While Aizen Sōsuke was engrossed in his research, outside in Konoha, undercurrents were stirring.
The Uchiha Clan suffered heavy losses, and the turmoil of Konoha being invaded by external enemies was not something that could be quelled in a day or two.
During this period, various Anbu and spies constantly launched all sorts of probes into Konoha; there were dozens of large and small battles on the Land of Fire border alone, and countless meetings were held between Shinobi Clans and within the Konoha Leadership at the Hokage Building.
The huge void left by the Uchiha Clan represented not only the decline of this clan but also the appearance of a sweet cake.
Everyone wanted to seize greater benefits within this brief window of opportunity.
However, on the other side...
Under the shadow behind all of this...
Some people might not be so happy.
"Hmm?"
In the shadows, Zetsu opened his eyes.
On his half-black, half-white face, a rare hint of confusion appeared.
Just now, the consciousness of the part of his body that had split off had completely disappeared.
As a shadow that had maintained a long-term hidden presence under the thousand-year history of the Ninja World, Zetsu had an unimaginable confidence in his own concealment and information transmission abilities, far beyond ordinary humans.
He was his mother's last child, a noble race far superior to mere Ninja, and a true Chakra lifeform with a complete self-consciousness.
He was not on the same level as ordinary Ninja at all.
Although he had no outstanding abilities in direct combat, when it came to concealment, infiltration, and information gathering, no one in the entire Ninja World could surpass him.
However, from that day over ten days ago, when he followed Obito's instructions to go to the Uchiha Clan Compound to deliver a message to Uchiha Itachi, the consciousness of that clone had completely disconnected from his main body.
In a thousand years, this was the first time such a thing had happened.
Originally, he thought it might have been subjected to some special sealing, or that Uchiha Itachi's eyes possessed some soul-piercing ability that had severed him, requiring a certain amount of time or special conditions to break free.
But before he could even act, the very existence of that consciousness itself completely vanished, never to be found again.
This information made Black Zetsu feel a vague sense of dread.
After all, being able to eliminate a part of his consciousness meant that the opponent possessed the ability to eliminate his main body.
This was what he feared most.
Who exactly was this opponent?
Black Zetsu pondered silently, placing a big question mark over Uchiha Itachi in his mind.
Just as he was deep in thought...
"What's wrong?"
"Is there still no news from Uchiha Itachi?"
Seemingly noticing the change in his expression, Obito, who was sitting on a tree branch, asked with an irritated tone.
"Oh dear, there's absolutely no news."
Listening to Obito's voice, Zetsu's black and white face reverted to his usual carefree smile.
"So scary, so scary."
"That Itachi-kun, he cut my clone into several pieces with just one glance!"
"Still no news now, it must be because of his Dōjutsu."
"Most likely, it's been sealed."
"Hmph, useless."
Hearing this, Uchiha Obito jumped down from the tree branch, snorting coldly, but a strong sense of apprehension also rose in his heart.
Susanoo could indeed be immune to the Dōjutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan, but only if one had enough time to activate Susanoo.
When facing a combatant of the same level, even Uchiha Obito had to consider the nature of the Dōjutsu the opponent possessed.
It was absolutely impossible for him to recklessly appear before them.
However, this meant his current plan had completely failed.
"Damn it."
"The plan was going so well, how did it suddenly turn out like this?"
Uchiha Obito mumbled under his breath.
His plan to destroy the Uchiha Clan was originally a three-birds-with-one-stone strategy.
He could use this opportunity to collect a large number of Sharingan as backups amidst the chaotic battle, destroy the Uchiha Clan itself, eliminate this powerful and highly unpredictable fighting clan, and also ignite a large-scale civil war in Konoha, paving the way for his future Tailed Beast plan.
But now, it was all for naught.
The main force of the Uchiha Clan was not damaged, and the forces Konoha deployed were quite limited.
A large number of Sharingan that should have been his were taken by someone unknown, and he couldn't even find many in Anbu and Root.
— It must have been those bastards Uchiha Itachi and Shisui.
His plan had completely failed.
Uchiha Obito thought self-deprecatingly, his brows furrowed beneath his mask.
After thinking for a long time, with his limited intelligence, he couldn't figure out a solution and had to throw the problem to the yin-yang faced secretary beside him.
"What do we do now?"
