The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

After a brief moment of shock, Konan and Kakuzu came back to their senses.

No, this isn't an earthquake!

The intense chakra fluctuations could be sensed from far away.

"Someone is fighting, and they're very strong."

Using her Paper Jutsu to fly into the air, Konan looked into the distance with caution. The powerful chakra waves felt unfamiliar, yet for some reason, they also felt a bit familiar. 

"There's no need to get involved."

Kakuzu, down below, reminded her. Being experienced, he had learned the hard way since his battle with the First Hokage that there are always stronger people out there. 

Anyone capable of creating such a disturbance couldn't be ordinary; one should hold a sense of respect for such beings instead of just going over to watch.

This was a lesson he had learned over the years. 

Besides, instead of watching the show, wasn't it better to head to the Temple of Fire to take out the guarding ninja, earn some extra cash, and complete their employer's task? 

He and Konan had started their journey from the Land of Rain, crossing through the war-torn Land of Grass into the Land of Fire. Now, they were almost at the Temple of Fire, just needing to head southeast, so there was really no need to detour to the northern Land of Rice Fields. It would just waste time and create trouble—why bother?

"I don't want to get involved either, but—"

Konan respected the elder's experience but knew that there are always exceptions.

She pointed to the distant sky, her expression turning serious.

At that moment, hundreds of tiny black dots appeared in the sky. From those familiar movements, she quickly reached a conclusion.

The one fighting was the Akatsuki member, Sasori of the Red Sand!

If she hadn't seen it, it wouldn't matter, but now that she had, it felt wrong not to go lend support.

"Is that the Hundred Puppet Jutsu? I can't believe Sasori was pushed to this point!"

Kakuzu's expression grew serious, but deep down, he didn't want to go help. He had a feeling that if he did, he would definitely get hit.

However, since he was a member of the Akatsuki and Konan was right next to him, he really couldn't ignore it. Reluctantly, he had to follow Konan into the fray. 

As it turned out, Kakuzu's instinct was correct. 

When a ball of what seemed like "living" fire broke through the wall of puppets formed by the Hundred Puppet Jutsu and slammed into Sasori, the puppet master couldn't control the terrifying force. It came straight at Kakuzu like a soccer ball being shot.

Damn it!

Wasn't this a trap?

Kakuzu was furious.

There wasn't enough time to dodge; the only thing he could do was brace himself for the impact and catch it.

Danger approached, and with his wealth of experience, Kakuzu didn't dare underestimate it. As his body shifted, he activated his Earth Grudge Fear mode without holding back!

Countless threads flew into motion, finally assembling into tentacles just before Sasori's attack hit him. Meanwhile, Konan wasn't idle; she had already created a wall of Paper Jutsu behind Kakuzu to help cushion the blow.

Boom!

Finally, with a dull thud, Kakuzu coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent crashing into the paper wall behind him.

But the damned force didn't let up; it sent him and Sasori flying backward for hundreds of meters before they finally came to a stop!

Weakness washed over him.

Once he steadied himself, Kakuzu was horrified to find that out of his five lively hearts, only two were still beating. The others had exploded the moment he was hit!

"You bastard!"

Blood spilling from his mouth, Kakuzu glared coldly at Sasori, who was now missing half of his body.

If it weren't for Konan being right next to him, he swore he would take this chance to finish off Sasori. 

Damn that Sasori—he was not only delaying their work to earn money but also wasting his precious hearts!

"Who is the enemy?"

Compared to Kakuzu's murderous tone, Konan's voice was still relatively calm, though she seemed a bit tense.

"Orochimaru's new ally. He calls him Hitoshi-kun, with byakugan . I initially suspect he is from the Hyuga clan and holds a significant position within it."

Sasori's puppet body was almost completely wrecked. The modified heart in his chest had tried for a long time to regain control, but he still couldn't stand up from Kakuzu's grasp; his entire body was close to paralysis.

But being a puppet master, he was fine with being paralyzed. Without wasting a moment, Sasori summoned the Third Kazekage's puppet to support himself. With the puppet's help, he finally stood up again. 

However, to Konan and Kakuzu's surprise, this so-called eternal artist didn't announce any plans for a counterattack after summoning a new puppet.

"Run!"

He quickly ordered his puppets and reminded his companions.

If he moved slowly, he would really die!

This was Sasori's only genuine thought at that moment.

And surprisingly, his thoughts matched Kakuzu's perfectly.

This guy...

The unexpectedly honest eternal artist was starting to look much more agreeable.

If you can't win, just run—what's embarrassing about that?

But the Hyuga clan? Hitoshi-kun? Hyuga Hitoshi?

Why did that sound so familiar?

Kakuzu scratched his head in confusion, then his expression changed as he quickly pulled out a list. This was the assassination list provided by their employer to the Akatsuki! 

It was also the reason he and Konan had infiltrated the Land of Fire.

Looking down at the list, Kakuzu finally understood why he found that name familiar.

His hand trembled, and his body shook as he wore a face full of struggle.

