Counting the time—
The Second Elder and Toneri had already been in the Shinobi World for three years.
And those three years of suffering could only be described as seared into their very souls.
On the moon, even when no people remained, they still had puppets to operate and make life easier.
But in the Shinobi World, it wasn't merely a matter of wandering in hardship.
They had to stay vigilant at all times, wary of whether the Tenseigan on the moon might detect them, and had to handle everything on their own.
For the first time, the Second Elder discovered that living could be so difficult—especially when dealing with those "lower lifeforms" of the shinobi world, which made him feel nothing but disgust.
What's more, his own life force was already dwindling away. The feeling of a lamp burning its last oil drove him into utter despair.
"No matter what, I must do something for Toneri."
The Second Elder knew his end was near, and so he resolved to make one final, desperate gamble.
For three years, he had burned himself out teaching Toneri—and though Toneri could see nothing, he had continued to improve bit by bit.
"Then before I die… I'll prepare a new pair of eyes for him!"
The Second Elder had made up his mind. He knew where the lunar branch family that had left the moon was located, and was now considering how to obtain a suitable pair of Byakugan.
Though he despised these so-called "inferior beings," he felt no fear that they might bring him any trouble.
What he truly had to consider was how to retreat—and how to deliver those eyes to Toneri.
"That black thing… seems to be a product of chakra. And its target is also the Hyūga Clan?"
Sensing all this, the Second Elder began to ponder his course of action.
Naturally, he would never make contact; after all, there was no one he trusted anymore.
"But I'll keep watching you. The moment you make your move—my chance will come."
...
"You mean—"
Land of Rain, inside the Akatsuki base.
Obito's gaze darkened as he looked at Black Zetsu. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Konoha has also taken notice of the Uchiha stone tablet—and since they have both the First and Second Hokage's remains, they're searching for the Senju relics as well?"
"Exactly."
Black Zetsu nodded. Beside him, White Zetsu blinked and grinned.
"And they're digging like crazy too—we saw all those deep pits in the ground when we went to investigate!"
"Damn it."
Obito felt a headache coming on. This was absolutely not something he wanted to see.
"How did they even come up with that? They'd been quiet all this time!"
"Probably Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
Black Zetsu's gaze flicked toward White Zetsu—this fool was at least playing along nicely.
"According to what I've found, the Goddess of the Rabbit bore the surname Ōtsutsuki. They must have some means of their own. And remember, that stone tablet has always been kept in Konoha."
"Indeed… they can't be underestimated."
Obito nodded, even though he didn't like admitting it.
"So what now? If they find it first, getting our hands on it won't be easy."
"Perhaps… we could do something about that."
Black Zetsu feigned hesitation, though his mind was already made up.
"For instance—creating a little chaos in Konoha."
"Are you insane?!"
Yet what even Black Zetsu hadn't expected was that Obito's eyes widened at that moment.
"..."
Black Zetsu was momentarily at a loss for words.
Damn.
What the hell has Obito become?
"Have you forgotten your dream, Obito?"
"Cut the crap."
Obito felt a measure of shame. He drew a deep breath and steadied himself.
"My dream has never changed. I will create a new world of peace in which tragedies like Rin's never occur!"
"But you should also know—if we go stir up trouble for Kitagawa Gen at this moment, then—"
"I know we shouldn't, but our goals are aligned!"
Black Zetsu naturally believed Obito would not abandon his goal; he also understood his own proposal was outrageous, yet he felt compelled to push it.
"Once they find the Senju relics, whether they can unlock them or not, we'll have little chance—unless something keeps them occupied."
"I can try to steal them."
Obito pondered for a moment before speaking, but Black Zetsu shook his head.
"What if it's fake? What if they sealed it away? Our opportunities would be few!"
Black Zetsu's words made sense—who knew what would ultimately happen to that so-called Senju relic.
The Uchiha tablet was known, but the Senju's things were different; if they were sealed, it would be that much more troublesome!
Although he felt the problems were many, Obito couldn't help but ask in the end.
"Then what's your plan? Say it clearly."
"We attack the Hyūga Clan!"
When Black Zetsu saw Obito ask, he at last breathed easier.
"Don't doubt it—attack the Hyūga Clan. It's the safest course."
"You mean—"
Obito wasn't the sharpest, but he caught on.
"By attacking the Hyūga Clan we divert their attention and create an opportunity for us?"
"Exactly. The Hyūga are a great clan of Konoha—if something happens to them, Kitagawa Gen will surely go."
Black Zetsu nodded gravely.
"That creates a window. Even if Kitagawa Gen is alerted, as long as the pressure on the Hyūga is heavy, he won't dare leave easily!"
"Because he's the anointed Hokage—he can't ignore the Hyūga Clan, right?"
Obito nodded; having posed as the Mizukage before, he at least understood some matters.
"This plan seems feasible, though the ones to carry it out—"
"Edo Tensei!"
Black Zetsu cut in bluntly; he knew he'd probably sold the idea.
"Edo Tensei don't fear death, and they're no weaklings. Even if they can't finish off Kitagawa Gen, their repeated resurrections will make him reluctant to leave. It's an excellent opportunity!"
"Edo Tensei, huh—"
Obito was tempted; Black Zetsu pressed harder.