"The Uchiha Clan can't possibly start a second civil war now. We can't keep provoking the Hyuga Clan into a civil war, can we?"
"Eh—?"
Zetsu drew out his words, "Obito, you haven't properly read the historical records Lord Madara left behind, have you?"
"Huh?!"
Uchiha Obito, hearing this, jumped up in exasperation, "Who said that? I've been working hundreds of times harder than I ever did in school!"
"The Hyuga Clan is very dangerous, you know," Zetsu advised softly.
"Hyuga? Just them?"
Uchiha Obito frowned, not understanding.
In his impression, although the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was as famous as their Sharingan, in actual combat, it didn't seem to be that big of a deal.
Most of their top combatants were only equivalent to the highest-ranking Jonin, completely falling short of the Kage standard.
He dared to scheme against the Uchiha, who had Mangekyo Sharingan, so what danger could the Hyuga possibly pose?
"It's precisely because they are ordinary enough that they are very dangerous."
"Have you never thought about it?"
"Despite the overall strength of their clan not being particularly outstanding, and those in the Hyuga Main Family possessing a treasure like the Byakugan that anyone can use, how have they maintained their current prestige and survived for so long over a thousand years?"
Although he was advising, Zetsu's words clearly carried a hint of temptation.
Uchiha Obito disliked being kept in suspense and said discontentedly, "Are you going to tell me or not?"
"That's because of their trump card, of course!"
Zetsu's tone rose slightly, as if with a touch of proud self-satisfaction, "Whenever the Hyuga Clan faces a crisis of annihilation, there always appears a monster-like individual among them who deals with all the enemies."
"Even the Uchiha of that era suffered considerable losses, and that was the Uchiha Clan of the Sengoku period."
The Uchiha Clan, who had faced countless battles from a young age during the Sengoku period, was not the same concept as the modern Uchiha.
Just the countless Mangekyo awakened under intense mental stimulation would be enough for others to contend with.
"Such a thing happened?"
Uchiha Obito's expression grew more surprised, his eyes showing clear ignorance.
Sigh.
Zetsu sighed inwardly.
Although idiots were easier to control, it was truly difficult to get him to do anything productive.
Unlike Uchiha Obito's complete ignorance...
Having lived for a thousand years, how could Black Zetsu not know the Hyuga Clan's true trump card?
Back then, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Hamura separately guarded the moon's seal and the Ninja World's land. To maintain contact, they also left the Hyuga lineage in the Ninja World as a monitoring point.
In a sense, the Hyuga were equivalent to the beacon left by Ōtsutsuki Hamura in the Ninja World, and it was impossible for them to be allowed to disappear.
If it weren't for these complex reasons and the formidable combat power represented by the name of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, he, who desperately wanted to revive his mother, would not have wasted a thousand years in the Ninja World for nothing; he would have already gone to the moon.
"However—"
However, as if suddenly remembering something, Black Zetsu's tone changed.
Uchiha Obito immediately perked up, "However what?"
"However, in recent years, since Konoha was established, the Hyuga family's trump card doesn't seem to have appeared."
"Those historical records might not necessarily be accurate."
Zetsu's tone seemed to carry a hint of deliberation.
In fact, he also didn't know what had become of the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon now.
But, if he could use Konoha's hand to make the people behind the Hyuga act and see, it didn't seem like a bad thing either.
"Is that so?"
Uchiha Obito thought, gently stroking his chin.
Compared to the benefits of destroying the Uchiha, destroying the Hyuga seemed to offer no real advantage.
However, as long as it could cause more trouble for Konoha, he didn't really care.
Konoha was the biggest stumbling block truly standing in the way of his Eye of the Moon Plan.
Thinking this, Uchiha Obito's gaze gradually became firmer.
"Then let's do it this way."
Whether it was Konoha or the Hyuga.
Only by clearing them all away could his path become smooth.
What's more, compared to the relatively united Uchiha, the Hyuga Clan itself had huge internal contradictions.
Uchiha Obito thought, and a plan gradually took shape in his mind.
The best point of entry was undoubtedly the Hyuga Main Family itself.
By controlling the people of the Main Family, he could further integrate the power of the entire Hyuga Clan, gradually eliminate dissidents, gather his forces, and find those who were dissatisfied with the Hyuga itself, and also with Konoha.
Finally, launch an attack on Konoha.
Perfect!