"What? The Fire Temple was attacked?"
The next day, in Konohagakure.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed the report on his desk, his face full of disbelief.
"What exactly happened? What's going on?"
Although the Fire Temple wasn't directly connected to them, the fact that this incident occurred in the Land of Fire made it a matter of concern.
"Lord Hokage, we're not entirely sure of the details."
The ANBU operative shook his head helplessly. Even they were baffled by the situation.
They had received the news early in the morning but had no clear understanding of what had transpired. All they knew was that a battle had taken place at the Fire Temple, and even the entire mountain had been obliterated!
They were deeply curious—what kind of battle could cause such destruction?
But alas, they truly didn't know.
"However, according to reports, there don't seem to be many casualties. The monks from the Fire Temple are already on their way to Konohagakure, and their head priest has something important to report to you personally."
"They're coming in person?"
Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe, pondering for a moment before nodding.
"Understood. Have Asuma go meet them. He has a good relationship with the head priest, Chiriku, so he'll be the best person for this task."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
The ANBU operative responded promptly. Hiruzen thought for a moment longer before continuing.
"Also, send a team to investigate the Fire Temple. Let... no, not Kakashi—send Haiichi with an ANBU squad instead!"
Hiruzen initially considered sending Kakashi to lead the investigation, but then he remembered the "curse" associated with Kakashi's teams—every mission seemed to end with someone hospitalized.
He immediately decided it was better to assign someone more specialized.
Recalling the times when he himself ended up in the hospital after a scare, or when Jiraiya was punched straight into the hospital by Tsunade, he felt it was wiser not to take any risks.
"Lord Hokage, are you sure you don't want Captain Kakashi to handle this?"
The ANBU operative's tone turned slightly odd, but Hiruzen was firm.
"That's the decision. Haiichi is a professional; he's better suited for this type of mission."
"Understood, Lord Hokage. I'll take my leave now."
"Go ahead."
Watching the ANBU operative leave, Hiruzen sighed deeply.
It felt like troubles were piling up one after another recently. He even began to suspect that the Akatsuki was up to something again.
"Not to mention, Kumogakure isn't exactly behaving themselves either. The joint Chūnin Exams are scheduled for next year, but the shinobi world is becoming increasingly chaotic."
Hiruzen felt a sense of melancholy as he puffed on his pipe, sinking into thought.
He decided that the Chūnin Exams would require enhanced security measures. Regardless of whether anything happened, they needed to be prepared for every possibility.
Glancing at the crystal ball beside him, he made up his mind.
"Given the circumstances, I should thoroughly assess the situation in Konohagakure and ensure everything is in place for security."
"Are you alright?"
As Hiruzen Sarutobi deliberated over the village's security and the Fire Temple incident, Black Zetsu was currently checking on Obito Uchiha.
Although he asked with apparent concern, his true intention was to uncover what had happened the previous night. However, he knew he couldn't rush things.
After all, there were far too many questions stemming from that battle.
"Not exactly," Obito replied, leaning wearily against the wall.
"I had to use Izanagi, but last night..."
Obito's voice trailed off, his frustration evident. He had been thoroughly beaten, with no room to fight back.
Certainly, part of this was due to a lack of intel.
Additionally, there was an invisible force that seemed to exert constant pressure on him.
But no matter how many external factors contributed to the outcome, the result remained unchanged. If he hadn't prepared Izanagi in advance, he might very well have died on the spot.
Even so, his body was now riddled with "spare parts," a testament to the extent of the damage he had sustained.
Shaking his head, Obito spoke in a low voice.
"What about the other two? How are they doing?"
"They're not in great shape," White Zetsu chimed in, his tone as cheerful as ever.
"Kisame managed to survive by retreating into his Samehada sword during the explosion. But he's now so emaciated he doesn't even look human, and he's still unconscious."
Using Samehada to shield himself not only allowed Kisame to hide but also mitigated the damage. However, this was his last resort.
The backlash from the explosion had drained the Chakra within Samehada, forcing it to siphon Kisame's own Chakra just to keep him alive.
"As for Itachi Uchiha, his condition is far worse."
Seeing Obito remain silent, White Zetsu continued with a grin.
"When I found him, he was on the verge of death. His entire body was broken, and he seemed to be in immense pain.
"Not only that, but his eyes appeared to be damaged as well. Right now, we're just trying to keep him alive and see if he can recover."
"That damn bastard!"
Even though Obito had mentally prepared himself, hearing this still caused him to snap.
They had lost so miserably!
Both Kisame and Itachi were barely clinging to life. Especially Itachi, whom Obito had carefully groomed as a key pawn, now reduced to such a pitiful state. How could he not feel frustrated?
"What exactly happened last night, Obito?"
Finally finding an opening, Black Zetsu pressed for answers, his expression grave.
"I arrived late and only caught glimpses of the battle. I don't know the full details.
"But I want to know—who was that guy, and what happened?"
"That guy..."
Obito clenched his teeth, the image of the white-clad figure floating in the air flashing through his mind.
"That guy's target seemed to be the Nine-Tails' Chakra. We detected the presence of the Nine-Tails' Chakra and went there because of it."
Thump.
Hearing the mention of Tailed Beast Chakra, Black Zetsu's heart skipped a beat.
"Moreover, his abilities seemed very similar to the Rinnegan, yet his eyes weren't Rinnegan. They were a brilliant blue.
"We couldn't do anything against him!"
Abilities resembling the Rinnegan...
Black Zetsu's heart sank further. Although he had suspected as much, hearing it confirmed sent shivers down his spine.
"And that guy—he was unbelievably arrogant."
Obito didn't notice Black Zetsu's reaction as he continued, his fists clenched tightly.
"His words sounded polite, but he carried himself with an air of superiority that was utterly nauseating.
"Even with a mask on, I felt like I could see the faint smile on his face. But his eyes—they were cold, indifferent, and empty.
"He kept referring to us as 'inferior beings.' Who does he think he is?!"
As Obito raged, Black Zetsu was on the verge of collapse.
Polite yet indifferent...
Arrogant and condescending...
Referring to others as "inferior beings"...
These descriptions struck a nerve, causing White Zetsu to glance at Black Zetsu in confusion. He couldn't understand why the latter seemed so shaken.
"By the way, he mentioned a name."
Suddenly, Obito took a deep breath, as if dredging up painful memories.
"I don't know if you've heard of it."
"...Tell me."
"He said his name was Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki."
"...!"
In that instant, Black Zetsu's mind seemed to shatter.
If not for White Zetsu's support, he might have collapsed entirely.
His gaze turned vacant as he instinctively looked up at the sky, his lips trembling as if trying to form words.
"Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki..."
Hearing that name, Black Zetsu felt an overwhelming sense of despair.
Although he had been born at the moment of Kaguya's sealing, he had inherited fragments of her memories.
And now, a chilling thought crept into his mind:
"This is the end... Has Mother's kin finally come for us?"
Meanwhile, in a secluded cave deep within the forests of the Land of Fire, Kitagawa Minamoto stretched his sore body and stood up.
"Man, that was exhausting."
He muttered to himself, feeling the lingering effects of the Tenseigan Chakra coursing through him.
"It seems I need to be more cautious with the amount of Chakra I draw from the Tenseigan. Even my body has its limits."
Reflecting on the battle, he couldn't help but smile.
"Still, the rewards from this encounter were more than worth it."
(End of Chapter)
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