Fumori masaki understood that Black Zetsu would definitely be involved in the upcoming battle; he just needed to confirm where it would appear. Currently, Black Zetsu most likely didn't know that Masaki was aware of its identity, so its guard would be very low. It would assume that even if it lost, it could just play dead.
However, if Masaki just gave Uchiha Kagami a heads-up, then a single Totsuka Blade strike would immediately make Black Zetsu realize that things weren't as simple as it imagined, and by then, Black Zetsu would be powerless to resist.
"This guy is a bit troublesome; we need to keep a close eye on it," Fumori masaki said. "Kagami will be responsible for dealing with it. Kagami has a way to handle it."
Everyone subconsciously assumed that Uchiha Kagami's Mangekyo Sharingan could achieve this, which was correct to some extent, as the Totsuka Blade also relied on the Mangekyo Sharingan to exist.
Uchiha Kagami nodded slightly, already understanding Fumori masaki's meaning. Since Masaki suspected this guy was the mastermind, he naturally had to investigate. From the intelligence on Black Zetsu, this guy was indeed very strange. Regardless of whether it was or wasn't, dealing with it himself was indeed a good approach.
It was just a matter of one Totsuka Blade strike. After awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan, Uchiha Kagami had only used it a few times during the later stages of the war and when subduing the Totsuka Blade. His Mangekyo Sharingan was still in relatively good condition, so using it once to deal with Black Zetsu was not a problem.
Ever since he learned that a normal Mangekyo Sharingan would eventually lose its light, Uchiha Kagami had been very restrained in using his Mangekyo Sharingan. He didn't want his Sharingan to lose its light prematurely. In this regard, most Mangekyo Sharingan users were quite prudent.
In Fumori masaki's impression, only Uchiha Sasuke, for some unknown reason, recklessly used his Mangekyo Sharingan and consequently lost his sight prematurely. From the time he started using his Mangekyo Sharingan in battle, Masaki wondered if it had even exceeded half an hour.
Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan was still usable for ten years. Uchiha Sasuke might be the fastest person in Uchiha history to lose the light in his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Facing the upcoming situation, everyone had already discussed a general strategy: Although the Lord had been slandered as a contact for the Evil God cultists, this dirt could not yet be thrown at Konoha Village. After all, besides their cooperative relationship, there was no other evidence to link the Lord with the Evil God cultists, so Konoha Village wouldn't face any major trouble. Therefore, Konoha Village's first step was to work on public opinion, first throwing some dirt at the Daimyo's office to ensure its own righteousness. Then, it would maintain Konoha Village's current stance, rally support from friendly nobles, persuade them to maintain a united front, and, based on the democratic system within the New Shinobi Sect doctrine, begin to attempt to restrain the Daimyo's office, forcing the Daimyo's office to adopt dictatorial suppressive measures, which would further disappoint the populace with the Daimyo's office.
Detailed measures would still need to be discussed at the Jonin meeting, as this wasn't something one or two people could decide. Only the general direction could be determined; the details would have to be ironed out gradually.
After the Hokage Cabinet meeting ended, everyone dispersed, while Uchiha Kagami followed Fumori masaki to their usual secret discussion place. Uchiha Kagami asked, "Masaki, do you really think that black guy is the mastermind?"
"It's just my own premonition, there's no solid evidence, Kagami, what do you think?" Fumori masaki asked in return.
"Well, this guy is indeed a bit strange, but could it really be the mastermind? According to the intelligence, it should just be the opponent's subordinate," Uchiha Kagami said.
"Why can't the mastermind pretend to be a subordinate? Isn't that a good way to prevent others from noticing them?" Fumori masaki chuckled.
"You have a point," Uchiha Kagami mused. "Alright, regardless of whether this guy is or isn't, dealing with it is indeed troublesome. Given its elusive methods, perhaps the Totsuka Blade is the only way to deal with it once and for all."
