After hearing Hoshiyomi's words, Sakumo thought for a moment and said:
"Since our mission time is limited and we've already decided to take action, then let's act together.
After eating, everyone rest for a bit. Once we're done resting, we'll split up and scout the various clans within the militant faction to see if we can gather more intel."
Hoshiyomi naturally agreed to Sakumo's proposal. The group finished breakfast and then went to rest.
Around three in the afternoon, everyone gathered again in Hoshiyomi's room, preparing to head out to the militant faction's territory to scout for information.
Haku, seeing the situation, also offered to help Hoshiyomi. Hoshiyomi reasoned there was no danger in keeping Haku by his side, so he agreed to Haku's request.
After leaving their lodging, the ten of them split into several groups, each heading toward a different kekkei genkai clan.
Hoshiyomi and Haku's destination, of course, was the Kaguya clan's territory.
The pair, one tall and one small, walked down the streets of Kirigakure looking very much like father and son—a sight that didn't stand out at all here.
Kirigakure wasn't very large. After walking for only about an hour, they had entered the core of the militant faction's territory.
Although it was the same village, this area was in far worse condition than the conservative faction's.
The conservative side could only be described as "bleak," but this side could only be called chaotic.
The streets were extremely noisy. Most of the militant faction's shinobi were violent and bloodthirsty by nature. Even though they were on the same side, it was common for them to attack each other over the slightest irritation.
Hoshiyomi had already seen several bloody conflicts just on the way here.
Looking at the militant shinobi fighting each other to the point of cracked skulls, Hoshiyomi felt more and more puzzled.
Forget scouting their clan compounds—just from the state of the streets, it was obvious that the militant faction was a complete mess.
Even if most of them were powerful kekkei genkai shinobi, with someone as cunning as Genji leading the conservative faction, there was no reason he wouldn't be able to handle such a disorganized group.
Thinking this far, Hoshiyomi became increasingly certain:
Someone must be manipulating the militant faction from behind the scenes.
He just didn't know whether the Kaguya clan was connected to that mysterious person or not.
With that question in mind, Hoshiyomi grabbed Haku, lifted him with one arm, activated Transparent Escape, and sped up.
...
Meanwhile, as Hoshiyomi was rushing toward the Kaguya clan's territory, on the opposite side of the village—in the Hōzuki clan's land—a white humanoid venus flytrap plant was happily moving aside a concealed stone slab, heading down toward a hidden underground chamber.
After walking down a long passage, the space suddenly opened up.
Even ordinary members of the Hōzuki clan likely had no idea such a secret room existed beneath their own grounds.
Inside the underground chamber was a large round table. Several figures sat around it. As White Zetsu entered, they all subconsciously turned to look at him.
Their bizarre, almost sculpted faces were so uncanny that even White Zetsu, whose own appearance could be considered monstrous, felt a chill.
"Zetsu, you're too slow,"
said a shark-faced man to White Zetsu's left, giving him a grin full of serrated shark teeth.
"Yare yare, Kisame, don't smile at me like that. Every time I look at your face, I get goosebumps."
White Zetsu gave an awkward laugh and joked back, which prompted the rough-voiced woman beside him to complain:
"You look almost exactly like him. Maybe stop making fun of others before checking what you look like."
At the head of the round table, a white-haired young man glanced at her and said coldly:
"Ameyuri… enough with the useless chatter. Let's get to the point."
Hearing the clan head Hōzuki Mangetsu speak, Ringo Ameyuri giggled but obediently stopped teasing.
Mangetsu then looked at White Zetsu, the pressure around him rising slightly as he said:
"Speak. What exactly does your Akatsuki want to do next?
Let me remind you—Ameyuri and I are only listening because of Kisame. If the plan you're about to present doesn't satisfy us, we will end our cooperation immediately."
Kisame glanced at Mangetsu and Ameyuri, showing a strange smile.
"After hearing the plan, I believe you two will make the same choice I did."
Mangetsu and Ameyuri exchanged uncertain smiles—
but the smiles froze instantly.
Because the White Zetsu in front of them… split open.
Literally.
His entire head split in half from the crown, revealing another figure inside.
Seeing this bizarre sight, Ameyuri was speechless.
Mangetsu's expression twisted even further—he trembled upon seeing the figure emerging from within.
In the next second, his entire body liquefied, surging across the floor as sharp water-spikes formed, attempting to restrain the newcomer instantly.
But what happened next shocked him even more—
even in his liquid form, he found that he could not move another centimeter forward.
Looking closely, he realized that a vortex-like spiral of warped space had formed in front of the man.
Within that twisted space, not even someone as strong as Hōzuki Mangetsu could move.
Seeing this terrifying phenomenon, Mangetsu blurted out instinctively:
"Shimura Danzo? You're still alive?! What's your purpose coming to Kirigakure and deceiving us into dividing ourselves?!"
At those words, the "Danzo" before him suddenly opened his eyes—revealing an eerie pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
As he watched the horror in Mangetsu's expression, the "Danzo" smiled:
"Calm yourself, young man. I am not the Shimura Danzo you know. This is merely a body I am temporarily controlling."
Seeing those eyes—so similar to the three-tomoe Sharingan—the clan head Mangetsu suddenly recalled the Uchiha legends his father once spoke of.
As soon as the spatial distortion disappeared, he quickly reformed his body, staring in disbelief:
"Those eyes… that's the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"You have sharp eyes, young man. Since you can recognize these, I won't need to explain so much."
"Danzo" smiled, spreading his arms wide:
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am a ghost left over from a bygone era, temporarily dwelling within this vessel. My name—
Uchiha Madara."
Hearing that name—too familiar, too infamous—both Mangetsu and Ameyuri stiffened in shock, staring blankly as this so-called Uchiha Madara slowly began explaining his 'Eye of the Moon Plan.'