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Konoha.
The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, soon reappeared in public and resumed her duties.
The news of her "recovery" spread quickly, lifting the spirits of everyone in Konoha.
Kaito once again sent a paper clone in his place to the Hyuga clan to undo the remaining Caged Bird Seals, while his real body was summoned back to Mount Ōeyama by another clone.
Inside the laboratory, Kaito sat on a chair by the window, waiting.
Before long, the Blood Puppet arrived before him using a space-time jutsu.
"Master."
The Blood Puppet knelt before him and presented the items in its hands.
"Hmm, the sealed crystal containing Black Zetsu and the Eight-Tails' chakra sealing talisman." Kaito took the items and placed them aside.
"Master, what are your next orders?" the Blood Puppet asked respectfully.
"Proceed as planned." Kaito waved his hand. "You may go."
"Yes."
The Blood Puppet obediently vanished into thin air using its jutsu.
Holding the sealing talisman and the crystal, Kaito turned and pushed open a hidden door in the wall, entering a secret chamber.
Inside the dimly lit chamber, a simple wooden shelf covered an entire wall, filled with various items arranged in layers.
Kaito placed the crystal containing Black Zetsu neatly on the shelf, then took down a wooden box sealed with a talisman from another layer.
After removing the talisman from the box, he placed the Eight-Tails' chakra sealing talisman inside, then took out a red talisman marked with the character for "Nine" from his sleeve and added it to the box before resealing it.
Returning the box to its original position on the shelf, Kaito picked up the crystal containing Black Zetsu.
A golden glow emanated from his hand, and the frozen Black Zetsu inside the small cube began moving again.
"Where is this?" Black Zetsu seemed much calmer now.
"Welcome to the secret land of the youkai, Mount Ōeyama, Black Zetsu." Kaito held the crystal up to his eyes, observing the creature inside. "You must have heard of this place, right?"
"Mount Ōeyama… even Mother couldn't find it." Black Zetsu said. "You… I already considered you a threat, but I still underestimated you."
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Kaito raised an eyebrow.
"Ever since learning of your existence, I've tried multiple times to eliminate you, yet failed every time. Even Obito's assassination attempt backfired and was exploited by you."
Black Zetsu shrank into a small mass inside the crystal, its surface forming crude facial features.
"You bided your time until now, when Nagato has already gathered the chakra of all nine tailed beasts, and Tobi is on the verge of exposure, before finally making your move. You're a terrifying man, Kaito. I suspect your ambitions are greater than anyone's."
"Victors write history, that's all." Kaito replied indifferently. "Don't worry, your Moon's Eye Plan will proceed smoothly."
"You… you actually intend to face Mother?!" Black Zetsu pressed its face against the crystal. "What gives you the courage to challenge her?"
"Many things."
Kaito held the golden crystal in his palm and walked to the center of the chamber.
"See this?"
As he stepped forward, a magic circle on the floor lit up, illuminating a large golden crystal at its center.
"You know what this is, don't you?"
"That's…" Black Zetsu's voice darkened. "The will of the Divine Tree, sealed by Mother… Where did you get that?!"
Kaito smiled.
"The will of the Divine Tree? Just as I suspected. I obtained this by breaking the Uchiha clan's ancestral stone tablet. To be honest, studying this seal has been immensely enlightening—even the technique to seal you borrowed from it."
"Damn you, Hagoromo! So he hid this inside the tablet!"
Black Zetsu seethed with regret. Though it had altered the text Hagoromo left on the tablet, it never thought to check inside.
"Thank you, the Sage of Six Paths." Kaito paced around the spacious chamber, holding the crystal. "Now, I have you, the will of the Divine Tree…"
He passed through another hidden stone door in the wall, descending a long staircase into another vast chamber. A soft glow from his hand illuminated the space.
"...and these husks of the Divine Tree."
He allowed Black Zetsu to see the massive trunks of the Divine Tree piled inside.
"Additionally, I've collected portions of the chakra from all nine tailed beasts, and the power of King Enma is now entirely in my hands."
He turned and walked back up the stairs.
"Whether it's the Uchiha or the Hyuga, they'll all submit to my research."
Step by step, he climbed steadily.
"Tell me, with all these resources at my disposal, what do you think I'll uncover? And do you believe I can defeat your mother?"
"You… you… Mother is invincible."
Black Zetsu finally grasped the extent of Kaito's threat, and its confidence in Kaguya wavered slightly.
Back in the first chamber, Kaito shook his head and placed the crystal containing Black Zetsu back on the shelf.
"Next, I'll dissect you piece by piece." He leaned down, bringing his eyes close to the crystal. "As an extension of Kaguya's will, every secret you hold will be laid bare before me."
"Even if you somehow defeat Mother, your victory won't last!" Black Zetsu snarled. "The Otsutsuki clan will never abandon this planet's nursery. There are countless among them stronger than Mother!"
"I look forward to meeting the Otsutsuki. I'll await them with anticipation."
With those words, Kaito cast another spell, freezing Black Zetsu once more, then turned and left the chamber.
Just as he concealed the chamber's entrance and prepared to exit the laboratory, a communication paper doll flew out from his sleeve.
"Sasuke?" He extended his right hand, letting the doll stand on his palm.
"Uncle, I heard the Akatsuki attacked Konoha?" Sasuke's voice came through.
Kaito replied, "You heard correctly. It did happen."
"Uh…" Sasuke hesitated. "I just wanted to know the details. Also, Neji is worried about the Hyuga clan."
"Don't worry, Naruto's fine," Kaito said.
Sasuke immediately raised his voice. "Who asked about that idiot?!"
"Is that so?" Kaito chuckled. "Well, Kakashi and that girl Sakura are fine too. And Itachi is safe."
"I just wanted intel on the war," Sasuke grumbled.
"Lastly, the Hyuga clan suffered some losses, but they were minimal," Kaito added.
"Got it. I'll let Neji know," Sasuke said.
"How are things with Orochimaru?" Kaito asked.
"Not bad. We've handled some low-difficulty missions," Sasuke replied, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Neji and I even took down a few black-market hideouts!"
"As long as you're happy." Kaito didn't comment on Sasuke's black-market raids. "By the way, I'll be taking you and Neji on a mission soon. Be ready."