"Just the Five Kage Summit."
"But where did you fly off to? You didn't go back to your office, did you?"
Kazuyama Gekkō stared at his Hokage in sheer disbelief. The man was hopeless—naturally scatterbrained beyond saving.
Minato Namikaze's face stiffened at the question. What could he say? He really had gone back to his office. Habit was a terrifying thing.
"In that case, I'll leave Gaara in your care. I'll return to Sunagakure as soon as possible."
"Even though I'm the Kazekage, matters of this scale must be discussed formally."
"And drop that look. Chiyo and Ebizo may no longer interfere with village affairs, but this is the Five Kage Summit."
"As Sunagakure's advisers, they should attend."
Rasa's explanation was met with Kazuyama Gekkō's full display of disdain, but what choice did he have?
Even if the elders normally stayed out of things, a matter like the Five Kage Summit was impossible for them to ignore.
"I get it, I get it."
"Sometimes Kage aren't all-powerful. Ah, Rasa, I understand you."
Speaking of advisers and elders, Minato Namikaze felt the pain deeply. His own village's three advisers hovered constantly. And whenever major decisions came up, they would rush in to question everything. He was used to it by now.
...
Land of Fire, beneath Kikyō Mountain.
"Damn it! I'm furious!"
"Kabuto, you bastard! I told you to create chaos at Konoha's main gate. That was your job!"
"And you sent one puppet!?"
"Useless! I gave you so much funding and THIS is what you deliver!?"
Every bit of Muren Uchiha's anger erupted in a storm of shouting, pouring over Kabuto like torrential rain.
Kabuto didn't react at all. He simply continued tinkering with his puppet, ignoring the outburst entirely.
Black Zetsu finally spoke.
"Kabuto, it's true. Why did you only send the giant puppet without appearing yourself?"
"Or did you seriously think a single puppet could break through Konoha's gates?"
Kabuto lifted his head, glanced at Black Zetsu, then at Madara Uchiha.
He sighed.
"I had no choice. My research is at a critical stage. I couldn't spare time to command a battle."
"Once my research is complete, puppets will no longer be restricted."
"I alone will be able to command an army of thousands."
Black Zetsu and Muren Uchiha both froze, clearly intrigued.
Everyone knew Puppeteers were an unusual type—no personal combat power, fully dependent on their puppets.
Control quantity and puppet armaments were their only strength.
But Kabuto claimed he could break that limitation?
What new madness had he discovered?
"Do you know the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear?"
"You've relied on it to arm soldiers, yet you still don't understand it."
"But I… have completely mastered it."
"The hearts stolen through Earth Grudge Fear are fully compatible with the puppet hearts I've created."
"With this, I can use puppets to control puppets."
"I will become the King of Puppets!"
Kabuto grew more excited as he spoke. Under his control, even Kakuzu extended his Earth Grudge Fear tendrils.
Black Zetsu and Muren Uchiha watched him and let out the same sigh.
"Let's hope so."
"So, Zetsu—what now?"
"We won't be getting the One-Tail."
Muren Uchiha looked at Black Zetsu, awaiting a new plan.
After a long pause, Black Zetsu finally spoke.
"Abandon Konoha and Sunagakure for now."
"We'll capture the other Tailed Beasts first."
"You will target the Two-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, and Eight-Tails."
"The rest we'll handle later."
Muren Uchiha blinked. He hadn't expected that answer.
What use was capturing the others now?
"We struck Konoha for the One-Tail."
"And we already exposed ourselves when capturing the Three-Tails."
"Based on how the Five Great Villages operate, they'll communicate with each other. Tailed Beasts are each village's greatest asset."
"No one will allow theirs to be taken."
"If we don't act quickly to secure the remaining known Tailed Beasts or Jinchūriki, capturing them later will be far more difficult."
Muren Uchiha nodded. Zetsu was right.
If they hesitated, the villages would prepare.
Then capturing even one would become nearly impossible.
"Fine. But according to our intel, the Two-Tails from Kumogakure is missing."
"The Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi from Iwagakure, has disappeared."
"And the Five-Tails that showed up near Konoha's border? Gone without a trace."
"Man… nothing is going smoothly."
It wasn't just him feeling that. Even Black Zetsu could sense the bad momentum.
Aside from capturing the Three-Tails, everything else lately had been a disaster.
"Never mind. Let's begin."
"Our first targets are the Six-Tails and the Eight-Tails."
"We know these two Jinchūriki well."
"But be careful with that brute from Kumo—his strength is extraordinary."
Muren Uchiha nodded. Everyone knew how aggressive Kumogakure was.
But he felt no fear—he didn't believe this mission would go poorly.
"I'm heading out."
"Don't wait for dinner."
In an instant, Muren Uchiha activated his dōjutsu and vanished into the distance.
After he left, Black Zetsu turned to Kabuto.
"During your trip to Sunagakure, did you find what you were looking for?"
Kabuto, who had been silent, suddenly curled the corner of his mouth into a smile.
"What do you think?"
"Can she really be revived?"
"According to the intelligence, yes. But only one person alive knows the technique."
"Chiyo?"
Kabuto nodded, rose, and walked deeper into the cavern. Black Zetsu followed.
In the deepest chamber, Kabuto opened a concealed room.
Inside, a person lay bound—injured, but alive.
"You captured her too?"
"I had no choice. To understand this technique, I need the knowledge in her mind. That's why I returned so late."
"Are you confident?"
"Almost fully. But performing this technique isn't something I can do alone. You know the old woman's strength."
Black Zetsu nodded.
His earlier gloom from the failed operation vanished entirely.