"Hey, Minamoto, where are you going?"
Deidara had been enthusiastically recounting how satisfying their mission had been, but seeing Kitagawa Minamoto suddenly stand up, he couldn't help but ask curiously.
Deidara was brimming with excitement—not because the three of them had accomplished such a feat, but because he had thoroughly enjoyed blowing things up.
"I'm going out to take a look. After all, this is still Kumogakure's territory."
Kitagawa Minamoto shrugged casually in response.
"Besides, our clones have already relayed the information. The people back in the village must be quite anxious now. Rest up; we'll head back tomorrow."
"Tch, so we've been discovered. But whatever, we've completed the mission anyway, hmm."
Deidara grumbled, slightly annoyed, but the thought of Ōnoki's utterly shocked expression, as seen by the clones, made him chuckle gleefully.
"And you're too much, Minamoto. You didn't even leave one for me to play with. Seriously!"
"Come on, solving the problem quickly is already good enough. What more do you want?"
Mei Terumi interjected, sounding a little exasperated. Though deep down, she was quite pleased—they had truly accomplished an impossible mission this time!
"Rest up and let's head back early. I imagine they'll have finished their discussions by the time we return."
"Tch, I couldn't care less about those discussions."
Deidara snorted and then looked at Kitagawa Minamoto curiously.
"Want me to come with you? I've got nothing better to do anyway."
"No need. I'll go alone and be back soon."
Kitagawa Minamoto immediately shook his head—he had no intention of taking Deidara along.
After all, he wasn't going to investigate anything seriously; he was going to stir up trouble!
After dismissing Deidara, Kitagawa Minamoto left the cave and found a secluded spot to create a Divine Tree clone.
"Seriously, not even a bit of Tailed Beast Chakra as a reward? And you absorbed the Chakra of the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails, yet there's no reaction?"
Looking at his Divine Tree clone, Kitagawa Minamoto couldn't help but complain. The clone tilted its head in confusion and retorted.
"Talking to yourself—is that fun for you? Also, if the Divine Tree's source hasn't reacted, neither of us knows why. Are you crazy?"
"Insulting me is the same as insulting yourself."
"And aren't you doing the same?"
"No, I'm the main body; you're the clone."
"Crazy."
The Divine Tree clone seemed uninterested in continuing the conversation. Insulting oneself was truly pointless.
Kitagawa Minamoto realized this wasn't going anywhere and felt frustrated. Even after using the Wood Dragon technique for so long, there was no significant effect.
If the "Divine Tree's Source" weren't within him, he might have suspected he was being short-changed!
"Forget it. Let's focus on the task at hand and get what we need first."
Kitagawa Minamoto stretched lazily and then gazed up at the sky.
"But once this is over, I should head to the moon. Dealing with those old and frail remnants on the moon shouldn't be a problem now."
As his strength grew, he could feel the Tenseigan on the moon becoming increasingly "clear" to him.
Although he hadn't fully gained control over it—likely due to remnants left behind by Hamura Ōtsutsuki—he felt confident that his current power was sufficient to handle the situation.
Even without a direct comparison to other Ōtsutsuki, he didn't believe he was any weaker than Toneri Ōtsutsuki at his peak.
"Maybe I'm even stronger. After all…"
Changing into his attire and donning a mask, Kitagawa Minamoto slowly began to levitate. His eyes radiated a dazzling light.
"I've fought my way here through sweat and effort!"
"Not like those who've stayed on the moon with no real combat experience."
"Kumogakure has fallen?"
In the Rain Country, within the Akatsuki's base.
Nagato and Obito's eyes widened in shock upon hearing the news.
Even Orochimaru, who was working on Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation nearby, raised an eyebrow.
However, Orochimaru remained silent, still brooding over the humiliation he had suffered in front of Zetsu.
He hadn't expected that the reincarnated First and Second Hokage would be stolen from him!
Thinking back, it was understandable—Konohagakure wouldn't sit idly by after seeing him reincarnate Danzō.
Still, losing two trump cards left him feeling somewhat frustrated.
"Well, at least Zetsu promised to help me find materials related to Madara Uchiha. That might be an even better option…"
Orochimaru had always been obsessed with unraveling Madara's secrets. Perhaps he would soon uncover the truth.
But this was a secret shared only between him and Zetsu. Orochimaru couldn't shake the feeling that Zetsu had ulterior motives.
"How did it happen so quickly? I haven't received any information about Konohagakure launching an attack."
Konan frowned and asked quietly. She was in charge of handling Rain Village's affairs, including intelligence.
She knew the major villages were gathering their forces and preparing, but none seemed ready to attack yet!
"Are you sure your intel is accurate?"
Obito couldn't help but ask, to which Zetsu solemnly nodded.
"There's no mistake. The attackers… were only three people!"
"Three? Are you joking? Even if Kitagawa Minamoto was among them, that's not enough to accomplish this. Unless…"
Obito dismissed the idea, believing Kitagawa Minamoto's abilities were limited to small-scale battles.
At least, that was his impression. But suddenly, he thought of something and glanced at Orochimaru.
"It shouldn't be the First Hokage."
