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In the days that followed, after Danzo's investments had vanished, both the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain reverted to their previous states of tranquility. Akihiko suddenly found himself with some rare free time.
As for Danzo, he had remained mostly silent, kept under strict surveillance since their last conversation. He had refrained from making any comments or suspicious moves. Akihiko believed that Danzo was deep in thought. Every time Akihiko approached him, Danzo would look at him with a complex expression in his eyes. That look seemed to hold elements of acceptance, regret, and an unusual connection, which unsettled Akihiko. Did this man genuinely believe that his failure was primarily due to his own lack of strength?
Seeing this, Akihiko occasionally approached Danzo, feigning a pat on the back and saying things like, "Among heroes, there's no one more deserving than Danzo." Or he would shake his head and comment, "Your wisdom and cunningness are truly terrifying. Fortunately, you lack the necessary strength, otherwise, Konoha would have another crucial figure."
All of these actions were aimed at reinforcing the idea that Danzo lacked the necessary strength. Initially, Akihiko had only intended to exploit the situation and had given up on his schemes to deceive Konoha.
Instead, he had now set a new purpose for Danzo in life. He couldn't help it, with Obito not walking a dark path, the outcome of the Nine-Tails attack was uncertain, and the Uchiha clan's annihilation might not occur.
Despite the long history of friendship between Kusa and Konoha, dating back to the establishment of the Kusagakure and their status as allied nations since the Warring States period, weakened Konoha was in the best interests of the Grass Village.
So, Hanzo, who had originally planned to sacrifice himself and eliminate Danzo before waging war against Konoha, had abandoned his plans. Perhaps he had realized that Danzo was not a genuine threat or had come to understand something. During these days, Hanzo's demeanor towards him had also become rather strange.
Unbeknownst to Akihiko, the three young students had a private conversation with Hanzo. They advised him, "Akihiko-sensei has a tendency to make simple matters sound significant and important matters sound trivial. So, take his words with a grain of salt. When things get truly serious, he'll find a discreet way to put someone in a tight spot instead of boasting."
Gradually, Hanzo realized that he had been deceived by Akihiko in the past. Yet, after witnessing the recent positive changes in the Land of Rain, he couldn't help but feel relieved. Even though these changes were minor, they offered a glimmer of hope, a significant improvement over the situation before.
Nonetheless, the war was ongoing, and it remained uncertain whether Akihiko could maintain control over the ninja from other villages engaged in battles within the Land of Rain. However, Hanzo believed that if Akihiko had the audacity to deceive all five major ninja villages, he must have a strategy to manage the situation. Otherwise, if the Five Great Ninja Villages could free up their forces, they might turn their attention towards the Grass Village. Therefore, Akihiko would undoubtedly be more anxious than Hanzo.
As a result, Hanzo began cooperating with the Land of Grass's plans, and both nations returned to their typical state of bustling activity. The Grass Village's base once again teemed with Rain ninjas who had come to undertake temporary work.
However, Akihiko was faced with a perplexing problem - White Zetsu had gone missing. They had an arrangement that once Akihiko had concluded his business, White Zetsu would facilitate his entry into the organization. However, during this period, White Zetsu had vanished without a trace, leaving Akihiko in the dark.
Frustrated and concerned, Akihiko scoured every inch of his office, but there was no sign of his enigmatic ally. Where could he have gone? Had something untoward occurred? Akihiko found himself pondering, "He promised to help me understand the truth of the ninja world and help him realize real life. So, why would he disappear without even saying a word?"
Akihiko remained relatively unfazed by White Zetsu's disappearance, as he had already made up his mind to join the organization, making it clear that they couldn't easily get rid of him now. After all, he wasn't someone you could just invite and then uninvite on a whim.
However, he was genuinely puzzled by their motives. Obito had managed to save Nohara Rin, and Akihiko couldn't understand why Black Zetsu had allowed it to happen. Did the organization forget his aim for 'peace' in the ninja world? Moreover, What happened to his mission to free his mother? Akihiko, even in his non-main member status, felt a tinge of disappointment regarding the situation.
