For some reason, Nagato felt a profound sense of unease.
After the events of Naruto's defection and the appearance of the mysterious powerhouse in Sunagakure, his plans had been completely thrown into disarray. The original intention was to officially begin the plan in about three years. But now, it had been moved up.
First was the capture of the Three-Tails, which had gone very smoothly. But afterward, Hidan and Kakuzu encountered Konoha ninja, and a battle broke out. Both were veteran shinobi; while their strength might not be the absolute greatest, their self-preservation skills were maxed out, so Nagato wasn't worried about them.
What truly concerned him was Sunagakure, where Shukaku resided, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, who had defected. The Land of Demons (now renamed the Seireitei) was too mysterious; even Nagato himself didn't dare to act rashly.
After careful consideration and discussion, he decided to first capture the other Tailed Beasts, saving the Nine-Tails for later. This time, he dispatched both the Deidara-Sasori duo and the Itachi-Kisame duo to Sunagakure.
If two Kage-level shinobi couldn't threaten Sunagakure, then send four!
The arrangement should have been flawless, but the sense of alarm in Nagato's heart refused to fade.
"This unease... is it Uzumaki Naruto?" he murmured.
"The Seireitei is making its debut?" At that very moment, White Zetsu watched as figures emerged from the borders of the Seireitei.
One had white hair and was barefoot—it was clearly Shion. Another had black hair and a handsome face.
"That's Haku!"
The last one had thick eyebrows and was dressed in a white robe, looking valiant and heroic.
"The former Konoha ninja, Rock Lee!"
White Zetsu could sense a fluctuation from Rock Lee's body that was not chakra. "He actually awakened Reiatsu! Hiss!" He couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
"Hahaha, the Akatsuki sure have a lot of nerve," a wild laugh suddenly echoed from the sky, and a familiar blond-haired boy descended from above.
"Huh? Isn't that the mysterious powerhouse from Sunagakure? What is he doing at the Seireitei?! Could the Seireitei and Sunagakure have some kind of secret relationship?" White Zetsu's eyes widened, his mind racing with speculation.
The Akatsuki's mission this time was to capture the One-Tail Jinchuriki, Gaara. If the mysterious powerhouse was here at the Seireitei, then the capture of the One-Tail should proceed smoothly. At this thought, White Zetsu breathed a sigh of relief. The distance between the Seireitei and Sunagakure wasn't too great; it would take two days at most to travel between them. Two days was more than enough time for the Akatsuki to deal with Gaara.
"Shukaku? What are you doing here?" However, the words spoken by Haku and the others made White Zetsu's expression change dramatically.
"The Akatsuki's goal is likely the Tailed Beasts. If you're here, then their trip to Sunagakure is meaningless," Haku said flatly.
"Yeah, I hope that kid can hold out for a while," Shukaku said with a shrug and a grin. "Those Akatsuki members have no idea that I, the great Shukaku, left that seal a long time ago."
The conversation that followed left White Zetsu reeling in shock.
Shukaku is the One-Tail. The One-Tail isn't in Sunagakure? How did he get a human form? A sense of crisis welled up inside him. Something was terribly wrong.
Ever since Shukaku had revealed himself in Sunagakure, a feeling of unease had been brewing throughout the ninja world. Especially after Naruto's defection, the sealing of the Seireitei's borders, and even Obito's capture, a mysterious new power had begun to show its fangs.
In this moment, that unease reached its peak. White Zetsu suddenly realized that the Seireitei's power might be even more terrifying than he had imagined.
This is bad. I have to find a way to get this intelligence to Nagato. We need to reconsider the plan. Just as he thought this, he was horrified to find that he couldn't move. The chakra flowing through his body felt as if it had been frozen solid.
He looked up in shock to see the malicious smiles on the faces of Haku and the others. His own body was covered in a layer of frost he hadn't even noticed forming.
Swish. The frost completely encased him, freezing his expression in a moment of terror.
"What is this thing? It's disgusting," Haku and the others said, walking over and observing White Zetsu with a frown.
"Neither human nor ghost. This is the guy who's been trying to infiltrate the Seireitei. He has the ability to transform, and there seems to be an endless supply of him; they just don't die," Haku said with a sigh. "We need to hurry to Sunagakure."
The group exchanged a look and then sped off toward the Hidden Sand. After they left, the frozen White Zetsu shattered into pieces, which fell to the ground, melted, and disappeared into the earth. Before Haku's Zanpakuto, this clone had been utterly obliterated.
"Scalpel."
"Sharingan." Inside the operating room, Tsunade was concentrating on the transplant surgery. Unconsciously, her back was drenched in cold sweat, and her breathing had become heavy. This wasn't her first transplant, but the significance of this surgery was unprecedentedly great—so great that even the legendary medical ninja Tsunade was feeling the pressure.
Fortunately, the patient, Kakashi, had previously had a successful Sharingan transplant, so the success rate for a second one was high. The only real difficulty was the body's compatibility with the Wood Release cells.
The operating room was silent as the procedure continued in an orderly fashion. Soon, the Mangekyo Sharingan was successfully transplanted. The forbidden eye radiated a terrifying chakra fluctuation; just a single glance was enough to inspire fear. During the process, Tsunade herself had felt a sense of dread from the negative emotions swirling within the Mangekyo, but as a Kage-level shinobi, she quickly composed herself. If an ordinary medical ninja had attempted this surgery, the probability of failure would have been extremely high.
But the most difficult part of the surgery was yet to come.
Tsunade took a deep breath and picked up a syringe. Inside was a refined solution of Wood Release cells.
"Preparing for injection."
As the Wood Release cells were injected, Kakashi, who had been unconscious, suddenly trembled.
"Vitality is increasing. Cellular metabolism is accelerating."
"Is it going to be a success?" A look of joy appeared on Tsunade's face. All the data indicated that the surgery was stable. If nothing went wrong, Konoha would gain a shinobi who surpassed the Kage level!
"This is bad! His life energy is suddenly plummeting!"
"The cells are showing signs of rejection!"
"His vital functions are declining!!"
A sudden complication arose. Tsunade's expression changed drastically, and she immediately moved to the next step of the procedure.
"Excise the necrotic tissue..."
"Administer a neutralizing agent for the Wood Release cells."
The Wood Release was, after all, recognized as the strongest Kekkei Genkai. Its corrosive power was too strong. Even with the Sharingan, Kakashi's body couldn't withstand it.
Soon, all his vital functions were in a steep, linear decline.
"Am I going to die?" In his unconscious state, Kakashi could feel his life slipping away. Memories of his past flashed through his mind.
"Perhaps death is the most fitting end for me."
"I wonder how Naruto is doing now. Has Sasuke gotten the power he wanted?"
"I think... I have to go on ahead."
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