"Good."
Ōnoki stretched his old body and nodded decisively.
He was already an old man. Unlike the Tsuchikage revived through Edo Tensei, he could not remain in perfect condition without eating or sleeping.
If he wanted to have enough energy for the coming battle, he had to rest properly.
"Let's go."
"Mm."
"We should leave too."
"Come on. This meeting room is too suffocating."
With Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage taking the lead, the revived First Raikage, Second Raikage, Third Raikage, First Tsuchikage, and Second Tsuchikage all began leaving the room one after another.
Clearly, they understood one thing.
This was merely the calm before the storm.
The true war would begin tomorrow.
"Forget it. We should leave too."
"Let's go."
"It's still hard to say who will win."
Watching the Raikage and Tsuchikage leave, the First, Second, and Third Kazekage, along with the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Mizukage, exchanged helpless looks.
They all had the same thought.
The shinobi world was truly rotten beyond reason.
"Everything has begun…"
Hashirama sighed.
"I wonder if Konoha's Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren, is ready."
"He should be."
Tobirama's tone carried a deeper meaning.
"With his personality, he is definitely making arrangements."
"Mm."
Hashirama nodded calmly.
"Let's go."
After that, Hashirama turned and left without looking back.
Tobirama and Minato followed him.
As for Hiruzen Sarutobi—
he was completely ignored by the First, Second, and Fourth Hokage.
"Isolating me?"
A trace of disdain flashed through Hiruzen's eyes.
They were all revived through Edo Tensei. What was the point of isolating anyone?
Still, the moment he thought of the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren, anger surged in his chest.
If not for Uchiha Ren, how could he have become a public disgrace, hated by everyone?
How could he have been isolated by the First, Second, and Fourth Hokage?
Because of that, Hiruzen looked forward to seeing Ren defeated.
He wanted to see Madara drag the Fifth Hokage down from his altar.
The thought gave Hiruzen a faint trace of hope.
Soon, everyone began leaving the meeting room.
A few seconds later, only silence remained.
"Everyone is gone?"
Black Zetsu looked at the empty room, and a strange confidence appeared on his face.
The plan had finally reached its last step.
As Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's will given form, Black Zetsu had always believed he had worked hard.
Yet no matter how much he schemed, he was always one step away.
Especially after the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren, appeared out of nowhere, Black Zetsu had almost believed the situation was settled and that he could no longer change anything.
But plans could never keep up with change.
Black Zetsu had almost believed the situation was settled and that he could no longer change anything.
She did not need the Ten-Tails to be revived.
She could return through a different path.
After learning that the Shinigami and the Evil God were part of his mother's preparations, Black Zetsu had used the secret technique Kaguya passed down to collect both of them and send them to the moon.
Now, his mother had already revived.
She was hiding within his body.
"These pieces of trash actually want to attack Konoha?"
A proud and disdainful voice echoed in Black Zetsu's mind.
"Other than Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, the rest of these Kage are garbage."
"Mother, even garbage has value."
Black Zetsu's tone was extremely respectful.
"Waste can still be used. If placed properly, even trash can serve its purpose."
Kaguya nodded from within him and spoke calmly.
"If my guess is correct, once this war begins, the Ōtsutsuki main family will arrive on Earth."
"When the main family's experts and the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren, injure each other, that will be the best time for me to act."
Her voice carried clear excitement and anticipation.
Although she had escaped the Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei with the backup plan she left behind—the Shinigami and the Evil God—her strength had not yet returned to its peak.
Because of that, she could only remain hidden inside Black Zetsu for now and quietly observe the situation.
Only after the Ten-Tails was revived, or after the Ōtsutsuki experts and Uchiha Ren both suffered heavy losses, would it be the perfect moment for her to appear.
"The main family's experts are coming to Earth again?"
Black Zetsu's voice was filled with doubt.
"Yes."
Kaguya's answer was certain.
"Those people from the main family seem to have been drawn here by energy waves released from Earth."
"Hagoromo and Hamura are not simple people."
"What?"
Black Zetsu's heart shook violently.
"Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura actually invited disaster to Earth?"
He had never expected those two treacherous brothers to actively draw the Ōtsutsuki main family to Earth.
Was this not inviting disaster into their own home?
Even if they wanted to deal with Uchiha Ren, they should not have gone this far.
For a moment, Black Zetsu's anger toward Hagoromo and Hamura surged even higher.
All these years, he had hidden in the shinobi world, working desperately to rescue his mother from the seal placed by those two traitors.
And now, after finally bringing his mother back, Hagoromo and Hamura had lured the main family here, hoping to make their enemies destroy each other.
They were dancing on the edge of a blade.
After all—
the Ōtsutsuki main family was not made up of kind people.
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