Hearing the report, the two of them reviewed Bee's feats and strength, and both felt he wouldn't be caught so easily.
The last time Natsuki had taken them to support Kumogakure, Kabuto's Edo squad hadn't found Bee at all—Bee should have been hiding very well.
Yet the result was unexpected.
The news came out of nowhere.
Natsuki continued, "As a precaution, Jiraiya already took Naruto, Gaara, and Fū to Mount Myōboku. Sasuke, you're heading to the Land of Lightning with me right now."
Sasuke caught on. "We're not going to 'support,' are we?"
Neji also understood. "We can't keep jinchūriki in the village, or Akatsuki will return. With Natsuki taking Sasuke out, they'll draw Akatsuki's attention—and since Natsuki can use Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God), Akatsuki can't pin them down."
"Exactly."
Natsuki gave a thumbs-up. "So, Sasuke, hand the Police Force work to Neji for now. When this is over, you can come back and make up the hours—then let Neji take a proper vacation."
Sasuke had no objections.
He did want to get the Police Force in order, but given the situation, he wouldn't neglect the bigger picture.
He handed things off to Neji, hurried home to pack, and soon met Natsuki at the village gate.
Natsuki had already spoken with Tenten and his father-in-law. After signing the gate log, he waved goodbye to the two "gate gods" and strolled out at a leisurely pace.
This run was basically a trip—no need to rush.
The goal was to buy time, ideally until the Five Kage Summit concluded. If things went well, the great villages would unite, and Akatsuki would be far less of a threat.
"Natsuki, was Bee really captured this time? Couldn't it just be a setup?" Sasuke still doubted it.
"I don't think he was."
Natsuki was frank. "Bee's a perfect jinchūriki. To put his brother A at ease, he created a danbi (Tail Shedding) move—shearing off one of Hachibi's tails and using it to mimic his form while he hides. Odds are Kabuto grabbed the 'shed tail,' not Bee himself."
So that was it.
Sasuke understood—no wonder Natsuki seemed so unconcerned.
Looked like Natsuki knew details most didn't—like danbi and the fact Bee could use it.
Still… was tail shedding really viable?
Seeing Sasuke thinking, Natsuki offered a hint. "Sasuke, if you're ever captured and they try to extract the Sanbi, your life'll be at risk. But if the Sanbi leaves a tail for you, you can survive."
"Oh? So danbi can be used externally to fool the enemy, and internally to preserve life?" Sasuke nodded—lesson learned.
It was Bee's trick, after all.
When Hachibi was being extracted, it left a tail with Bee, letting him live.
As long as a jinchūriki retains tailed beast chakra, they won't die.
Other bijū could learn it too—well, maybe not Shukaku. Having fewer tails is a natural disadvantage. Back in the day, the Sage of Six Paths sure seemed biased—he didn't give Shukaku that much chakra.
Elsewhere, Kabuto led his team back to the Land of Fields.
Though many bases there had been smashed by Konoha shinobi, plenty of hidden labs remained—only Kabuto knew how to find them.
He sealed "Bee" first, then planned to look into the Rinnegan (Samsara Eye).
At this point, Akatsuki should only have the Rinnegan's wielder, Konan, and Uchiha Obito left—and, of course, Kuro Zetsu (Black Zetsu). Kabuto wasn't sure which to contact.
Just then, a pitcher plant sprouted from the ground in front of him.
Kabuto recognized it immediately. "Kuro Zetsu, huh. You need something from me?"
Kuro Zetsu's rasping smile curled. "Kabuto, drop the act. I can see through you. You captured the Hachibi jinchūriki without reporting to our 'leader.' You have your own agenda, don't you?"
Knowing Kuro Zetsu was sharp, Kabuto didn't hide it. "I intend to use the Hachibi as a bargaining chip to speak with the true leader. So, Kuro Zetsu—what about you? Planning to move against the leader directly, or do you have another goal?"
"Hohoho… As expected of Orochimaru's student—quick on the uptake."
Kuro Zetsu praised him, then veered. "Do you know why 'Tobi'—Uchiha Obito—masquerades as Uchiha Madara?"
Kabuto answered naturally, "To borrow the name of the shinobi world's Asura. Otherwise, who'd listen to a nobody?"
Kuro Zetsu shook his head slightly. "That's only part of it. More importantly, Madara chose him as successor. But it seems he hasn't inherited Madara's will—and he's considering… poor decisions. So, if you want to negotiate, don't go to the 'leader'—go to Obito."
Kabuto arched a brow. "Go to Obito? That'll work?"
Kuro Zetsu was certain. "Naturally. But your chip alone isn't enough. I have another—one Obito won't be able to ignore. Uchiha Madara's body. If you revive Madara with Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation), Obito will be in trouble."
So that was it.
Kabuto understood.
… … …
It seemed Kuro Zetsu and Madara were aligned. After Madara's death, Kuro Zetsu had worked with Obito on the surface, but if Obito strayed from Madara's will, Kuro Zetsu wouldn't sit idle—he'd move against him.
Complicated people with complicated ties.
Kabuto didn't care—as long as he could achieve his goals, the rest was irrelevant.
He agreed. "Fine. I'll test your bargaining chip."
Kuro Zetsu nodded and sank noiselessly into the earth. He wasn't the strongest, but that stealth was terrifying.
He moved because he'd seen Obito had no intention of reviving Madara.
Thus, Kuro Zetsu had to set the board—and Kabuto was the perfect piece.
As for Kabuto's coveting of the Rinnegan, that wasn't something anyone could just use. Nagato had worn the Rinnegan for years, and the Gedō Mazō (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) had still drained him to skin and bones.
So Kuro Zetsu had zero fear of Kabuto getting far with it.
Meanwhile, Natsuki and Sasuke strolled boldly into the Land of Lightning, making no effort to conceal themselves.
Darui found them quickly—and seeing the two of them leisurely sampling street food, he couldn't help a pang of envy. When would he get a vacation like that?
"Honored guests, since you've come to the Land of Lightning, why not visit Kumogakure?"
His tone was polite—what he really wanted was their help…
(End of Chapter)
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