"I'm counting on you, Kagami. This is a special premonition of mine. This guy must be very important. After we deal with it, we might truly be able to rest easy. Ever since my Sage Mode training entered a new realm, I've had a vague sense of intuition. I think this might be a special ability brought by high-level Sage Mode. I've heard that Lady Katsuyu and her peers, the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage, all have the ability to perceive the future to some extent," Fumori masaki said.
This was the first time Uchiha Kagami had heard of this. He didn't express doubt. If the Sages in those sacred lands truly possessed such special abilities, then Fumori masaki's premonition might indeed be true. This black figure might be the mastermind who had been scheming for a thousand years.
Of course, Fumori masaki didn't yet possess this special ability, and he wasn't sure if it was because of the unique nature of his summoned beast, as those three Sages weren't human. However, Fumori masaki could use this point to provide a reasonable explanation for the plot he already knew.
However, Fumori masaki didn't dare to be too assertive, and fortunately, Uchiha Kagami trusted Fumori masaki implicitly and believed in Fumori masaki's so-called premonition.
"By the way, now that Tobi has suffered such a great loss, will he retaliate even more fiercely?" Uchiha Kagami asked. "He was probably the one who attacked Asuna. Now he dares to ambush in the shadows, who knows what he'll do next."
"You have a point there. Tobi definitely won't let it go. And having reached this point, it seems unlikely that he would temporarily lie low because of this," Fumori masaki nodded.
Although he still didn't know that Tobi's body was Uchiha Katsuya's, Fumori masaki had already linked him to Moryo. And what kind of existence was Moryo?
A demon from another world, possessing the ability to absorb others' negative emotions. In the original plot, Fumori masaki remembered that it could also summon a bunch of what looked like underworld soldiers. Now, it seemed very similar to those deranged Evil God cultists.
Fumori masaki once again recalled Tobi helping the Daimyo train chakra samurai. In this incident, Tobi proved that the secret medicine he gave to the samurai was not the same as the secret medicine of the Evil God cultists, but who would truly believe that? At least he wouldn't. Those chakra samurai might also turn into a state similar to the Evil God cultists.
It wasn't a big deal. Although chakra samurai were powerful, a troop type that could only unleash its full power by maintaining formation had no advantage against explosive cannons.
The important thing was Tobi himself. If Tobi was an existence similar to Moryo, then he might also possess the ability to absorb negative emotions to increase his strength. Perhaps this guy had accumulated a lot of capital during the previous war, which allowed Tobi to possess his current strength.
And Tobi, facing Asuna in Sage Mode, couldn't be said to be completely powerless, but in high-altitude combat, he was indeed completely suppressed. He didn't seem to have any means to block her, but it was unknown how he managed to escape.
If Fumori masaki were Tobi, he would definitely want to further increase his strength now, and not be suppressed by Sage Mode again. Long-term plans aside, if he wanted to achieve this in a short time, for Tobi, the only way might be to ignite a civil war sooner.
Once a civil war broke out, it would mean a large amount of negative emotions could be used to enhance his strength. The Daimyo might want to postpone the outbreak of civil war because he wanted to add more chips to his side, but Tobi had no such concerns.
Don't forget Tobi's stance. He wasn't the Daimyo's enforcer; the Daimyo was just an object he used. His true goal was to promote the fusion of Ashura's power and Indra's power, to bring about the reappearance of the Rinnegan. And the more chaotic the Land of Fire became, the more beneficial it would be for Tobi's goal.
"If Tobi plans to take this path, it will be particularly advantageous for us. Because of his eagerness, the Daimyo will certainly have to take severe measures, and taking such actions without any legitimate reason will only lead to public dissatisfaction. I have great faith in the reputation the village has built so far," Fumori masaki said.
"If that's the case, it would indeed be good for the village, but there would also be other hidden dangers. Those people remaining in the capital would be in great danger," Uchiha Kagami warned.
"I've considered that. I'll tell them. The situation in the capital will become increasingly chaotic. Sooner or later, they won't be acting covertly anymore, but openly. After they receive the information, they should be prepared. At the same time, I plan to have Sakumo stationed near the capital. Once danger arises, Sakumo can provide timely support," Fumori masaki replied.
