"It seems Hidden Rock values these spies greatly," Jiraiya remarked as he glanced around.
At the time, they were in a rush to meet the support squad for the ambush battle, leaving no time to interrogate White Zetsu directly, so they only dispatched two ninjas to escort White Zetsu to a secure location for detention.
However, Jiraiya hadn't expected that within just a few hours, Hidden Rock's people would locate White Zetsu and seize him back.
It could almost be described as Divine Speed.
Just within a few hours, under normal circumstances, there wouldn't even be confirmation of a problem with the spy.
After all, being a spy carries high risks; it's impossible to constantly communicate several times a day.
But Hidden Rock not only knew the spy was exposed, they even found and saved him at incredible speed, leaving Jiraiya perplexed.
Hidden Rock's time to act was far too short.
Before the ambush battle officially began, Hidden Rock definitely wouldn't know their spy was exposed; otherwise, the Hidden Rock Ninja Squad wouldn't have walked right into Mokgetsu's trap.
Yet, simply during the ambush battle, they managed to locate their target so efficiently, it was almost exaggerated.
"Though, this kind of thing is incredibly potent for war; I bet Hidden Rock is worried Konoha might develop something similar," Jiraiya mused.
If not for Mokgetsu's ability to sense malevolence, Jiraiya wouldn't have a solution to deal with White Zetsu's antics even with prior information.
The Transformation Jutsu, which perception ninjas couldn't even distinguish, was truly bothersome.
"We can only wait for intelligence reports to be submitted to the village and see if a response can be devised," Namikaze Minato expressed with a hint of concern in his eyes.
If no solution is found, Mokgetsu might have to stay long-term dealing with Hidden Rock before any negotiations.
"I hope everything goes smoothly," Mokgetsu said with a worried expression, though his heart felt calm like water.
Because Mokgetsu already knew about this, and his Shadow Clone was even involved.
Mokgetsu didn't want Konoha to obtain White Zetsu.
For Mokgetsu, Konoha knowing Uchiha Madara is alive is actually beneficial.
He doesn't want Konoha to acquire White Zetsu due to what White Zetsu contains.
White Zetsu may seem like a weak intelligence tool, but he's actually a treasure trove.
With his body full of Hashirama Cells, in the Naruto World they are wealth beyond measure.
Moreover, the Hashirama Cells within White Zetsu's body aren't just ordinary; they are cultivated by Uchiha Madara using the Gedo Statue.
If Konoha obtained White Zetsu, some of his body would inevitably fall into the hands of Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru, given their influence in Konoha.
If Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo managed to discover something, Mokgetsu's control of the future situation might be compromised.
Despite Mokgetsu's intentions, the unconscious Konoha Ninja were not related to Mokgetsu's actions.
Two White Zetsus disguised as Konoha Ninjas acted before Mokgetsu's Shadow Clone.
Even if Mokgetsu doesn't want Konoha to have White Zetsu, he won't let White Zetsu escape; after White Zetsu knocked out the guarding ninja, Mokgetsu emerged, killed all five White Zetsus, and sealed them in the scroll.
Hashirama Cells are indeed a great artifact.
In the original story, Obito was only using ordinary Mangekyo Sharingan, yet with Hashirama Cells he could easily use Mangekyo powers without side effects.
In the future, if Shisui and Obito activate their Mangekyo Sharingan, and Mokgetsu's envisioned Yang Release training doesn't solve the Mangekyo issue, this is when those White Zetsus will serve their purpose.
...
Konoha Village.
Hokage Building, Hokage Office.
Upon receiving the intelligence Mokgetsu conveyed, Sarutobi Hiruzen revealed a surprised smile upon seeing Konoha's decisive defeat against 2000 Hidden Rock Ninja Forces.
The result far exceeded his expectations; his initial thought was that the support forces could turn the tide and maintain a balance with Hidden Rock, considering it successful.
Seeing the White Zetsu-related information made Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression change instantly; right after reading it, he immediately ordered the Anbu at the door to gather the top brass for a meeting.
"This is the latest intelligence from the front lines; everyone should take a look," Sarutobi Hiruzen stated inside the conference room.
Saying that, Sarutobi Hiruzen stuffed his pipe into his mouth, took a deep puff, and then exhaled white smoke, his face marked with a hint of worry.
His demeanor made the other three high-ranking ninjas start overthinking.
"Has the Land of Grass suffered another heavy defeat? In that case, Hiruzen won't have a reason not to deploy Orochimaru," Shimura Danzo thought as he picked up the information in front of him.
The defeat at the Land of Grass battlefield is bad for Konoha but is a good thing for Shimura Danzo.
Upon hearing Jiraiya being defeated and forced to flee with his forces, Shimura Danzo felt a surge of excitement.
As this is a significant blemish, it would lower Jiraiya's support within Konoha, and offers an opportunity for Orochimaru.
Reading 'Our forces defeated Hidden Rock, annihilating over 1600 enemies,' Shimura Danzo raised an eyebrow, further inspections confirmed he hadn't misread it, and it had indeed been a great victory.
Shimura Danzo slightly furrowed his brow; the frontline's victorious battle yet Sarutobi Hiruzen showed such expression - was he playing tricks?
Once Shimura Danzo saw the Hidden Rock Spy information, he then comprehended Sarutobi Hiruzen's worry.
They had won, but Hidden Rock's demonstrated capabilities were deeply concerning.
"There's actually such a Transformation Jutsu, even fooling perception ninjas," Mitokado Homura said seriously after reviewing the intelligence.
Namikaze Minato could recognize White Zetsu's potential in warfare; these high-ranking officials had experienced numerous wars and naturally could perceive the formidable nature of White Zetsu's abilities.