Chapter 321: 321.About to Begin
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"That's how it is."
Standing on the windowsill, "Obito's" body gradually vanished into a swirling spatial vortex.
"Well then, farewell, everyone."
"Obito!!!"
Kakashi lunged forward, reaching out, but he was a step too late—his hand closed around nothing but empty air.
"Damn it!!!"
A took several deep breaths, barely suppressing his explosive fury. He strode forward, grabbing Kakashi by the collar with a cold, menacing tone. "You know that guy?!"
"He was... a former teammate of mine," Kakashi muttered, his voice hollow as he hung his head. "Uchiha Obito."
"Another Uchiha!!" A snapped his head toward Tsunade, his glare sharp. "Hokage, you owe us an explanation!"
"Obito was..." Kakashi raised his head, his gaze firm. "The mastermind behind the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha fifteen years ago—and the reason the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life."
Ōnoki, floating nearby, suddenly understood. "So that's how it is. No wonder such a thing happened back then. I always thought it was strange that Konoha would suffer the Nine-Tails' rampage and lose the Fourth Hokage. But now that we know the enemy possesses space-time ninjutsu and the Mangekyō Sharingan, it all makes sense."
"Hmph."
A released Kakashi but remained aggressive. "Right now, Konoha holds the most intel on the Akatsuki. Since we've all agreed to form an alliance, you should share it."
"I have no objections."
Tsunade agreed readily but added, "However, it would be best to disclose the intel after we've confirmed the alliance's commander."
The earlier discussion about selecting a commander had been abruptly interrupted. Now that Tsunade brought it up again, tensions flared once more.
The Raikage and Tsuchikage remained locked in a stalemate over the position of alliance commander, while the other three Kage continued to observe. Only Mifune attempted to mediate.
Seeing this, Kaito quietly followed the other samurai out of the meeting room.
To him, it didn't matter who became the commander of the shinobi alliance.
As for the impending war between the shinobi alliance and the Akatsuki, he had no intention of making an appearance right from the start.
Sending a paper clone here was merely to witness the "spectacle."
What happened next would depend on how the Kage resolved their discussions.
---
Inside the Moon's Castle.
After securing food and eating a meal, Kaito instructed Team Sasuke and Team Hyūga to find rooms and rest.
Toneri, now completely stripped of his chakra, was imprisoned alone in a room sealed with barriers.
Meanwhile, in another chamber, Kaito recounted the events of the Five Kage Summit to Madara, Izuna, and Hikaku.
"So, the war is about to begin," Izuna mused, a hint of anticipation in his voice. "That means your plan has entered a new phase."
Kaito nodded. "We don't need to intervene at the start. Everything is leading to the final battle against Kaguya."
"In that case, those fools stand no chance against the Ten-Tails," Madara scoffed dismissively.
Kaito smiled faintly. "The main actors must always make their entrance at the critical moment."
"Speaking of which..." Izuna shot him a sidelong glance. "What about that 'Yokai Revival Plan' of yours? If it doesn't succeed soon, it'll be too late to matter."
Kaito sighed. "It's still not quite there yet."
"Then what's the point?" Izuna sneered. "With so many Uchiha now under your command, you already have plenty of cards to play. Yokai are just yokai—even if you revive them, controlling them won't be easy."
Kaito shook his head. "Aside from Kaguya, there are other Ōtsutsuki out there in the cosmos. You can never have too many cards to play. As for the greater yokai, I don't need absolute control over them. An alliance against the Ōtsutsuki will suffice. And after this war, we'll secure complete control over the Pure Land."
"As long as you know what you're doing," Izuna relented, dropping the subject.
"I do," Kaito assured. "This war will also accelerate the revival plan."
"Patriach," Hikaku raised his hand. "If the war is about to start and you still have other matters to attend to, why are we staying on the moon?"
"Simple." Kaito stood up, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "We're here to inspect Kaguya's seal. And if possible, lay down some preparations in advance."
Madara's interest was piqued. "You can locate Kaguya's seal?"
Kaito walked to the castle's floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the distant floating stone shrine in the sky. "We'll start by going there."
"How do you plan to do it?" Madara asked.
The other three joined him by the window.
"We'll figure it out once we arrive."
Kaito flicked a talisman into the air, transforming it into a small paper crane that flew out of the room.
"First, I'll assign Sasuke a task—looting the castle will be his responsibility."
Then, he stepped onto the balcony outside the window and leaped over the railing.
The wind howled as Kaito glided effortlessly through the air, landing gracefully before the shrine's massive stone gate.
When he turned, he saw Madara flying toward him, carrying Hikaku and Izuna by their collars.
Hikaku, held in Madara's left hand, looked around in awe, while Izuna, dangling from his right, wore an expression of utter resignation, his small ponytail fluttering in the wind.
"Pfft." Kaito stifled a laugh, quickly turning back to the shrine's gate with a neutral expression as they landed.
"Hey, brat." Izuna suddenly slung an arm over Kaito's shoulder from behind. "Were you just laughing at me?"
Kaito turned, feigning innocence. "Hm? What do you mean, senior?"
"Don't play dumb!"
Izuna scoffed before shooting a glare at Madara. "I was planning to come here on my own!"
Kaito sighed dramatically. "Senior, there's no need to explain. I didn't find anything about the situation laughable."
"Hmph!" Izuna turned away, sulking.
Kaito blinked, glancing at the other two.
Hikaku offered an awkward smile.
Madara, however, remained utterly indifferent, striding past them into the shrine without a word.
Kaito shrugged at Izuna before quickly following Madara inside.
The two soon found themselves in the shrine's main hall.
After a long silence, Hikaku, seeing that Izuna still hadn't moved, grinned and slung an arm over his shoulder.
"Let's go, Lord Izuna."
Meanwhile, the two who had entered first surveyed the shrine's interior.
Kaito chuckled. "Senior, do you enjoy teasing your little brother sometimes? How mischievous."
"Hah." Madara smirked slightly. "Someone without a brother wouldn't understand."
"I suppose not."
Kaito walked to the center of the hall, gazing up at the enormous stone sphere resting on the platform.
"This is..."
He stroked his chin, circling the sphere and examining the intricate patterns carved into its surface. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with realization.