Hearing the name Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Kagami couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. With Hatake Sakumo near the capital, as long as Asuna and the others could avoid attacks within the capital and successfully reach outside the capital, there shouldn't be any major problems. Even if they faced pursuit, they wouldn't be afraid. Hatake Sakumo would definitely be able to protect them and ensure their safe return. Uchiha Kagami had such confidence in Hatake Sakumo's strength.
And as for whether Asuna and the others could avoid attacks within the capital, Uchiha Kagami believed there would be no problem. They were all battle-hardened ninja with experience, and the village had already considered this, specifically informing them that with their abilities, they wouldn't fail to escape.
You know, the most dangerous person in the capital right now, Tobi, doesn't seem to be making any big moves due to his injuries. He's unlikely to act before his injuries heal. Even if he does, without a large amount of negative emotions, how much can his strength increase? Facing Asuna in Sage Mode would still result in a loss. And if the strongest and most dangerous Tobi is like this, there's no need to worry about the others. There's even Uchiha Ken, who has the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Speaking of Uchiha Ken, Fumori masaki and Uchiha Kagami were truly very satisfied with him. The measures taken over the years had not been in vain. In the reports from Asuna and Risa, Uchiha Ken's condition could be described as excellent, completely uncorrupted. He was now a trustworthy Konoha ninja.
In fact, Fumori masaki was also a bit curious about what methods Black Zetsu would employ against such a reincarnator. The times were different now; it wasn't the Warring States period, an era of estrangement between people. Now, communication within the village was increasing, and methods of manipulation wouldn't be as easy to work.
Even after leaving Konoha Village and going to the Daimyo's office, Uchiha Ken didn't encounter any problems. Fumori masaki paid close attention to his psychological state. To be honest, as long as Uchiha Ken's psychological state remained stable, it would be almost impossible for him to be manipulated by Black Zetsu.
In the past, Black Zetsu always took advantage of Uchiha clan members when their hearts were empty. For example, Uchiha Madara, due to his pursuit of a perfectly harmonious world, had such a perfectionist mentality that made him dissatisfied with the peace within the village created by Hashirama. At the same time, it was also for the sake of victory and defeat that he embarked on a path opposed to Hashirama.
But Uchiha Ken didn't have such lofty aspirations. After experiencing setbacks in the first half of his life, the current Uchiha Ken had a sense of contentment, just wanting to live a peaceful and stable life. This was thanks to Risa's efforts.
And Risa was also focused on building Uchiha Ken's strong inner self. Perhaps, even if something unexpected happened, Uchiha Ken might be able to endure it on his own.
Fumori masaki guessed many of the opponent's thoughts, but he never guessed that Tobi—Uchiha Katsuya—intended to personally seize the chakra from the two of them, concentrating Ashura's power and Indra's power within himself, allowing himself to evolve the Rinnegan.
At the time, this idea even surprised Black Zetsu. Black Zetsu had never thought of having someone other than a reincarnator fuse Ashura and Indra's chakra, but Uchiha Katsuya had this idea, and it had to be said that there was a certain possibility.
Fumori masaki also couldn't have guessed this point, but he could infer that Tobi would definitely target the reincarnators, so he also planned to withdraw the people from the capital as soon as the situation escalated into conflict, and then deal with Tobi and Black Zetsu.
As long as these two guys were dealt with, and the trouble with the Daimyo's office was resolved, the rest would simply be to consolidate their achievements, face potential attacks from other countries after the civil war, and after overcoming this hurdle, they could enter a stable development phase.
At that time, Fumori masaki's mission would also be complete. He could confidently entrust the future of the village to others, and he himself would act as an observer, to see if the alliance's operations would encounter problems after he stopped interfering, and he could then still identify and rectify any shortcomings.
In other words, this was Fumori masaki's final mission.
After his conversation with Uchiha Kagami, Fumori masaki began writing letters, intending to convey certain information to the capital, asking them to cooperate fully. He also planned to have Hatake Sakumo wait there, ready to respond to any potential emergencies.