"Leave Itachi to you for now, Lady Tsunade!"
Using a ninja technique, Obito suddenly appeared beside Tsunade, handed over the half-conscious Itachi, and quickly spoke before vanishing.
Whoosh—
Before Tsunade could even respond, the Obito in front of her was already gone.
She frowned, studying the pale-faced ninja with only one arm. He looked vaguely familiar—could this be the young leader of the Uchiha Clan, Itachi Uchiha?
"Did he encounter enemies?"
Without lingering on the thought, Tsunade quickly called over another nearby ninja for help. Her eyes sharpened as she examined the stump where Itachi's arm had been, assessing the injury.
If they found the severed arm, she was confident she could reattach it—though it might never regain full dexterity, it would still be usable in daily life.
For now though, stopping the bleeding and dressing the wound came first. Other concerns could wait.
From what she knew, this young Uchiha ninja wasn't weak by any means, yet here he was—in such a state.
The enemy must have been a tough opponent indeed.
Thinking about that, Tsunade felt a tightness in her chest, her heart restless and uneasy.
Witnessing how Konoha had become today, she couldn't help but feel like the world had changed far too fast and bizarrely.
Could even a strong village like Konoha fall into such a state?
...
Minato didn't move as he watched Saitama disappear. His brow remained deeply furrowed, his expression dark and grim.
What Saitama had said before leaving had touched Minato's "adamant scale"—a metaphor for provoking someone beyond reason—and left him in a terrible mood.
His gaze flickered slightly as he turned toward the side.
Obito Uchiha reappeared there, looking visibly fatigued. Two consecutive space-time jumps had drained him greatly.
"Sensei, did he leave?"
Obito stared at Minato. The tomoe within his eyes kept spinning rapidly, showing his tense state.
"Yes. Konoha isn't suitable for a major battle right now, so he chose to leave. I didn't try to stop him."
"But..."
"Let's end things here for today. What about Shisui and the others?"
"I've already sent them to Lady Tsunade. Itachi's injuries are severe, and Shisui's condition isn't light either."
"Hm. Go greet the surrounding shinobi and tell them to disperse. However, vigilance must still be maintained. Strengthen the village perimeter's alertness. I also have matters to attend to, so I won't stay any longer."
With a glance toward the village outskirts, Minato issued his final orders and vanished on the spot.
As for the current situation in the village, he had many issues needing attention. Relying solely on Shikaku wouldn't resolve everything completely.
Though he had just felt intense anger toward Saitama, his reason told him not to keep fighting recklessly. Plus, he wasn't entirely sure he could actually contain someone like Saitama—who also wielded Flying Thunder God techniques.
So it was better to pull back for now and let the enemy go. Then he could focus on calming the internal chaos in the village. At their next meeting, he'd unleash all his fury in one decisive strike.
"I understand."
Obito gave a brief nod. After his teacher disappeared, he moved toward some observing shinobi gathered not far away.
The opposing ninja had all come over after hearing the commotion, but due to the large scale of the battle, many of them could only surround the area without daring to enter recklessly.
After approaching and exchanging words with them, Obito passed on his teacher's orders. Soon, the nearby ninja dispersed completely, heading to assist at the search-and-rescue site or joining the patrol units.
As for himself, he left shortly afterward.
...
"Nagato and the others have already left safely. Perhaps this failure will lead to more pressure on him."
Saitama stood atop a mountain outside Konoha Village, speaking thus to White Zetsu, whose upper body had slightly emerged from the ground beside him.
"He didn't even meet the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki — something I hadn't expected. In my plan, this mission could've been a turning point over all these years: if successful, naturally obtaining a Tailed Beast would've benefited us greatly; if it failed, maybe it would lead to a mutually damaging situation—either way, it was still a win-win for us."
White Zetsu said with some amusement. After all, when he initially found Nagato together with Saitama and applied to join Akatsuki, wasn't it precisely for using him—the temporary user of the Rinnegan—as a pawn, achieving their goals behind the scenes with minimal effort?
