"Lord Madara."
"Nagato has set off for the Land of Lightning."
Inside a dimly lit cave, only Zetsu's head emerged from the ground. His face showed no emotion.
He had never stopped keeping watch on Nagato.
"The Ninja World is about to descend into chaos."
"Have you found suitable candidates for that key piece?"
Madara never entertained thoughts of controlling Nagato. He clearly understood that the current Nagato was no longer something he could manipulate at will.
Sitting on a long stone bench, Madara appeared significantly older. The deep creases on his face looked like they could trap even the most persistent flies.
Compared with his prime, he couldn't even be said to still be alive.
"The Uchiha Clan holds an important position in Konoha. It isn't easy for me to move unhindered either."
"There are currently two potential candidates meeting your requirements—one named Obito and another called Shisui."
The Uchiha's standing within Konoha had already diverged from the original plot, and all kinds of precautions naturally became tighter.
Yet Zetsu could still traverse Konoha as if unchallenged, even gathering intel near Fugaku.
Needless to say, this scheming double agent was truly formidable when it came to stealth.
"Good. Keep observing."
"As for Nagato, let's set him aside for now."
As long as Nagato wasn't dead, continuing surveillance on him held little meaning anymore.
"Yes, Lord Madara."
Zetsu nodded slightly in agreement, showing no surprise at Madara's decision.
Since Nagato had completely slipped out of his control, Madara's contingency plan suddenly became crucial.
He would stop at nothing to rescue his mother.
"Go. Leave behind a few clones too."
Madara had no intention of explaining. Recently, he'd discovered that White Zetsu demonstrated unexpected compatibility with Hashirama's cells.
"Fine."
Zetsu readily left behind several White Zetsu clones before sinking underground.
After all, these clones originated from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. He felt no attachment to them whatsoever.
"With this, I can help compensate for a significant portion of our combat strength."
Madara was also making preparations for the future. A well-controlled pawn wouldn't necessarily possess overwhelming strength.
But once he completed the fusion of White Zetsu with Hashirama's cells, those issues would no longer matter.
Then, by transplanting White Zetsu's body, his pawns could obtain immense power.
Whether it was limitless eye-based powers or a watered-down version of Wood Release, either would give his pawns the freedom to dominate every corner of the Ninja World.
With visible effort, Madara slowly pushed himself to his feet and laboriously dragged the White Zetsu body deeper into the shadows.
...
"What's with dragging me along?"
On the ship heading toward the Land of Lightning, Kakuzu sat across from Nagato, breaking the silence first.
Of all Kawaki's disciples, Kakuzu feared Nagato the most—even more than Minato.
And this fear kept growing as Nagato matured—it was a deep, instinctive fear of unknown power.
Having lived for so many years, he'd never encountered a ninja whose abilities were as mysterious, diverse, and powerful as Nagato's.
"Because you requested it yourself. Would it look right if you didn't come?"
Nagato brushed his bangs to both sides, his Rinnegan glimmering with amusement.
"You mean you don't want your little sweetheart tagging along on this dangerous mission?"
"You sure aren't shy about putting these old bones to work, huh?"
Kakuzu pretended not to meet Nagato's gaze, making light jokes.
"You can think that, if you like."
Nagato suppressed a laugh. Kakuzu was right for once.
Although Nagato was confident he could get Nonou safely in and out of the Land of Lightning, it didn't really matter even if something unexpected happened.
"I'll just consider myself unlucky."
"So once we get the Tailed Beast, can I keep it?"
Kakuzu's thoughts immediately turned to the Tailed Beast again, his face lighting up with excitement.
After all, capturing a Tailed Beast would be a major accomplishment for the Akatsuki.
"You? You want to keep a Tailed Beast?"
Nagato looked shocked, wondering if he had heard wrong.
"Yep."
Kakuzu pointed at himself and nodded. He swore this was the most obedient he'd ever been.
"How much is a Tailed Beast worth anyway?"
"At least a few million—maybe over a hundred million."
"How am I supposed to believe you when you answer that fast?"
Nagato shook his head with a bitter smile. He wasn't afraid of Kakuzu running off with the Tailed Beast, but Kakuzu trying to sell it off wasn't unlikely.
"I just asked around a little. I never meant to sell it."
Kakuzu waved his hands frantically, insisting he hadn't thought of it that way at all.
But somehow, those words sounded extremely unconvincing.
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