Orochimaru immediately understood Obito's implication and shook his head calmly.
"The Impure World Reincarnation technique isn't perfected yet. Even if they summoned him, he wouldn't be able to unleash his full power."
"It's not the First Hokage. It's Kitagawa Minamoto himself…"
Zetsu took a deep breath and finally spoke.
"Don't be surprised. This is the truth. And this time, he's made another unbelievable leap in power."
"Leap in power? Could it be…"
"Yes, it's Wood Release. Using Wood Release, he defeated the two Jinchūriki and shattered Kumogakure entirely."
"How is that possible?!"
Everyone present gasped in disbelief.
Kitagawa Minamoto had mastered Wood Release?
What was going on with this guy?
Hadn't he already learned Dust Release? How could he also master Wood Release?
Unfortunately, Zetsu didn't provide further explanation. He himself was somewhat numb to the situation.
He hadn't even told them the most shocking part—Kitagawa Minamoto had used True Several Thousand Hands!
That technique was capable of true devastation…
"Enough. Let's not dwell on this."
Zetsu shook his head.
While True Several Thousand Hands was powerful, he believed it was insignificant compared to his mother's abilities.
To him, the entire ninja world was merely a pasture, with only a few individuals posing any real threat.
Right now, the priority was dealing with Kumogakure's situation to facilitate his mother's eventual return.
"I think it's time for us to head to Kumogakure. This is their moment of greatest despair."
"Now?"
Nagato raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"Isn't it too early? Even though they've fallen, the other three villages' forces haven't arrived yet. If we go now…"
"It's perfect timing. They won't agree to our terms right away."
Before Nagato could finish, Zetsu interrupted.
"Going now is only to plant a seed—to make them understand that they can only rely on us now.
When the three major villages forcibly divide them and their pride is completely shattered, this seed will sprout and grow strong.
At that point, they'll fully turn to us, relying on us to face the entire ninja world!"
Zetsu might lack combat prowess, but his scheming was top-notch.
His words made Nagato, Konan, and even Obito raise their eyebrows.
This strategy felt eerily familiar…
"Perhaps it's worth a try."
Nagato nodded, though he felt a bit regretful.
"But I don't think I'm suited to act right now."
"You should focus on recovering. We don't need too many people for this mission."
Zetsu nodded, though he felt frustrated looking at Nagato.
After being thoroughly beaten by Ōtsutsuki Minamoto, Nagato was practically half-crippled.
Still, his unwavering resolve made Zetsu believe he was still useful.
Thus, he decided to take a risky approach—implanting White Zetsu's cells to give Nagato true power!
Previously, Nagato had only used White Zetsu as an outer layer to provide additional energy.
But this had proven insufficient.
Though Zetsu doubted the effectiveness of directly implanting White Zetsu's cells, it was worth a try to slightly enhance Nagato's abilities.
Looking at Nagato's recovering body, Zetsu sighed inwardly.
Fortunately, he had already prepared for Madara Uchiha's return. Everything was still under control!
"This time, Obito, Orochimaru, and I will act together. The rest should stay here to recover."
"That sounds best."
Obito nodded in agreement. The Akatsuki had suffered greatly at the hands of Ōtsutsuki Minamoto, leaving them with few capable members.
"Orochimaru has at least worked with the Raikage before, which might make negotiations easier."
"Alright then. Let's move."
Zetsu made the decision and looked at Obito.
"Konohagakure might act quickly once they receive the news. We need to resolve this before they do."
"Understood."
Obito nodded, and Orochimaru had no objections either.
With the discussion concluded, the three immediately set off.
Thanks to Obito's Kamui, they could reach Kumogakure almost instantly.
With the distortion of space, the three vanished, leaving Nagato and Konan behind.
"Are you alright, Nagato?"
After the others left, Konan couldn't help but ask.
"I'm fine. Better than ever."
Nagato clenched his fist, feeling his body gradually recover.
"Of course, they might tamper with me a bit, but that doesn't matter."
Despite the recent events, Nagato's relationship with Zetsu and Obito had slightly improved.
But distrust remained—it was clear they were merely using each other.
"The most important thing is that I'm recovering. I can walk the path of the Sage of Six Paths again and bring peace to this world!"
"Nagato…"
Konan looked at him with concern, but ultimately sighed.
She could only hope that everything would turn out alright.
"Here we are."
Meanwhile, Obito, Zetsu, and Orochimaru landed steadily.
Kamui's convenience was unmatched, allowing them to arrive in no time.
"This is truly astonishing…"
Looking at the collapsed mountains and feeling the lingering Chakra in the air, even Zetsu couldn't help but sigh.
Obito and Orochimaru nodded slightly. The destruction before them was terrifying.
"Hm?"
Before they could act, they sensed something.
The three simultaneously looked up at the sky.
There, a man dressed in white and wearing a mask hovered, gazing at them with curiosity.
The three stared back, and for a moment, the air seemed to freeze.
"Why is it you again?"
After a long pause, the figure in the sky finally spoke, his tone playful.
"Inferior creatures and…"
"Kaguya's Chakra?"
"!!!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters? 🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world? ✍ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?✨patreon.com/GoldenLong(End of Chapter)