Leaving those words behind, Dodai turned and left the ruins with several trusted subordinates. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of eyes remained
Leaving those words behind, Dodai turned and left the ruins with several trusted subordinates.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of eyes remained fixed on the two elders.
They couldn't refute Dodai's final words, only grumbling before turning and leaving.
Outside, Uchiha Kai and Kimimaro left Kumogakure unimpeded.
Matatabi's sealing location was in a remote area. The rampage had already alerted the Kumogakure shinobi stationed there, and those remaining knew what had happened.
Who would dare, or could dare, stop the furious Uchiha Kai?
They could only watch him leave with a mixture of awe and fear.
"Boss, should we seal this stinky cat? Isobu and I can help," Son Gokū said impatiently.
They had almost fought several times on the way.
If not for Kai, they would have leveled the earth.
"You damn turtle, why are you picking on me? Boss, you need to settle this," Matatabi, already comfortable calling Kai "Boss," complained.
This familiarity annoyed Son Gokū, who added another descriptor to Matatabi's list: "Slutty and cheap!"
"Alright, stop it. Son Gokū's just being difficult because he's hungry," Kai said, rolling his eyes.
"Hungry? We tailed beasts don't eat," Matatabi said, confused.
The tailed beasts had different personalities and pride, but aside from Isobu and Kurama, they wouldn't usually fight on sight.
Son Gokū's behavior was unexpected.
"Hmph, shallow creature. Don't cry to us when you want some later," Son Gokū glared before disappearing back into Kai's cloak.
A brief silence fell.
Kimimaro, ignoring the tailed beast squabbling, noticed a ninja hawk, its body covered in black veins, descending from the sky.
"Don't worry, it's an ally," Kai said, recognizing Kakuzu's technique.
Since their last meeting, Kakuzu and the others had been operating independently. Kai had considered forming a team, but their individual strengths and personalities were too distinct.
It was more efficient for them to work separately.
Though, he wouldn't mind if they chose to collaborate.
Kai raised his hand, and the hawk, controlled by black veins, landed on his arm, dropping a small scroll.
"Intelligence?" Son Gokū asked, interested. He didn't care about Kai's actions, but the gathering of tailed beasts, despite their bickering, felt reminiscent of the Sage of Six Paths' era.
"Boss, did you run into that unlucky guy again? We should beat him up before recruiting him this time," Son Gokū emerged again, remembering his own initial encounter with Kai.
Rather than be the subject of future jokes, he preferred to torment others.
"Probably not," Kai said, his brow raised as he unsealed the scroll, revealing a translucent figure.
"Even an eighty-year-old monster knows these communication techniques," Kai commented, impressed.
Akatsuki members in the original story were experts in this.
Regardless of distance, they could use their thought projections to gather at the Outer Path Demonic Statue and use the Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals.
"Boss, it's Kakuzu," the translucent figure said.
Seeing Matatabi on Kai's shoulder, his pupils constricted slightly.
"Boss, you're faster than us. I just found the location of the Seven-Tails, Chōmei, but I also discovered something more important to you."
"More important to me?" Kai raised an eyebrow. Son Gokū blurted out, "Don't keep us in suspense! Where's that bug? I want to beat it up first!"
Ignoring Son Gokū, Kakuzu said, "It's about Uchiha Itachi."
"While tracking Chōmei, I found Itachi in the hands of Takigakure's Anbu. They seem to want his Sharingan."
"I heard from Jugo that he's close to you."
Kakuzu stopped there, knowing when to hold back.
Further probing might backfire.
"Itachi's out? " Kai touched his nose, surprised. Itachi's capture by Takigakure's Anbu was unexpected.
However, in the original story, Itachi, with his three-tomoe Sharingan, had defeated even the strongest female Anbu root member.
Takigakure, a powerful village, had purchased a tailed beast from Hashirama Senju.
But that was before Kakuzu's rebellion.
In the original story, Takigakure was a third-rate village almost destroyed by a single jōnin. Itachi's capture was intriguing.
"Boss, what are your plans?" Kakuzu asked.
Kai frowned. He'd planned to return to Amegakure to check on Nagato and the others.
He'd promised Konan to keep a low profile, and his actions in Kumogakure required some explanation.
But Itachi's escape and capture changed his plans.
"Give me coordinates. I'll meet you there," Kai said.
Kakuzu nodded, unsurprised. The translucent figure dissipated.
"Boss, follow this hawk to meet me; we're not far apart."
As the figure vanished, the hawk took flight. Meanwhile, the Land of Iron buzzed with anticipation for the upcoming Five Kage Summit.
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