Whoosh~
In the dense forest, a swirling spatial vortex materialized out of thin air, and Obito's figure appeared atop a gently sloping hillside. Beside him, White Zetsu and Black Zetsu also slowly rose from the earth, enveloped by the characteristic Venus flytrap-like extension that was a part of White Zetsu's form.
"Hah! So this is the place?" Standing on the crest of the hill, Obito surveyed the continuous, rolling expanse of newly formed forest below and let out a soft breath, his visible eye narrowed in contemplation.
"Mm! This area was originally nothing but barren desert," White Zetsu's voice chirped from the side, a note of genuine astonishment in his tone. "Just a short while ago, this vast, sprawling forest suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Only Wood Style could possibly achieve such a feat of creation. Moreover, judging by the sheer, breathtaking scale of this dense forest, the caster's chakra reserves must be terrifyingly, almost unbelievably, immense." His words were filled with a mixture of wonder and profound bewilderment.
"Wood Style, you say?" Hearing White Zetsu's report, a sharp, calculating glint flashed in Obito's eye, and he murmured softly under his breath, "This world truly is becoming more and more wondrous, more unpredictable, with each passing day!"
Black Zetsu, ever the pragmatist, interjected, his voice a low rasp, "Obito, this Wood Style user who has suddenly appeared is undoubtedly very strong. Could they be affiliated with the Divine Court?"
Hearing this, Obito nodded thoughtfully. "It's highly possible."
Black Zetsu continued, his tone cautious, "For them to suddenly choose this particular location to unleash such a powerful and large-scale Wood Style ninjutsu… could it be that they've already discovered our primary hiding place here, the Mountain Graveyard?"
White Zetsu shook his head with surprising certainty. "Impossible! I have numerous Zetsu clones meticulously stationed and concealed all around the perimeter of the Mountain Graveyard. Unless they possess space-time ninjutsu on par with yours, Obito, it's absolutely impossible for them to evade the comprehensive surveillance of my clones and approach the base undetected."
After thinking for a moment, Obito said dismissively, "Whether they've discovered the base's existence or not is ultimately unimportant. This place is merely a temporary foothold, a convenience. If anything changes, if our security is compromised, we can relocate at any time without issue."
Hearing Obito's confident assertion, White Zetsu and Black Zetsu fell silent. Just as Obito said, currently, only he and they, the core Zetsu intelligences, frequently stayed at the Mountain Graveyard. With their unique and formidable abilities, they could indeed swiftly relocate whenever necessary, leaving no trace behind.
After a moment of charged silence, Obito's voice sounded again, a note of strategic caution in his tone, "More and more unknown, powerful individuals are emerging in the ninja world, disrupting the established order. The Akatsuki should probably lie low for the time being, consolidate our strength, and avoid unnecessary confrontations."
With that said, a swirling spatial vortex appeared once more before Obito, and his figure was quickly drawn into it, vanishing from the hilltop. Black Zetsu and White Zetsu also slowly sank back into the ground, disappearing from sight as if they were never there.
Konoha Village. Military Police Force Headquarters.
Tatsuya walked into his office with a visibly pleased and contented expression on his face.
In the room, a slender, graceful figure stood quietly with her back to the door, gazing out the window. It was Uchiha Misuke.
Uchiha Misuke turned around slowly. Seeing the joyful look on Tatsuya's face, she raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and said, her voice cool, "You seem quite happy?" Her tone carried an unmistakable hint of underlying irritation.
"Hm? Pretty good, actually! What's wrong?" Hearing the edge in her voice, a flicker of genuine surprise crossed Tatsuya's eyes, and he looked at Uchiha Misuke with open curiosity. He quickly wracked his brain but couldn't recall doing anything recently that might have provoked this particular woman.
Under Tatsuya's inquisitive gaze, Uchiha Misuke lowered her eyelids slightly, her expression remaining cool and indifferent, though a keen observer might have noticed a slight tightening around her lips. "The moment the Fifth Hokage left the village on her important mission," she stated, her voice flat, "you disappeared without a trace. What's the matter? Didn't trust her capabilities, or were you perhaps following someone else?"
"Huh?" Tatsuya looked at Uchiha Misuke, genuinely bewildered by her accusation. What on earth did she mean by that? Was she… could she possibly be… jealous?
Uchiha Misuke didn't speak immediately, merely looking at Tatsuya with that same cool, appraising gaze for a long moment before finally saying, her tone unreadable, "Clan Head Fugaku is preparing to resign from his position as Captain of the Military Police Force."
Hearing Uchiha Misuke's words, Tatsuya showed only a slight, fleeting surprise. "He's certainly moving quickly!" Truthfully, regarding this particular matter, Tatsuya had already anticipated it some time ago. Ever since Uchiha Fugaku had reluctantly agreed to the comprehensive Military Police Force reform plan jointly proposed by Shisui and Uchiha Misuke, he had already been in a state of semi-retirement, gradually stepping back from active leadership. He rarely involved himself in the day-to-day specific affairs of the Military Police Force anymore; the vast majority of operational matters were now being efficiently handled by Shisui and Uchiha Misuke.
Nowadays, even without Uchiha Fugaku formally holding the title of Captain, the Military Police Force could still operate smoothly and effectively. This was indeed the most opportune time for him to officially step down. For Uchiha Fugaku, a man still in the prime of his life and capabilities, to make such a significant choice, to willingly relinquish power, was actually quite admirable in Tatsuya's eyes.
