Obito rushed to the location of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Luckily, the statue was still there.
But when he examined the inside, his face froze in shock.
Where was Zetsu?
Where were all those Zetsus?
How could all those creepy white clones that could give anyone phobias have vanished?
Zetsu, you've actually turned against me!
Obito growled through clenched teeth.
Leaving other matters aside, without Zetsu's intelligence network, how could he continue orchestrating everything from behind the scenes?
Losing Zetsu was like a cripple losing his cane, like Nagato losing Konan.
Extremely inconvenient.
How would he know what was happening in the ninja world in the future? Would he have to monitor everything himself?
That would be too passive.
As for the members of Akatsuki, he didn't expect them to be extremely loyal. Everyone could have their own personal agendas.
As long as they didn't hinder the plan, it was acceptable.
Zetsu was no different.
Now this had happened—before he even made a move, Zetsu fled first.
Everything became clear now—Izumi Uchiha had also been secretly rescued by Zetsu.
Who knows how many secret moves this guy had already made behind his back.
Obito froze in place, his expression clouded as he sank into thought. Then he activated Kamui again and appeared before Konan and Nagato.
The three stared at each other wordlessly.
After a while, Obito spoke calmly, "Zetsu has betrayed the organization."
In the capital of the Land of Fire,
"Master Jiraiya, Daimyo refuses to meet with you," Asuma said apologetically while standing outside the palace.
Given Jiraiya's reputation, how could Daimyo possibly agree to see him? He had politely declined, and not having his guards attack directly already showed his caution, fearing Jiraiya might suddenly turn violent.
Jiraiya sighed helplessly.
Ever since he learned about the economic alliance between several nations, Jiraiya had immediately changed course and headed straight for the capital of the Land of Fire, hoping to meet with Daimyo and change his mind.
Daimyo might not understand the intricate details, but Jiraiya understood them all too well.
The two great ninja villages of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning—Konoha and Kumogakure—had already fallen under Kaguya's control.
With the Countries of Hot Springs and Frost right in the middle now under control, the White Zetsus were more than capable of handling ordinary ninja.
At a glance, it seemed like the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning were protecting several smaller countries, but who knew when Hot Springs and Frost might swallow up these two major nations instead?
Unfortunately, others failed to realize this.
Looking toward the interior of the palace, Jiraiya glanced toward the palace, a glint flashing in his eyes.
He was weighing whether to storm straight in.
As if guessing his thoughts, Asuma coughed lightly and whispered, "Master Jiraiya, Daimyo values his reputation highly, and above all, values his life."
His words clearly implied that the ninjas within the palace were already prepared for battle.
Understanding the hidden meaning, Jiraiya's brows furrowed slightly with concern, and he reluctantly withdrew his gaze.
Turning toward Asuma, he pulled out a letter from his robe, "Asuma, this is the letter Master Sarutobi wrote for you."
"Stay here for now. Even if you return to Konoha, you'll only face hostility, and might end up like the other members of the Sarutobi, sent to the borders."
Asuma opened it on the spot and skimmed through the contents.
The words were warm and heartfelt, advising him how to recognize good friends in the future, how to choose a partner, and even included some plans for Konohamaru's future.
Asuma felt an odd emotion stir within him. After a long pause, he lifted his head and spoke softly, "Senior Jiraiya, is my father still alive?"
"..." Jiraiya opened his mouth but no words came out.
Slightly turning away his head, Jiraiya avoided Asuma's gaze, gently patting his shoulder instead.
Asuma stiffened—he understood everything now.
Back in Konoha.
"Lord Third, Kakashi-senpai is injured. His left eye has been stolen!"
Hearing her subordinate's report, Tsunade, who had been going over documents, tore out several pages from a weathered ninja file and followed the subordinate into Konoha Hospital.
Kakashi, whose eye had been taken, already had his head wrapped in bandages, leaving only his right eye exposed.
Guilt flickered briefly in his eyes, deeply buried under layers of self-reproach.
"Is this the one?" Tsunade asked, holding up a file photo of Obito Uchiha before him.
Kakashi hesitated, took the file, and examined it carefully. His expression turned slightly confused.
"It wasn't stolen from you," Tsunade said calmly. "It was just returned to its rightful owner. Obito Uchiha is still alive."
Kakashi froze, as if struggling to process the words at first.
"Just rest and recover, Kakashi. If someone donates their eyes, I'll arrange it for you..."
"Hokage-sama, is it really true?" Kakashi interrupted hoarsely.
Tsunade nodded calmly.
Covering his left eye, Kakashi's voice sounded dry and hollow. "That light was never mine to begin with. Let it be this way."
Tsunade glanced at him normally, sighing inwardly. "Let me know anytime if you ever change your mind."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Kakashi sat motionless, staring blankly ahead as if the world around him had faded away.
"Obito... is it really you?"
"Is Izumi alright?" Tsunade asked, entering another hospital room.
Lying in bed was Izumi Uchiha.
The nurse on duty responded, "Everything seems fine, except her nutritional intake has been insufficient."
Night fell.
Kaguya, rarely showing interest, flipped through the Map of the Ninja World.
Zetsu appeared behind her.
"You've completed what I assigned to you?" Kaguya asked without turning around, sensing his presence.
Black Zetsu felt slightly awkward. He originally intended to tell Kaguya that although he failed to bring back the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and the Rinnegan, he had assisted in neutralizing Kakuzu and Sasori of the Red Sands in her stead.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard Kaguya give a soft sigh.
"It doesn't matter where the Demonic Statue is placed," she murmured.
"As long as there's even a sliver of hope for their so-called plan, they'll stop at nothing, exhausting every possible path this world offers."
"The real trouble... is that person..."
"That person?" Black Zetsu repeated.
"There was another Otsutsuki with me when we arrived on this planet—Isseki."
"At the moment of death, he fled. For me, those thousand years were wasted — my power just slipped away."
"But for him, it's been a time to recover. He could be hiding somewhere, rebuilding his strength. Zetsu, you *will* find him." Kaguya turned around.
After hearing this, Zetsu's mood grew serious as well. "Mother, where should we start looking?"
"From Zero," Kaguya replied. "My understanding of him is still based on the past. He might already be hiding under a new identity — somewhere in the Ninja World, maybe even in another dimension."
Black Zetsu solemnly nodded his head.
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