furthermore, [Scorching Release] Pakura also matches this level of strength. The two of them together would be somewhat troublesome."

The implication is clear: with their current strength, Taketori Izumi and Yokura are a force they cannot control.

Obito didn't seem to mind, but just gave a cold smile.

"The one who should be considering this issue is not me, but Nagato."

"Next, we should go see Nagato. Right now, he must be desperately craving the power to take revenge."

"Only I, [Uchiha Madara], can teach him to use that power belonging to the Sage, and then complete his revenge."

According to his plan, Nagato would inevitably accept his guidance, follow his instructions, collect the tailed beasts to obtain the most powerful force in the world, and thus achieve world peace.

Therefore, Taketori Izumi, who possesses the Byakugan and the Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit, and Yotsuba, who possesses the Scorching Release, will both be targets for recruitment.

Because collecting the Tailed Beasts requires ninjas of sufficient strength, and it must be accomplished before the major ninja villages can react.

This means that these collection plans need to be completed in a short period of time, and can only be carried out separately.

That's why Obito didn't care, because he needed to consider whether he could control the people he recruited, which was Nagato's problem.

Nagato only needs to recruit people to collect the tailed beasts; he has many other things to consider behind the scenes.

……

On the other side, underground in Konoha.

Danzo fled back to Konoha in a sorry state. While he was wary of the Rinnegan's power, he was also furious at Izumi Taketori, who dared to attack him.

It's the Mist Ninja again!

He lost one of his eyes and one of his arms because of the Mist Ninja.

Now, he has been made so miserable by a mere defector from the Mist Ninja clan, and even lost several of his men who were protecting him.

He couldn't swallow this insult, but rather than taking matters into his own hands, he could use this information to his advantage.

Danzo narrowed his one shadowy eye slightly and summoned his subordinates, ordering, "Send this information to the Hyuga clan; they'll know what to do."

The other party possesses the Byakugan, which means they can get the Hyuga clan to take action. By selling this information, he can also gain favor with the Hyuga clan.

At that time, will the mere rogue Kirigakure be able to withstand the pursuit of the Hyuga clan?