Chapter 269:
Who has the strongest ability to gather intelligence in the entire ninja world? Orochimaru would undoubtedly say it's White Zetsu.
The vast number of White Zetsu clones and their innate ability to merge seamlessly with nature are far beyond Orochimaru's current capabilities.
However, being a reincarnator, Orochimaru possesses a unique advantage, he already knows the general whereabouts of the nine tailed beasts. This gives him an edge over the original Akatsuki organization when it comes to capturing them.
Originally, his plan was to first take control of small countries before dealing with the tailed beasts.
After all, eight of the nine tailed beasts reside within the Five Great Nations, and those nations are far too powerful for Orochimaru to confront openly right now. If he acted rashly, it would only alert them to his presence.
But when it came to Takigakure, the situation left him no choice but to act.
Small villages like Takigakure were often at the mercy of larger nations, routinely oppressed and exploited.
Although Orochimaru knew the general locations of the tailed beasts, his information lacked specifics. Beyond Konoha's Nine-Tails and Kumo's Eight-Tails, he wasn't certain whether the other tailed beasts currently had Jinchūriki or where exactly those Jinchūriki might be.
Without access to the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques to read memories, Orochimaru resorted to using the overwhelming power of his Mangekyō Sharingan to dominate and control Takigakure's village chief.