As Itachi stood there in shock, Kazama transformed into the Three-Tails, Isobu, before reverting to his normal self.
Itachi was already floored when he saw Kazama wield the powers of the One-Tail and Two-Tails. Now, witnessing Kazama command the Three-Tails' abilities as well, he stumbled back several steps, utterly speechless.
"Kazama, how do you manage to blow my mind every time I see you?" Itachi said, shaking his head with a sigh. In front of Kazama, he—a genius of the Uchiha clan—felt painfully ordinary.
"And since you've already got the Three-Tails' power, why are you still tracking it down? Shouldn't you be going after the Four-Tails next?"
At Itachi's question, Kazama quickly explained.
"I need to absorb the Three-Tails' chakra to gain the Four-Tails' power. I can't just skip ahead to the Four-Tails. So, I'm absorbing the Tailed Beasts in the same order the Akatsuki is capturing them."
"I see!"
Itachi was incredibly curious about Kazama's ability to absorb Tailed Beasts, but he didn't pry further. After all, it was Kazama's secret.
"Even if you've mastered the One-Tail and Two-Tails, how will you let the Akatsuki get their hands on them? If they extract the Tailed Beast chakra from you, you'll die too."
"Don't worry, I've got a plan," Kazama replied.
"Alright then."
Seeing Kazama's confidence, Itachi didn't press further. He knew Kazama's capabilities well—when Kazama took on a task, it was as good as done.
Kazama's current plan was to transform into the One-Tail, Shukaku, and let Deidara and Sasori "capture" him. When the Gedo Mazo absorbed his One-Tail chakra, he'd only let it take half, ensuring the statue's corresponding eye would open while keeping himself alive. Then, he'd escape and repeat the process by transforming into the Two-Tails, Matatabi, for the Akatsuki to capture.
This way, the Gedo Mazo would only absorb half of each Tailed Beast's power, guaranteeing that their attempt to form the Ten-Tails would fail. Meanwhile, Kazama would successfully gain the full power of all nine Tailed Beasts.
With his plan set, Kazama headed straight for Sunagakure in Kaze no Kuni. At this point, the One-Tail Jinchuriki, Gaara, had become the new Kazekage. When Gaara heard Kazama's plan, he immediately thanked him profusely. After all, Kazama's strategy directly protected him as the One-Tail's host.
"Kazama, you've helped me time and again. I don't even know how to thank you!"
"No need for thanks. We're allies, so this is just what I do," Kazama replied.
Seeing Gaara's tears of gratitude, Kazama felt a bit awkward. Truth be told, his main goal wasn't to protect Gaara—it was to speed up the Akatsuki's collection of the One-Tail and Two-Tails so he could track down the Three-Tails.
When Gaara shared Kazama's plan with Sunagakure's higher-ups, they unanimously rejected it. They didn't believe Kazama could transform into the One-Tail, Shukaku, nor did they trust him to protect their Kazekage, Gaara.
"Listen, kid, if you knew the Akatsuki was targeting our Kazekage, why didn't you inform Konoha's Hokage and have her send reinforcements to Sunagakure?"
"Exactly! Even if Konoha doesn't send help, Sunagakure should face the enemy head-on. But you're telling us to stand down and let you take on the Akatsuki alone? You might not fear death, but even if you die, it won't stop the Akatsuki from coming after the One-Tail!"
Frustrated by the elders' stubbornness, Kazama shook his head. Before they could react, he unleashed the power of the One-Tail, Shukaku, transforming into a perfect replica of the beast within Gaara.
The Sunagakure elders were left dumbfounded, their jaws practically on the floor.
"So, do you believe I've got Shukaku's power now? All you need to do is stay on guard and wait. If you act on your own, you'll only cause unnecessary losses. Follow my plan, and I guarantee Sunagakure won't face any more trouble from the Akatsuki!"
Hearing Kazama's words and seeing his undeniable command of Shukaku's power, the elders had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Just then, a large white bird appeared in the distance. Kazama recognized it as Deidara, scouting for intel. Spotting Kazama in his Shukaku form, Deidara would likely attack early—which was exactly what Kazama wanted. The sooner the enemy moved, the faster he could track down the Three-Tails, Isobu.
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