Uchiha Misuke then asked, her voice carefully neutral, "Then who will take over as Captain?"
Tatsuya replied casually, without a moment's hesitation, "You, of course." He chose Uchiha Misuke for the role instantly. Compared to Shisui, who, despite his immense talent, had certain inherent flaws and complexities in his personality that made him less suited for such a demanding leadership position, Uchiha Misuke was clearly the more appropriate and capable candidate for Captain of the Military Police Force.
Uchiha Misuke's brow furrowed slightly at his immediate declaration. "Why don't you step forward and take the position? What exactly are you trying to do, Tatsuya?" She didn't understand why Tatsuya would consistently shy away from positions of overt power, first with the Hokage candidacy and now with the captaincy of the Military Police Force. In Uchiha Misuke's pragmatic view, if Tatsuya were willing to take this crucial step forward and assume direct leadership, their ambitious plan to fundamentally reform Konoha could proceed much more smoothly and efficiently.
Tatsuya understood the unspoken question and the underlying frustration in Uchiha Misuke's words. He simply shrugged and said, "There's no real need for that."
"No need? Why?" Uchiha Misuke pressed, her gaze sharp and unwavering as she stared intently at Tatsuya.
Tatsuya replied calmly, "Aren't you and Shisui here to manage things effectively? Besides, I still have many other important matters that I personally need to attend to."
A look of lingering confusion, perhaps even a hint of disappointment, appeared in Uchiha Misuke's eyes. "After that decisive battle, after everything that has happened, what else in the entire ninja world can possibly threaten us now? Why not take things a step further, consolidate our power openly?"
Seeing the fleeting look of confident pride—perhaps even a touch of arrogance—that crossed Uchiha Misuke's usually composed face, Tatsuya smiled faintly and shook his head. "Misuke, you underestimate this world far too much. There are still many powerful forces and hidden dangers that haven't surfaced yet, lurking in the shadows. We must continue to be exceptionally careful and meticulously cautious in all our endeavors."
Hearing Tatsuya's sobering words, Uchiha Misuke's expression gradually turned solemn. She looked at Tatsuya for a long moment, a thoughtful expression on her face, and then remained silent. After studying Tatsuya carefully, as if trying to read his deepest intentions, Uchiha Misuke turned without another word and gracefully left the office. She didn't ask Tatsuya specifically who or what could possibly pose a threat to him, to them. Some things, she knew instinctively, Tatsuya wouldn't necessarily tell her even if she asked directly. So, she simply didn't ask.
What this enigmatic man said might be a valid reason, Misuke mused to herself as she walked away, but she still had a nagging feeling that, more often than not, he was simply trying to be lazy and avoid direct responsibility.
Watching Uchiha Misuke's retreating figure, a wry, almost pained smile couldn't help but appear on Tatsuya's lips. This woman was always so perceptive, so sharp; it sometimes made him feel a little hard-pressed to deal with her pointed observations. There were many complex and dangerous things that Tatsuya, with his foreknowledge, his "God's perspective" from another life, found incredibly inconvenient and potentially hazardous to explain clearly to Uchiha Misuke, or to anyone else for that matter. He also couldn't, not yet, reveal the entirety of his long-term, intricate plans.
The Sage of Six Paths! Kaguya Otsutsuki! And the ever-present, looming threat of the Otsutsuki clan, who might very well descend upon their world again in the future! These were all terrifying, almost incomprehensible existences that Tatsuya, even with his current power, knew he couldn't directly confront and defeat. To completely break free from these overwhelming shackles, these cosmic-level threats, the only way was to elevate his own original body, his true self, to the legendary Six Paths level of power, or perhaps even to achieve the mythical Kekkei Mora.
And to achieve this monumental, almost impossible goal, Tatsuya knew he still needed to subtly borrow and manipulate the strength and resources of individuals like Nagato, Obito, and others. In the period to come, Tatsuya and his Divine Court would both need to recede further into the shadows, lying low, patiently biding their time, and meticulously preparing for the inevitable conflicts ahead.
Two days later, Uchiha Fugaku formally submitted his letter of resignation to the village council, officially stepping down from his long-held position as Captain of the Konoha Military Police Force. Upon resigning, he also formally recommended Uchiha Misuke to the village leadership as his successor for the captaincy.
Regarding this development, the Third Hokage, who was still temporarily managing Konoha Village's affairs during the transition period, directly chose to approve Fugaku's resignation and Misuke's appointment without any delay or contention. Soon, Uchiha Misuke and Uchiha Fugaku officially completed the handover of duties for the Military Police Force.
Half a month later, significant news returned from the Land of Iron. The Five Kage Summit had been successfully held under the respected auspices of Mifune, the General and leader of the Land of Iron. The Five Great Shinobi Villages had, after much deliberation, unanimously reached a historic decision: they would dispatch elite shinobi from each of their respective villages to form joint operational squads. Their common, unified objective would be to actively search for and completely annihilate the rogue organizations known as Akatsuki and the Divine Court.
The moment the joint declaration of the Five Great Shinobi Villages was officially issued and began to circulate, it caused a huge, unprecedented uproar throughout the entire ninja world. The era of uneasy peace and simmering tensions was clearly over; a new, far more dangerous period of conflict and uncertainty had begun.