"This time, Nagato truly surprised me. When capturing the Nine-Tails clearly turned into a lost cause, he actually chose to retreat. For him, maybe this is also a sign of growth."
"Still, it's acceptable. After all, we'll still need him and his Rinnegan for our next attempt against the Nine-Tails. You currently don't seem able to control the Rinnegan as skillfully as Nagato does, right?"
"I might still lack that final touch, so there's no rush. Once all the Tailed Beasts are captured, we'll have plenty of opportunity to deal with him. Besides, every use of the Rinnegan takes a toll on his body—even someone with the Uzumaki lineage might struggle to endure it for long. Letting him stay on the frontlines, bearing all the pressure for us, sounds perfectly fine for now!"
Saitama narrowed his eyes slightly, speaking with a complex tone. Whether his words matched his actions was difficult to judge at that moment.
Upon hearing this, White Zetsu seemed to contemplate something unknown.
From these words, he felt that Saitama hadn't broken their original promise yet—but still couldn't shake off a lingering unease.
Perhaps, just like Black Zetsu mentioned previously, Saitama had indeed begun entertaining thoughts conflicting with Madara Uchiha's original plan. However, due to Madara's contingency measures, he was simply waiting for an opportunity to fully change things.
White Zetsu hadn't ignored such possibility. With Saitama growing ever stronger, their ability to constrain him gradually weakened—so losing full control over him was, in fact, quite natural.
And by this point, finding a suitable replacement for Saitama was practically impossible.
Therefore, regardless of what changes might occur, they'd have to keep moving forward.
His job remained to observe Saitama closely. As for whether Saitama eventually acted entirely contrary to Madara Uchiha's plan, he could do nothing but watch silently, since his power was insufficient to force any corrections.
Even Black Zetsu, the embodiment of Madara's will, clearly concealed many hidden moves—and even White Zetsu, who spent most of his time alongside him, sensed that there were still numerous secrets yet to be revealed.
So perhaps he was the contingency plan Madara Uchiha anticipated in response to Saitama's transformation.
"This time, not eliminating both the Nine-Tails and the Eight-Tails in one go is indeed a regrettable part of the operation. But this won't interfere with our future plans. The Eight-Tails will make Nagato incredibly powerful. At that point, crushing the entire Shinobi World will no longer be beyond reach. With just one Tailed Beast left, the Nine-Tails alone poses no real threat to us."
"A rise in Nagato's power also introduces an element of instability. He has always remained cautious toward us, never choosing to fully trust. So between us, it's nothing more than a relationship of mutual use. Though he doesn't know our ultimate goal, there's still silent understanding before the capture of the Nine-Tails is complete. But once all the Tailed Beasts are in our hands, we both know how things will turn out. After all, once tools grow stronger, they won't remain content being tools anymore."
White Zetsu stared at Saitama's profile, his voice tinged with emotion as if sighing over the situation.
"This isn't within our current scope of concern. I'll handle Nagato's issue personally. For now, capturing the Tailed Beasts remains our top priority."
Saitama's lips curved slightly, without lingering further on such topics.
Nagato was nothing more than a tool—wasn't he, Saitama Uchiha, equally just a tool?
Perhaps two tools could even team up for retaliation?
And even Madara Uchiha—who orchestrated everything—was ultimately just a somewhat more powerful tool himself. Behind him lurked the deepest hidden force: Black Zetsu.
"That's true enough."
With those few words, White Zetsu and Saitama concluded their conversation.
Both were individuals who didn't easily reveal their genuine thoughts. Even though White Zetsu often appeared playful, there were times when he revealed depth.
Therefore, this dialogue here wouldn't truly result in any significant effect; each party would proceed exactly as they intended.
"Yes. This destruction Nagato caused to Konoha will also delay the coordination rhythm of the Five Great Villages, so this window of opportunity is quite sufficient for us to accomplish many things."
Saitama gazed upon Konoha Village casually as he spoke.
"That's true. Though Nagato didn't bring back the Nine-Tails, he somehow still bought us valuable preparation time—at the very least, we won't be pressed for time anymore."
