A few days later.
At the forced labor mines of the Land of Waves.
"Obito, are you really not planning to leave this place?" Black Zetsu, currently possessing a White Zetsu body, watched as Obito struggled to haul a massive boulder, his tone dripping with temptation. "Think about our Moon's Eye Plan, think about Rin"
"Shut your mouth!" Obito shot him a cold glare. "Don't you dare say her name again!"
"It wasn't me who sent those remains out!" Black Zetsu fell silent for a moment before solemnly explaining. "Why won't you believe me?"
"Oh, it wasn't you—it was me." Obito sneered.
"Zetsu, if you've got this much energy, why not put it into more labor?" Kisame Hoshigaki, drenched in sweat and wearing a sleeveless shirt, chimed in cheerfully. "Low efficiency means no reduced sentence, you know."
"Who asked for your opinion?!" Black Zetsu's head snapped toward him, his expression visibly darkening. "Who in their right mind would want to slave away for that little brat, Yuto Hayashi?! Only an idiot like you would actually enjoy this!"
"Seems Zetsu holds quite the grudge against me."
Kisame had always been easygoing with his comrades, and honestly, Black Zetsu wasn't wrong—he did find manual labor kind of fun.
"Hah, you got that right!" Black Zetsu didn't hesitate to confirm.
Just looking at this shark-faced bastard made his blood boil! Not only had he encouraged Obito to slack off, but he also kept throwing shade at him. And the worst part? This guy had been promoted to team leader!
What the hell?!
Who did this shark-faced nobody think he was? Just a pawn in Obito's game! How dare he get promoted over him?!
"What's all this ruckus about?"
Two guards in white uniforms approached, frowning.
"Officers, I'd like to report something!"
The White Zetsu host suddenly raised his hand. "Prisoner 9988 here is planning an escape!"
"White Zetsu, you—?!" Black Zetsu was caught completely off guard by this betrayal.
"I've had enough of you these past few days!" The White Zetsu host bared his teeth, his face twisted in resentment. "We're all prisoners here, so why am I the only one doing all the work?! You just hitch a ride on me, never lift a finger, and flap your gums all day!"
"I was trying to—"
"For Mother? Give me a break! Look at where you are—what makes you think you can still pull that crap?"
"Prisoner 9988, you're coming with us."
The guards yanked Black Zetsu out of his host with a hooked chain and dragged him back to the detention area.
Inside the Land of Waves leader's office.
"Hmph. Looks like Black Zetsu's little escape plan didn't go so well," Kushina remarked, lounging on the couch with her bare feet propped up on Yuto's lap, wiggling her toes. "Over before it even started."
"Hardly surprising," Mikoto added, resting her arms on Yuto's shoulders and her chin atop his head. "Obito's already turned against him. No way he'd listen to that nonsense now."
"Boring. I was hoping for a little drama," Kushina pouted, nudging Yuto's side with her toe. "Hey, brat! Aren't you even a little sad that Lady Tsunade left?"
"Sad? Why? It's not like we'll never see her again." Yuto gently adjusted the World Tree sapling in front of him, smiling. "She'll be back for next year's Chunin Exams."
"I think she's avoiding you," Kushina muttered.
Yuto paused for a moment before carrying the sapling to the windowsill. "Maybe that's for the best. Saves us from turning into enemies later."
"Why not just recruit her to our side? If it's you… you could probably do it, right?" Mikoto asked hesitantly.
"Going against Konoha goes against her very nature. Forcing it wouldn't end well," Yuto replied calmly.
Unlike Kushina and Mikoto, who had long since shed any attachment to Konoha and wouldn't bat an eye at opposing it, Tsunade was different.
Sure, she'd say things like, "I'm never going back to that village!" or "Only idiots want to be Hokage!" but deep down, her love for Konoha ran deeper than even the elders of the F4.
And what Yuto was planning would put him at odds with Konoha. He didn't want to force Tsunade into that position.
Staying apart for now was the best outcome.
"Sigh."
Kushina didn't press further, watching as her man set the sapling down. "Speaking of which, why are you moving it outside at night? Don't plants need sunlight for photosynthesis? What's moonlight gonna do?"
"Actually, it works better under moonlight," Yuto chuckled. "The life energy it emits doesn't lie—it's way more active at night."
"Freaky little thing!" Kushina couldn't help mutter. "All the stuff you've gotten from those curses is weird! And that so-called 'smartphone'—did you ever match with anyone?"
"Nope."
Just thinking about it made Yuto want to curse.
He'd waited eagerly that night, wondering who—or what—would appear on the other end. But after an entire night of staring at the screen, all he got was an endless loading circle and the message:
[Searching for a suitable communication partner…]
Ten days had passed. What kind of underworld matchmaking service takes ten days to find one person?!
*Beep beep beep.*
A soft chime came from the communicator on the desk.
Yuto hit [Accept], and Lady Greyfeather's elegant face appeared on the screen.
"Leader, Elder Danzo has reached the border of the Land of Rivers."
"Good. Proceed as planned."
*Land of Rivers.*
A small nation sandwiched between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, named for its numerous waterways.
Danzo stood at the banks of the central River, gazing up at the crescent moon hanging in the night sky.
Moonlight shimmered on the water's surface, casting rippling silver reflections.
The serene nightscape was almost… peaceful.
For the first time in a long while, Danzo's mind cleared enough for him to consider questions he'd never pondered before.
Was it true that the Super Soldier Serum caused permanent mental deterioration? Was there any cure or mitigation? And—was attacking Orochimaru really the right move right now?
"My, my."
A raspy voice suddenly cut through the silence, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I never took Lord Danzo for the poetic type, admiring the moon all by his lonesome."
Danzo turned slowly to see Orochimaru standing there, long hair cascading over his shoulders.
The rogue ninja's lips curled into an amused smirk, his golden serpentine eyes locking onto Danzo like a predator sizing up prey.
"You're late, Orochimaru," Danzo said flatly.
"My apologies, Lord Danzo," Orochimaru licked his lips, grinning. "Surely you're not going to punish me for it?"
"I'll give you one chance, Orochimaru." Danzo narrowed his eyes, his voice icy. "Hand over your latest research on the Super Soldier Serum and return to serve under me."
"And if I refuse?" Orochimaru sneered.
*Whoosh.*
Danzo lunged forward, seizing Orochimaru by the throat and slamming him to the ground, a kunai pressed against his windpipe.
"You don't have the luxury of refusal!"
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