In Konoha.
The initial reason for realizing that The Fourth had completely lost contact was… Haseo's cat had vanished.
Haseo had left his Black Cat, along with several individual Katsuyu, in Konoha to maintain two-way communication after his departure. However, both the Black Cat and the Katsuyu suddenly vanished without a trace.
The Katsuyu weren't much of a concern—they were summoned beasts from Shikkotsu Forest. The Black Cat was different; it should never have left Konoha.
The disappearance of the Black Cat proved three things:
First, Haseo remained as stingy as ever—when he left, not even a single cat was left behind. Second, it showed he still cared about his pets—at the very least, he hadn't forgotten the Black Cat in Konoha. This point would have been more convincing if he hadn't needed Tsunade's reminder to retrieve his feline companion in the first place.
Finally, the cat's disappearance proved that Haseo had actively hidden himself rather than suffering some misfortune. Combined with what Tsunade had heard from Uzumaki Yayoi earlier, it became obvious—they had made corresponding arrangements.
Thus, Konoha faced its most troubling event since its founding… The Fourth Hokage had become immersed in mundane family life—rice, oil, salt, and all—with his wife and child, ultimately abandoning the entire village.
Compared to the heroic sacrifices made by The Second and The Third on the battlefield, The Fourth's actions… were pretty lame. Like, seriously pathetic.
"We must've been blind as bats to ever trust that guy, Haseo!"
Upon learning the situation, Homura Mitokado immediately reached this conclusion… Clearly, he was extremely angry at that moment, even somewhat losing his composure.
After all, while this statement criticized Haseo, it also indirectly scolded himself.
Beneath the rage, though, was pure panic and doubt. After all, this was wartime. Before, being able to contact Haseo was reassuring—no matter what happened, he wouldn't possibly ignore Konoha's plight. But now that he had completely gone offline, it meant Konoha had lost a formidable warrior. Naturally, the Elders felt uneasy and anxious.
Having The Fourth stay home wasn't bad at all—he was a ninja who could kill the Raikage in an instant. Keeping him around brought both strength and prestige, like a guardian spirit of the village.
But now he's gone. Talk about a real heartbreaker.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes. This location perfectly matches Yayoi's description, and the layout matches the diagrams exactly."
Three days later, Ka-jin, Mokkō, and Sannai arrived together in the Land of Hot Springs and quickly pinpointed where Haseo had once resided.
Ka-jin carried several finely detailed maps, architectural blueprints, and environmental sketches—all information provided by Yayoi… For the Uzumaki Clan, precise localization using these materials wasn't particularly complicated.
"But… there's no one inside the house."
[After performing a quick sensory sweep], Sannai reached this conclusion.
This result was somewhat disappointing but quite reasonable—and expected. If Haseo had decided to "disappear," there was no way he'd allow them to find him so easily.
The three exchanged meaningful glances, then Ka-jin took a steady breath. "Pardon the intrusion, Lord Haseo."
With that, they pushed open the door and stepped into Lord Haseo's courtyard.
Blooming flowers, a murmuring spring, a half-finished puppet, shelves lined with medicine—all signs of daily life remained. The interior contained a living room, kitchen, and bedroom, each space fully equipped. It felt like the owner had just stepped out for a moment.
Well, technically, he had left less than three days ago. Yet it was obvious—they definitely wouldn't be returning.
"Lord Haseo is already gone. Clearly, he expected us to come searching. But… not even a single note?"
After searching the house thoroughly, Ka-jin reached this conclusion… though in truth, there had been no need to investigate—the outcome had been clear from the start.
Always doing things his own way—so like Lord Haseo.
"Don't get sentimental. So we have to return to the village empty-handed? How are we supposed to explain this to the higher-ups?"
"Yeah. Even a short message would've helped."
But nothing meant absolutely nothing. Lord Haseo would never play games by hiding clues for them to find. If he had, that would mean his resolve to leave wasn't firm.
Just like when he first walked away from Konoha.
The three Uzumaki shinobi turned their gazes toward the window, staring out into the distant horizon. From here, they could see the endless blue sea… From this day forward, Konoha's affairs were no longer Haseo's burden to bear.
Since Haseo had chosen peace, as his subordinates, they should understand and support his decision. And yet… especially for the Uzumaki, his departure carried deep consequences.
It hit them like the loss of Mito Uzumaki all over again.
...
Some chose peace, but the world kept churning with unrest.
One month later, in the Land of Birds.
"Tobi? That name will do—for now, until I reclaim my true name, being called anything doesn't matter much anyway… After all, it's just a temporary alias."
The one called "Nameless" had inherited the hereditary "Exoskeleton Armor" from White Zetsu—an eccentric creature filled with curiosity, particularly fascinated by human excretion. Yet when worn, its personality and consciousness didn't need to emerge.
Of course, this was merely an added bonus—and also a monitor. More importantly, he had obtained that pair of eyes.
"If you like it, that's great. Since I recently suffered serious damage, it isn't time to restart the Plan yet. However, preparations must begin immediately.
Our next move is heading to Konoha. At this point, certain forces must inevitably be utilized..."
However, before Black Zetsu could finish speaking, Tobi interrupted with a raised hand. "I'm afraid that's out of the question. It seems we've reached a divergence point straightaway—I won't go to Konoha. Never again."
"—?! Why not?"
"Could it be that...?"
"The reason is simple — it's out of fear... Konoha terrifies me. I won't return to that village until I'm certain my strength is enough to guarantee victory."
He sounded so confident — or was it sheer audacity?
Tobi's problem didn't seem to lie in his power, but rather in his psychology... Naturally, someone driven by fear would always end up defeated.
"..."
Black Zetsu truly had it rough. By now, he had to hold onto every single piece, even if some seemed practically useless.
"We both knew the deal from the start — you have your goal, and I have mine. Our alliance has limits and no strings attached. I always keep the right to choose."
What could Black Zetsu possibly say?
"Fine then, I'll head to Konoha myself. You can take care of something else... That thing we discussed before."
"No problem there... But just out of curiosity, what are you planning once you get to Konoha?"
"Hehe, nothing to hide," Black Zetsu chuckled softly. "Even though you still watch me like a hawk, I still place fundamental trust in my partners.
As for why I'm going to Konoha?
Simple. Just to find Uchiha."
Trust from Black Zetsu?
Now *that* was a joke. Besides Tobi watching him, who knows how many White Zetsus were lurking around?
At this point, Madara's pair of Rinnegan eyes had practically become Black Zetsu's only lifeline.
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