"Why does this white-haired guy look kind of familiar?"
In a classroom at the Ninja Academy, Naruto said this to Haruno Sakura, whose lovestruck nature remained unchanged, and Uchiha Sasuke, the even more "independent" expressionless boy.
At this moment, only the three of them were left in the classroom. All the other newly assigned groups had already been taken away by their respective team-leading jōnin or chūnin instructors. As for the three-person group of Mirai, Haku, and Kimimaro, they had not shown up at the Ninja Academy at all today.
And the person Naruto was pointing at was, without a doubt, the late-arriving captain of Team Seven, Hatake Kakashi.
Kakashi had been an Anbu captain all these years, and only recently had he been transferred out for various reasons… Or rather, it would not be too much to say that he had been specially transferred out for Naruto's sake. While he was still in the Anbu, he would occasionally appear around Yagoromo's place. Naruto might have caught sight of him in passing, which was why he found him somewhat familiar.
As for calling him "white-haired guy"… the other two little companions did not think there was anything wrong with that. After all, Kakashi was far too late and had made everyone wait impatiently. Naturally, there would be resentment.
Faced with Naruto's accusation, neither the expression on Kakashi's face nor the look in his dead-fish eyes changed in the slightest… Due to his special outfit, his dead-fish eyes were basically his entire expression.
Then Kakashi stretched out one finger, scratched the corner of his eye, and replied in a lazy tone that sounded like he had slept for eighteen hours but still had not woken up.
"White-haired guy?"
"Maybe I should tell a certain someone that, in the mouth of a newly graduated student, all people with white hair are collectively referred to as white-haired guys…"
As he spoke, he actually made as if to turn around and leave.
"Wait!"
Naruto was stunned at first, but he immediately reacted and rushed over to grab Kakashi.
From childhood to now, there had mainly been three people responsible for Naruto's education. Putting aside the red-haired girl of the same age for the moment, of the other two, one was a white-haired old uncle. That one's "danger level" was limited and could be excluded. As for the remaining youthful-faced white-haired old uncle, even with Naruto's brain, he could roughly imagine what kind of reaction that person would have after hearing himself called "white-haired guy."
And also what fate awaited anyone who dared call him that…
To put it this way, over the past few years, Naruto had eventually been added to the energy-gathering ring sooner or later. Unfortunately, by the time he joined, everything was already too late.
At that time, inside the energy-gathering ring, he was the only one left who could not gather energy—had he been fried black or not?
Frankly speaking, Yagoromo was quite proficient in all kinds of "play." Therefore, in order to avoid an even more inhumane treatment, Naruto-kun immediately compromised in the face of Kakashi's threat.
But this also made him even more convinced of the idea that no white-haired person was a good person…
This childish trick of threatening a kid was, of course, only Kakashi's joke. He would not actually go find Yagoromo. It was enough as long as he scared Naruto into behaving.
Sasuke and Sakura were both utterly confused at this moment.
What had just happened? Why had their companion, who had been full of fighting spirit a moment ago, instantly knelt?
How could they know that Naruto had always been taught by a shinobi who specialized in "electrotherapy for all defiance"?
In reality, Kakashi really had been late for a reason this time. Before coming here, he had gone to Yagoromo's place to explain how Naruto would be arranged from now on.
Even without Kakashi saying anything, Yagoromo understood this matter very clearly. It was precisely because he "understood" that from the beginning, he had never intended to keep Naruto completely by his side.
The Hokage's attitude had been consistent ever since Naruto became a jinchūriki. It was not that he was uneasy about Yagoromo. It was just that compared to Kushina's disciple, placing Naruto beside Kakashi, Minato's disciple, suited his wishes better.
…All right, he was uneasy about Yagoromo after all. This person was far too good at stirring up trouble. He was completely an unstable element.
But how could the Hokage know that Yagoromo's real troublemaking had not even begun yet?
With the team configuration Yagoromo had prepared, they were not on the same level as ordinary newly graduated rookies. Leaving Yagoromo himself aside, even if Mirai did not participate in combat, her sensory ability was an excellent support capability. As for Kimimaro and Haku, these older graduates—or rather, the two of them had merely been waiting to graduate together with Mirai—in reality, under Yagoromo's arrangements, they had already begun participating in certain missions involving real combat a year ago.
