----
Even after Neji disappeared, Zetsu still couldn't tell what, exactly, the man had taken.
Kisame checked the Four-Tails' host once more and shook his head. He glanced toward the distant clash where Itachi was engaging. "That man… is not simple."
He hefted the unconscious jinchūriki over his shoulder and bounded toward the fight.
---
On Itachi's front, Yugito had gone full bijū. A sweeping claw tore through the Uchiha only for the body to explode into a flock of crows that scattered across the sky.
Flames rolled from the Two-Tails' maw, turning the battlefield into a kiln. Itachi's face didn't change. He slid between strikes, eyes narrowing. Why was the Two-Tails here?
Kisame arrived, set the Four-Tails down, and took in the sight of the fully transformed Matatabi. "Need a hand, Itachi?"
"No. I'll handle it."
Kisame's gaze dipped. "You're going to use that?"
Itachi's quiet "Mm," was answer enough.
A feline roar split the clearing as a massive paw descended. Itachi looked up. The three tomoe in his eyes spun and then became pinwheels.
Red chakra erupted, framing a ribcage that caught the blow. The skeleton swelled muscle knitting over bone, form maturing in a heartbeat.
Phase one of [Susanoo] stood complete. In the Two-Tails' eerie dual-colored eyes, Itachi's avatar rose like a god.
The left arm raised the [Yata Mirror], deflecting the next swipe. The right arm brought down the [Totsuka Blade] in a crashing arc.
Yugito twisted away, nimble even at monstrous size, treating Susanoo like prey to be harried and worn down.
Kisame eased back, Samehada humming. He'd spent plenty against the Four-Tails already. He set the old host beside him and allowed himself one breath of awe.
"Every time… the Uchiha power is terrifying. Shame about the price."
And because Itachi had already paid that price, the result was never in doubt. He ended it quickly, subduing Yugito without fuss. He said nothing about the oddity of her sudden appearance just nodded to Kisame.
Kisame slung both bodies and headed for their nearest hideout, where Pain would summon the [Demonic Statue of the Outer Path] for sealing.
From a distant perch, Neji watched and exhaled.
Uchiha power spikes by stages. Hyūga? No phases just 'eyes on' until they burn out.
And Sharingan eats your family alive. White Eyes get a cage on their skulls. Maybe it's not the clans it's the world.
One phase of the deal is complete. The next hinged on Akatsuki actually nabbing the Six-Tails. Once they did, his plan would roll into Phase Two.
Plenty to do before then. Sealing two bijū took more time now that the immortal duo and Sasori were gone. With manpower thin, the ritual would drag.
Half a month, by Neji's count. "More than enough."
He glanced once toward the direction Itachi had gone, then vanished.
---
Land of Waves.
At Neji's summons, Zabuza arrived with Haku at his side. The door slid open; they entered. Neji gestured for them to sit, then spoke without preamble.
"I have a job for you, Zabuza. I'm going to seal the Three-Tails into you."
(Only half of it, not the whole beast.)
Zabuza's brow twitched. Before he could ask, Neji continued: "You'll use its power to sweep the bandits and rogue shinobi around the archipelago."
He held Zabuza's gaze. "But leave the right witnesses alive. Appropriate witnesses. The story needs to travel."
Understanding clicked. "You want to draw Akatsuki."
Neji nodded. No need to veil this from him. "At this point, they've gathered nearly everything. What's left are the Three, Six, Eight, and Nine-Tails. In about two weeks, they should have the Six-Tails as well. If word spreads now that you carry the Three-Tails…"
Zabuza finished it: "I become the easiest target. They'll come to me first."
Exactly. And when a group is desperate to complete a set, they verify rumors even if they doubt them.
Zabuza's eyes sharpened. "Then what's the plan when they bite?"
Neji's smile was thin and cold. "We annihilate the team they send. No survivors."
The swordsman's heartbeat kicked once. Haku's expression flickered, unsurprised but alert. So the Boss is finally taking the gloves off.
"Afterward," Neji added, "I'll remove the Three-Tails. It has another role to play."
"I understand," Zabuza said.
Neji waved a hand. The water in the tank at his side bulged, and a great shell-backed form emerged [Isobu], the Three-Tails, suspended in a sphere of chakra.
Those ocean-blue eyes met Neji's and the beast shivered. Those eyes… terrifying.
"Isobu," Neji said lightly, "you heard. Work with Zabuza. Do that, and I'll keep the snacks flowing especially the one you liked."
The last time… Isobu remembered the meat. The flavor. The portion size that could rival his own bulk. A treat fit to be a summoning beast. He had no idea where Neji found such prey but the taste—
(ω) "Ah."
Three tails swished. Dignity was overrated.
Neji chuckled and faced Zabuza. The Demon of the Mist was already on his feet, resolved.
"Ready?"
"Yes, Boss."
"Then bear it well."
Neji's arm pressed forward hand sliding through sternum like water. The Three-Tails' chakra throbbed, then poured into Zabuza in a steady flood. The seal snapped shut, neat and precise.
Half the Three-Tails power and will nested inside the swordsman, waiting.
Phase Two had begun.
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