Sasuke was still the same Sasuke, his eyes seeing nothing beneath him. But Kabuto was no longer that weak, bespectacled Medical-nin. He had surpassed Orochimaru!
"I was recruited too, though not because I agree with Zetsu's ideals. I just... want to find an answer." Kabuto admitted frankly.
"What answer?" Sasuke asked.
"To find my true self." Kabuto smiled, "People like you, who have a clear purpose, wouldn't understand. But it doesn't matter."
"Zetu sent me to persuade you, but I don't think you need a long-winded lecture. This place can give you what you want."
"What?"
"Revenge." Kabuto slowly uttered the word.
Sasuke's expression didn't change. If this had been years ago, before Itachi and Danzo's deaths, he might have clung to revenge with fierce obsession.
But now, Itachi was dead, having left his eyes to Sasuke. Did he hate him? The massacre of the clan was unforgivable, but the true mastermind had been Danzo and his ilk.
But the Sandaime Hokage had died a hero, Danzo was also dead already, and the two old Advisors were just waiting to die. Sasuke had no desire to keep fighting Konoha. He still wanted revenge, but more than that, he felt lost.
Draw your sword, look around—and find nothing. Damn it, his enemies were all dead. Should he dig up their graves and whip their corpses?
That wouldn't be revenge… that would just be madness.
Besides, the Sandaime Hokage's legacy was set in stone, and Danzo had been killed, his reputation neither good nor bad. The dead couldn't be bothered anymore… everything was settled.
And now, even that man was gone. Sasuke was the last Uchiha left. Revenge? Against whom? For what? What should he even do?
Sasuke hadn't figured it out yet.
"Revenge? Against who?" He asked.
"The Shinobi World," Kabuto grinned, then launched into his spiel about the sins of Shinobi, how this was a filthy world, and so on and so forth.
Sasuke's expression grew increasingly solemn as he listened. He wasn't immediately convinced, but he had found a new purpose in life. If revenge alone wasn't enough, he would trace it back to its roots.
At its core, the tragedy of the Uchiha Clan stemmed from the flaws of this world. Shinobi fought amongst themselves, nations waged endless wars, and bloodshed was constant.
"I can join you." Sasuke finally said, "But it has to be on my terms. I will unify the Shinobi World, put an end to the conflicts between nations, and create a new order."
"Agreed." Kabuto had his own agenda. His words were merely a means to recruit Sasuke into their ranks.
With Obito dead, they needed someone to fill the void. Just him and Black Zetsu alone wouldn't be enough, as managing an army of 100,000 White Zetsu was no small feat.
Even if they were just 100,000 pigs, that was still a terrifying logistical challenge.
Having Sasuke on board would strengthen their control over the situation, especially since he came with Team Taka's three other members.
Too few hands would be insufficient, too many would be a burden, so adding Team Taka was just right.
As for Sasuke's grand ambitions, Kabuto couldn't care less about. He'll just let Sasuke do whatever he wants. He'll just deal with it later.
Black Zetsu, Kabuto, and Sasuke, each with their own goals, had somehow, in the absence of their mediator, Obito, miraculously formed an alliance.
"When do we begin?" Sasuke asked.
"No need to rush. The White Zetsu still need further enhancements. Once Zetsu retrieves the target, we'll be ready." Kabuto smiled, "But for now, there's something I need you to handle."
"What?"
"Head to Kumogakure first. The enhanced White Zetsu can follow underground or by sea. Once you cause a disturbance, they'll infiltrate under the cover of chaos."
Kabuto explained, "We'll use 3,000 White Zetsu to disguise themselves and assassinate Kumogakure's key forces, then frame them for declaring war."
Sasuke didn't ask why it had to be Kumogakure. He simply stared at Kabuto for a long moment before responding coldly, "The White Zetsu go first. We follow."
He had already suffered enough from these people's incompetence. Under Obito's leadership, he had been sent back and forth on missions, even abandoning captured Biju… only for Obito to die in the end.
Sometimes, Sasuke couldn't fathom how these people's minds worked. They failed to capture the Biju, and back then, blinded by vengeance, he had fallen for their idiotic schemes.
Now that they were trying again, he wouldn't be fooled so easily.
Last time, he had nowhere to direct his anger. Now, history was repeating itself, and Sasuke refused to move prematurely. If something went wrong again, the mission would just be aborted.
What kind of joke is that? Running all the way there just to slink back in defeat?
Kabuto, unaware of Sasuke's past grievances, was momentarily taken aback by Sasuke's refusal but quickly chuckled.
"Fine. That works too."
…
In the Land of Fire's capital,
Naruto, with a short sword in hand, stealthily made his way to the Daimyo's bedchambers. Carefully pying open a glazed roof tile, he scanned the courtyard below… guards stationed in all directions, a mix of Shinobi and samurai, with an entire security team of oddballs.
Naruto smirked, 'This Daimyo sure is cautious.'
But no matter how high the wall, there's always a way over it. And tonight, he had run into the 'Defender of Uchiha Clan's Glory', so these third-rate bodyguards were useless.
This was also a perfect opportunity to show off his newly learned Multi-Size Technique once the mission was accomplished.
Through relentless training, Naruto had combined the Multi-Size Technique with Transformation Technique, achieving a clay-like malleability… all to better showcase the Uchiha Clan's Art of Peace.
Originally, he had just wanted to tweak the appearance of Bloody Kyubi's Chakra Cloak, molding it closer to the armor of Susanoo. But then he realized…
'Wait, if I just change the color, I can shape it into Susanoo itself.'
And as luck would have it, Naruto had seen Sasuke's Susanoo before, 'What a coincidence! Why bother modifying it? Just unleash the full Susanoo!'
Around midnight, Naruto silently dropped from the roof, glanced around, and swiftly approached the Daimyo's bedside. Without a word, he raised his hand…
Slap!
The Daimyo jolted awake, only to find a hand clamping over his mouth. In the darkness, he couldn't make out the intruder's face… just the silhouette of a young man.
"Don't scream. Or else..." Naruto pressed his short sword against the Daimyo's throat, then slowly released his grip.
"W-Who are you?!" The Daimyo stammered.
"Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto replied, his voice now an exact imitation of Sasuke's cold tone.
"Uchiha?!" The Daimyo's teeth chattered, "W-What do you want?!"