"Also, we should dig up more Byakugan, and even try to get a meeting with Uzumaki Naruto if possible."
"Why do that?"
"If Konoha's attention is pulled, they'll focus on defending their village. Then Kirigakure and Iwagakure will be in trouble!"
"You mean—"
"Exactly. Kirigakure and Iwagakure can still contact Konoha, but Konoha will have to worry whether we're bluffing."
"..."
"At that time, Konoha will be too busy dealing with its own troubles. Not only will their alliances be affected, but it'll also give us a much greater opening!"
Black Zetsu's words left Obito silent; he felt this guy was truly insidious.
He didn't bother asking why they weren't just handing the jinchūriki over to Konoha—after all, the great nations still had reputations to uphold.
If the plan succeeded, perhaps they really could loosen things up for themselves.
"Fine. We'll do it your way."
After pondering for a long while, Obito finally nodded, and Black Zetsu let out a breath of relief.
"Don't worry, it'll work out perfectly."
Black Zetsu smiled—he had finally managed to fool him!
But though he smiled outwardly, inwardly he was groaning.
Even if the plan sounded plausible, he knew it was enough just to deceive Obito.
He couldn't afford to deceive himself too!
After all, with their difference in strength, Edo Tensei had its limits.
'Still, this way we get what they want—and we also fulfill our deal with Orochimaru.'
Black Zetsu muttered quietly to himself, and when he turned to glance at Obito, he gave a subtle nod.
'Plus, it'll help Obito regain some confidence… I suppose that counts as things going smoothly.'
...
Outside Konoha, the winds were rising.
But within Konoha, Kitagawa Gen's daily life remained unchanged.
"It's just strange… why didn't anyone end up in the hospital after the last mission?"
Inside one of Konoha's training grounds, sitting together with Kakashi and Guy, Kitagawa Gen suddenly voiced this question.
"..."
Kakashi froze for a moment, while Guy looked puzzled.
"Gen, isn't it a good thing no one went to the hospital?"
"Don't listen to his nonsense."
Kakashi rubbed his temples in frustration, feeling that this disciple of his never had good intentions.
Still, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward Sasuke, who was sparring with Naruto in the distance, and he couldn't help but say, "Maybe it was Sasuke—but he refused?"
"It could also have been the Second Hokage."
Kitagawa Gen stroked his chin and spoke seriously.
"After all, what we saw in that report was absurd. Maybe the Second Hokage couldn't accept it. But since it's Edo Tensei, there wasn't—"
"Enough! You can't just say things like that."
Kakashi finally lost his composure. He glanced around and, seeing only Guy staring with wide, curious eyes, let out a small sigh of relief.
Guy knew about the Edo Tensei matter, though he hadn't been part of most of the high-level decisions.
It wasn't that they looked down on him—Guy was simply better suited to using his fists.
But of course, normal secrets wouldn't be hidden from him; he was one of Konoha's pillars, one of its elite!
"Don't slander the Second Hokage. Even if there's a possibility, you still can't say that."
"Did I slander him?"
Kitagawa Gen blinked, causing Kakashi's eyes to turn dead-fish dull.
"Not yet—and your talent for talking nonsense is impressive too. Is that really something you can say so casually?"
"How is it nonsense then, Kakashi-sensei? Can you explain why the Uchiha have it, but they don't?"
"..."
Kitagawa Gen's words left Kakashi speechless. In truth, he thought it might be possible—but wasn't that far too absurd?
Could it be that the Second Hokage really had been angered—just that, because of Edo Tensei, he didn't come?
Kakashi sank into thought, while Guy blinked but didn't ask further.
He knew well there were some secrets one simply didn't pry into.
"Speaking of which, the list for Edo Tensei should be almost ready by now, right?"
Just then, Kitagawa Gen spoke again with a grin.
"Kakashi-sensei, Guy-sensei, do you think there will be—"
"I don't know."
Both men froze for a moment at those words. Kakashi tilted his head toward the sky.
After a long silence, he finally shook his head and spoke.
"But if I really saw him again, there are a lot of things I'd want to say."
"I'd probably have a lot to tell him too."
Guy's gaze, like Kakashi's, was filled with remembrance—but soon, he smiled brightly.
"I think I'd tell him that I've grasped his conviction—and thank him for letting me understand the true meaning of youth."
At that, Guy paused, his memories drifting back to those days.
Training together, shedding the passionate tears of youth together—even though he'd once felt resentment, in the end, he had come to understand everything.
"True victory isn't about 'defeating the strong,' but about 'protecting what's precious to you until death.'"
Seeing his two sensei fall silent, Kitagawa Gen couldn't help but pat both of them on the shoulder.
He felt he should do something here—after all, there were quite a few things he could decide himself.
'Also… maybe we should give Sasuke a chance—to show off a bit in front of his family?'
As he mused, his gaze turned toward Sasuke, who was still training with Naruto.
And at that moment, his brow twitched—his mission had updated!
[Sasuke Exclusive Side Quest 2 Acquired]
[Home Visit of the Supervising Jōnin]
[Meet Sasuke's family and point out his problems]
[Exclusive side quests will not affect normal ones]
[Accept?]
"..."
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