"Let's leave here. I've already begun anticipating the upcoming decisive battle. Facing the full might of the Shinobi World will surely be a fierce confrontation. However, by then, we Akatsuki will show them precisely what determines the course of the ninja world!"
"Fine!"
White Zetsu closed his eyes and sank into the ground, a slight smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Saitama finally withdrew his gaze from Konoha Village and transformed into lightning, vanishing instantly.
This mission went off mostly smoothly—though not without a minor flaw, it won't significantly affect future progress.
A mountain breeze blew through, restoring this place to its usual cold and quiet state.
Today had seen many events—like a dream to the people of Konoha.
As for the members of Akatsuki, they had moved yet another step closer toward their true objective.
...
"Mrs. Mabui, what are you thinking?"
Samui nudged Mabui, who was wearing a business suit, with her elbow, her face showing clear anxiety.
Ever since Raikage left for the Five Kage Summit, Samui had seemed distracted and restless.
"Mabui," Samui said, clutching a file against her chest and gripping the edge of the folder so tightly that her knuckles turned slightly pale. She looked at her companion uneasily. "I have this feeling something bad has happened. My eyelid keeps twitching."
"With Raikage-sama around, what could possibly go wrong?" Samui replied, trying to reassure her friend. Samui deeply admired Raikage; to her, such a powerful man was incredibly cool. "Stop thinking so much."
"I just hope Raikage doesn't suddenly lose his temper during the Five Kage Summit," Mabui continued, sighing softly as her eyes flickered with concern. "Breaking a table would be the least of our problems. If the balance among the Five Great Villages gets disrupted, it would be the worst-case scenario—especially now when our common enemy is Akatsuki Organization. We shouldn't provoke unnecessary troubles."
"Tarui and Kishi are already with him," Samui comforted, gently patting Mabui's shoulder. "With them by his side, Raikage won't lose his temper so easily."
Bang!
Before their conversation could continue, the door behind them suddenly burst open, and a stern-looking man with an eyepatch over his left eye entered the room.
Dodai wore a hat atop his head, the eyepatch covering his left eye bearing a rune symbol. Though he appeared thin and wiry, each step he took carried undeniable weight. A dark aura hung around him, making it impossible for anyone to even crack a smile in his presence.
"Dodai-sama!"
Both women quickly stood up and gave slight bows of respect.
Dodai had served and earned the trust of multiple Raikage generations. He also held the authority to approve the use of [Lightning Release: Double Lariat], and was a formidable ninja who possessed mastery over Lava Release techniques. He commanded great prestige within the village.
Yet even someone like him showed clear signs of nervousness, causing both women to feel uneasy deep inside.
"Mabui," Dodai began, fixing his gaze upon her while succinctly relaying the intelligence he currently held, "there's trouble involving B. We need support units dispatched immediately to Raikō Ravine. The enemy is from Akatsuki Organization. According to reports sent back by scouts, B is under siege and not faring well. Our people outside also encountered enemies actively blocking their way, temporarily preventing them from breaking through."
When The Fourth left the village, he entrusted Dodai with keeping things secure inside. Naturally, he'd also arranged surveillance near B.
Not long ago, Dodai discovered that the 'observer' assigned to monitor B had exceeded the scheduled report time. He immediately sent scouts and discovered intruding Akatsuki members.
Therefore, he came directly to Mabui seeking reinforcement—to find strong allies to join him in rescuing B.
"What?!" Samui exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. "So they've actually targeted B? Damned Akatsuki!"
Upon hearing Dodai's words, Mabui also frowned, her heart stirred with unease.
The Raikage had left the village, so for now, every matter—big or small—fell under her temporary leadership.
Despite being a woman and merely the Raikage's secretary, no one within the village dared to voice dissatisfaction.
And for missions requiring ninja deployment, she was now directly responsible for recording and approving everything.
She pulled out the transfer order from the desk and pressed Raikage's personal seal onto it for final confirmation.
Mabui quickly finished up and handed the documents to Dodai.
Throughout this entire process, she never once questioned the authenticity of Dodai's intelligence, showing great trust toward him.