So, to be more precise…
Yagoromo's troublemaking was about to begin.
However, before Yagoromo's activities could begin, his victims had already appeared.
On Akatsuki's side, Nagato had already completed the final adjustments to himself. Akatsuki as a whole had entered the last stage of preparation before the plan began.
The members of Akatsuki began dispersing to act independently. Their main purpose was to collect accurate intelligence on the jinchūriki and tailed beasts. They required that, once they made a move, it had to be swift and decisive.
Confirming the jinchūriki's identity was the first step.
Every once in a while, they would conduct a routine long-distance communication.
"The Three-Tails has fully revived, but according to the intelligence I've obtained, after the Three-Tails died once, Kirigakure strengthened its surveillance over it. Overall, its defenses are now extremely tight. Once we make a move against the tailed beast, it will be very difficult not to alarm the village. Also… the Mizukage is currently searching the village for a suitable candidate to become its jinchūriki. The Three-Tails is facing the possibility of being sealed again."
Hoshigaki Kisame's voice came through intermittently.
This special communication method somehow gave his voice a playful quality.
Kirigakure's reaction was within expectations, but the next situation made everyone feel an enormous sense of trouble.
Or rather, their original predicament had not improved at all.
"The Seven-Tails has still not revived…"
"There isn't even the slightest sign that it intends to revive…"
Black Zetsu's explanation and White Zetsu's supplement made the scene fall completely cold. Clearly, this was not the first time Zetsu had reported on the Seven-Tails' condition, but every time, Zetsu's answer was the same.
The Seven-Tails had not revived, and there were no signs of its revival. To Nagato, was there any news worse than this?
This psychological gap was impossible to adapt to. Still talking about accomplishing great things? Accomplish great things, my ass. The prerequisite itself seemed to be gone.
"Is it possible that the Seven-Tails has already revived and been secretly sealed?" Nagato's cold question came through the three-dimensional projection.
"If it were one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, that possibility would not be impossible. But Takigakure does not have the strength to accomplish that," Black Zetsu replied.
"..."
Still, no one spoke. But at this moment, there was definitely more than one person silently wondering whether the original plan was still reliable.
At this point, it would not have been impossible for someone to jump out and suggest that everyone go back to their own homes and find their own mothers. For example, Kakuzu currently felt a particular urge to return to Gao Village.
"No matter what White Yaksha did to the Seven-Tails, we cannot give up on our plan."
At the critical moment, when it came to firm conviction, Nagato was still the one to rely on.
"Zetsu, continue monitoring the Seven-Tails' condition. At the same time… our plan needs to be moved forward."
Would Yagoromo continue making moves against the other tailed beasts? Nagato had such a premonition.
His premonition was also correct. The answer was inevitable.
"Next, we…"
The adjustment to the plan was certainly not something made in haste. Nagato had prepared this contingency long ago, after he realized that the Seven-Tails had still not revived.
...
After listening to the new plan and ending the communication, Zetsu, who was hiding somewhere in the Land of Waterfalls, reopened his eyes. However, he did not immediately act. Instead, he stretched the aloe-like leaves of his upper body.
Then those leaves formed a ring and surrounded him…
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu sealed themselves inside.
Only this enclosed space could make them feel a temporary sense of peace and free them from the pain of loneliness. Only mutual comfort between them could allow them to regain hope and leave the mire of despair.
If the Seven-Tails did not revive, then Zetsu did not want to live either.
In the darkness where nothing could be seen, Black Zetsu bit down on a little handkerchief, tears streaming down his face.
"White Yaksha, you damned, thousand-cuts bastard!"
One could almost hear a hysterical shriek like that.
"I absolutely won't let you off!" White Zetsu also bit onto Black Zetsu's little handkerchief and shrieked in agreement.
At this moment, Zetsu—abso-Zetsu-lutely cried.
Reality was helpless. Truly, they could also despair. He was also very tired at heart.
So let him rest for a while.
Just a little while would be enough.
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