Sasuke raised his eyes to Obito, his voice heavy. "What exactly do you wao do?!"

  "Hmph, so you've finally softened up?"

  Uhe mask, Obito's expression eased slightly. He sat down nearby and spoke with a mix of firmness aleness. "Well, as a fellow Uchiha survivor, I don't want to force you. I simply hope we tio work together for mutual be."

  Sasuke's gaze sharpened. "Mutual be?"

  Obito expined, "Yoal is to take revenge on Konoha for driving the Uchiha into despair and to restore the 's glory. My goal is to gather the power of all the Tailed Beasts and decre war oire world."

  Sasuke's eyes darkened.

  Obito tinued, "But on your own, you 't take revenge on Konoha. You should have realized that after fighting me, right?"

  "I, Uchiha Madara, have long passed my prime. What you see now is nothing more than ay shell. Even at my peak, I was defeated by the founder of Konoha, Hashirama Senju."

  Sasuke responded, "Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, is already dead!"

  "But the will and power of the Senju era have been passed down!" Obito's gaze deepened. "Sasuke, how much do you really know about Konoha?"

  Sasuke fell into thought.

  Obito said, "Sasuke, you previously pared yourself to Nagato to gauge your ces of attag Konoha. Let me be clear: even if Naruto doesn't intervene, Nagato still wouldn't have been able to challehe ey of Konoha!"

  "Sure, if Nagato had insisted on a deathmatch with Konoha, the vilge might have suffered greater casualties than it did. But in the end, Nagato would have beeed—even without Naruto showing up."

  "So, if you lead Taka to attack Konoha, it'll be nothing more than a path to destru!"

  Sasuke gripped the edge of the stone chair tightly, his eyes filled with frustration.

  Obito shifted his tone. "But if Akatsuki assists you, the oute will be different."

  "Hmph." Sasuke suddenly ughed.

  Obito frowned. "What are you ughing at?"

  Sasuke replied coldly, "You belittle yourself while praising Konoha to the skies. What makes Akatsuki so special? Aside from you, it's just a bunch of white creatures!"

  White Zetsu protested, "Hey, hey, Sasuke, there's a limit to uimating us, you know?"

  Obito stared deeply at Sasuke. "Fi's time for you to see Akatsuki's true strength."

  Sasuke's eyes flickered. "True strength?"

  "e with me." Obito stood aured.

  Sasuke hesitated but followed.

  When they reached the depths of the hideout, Sasuke's eyes widened as he beheld the overwhelming numbers of White Zetsu es. "What is this?!"

  Obito replied solemnly, "Did you think Akatsuki's colle of Tailed Beasts was just a game? Using the chakra of the Tailed Beasts gathered so far and the Gedo Statue as a catalyst, I've cultivated the White Zetsu—those 'white creatures' you mentioheir total number is approximately 100,000."

  Sasuke was stunned. "100,000?!"

  White Zetsu added, "That's more thaal number of ninja capable of fighting on the current battlefield~. By the way, our individual bat ability ranges from in to Jōnin level. The best of us even reach Kage level~. We're also more versatile than ninja, making us ideal fe-scale warfare~."

  Obito tinued where White Zetsu left off. "I inally inteo use them as the foundation for deg war on the ninja world. But sihe Five Great Nations failed to unite during the Five Kage Summit, and since I've already captured the Eight-Tails, there's o create unnecessary enemies."

  "Sasuke, I provide these 100,000 White Zetsu as reinforts for your atta Konoha."

  Sasuke's eyes gleamed. "Naruto has already betrayed Konoha. If you're willing to help me decre war on Konoha, what do you gain from it? Wouldn't it be more straightforward to just decre war on Naruto?"

  Obito saw through the situation clearly. "Naruto has mastered the Fourth Hokage's Flying Raijin Jutsu. His movements are uable. Without leverage to tie him down, it's impossible to front him directly."

  Sasuke turned his gaze toward Obito. "So Konoha is that leverage?"

  Obito smirked. "Naruto told you himself, didn't he? If you attack Konoha, he'll stop you. That way, we draw him out and trap him, giving us a ce to front him directly."