"Minister Dodai, here's the transfer order. Please hurry and reinforce Killer B. I'm counting on you."
"I understand. No need for extra words—we should maintain high alert within the village. This is a special time, so we must treat it accordingly."
Dodai took the official document authorizing him to mobilize both Anbu and available Jonin within the village, then immediately turned and exited the office.
The situation was urgent, so he needed to pick up his pace and avoid wasting time on trivialities.
Although they already knew Akatsuki targeted Tailed Beasts, they still felt shocked that the enemy would act so boldly as to invade Raikō Ravine, a place quite near Kumogakure.
It was extremely daring—even crazy—yet practically speaking, this caught them, the Kumogakure ninja, somewhat off guard.
While walking briskly, Dodai contemplated everything internally.
If something happened to the Eight-Tails, Raikage would be furious when he returned. Tailed Beasts were among the village's most critical assets, and absolutely could not fall into others' hands—especially not a terrorist organization like Akatsuki.
Dodai genuinely respected Killer B, which also explained why he hated seeing anything bad happen to him.
Quickly enough, with his authority order, he gathered the necessary subordinates and headed straight toward Raikō Ravine without delay.
"Let's pray nothing goes wrong!"
Looking outside at the Kumogakure village, Mabui couldn't help but feel a strange sense of tension rising within her heart.
With Dodai bringing such grim news, she could already feel a storm coming.
Moreover, without Raikage by her side to handle these matters, she felt somewhat uncertain inwardly.
"Mabui, I'll go downstairs first. If anything happens, just call us anytime," Samui said as she turned away.
Back then, Dodai's arrival let her know the village now faced an emergency, so she decided to remain on standby below, ready to respond to orders whenever needed.
"Alright."
Feeling uneasy, Mabui sat down at her seat, attempting to gradually slip back into 'secretary mode,' deciding first to deal with her paperwork while waiting for updates from Dodai and regarding the Five Kage Summit.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus properly on her work.
It felt as if thousands of ants were crawling around inside her chest.
Thus, she sat there restlessly, her hands twisting together nervously, lost in unknown thoughts.
...
"Old man, this one's really gone too far."
Deidara stood on top of his clay bird, glancing back at the two corpses lying behind him.
The current Raikage and his bodyguard.
"I really didn't expect things to turn out this way. I brought you along just in case, but I never imagined that Saitama Uchiha would actually be this bold."
Onoki's face was dark with anger. The cold, high-altitude wind made his already-red nose even redder, giving him an oddly comical look.
"We're approaching Kumogakure. If we keep going like this, we'll be mistaken for intruders."
"Let's slow down first and lower our altitude to show we mean no harm. Then..."
"Got it."
After readjusting themselves, the two swiftly entered Kumogakure's defensive perimeter.
The village's ninja immediately noticed the two figures riding atop the giant bird and issued an internal alert to the village.
Soon, the entire village echoed with urgent alarm bells.
More ninja poured out into the open, taking up positions on rooftops and staring up at the massive white bird circling overhead.
Since the enemy had not attacked immediately, they held back as well.
Soon, a captain-level ninja stepped forward.
"Who are you people up there, and why have you entered the territory of Kumogakure?"
"I am Onoki. I've come here naturally because of important matters."
Onoki's voice began to carry through the air, while Deidara guided the giant bird downward toward a clearing below.
"The Tsuchikage?!"
The nearby ninjas who heard the name immediately felt uneasy.
Relations between Kumogakure and Iwagakure had always been tense—two villages long on edge and rarely trusting one another.
For the Tsuchikage to show up alone at Kumogakure was something no one ever expected.
"Huh? Is that...?"
The captain who had asked the question stood at the forefront. As the man claiming to be Onoki landed, his gaze locked onto a figure standing behind the bird.
He was very familiar with that silhouette. He owed his current position as captain to this person's patronage and guidance.
"Lord Raikage?!"
He sucked in a sharp breath, somewhat uncertain. At the same time, he discreetly waved his hand behind his back, signaling his comrades to stay vigilant and prepare for battle at any moment.
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