Shiraishi's proposal caused Black Zetsu's brow to twitch. Under this continuous combination of threats and inducements, the mastermind who had been hidden in the shadows of the ninja world for a thousand years finally felt a stir of temptation.
Reviving the Ten-Tails?
What was this Kazekage's true motive?
Meeting Black Zetsu's bewildered gaze, Shiraishi's expression remained unchanged. "Uchiha Madara wants to use the Ten-Tails to create a world free of conflict, whereas I need the power of the Ten-Tails to conquer the entire ninja world and achieve complete unification."
"You already possess invincible power, so why would you still need the Ten-Tails? Even if Madara needs to be resurrected, as you say, what is the point of creating an adversary out of thin air?"
Shiraishi's words sounded a bit forced. If he truly wanted to unify the ninja world, why go through such trouble just to manufacture an opponent and enemy?
"Heh, I simply want to defeat the true Asura of the Ninja World to prove that I am not a modern-day Uchiha Madara, but Aoki Shiraishi."
Black Zetsu was exceedingly cautious. The Kazekage before him was by no means a simple character; with Shiraishi actively proposing cooperation, Black Zetsu had to proceed with utmost care. However, this line of reasoning and rhetoric from Shiraishi actually managed to convince him.
Black Zetsu had seen far too many of these formidable heroes and powerhouses who bestrode their eras; all of them were extreme to the point of arrogance.
Now that Aoki Shiraishi's strength had reached such a pinnacle, he naturally needed to prove that he had long since surpassed Uchiha Madara.
In truth, for Shiraishi, the secret hidden within Kaguya Otsutsuki was the key to uncovering the truth of this world.
Although the glasses system had never issued any missions and merely kept unlocking cards to strengthen him, Shiraishi keenly sensed that one of its ultimate goals might very well be Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Only by meeting Kaguya in person could he confirm certain matters for himself.
The truth of this world, as well as his own origins and background...
Holding onto this thought, Shiraishi decided to accelerate the progress of the Ten-Tails project. Compared to that unreliable fellow Obito, he was clearly far more dependable.
Seeing that Zetsu remained silent, Shiraishi spoke softly, "In your plan, one of the phases includes the resurrection of the true Uchiha Madara, doesn't it?"
The imposter masquerading on the grand stage was nothing more than a clown. The true opponent to watch out for was the former Asura of the Ninja World, Uchiha Madara.
Shiraishi's words caused Black Zetsu's lips to twitch, yet he said nothing. He had not expected the Kazekage's intelligence-gathering to have reached such depth, but for now, he was still deliberating and did not reply.
"The leader of the Akatsuki organization is a wielder of the Rinnegan. According to the biological research conducted by myself and Orochimaru, we discovered that to awaken the Rinnegan, one must combine the Wood Release cells of Senju Hashirama with the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit."
That bastard Orochimaru actually carried out all sorts of messy research with the Kazekage behind the organization's back!
Shiraishi did not care whether he had thrown Orochimaru under the bus. He stepped forward slowly and handed a large amount of research data to Black Zetsu.
He did not mind whether Black Zetsu fully understood the documents, which explained the research results and discoveries in meticulous detail.
To lure Black Zetsu into the trap, even some information regarding the Tenseigan was recorded within the documents.
This left Black Zetsu with no choice but to believe that Shiraishi had already grasped numerous secrets, even tracing back to the very origin of the bloodline limits—which was his own mother.
"Lord Kazekage is truly very confident."
Regarding Zetsu's deliberate prompting, Shiraishi did not show any emotional fluctuation. "No, I am merely curious to see just how powerful Uchiha Madara will be when he combines the strength of the Senju and Uchiha bloodlines, along with the Rinnegan and the Ten-Tails."
Seeing that Black Zetsu remained silent, Shiraishi continued, "That masked man still lacks maturity of mind and harbors his own selfish motives.
The leader of Akatsuki seems more indulged in playing the game of becoming a god. Coupled with the existence of the Hidden Sand Village, which is currently the strongest in the ninja world, can Madara's plan still proceed smoothly?"
The existence of the Hidden Sand Village completely bottlenecked Akatsuki's plan, because the One-Tail Jinchuriki currently resided within the Hidden Sand. Invading the Hidden Sand Village would exact a far heavier price than invading Konoha.
The stubborn Mount Myoboku had already learned that lesson the hard way.
Therefore, Shiraishi's question struck at the very issue that gave Akatsuki a headache. Nagato had originally intended to deploy the Six Paths of Pain.
Though these six Rinnegan avatars were exceptionally powerful, conquering the Sand would be too difficult and would expose the organization's trump cards prematurely.
The capture of the Tailed Beasts had to start sequentially from the One-Tail, and this very first step directly stalled Akatsuki.
This was an opportunity!
Perhaps this Kazekage could be utilized this time to achieve the resurrection of his mother!
For the first time in a thousand years, Black Zetsu felt he was so close to his goal. Since this Kazekage was so arrogant and conceited, he would cooperate with him to execute the Tailed Beast plan.
In Shiraishi's home, little orange was lazily basking in the sun. However, it was quickly jolted awake, staring in immense terror at the woman who had appeared at the front door.
Dressed in simple and brisk attire, Unohana Retsu stood at Shiraishi's door with her usual calm expression, offering a gentle smile. "Hello, Madam. I am Unohana Retsu, the current head of the Medical Department."
Unohana Retsu's origins were a mystery. Many speculated she came from Ryuchi Cave like the White Snake Princess, while others believed she hailed from the Land of Demons on the eastern continent.
In short, within the Hidden Sand Village, this gentle Jonin with outstanding medical ninjutsu was a subject of speculation for many.
Even Chiyo had marvelled at Unohana Retsu's capabilities during a special exchange. Although her medical ninjutsu seemed straightforward, some of the underlying concepts were things even Chiyo was hearing for the first time.
Her initiative to visit Shiraishi's home today was because Maki had been feeling a bit physically weak lately, so Unohana Retsu came to regulate her body.
Bathed in the sunlight, Shiraishi's home felt exceptionally warm. After conducting a basic check-up, Unohana Retsu smiled. "There is nothing seriously wrong with your body. You just shouldn't overwork yourself on a daily basis, Madam."
As one of the administrators of the Ninja Academy, Maki's focus was not merely on educating Aoki Shigeru; her primary energy was poured into the academy itself.
Although she had gradually handed over her duties to others over the years, Maki, much like Shiraishi, occasionally overexerted herself.
"Thank you, Big Sister Unohana."
Though she did not know Unohana Retsu's exact age, Pakura was certain this woman was considerably older than herself.
Compared to that White Snake Princess, Unohana Retsu left a very good impression on Maki. Such a woman gave off a powerful, dependable vibe—no wonder her husband valued her so highly.
As the Kazekage's wife, Maki would not easily grow jealous or suspicious. The professionalism Unohana Retsu displayed was that of a top-tier medical ninja, which was enough to prove her husband's keen eye for judging character.
"This cat is truly adorable."
Unohana Retsu remarked with a smile as she looked over at the little orange, causing the fat cat to break out into a cold sweat all over.
Even though it had long since completed its transformation, when facing Unohana Retsu, this powerful creature reduced itself to an ordinary cat that loved to act cute.
While Unohana Retsu and Maki chatted, the fat cat played dumb, rolling over and over on the floor.
This woman is too terrifying, meow. Is she really just a doctor?
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