  Sasuke withdrew his gaze, his hands g into fists. "And after your so-called frontation? How will the spoils be divided?"

  Obito replied, "Naruto is ours to deal with. You focus on your revenge. Of course, the White Zetsu army will tio assist you."

  Sasuke's expression darkened, and he remained silent.

  "Hmph, Sasuke, are you hesitating because you 't bear to see the only person who siders you a friend being used like this? Or is it simply that you don't trust me?"

  Obito, unfazed, tinued, "Well, there's o overthink it. From a practical standpoint, ye-scale atta Konoha will also distraaruto and increase our ces of success. Our is remain alighe decision is yours."

  He and White Zetsu waited quietly for Sasuke's response.

  Finally, Uchiha Sasuke closed his eyes.

  Familiar faces fshed through his mind—former rades, vilge elders, his , his parents, and Naruto. But in the end, his thoughts settled on Itachi's smile before his death.

  The fmes of vengeaned everything else.

  Snap!

  Sasuke's eyes snapped open, revealing the cold brilliance of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

  He decred resolutely, "I will have my revenge on Konoha!"

  "Hmph, as expected, hope is an illusion. No one escape the cycle of hatred. The Infisukuyomi is the only way to elevate this world."

  Obito's lips curled into a smile. "Very well. Akatsuki will fully support your as. This war isn't Akatsuki versus the entire ninja world—it's Akatsuki versus Konoha. The oute was decided from the start!"

  "Hm?" White Zetsu's expression shifted slightly.

  Obito asked, "What is it?"

  White Zetsu replied, "A unit statio an abandoned outpost just sent a message. Jūgo and Suigetsu have arrived there to rendezvous with Sasuke."

  After a moment of thought, Obito said, "Those two still have their uses. Bring them here."

  About half an hour ter, Jūgo and Suigetsu, guided by White Zetsu, arrived at Akatsuki's new hideout.

  Upon seeing Sasuke, Suigetsu began pining bitterly about what he and Jūgo had endured siheir separation in the Land of Iron.

  Sasuke sat oone chair, listening indifferently. Only when Suigetsu mentioned something critical did his gaze flicker. "You said you and Naruto participated in an atta Kumogakure? Aook you to Amegakure afterward?"

  Swoosh! Obito appeared in front of Jūgo.

  "Don't move!"

  Under his mask, Obito's Sharingan gleamed with the light of genjutsu, immobilizing Jūgo.

  Obito then pulled back Jūgo's clothing, revealing Flying Raijin markings on both his shoulders.

  "Hmph."

  With a cold snort, Obito mercilessly grabbed Jūgo's arms and tore them off!

  "Argh!!!" The excruciating pain snapped Jūgo out of the genjutsu. He colpsed to the ground, blood and soolih him.

  Swoosh!

  Using Kamui, Obito sent Jūgo's severed arms into his right eye's dimension.

  "Stop the bleeding," Obito said coldly before turning away.

  Even Suigetsu couldn't stay silent. He shouted at Sasuke, "Hey!! Sasuke!! Are you just going to stand there a him treat one of your people like this without saying a word?!"

  Sasuke's gaze remained downcast, and he said nothing.

  "Huff, huff, huff... No matter," Jūgo gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as Suigetsu helped him up. He looked at Sasuke and said, "Sasuke, Naruto asked me to deliver a message to you."

  Supp his with his hand, Sasuke's eyes flickered. "What did he say?"

  Jūgo replied, "He said that Danzō is no longer in Konoha. He's goo Orochimaru's hideout, seeking a eback. You'd better strike first. I think that's the right call."

  Sasuke ched his fists tightly, his cold gaze fixed straight ahead. "My revenge doesn't need his meddling! No matter how much Danzō relies oernal forces—pathetically, absurdly, or pitifully—trying to grasp at the power of the Uchiha, my hatred will utterly e him!"

  "As for Naruto..."

  Sasuke's gaze faltered slightly, a flicker of an unreadable emotion crossing his eyes.

  "He barely protect himself. He'd better pray for his own survival."

  AnnouAdvanced chapters have been updated to Chapter 100. Thank you for supp my work! Wishing everyone a wonderful day!

  patreon./DarkGolds