Regardless of how the world changed around it, there was but one thing that remained constant in Amegakure. On good days and bad, the rain fell incessantly from the heavens, wearing away the eroded, infertile soil and battering against the rooftops of the apartment buildings in great sheets.
For the Land of Rain's inhabitants, the declaration of war between the Five Great Countries was business as usual. They went about their dreary days beneath the rain, knowing that things would have to get worse before they got better. For after every storm, there must come a rainbow… but in Amegakure's case, the rain would merely lessen somewhat in intensity.
"Zetsu's returned with news. The Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Stone are on the move."
Standing on the rooftop of the tallest skyscraper in Amegakure, Konan slowly revolved to face Obito, her expression perfectly blank. Ever since Nagato had died from exhaustion reviving the villagers of Konoha, she had remained here, watching over both Nagato's corpse and their beloved city.
"So, you were still alive after all, Madara," Konan said emotionlessly. "Don't you get it? The Akatsuki is finished. Our leader and most of our members are dead. There's nothing left for us to do but watch over those to whom Pain entrusted the future."
Although Konan had chosen to believe in Naruto and his friends, she had still been surprised to hear of Kusagakure's alliance with Konohagakure. Even though the people of Kusa were bullies, they were still a small village that valued its independence, much like Amegakure. Naruto's village befriending them heartened her; it meant that all their talk of bringing about peace was not merely empty words.
More importantly, it meant that even though the world was already rushing headlong into war, Nagato's death hadn't been in vain, because Naruto and his friends had inherited his wish for a peaceful world.
"So… it's treason then," Obito said, his visible eye narrowing. "You truly have betrayed the Akatsuki…"
Konan shook her head.
"No, it is we of the Akatsuki who lost our way," she replied. "I'm simply taking the organisation back to its roots."
At this point, there were only four of them left. Konan herself… and Obito's faction, which included the Zetsus and Hoshigaki Kisame.
"I'll give you one last chance to come to your senses," Obito said, extending one finger. "Iwagakure has requested our services in their war against Konohagakure; they do not wish to bear the brunt of Konoha's counterattack on their own, so they have asked us to create a diversion. You will go to the Tsuchikage and accept his request."
"And if I don't?" Konan said coolly.
The downpour of rain was deafening in the silence that followed.
"Then I kill you, right here and now."
Although Obito did not particularly want to kill Konan because of her ability to easily manufacture paper bombs with her powers, he would have no choice but to do so if she had truly turned traitor. At this point, money no longer mattered… only the Rinnegan, and the remaining Tailed Beasts!
…
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometres away, Team 7 was flying at top speed northwards atop Sasuke's hawk, unaware of what had just transpired in Amegakure. Contrary to Sakura's expectations, the Tsuchikage's mobilisation of his army near Kusagakure's border was no mere bluff, for he fully intended to make the Akatsuki bear the brunt of Konoha's forces in his stead.
However, while Obito knew many things Sakura didn't, what he did not know was that she knew he had White Zetsu planted all over Konoha, and that was an information gap he could not overcome.
Sakura understood that every policy decision she made while in the village would inevitably be leaked to the Zetsu network within seconds, so rather than gamble on Ōnoki not attacking and using his indecision to take the opportunity to personally launch a pre-emptive strike on the other side of the world, she had decided to try a little experiment.
While Sakura did not know for certain if Ōnoki would still rely on the Akatsuki after they had taken two of Iwa's Jinchūriki, she was aware of her lofty position; as Hokage, she couldn't simply go gallivanting on her own with the war about to begin in the west.
And so, Sakura had Katsuyu reverse-summon her to Mount Myōboku, where she secretly created a Shadow Clone. She sent her back to accompany Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke on their mission to Kumogakure, while she remained behind to absorb as much natural energy as she could manage from the rich environment of Shikkotsu Forest, in preparation for the coming conflict.
A few of the village's key officials would carry Katsuyu's divided selves on their persons, allowing them to summon back the real Sakura at any time, should war actually break out in the west!
"So, what is this plan you couldn't reveal to us back in the village?" Kakashi asked over the wind whistling in their ears. "Why are we heading to Kumogakure now, of all times?"
"We're going to kick their sorry butts, obviously!" Naruto shouted gleefully. "They'll regret ever declaring war on us, ya know!"
Naruto was just glad to be included.
Lately, it had seemed to him as though everyone was walking on eggshells around him, as though he were a ticking time bomb, and that had been deeply upsetting to him, since he simply wanted to be treated normally. Sakura seemed to have realised that, which was why she had decided to bring him along, even though it would be risky to take him to an enemy nation and expose him and Nine-Tails to so much of their resentment.
"I don't think you realise the gravity of the situation, Naruto," Kakashi said quietly. "This isn't like one of our usual missions."
But Naruto understood more than Kakashi realised; he was only making light of the situation to raise everyone's spirits. Through his strengthened connection with the Nine-Tailed Fox, he could actually feel the miasma of dread and hatred slowly thickening across the shinobi continent. The only thing keeping him from drowning in this pool of pure malice was his friends' presence at his side.
"The mission is simple," Sakura's Shadow Clone explained. "Capture or kill Mui, the Lorekeeper of Kusagakure, and, if possible, Killer Bee as well, if we can find him… though I'd rather keep him alive to avoid creating an irreconcilable feud with the Raikage."
And also, because Killer Bee was a pretty chill bloke… despite his sexual harassment rap.
"In any case, we won't be able to linger too long in the heart of the enemy's territory," Sakura added. "It's four against ten thousand, so if Garuda gets shot down and we get surrounded, it's all over."