Akihiko glanced at the intelligence report in his hand, realizing the Three Tails' presence. He mused, "I suppose Konoha must be facing its own challenges right now."
Yet, with all the major ninja villages embroiled in war, he was baffled as to how Mubuki had acquired such classified information. Furthermore, the mystery of Mubuki's whereabouts weighed on his mind as he wondered, "Where is he? It's been a while. Could he be in Konoha?"
…
However, The news of the Three-Tails capture by Konoha was not as covert as Akihiko might have assumed, it had already become public knowledge within the ninja world. Even within Konoha itself, the word spread like wildfire, as though some invisible hand was subtly pushing the information into the light.
The pressure exerted by the Mist Village regarding the Three-Tails' surrender had become a significant topic of discussion in Konoha. It appeared that the decision was becoming increasingly clear: either relinquish the Three-Tails or prepare for war with the Mist Village. The situation bore similarities to the past, particularly the incident involving the Konoha White Fang when he had abandoned his mission to save a companion. Conversations on this matter were rampant throughout the village.
There was a growing sentiment within Konoha, seemingly influenced by those who believed in surrendering the Three-Tails for the sake of peace. Even some high-ranking officials in the village began to lean in favor of this perspective. They were willing to let a young girl bear the burden, all in the name of achieving peace and safeguarding Konoha. After years of war and three devastating Ninja Wars where Konoha had fought against four other villages, the village was teetering on the edge of exhaustion.
In the name of peace, they believed that certain sacrifices were justified. Nevertheless, the Third Hokage, much like the Konoha White Fang during his time, maintained a stoic silence regarding this issue. His demeanor in these meetings was one of visible distress and unwavering seriousness as he repeatedly insisted, "I will find a solution, Stop discussing this matter."
Despite his reassurances, the matter remained unresolved, and the atmosphere within the village grew increasingly tense. The pressure from the Mist Village continued to mount, and their forces had even inched closer to Konoha. It was evident that if they did not return the Three-Tails, the threat of war would not abate.
…
Meanwhile, after an abrupt message from Black Zetsu, White Zetsu acted without delay and hastened towards their base. However, he opted for a secluded location rather than heading directly to the base. He harbored concerns about what could happen if Madara-sama grew furious upon learning of his incomplete mission. With Madara's increasing age, White Zetsu thought it best to avoid upsetting him too much.
As a result, he chose to meet Black Zetsu in secret to avoid Madara potential anger. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but wonder why he was summoned back by Black Zetsu. Wasn't his primary task to recruit the Grass Village leader? The situation there had been quite exhilarating, and he was enjoying it immensely.
Just as White Zetsu was contemplating these matters, Black Zetsu's voice emerged from behind him, "You've arrived. I instructed you to simply recruit the Grass Village Leader. Why has it taken you so long?"
White Zetsu turned around, moving closer to Black Zetsu, a friendly smile on his face,"Well, the Grass Village leader mentioned he was occupied and couldn't come at the moment. Speaking of which, what's the situation? Why did you suddenly call me back? What was it you needed?"
"I see, I was concerned that something had gone amiss. No matter, our top priority remains the fulfillment of Madara's contingency plan to revive him," Black Zetsu fixed his gaze on White Zetsu, momentarily reflecting. "Just as Madara foresaw, it appears that darkness may pave the way for his eventual return. We must be ready."
"Is the plan already underway? And it seems Zetsu has returned," White Zetsu inquired, detecting Zetsu's presence.
"He's back indeed. Let's not dwell on that fool. He even brought bunch of Land of Fire snacks. Can't he remember our mission?" Black Zetsu dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand, appearing somewhat vexed. "By the way, how is that Grass Village leader?"
However, as he mentioned this, White Zetsu lapsed into a thoughtful silence, appearing conflicted and hesitant.
Curious, Black Zetsu inquired, "What's troubling you? Is he severely lacking, not meeting our strength requirements?"
"No," came White Zetsu's response.
"Not lacking? Then why this uncertainty in your expression?" Black pressed for more information.
"It's not about his strength, it's just..." White Zetsu hesitated before continuing, "Black Zetsu, honestly, do we truly need to recruit that guy? I have a gut feeling that we might be falling into a trap!"
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