Kakuzu looked at the ground in front of him, where he had left a gash in the earth along with Sasori's broken body, now missing half of its form.

He could see easy money right in front of him, but it seemed the strength of the enemy was beyond his capabilities!

Wasn't this employer trying to set him up?

Maybe they were just using him as a pawn to take out someone as esteemed as himself, a skilled fighter who had faced the First Hokage!

With an enemy this strong, it was likely he wouldn't earn any money.

Kakuzu turned around and ran, filled with rage.

"This job is impossible for me! Let someone else take it!"

The majority rules.

Even though Konan was still curious, she had to respect her teammate's opinion.

They had to retreat!

Not a second could be wasted.

In the next moment, the Earth Grudge Fear, the Third Kazekage's puppet, and the Paper Jutsu shot into the sky, racing toward the Land of Grass, planning to cross it as fast as possible and get back to their leader.

But they didn't know that not far away, on a tree, masked Uchiha Obito was watching them, while Zetsu peeked out from beside him, his eyes filled with worry.

"Shouldn't we just give up on the mission? It'd be good for you to recover from your injuries."

Yes, recover.

Black Zetsu didn't even know how Obito had gotten hurt, but it looked pretty bad. 

The only good news was that the injury was on the half of his body that had been crushed by rocks before. Otherwise, he might have died on the spot. Thankfully, after Madara's death, there were still plenty of Hashirama cells stored in the hilltop graveyard, or else even if Obito recovered, he would likely be out of commission.

But even with the powerful Hashirama cells, repeated use had caused Obito to suffer some side effects.

Shifting his gaze to Obito's reconnected half-body, Black Zetsu noticed how it occasionally twitched and connected it to a certain illness.

Right now, Obito definitely couldn't fight anyone; otherwise, he'd just end up being mocked by his opponent.

Also, because of his injuries, he had missed the previous Akatsuki meeting, which probably raised Nagato's suspicions.

Fortunately, Obito was tough enough. After reconnecting with Nagato and learning that the commission for this mission was substantial, he took the initiative to come and keep an eye on things to ensure the mission was completed.

But now, it seemed this mission had serious problems.

Maybe Oonoki really did want to take him out.

"At this stage," 

After a brief silence, Obito suddenly swung his arm, and his lips twitched, interrupting his own words.

"Ugh."

His resentment toward Kakashi was stronger than ever as Obito fought to suppress his twitching and continued speaking.

"At this stage, the Akatsuki really shouldn't expose too much. Ask the Tsuchikage if he can wait."

As if a reflex had triggered, Obito kicked at the air in front of him.

"Let me recover first, then I'll finish the mission. If they can't wait, they can just get lost!"

Clearly, he held no good feelings toward Iwagakure Village, who had taken Rin and left him with half a body.

Can this really turn out well?

It's like muscle memory now.

Besides, that body belongs to White Zetsu, not you.

Watching Obito use Kamui to leave, Black Zetsu couldn't help but cover his face and chuckle as he saw Kamui lag for a moment.

Hopefully, this won't mess up the Eye of the Moon plan.

Sighing, he was about to use the Shapeshifting Technique to leave.

But the next second, Black Zetsu froze as his eyes fixed on the man slowly appearing ahead, his face filled with disbelief. No, more accurately, he was staring at the aloof goddess floating beside him!

He... he wasn't seeing things, was he?

He stopped using the Shapeshifting Technique.

Inside the carnivorous plant, Otsutsuki Black Zetsu's expressions changed rapidly, showing a wide range of emotions that would surely shock Uchiha Madara if he saw it.

Confusion, joy, doubt, shock, anger.

As Black Zetsu followed along and saw the man interacting with a "doll" that resembled his mother, his heart filled with anger.

Why?

Because that man showed no respect to his mother, the goddess of the Rabbit!

He even had the audacity to point at her.

"Where do you think you're pointing?!"

Seeing his mother covering her back and screaming, Otsutsuki Black Zetsu became furious and swung his fist at the air in front of him.

"Foolish mortal! My mother is a goddess! How dare you act this way?!"

Disrespecting a goddess comes at a price!

"Mother! Show your power as the Rabbit Goddess! Yes, just like that... you jerk! Let go of my mother!"

As he watched the Rabbit Goddess charge forward, only to be pinned down by Hyuga Hitoshi, Black Zetsu's eyes turned green, and thoughts raced through his mind.

What the hell.

Is that really my mother?

He had doubts like this.

But the undeniable truth was right in front of him. Even with just a faint trace of her presence, Black Zetsu could confirm it was his mother, Otsutsuki Kaguya!

Her movements, that disdainful attitude towards mortals, her angry screams, and the coldness after being suppressed—all matched perfectly with his memories of her!

But...

Why would his mother be with Hyuga Hitoshi?

Ugh!

Forget that last part.

Black Zetsu glared at the man with mixed feelings.

He wasn't sure if his mother sensed him or what her intentions were, so he didn't dare to approach.

This helplessness made him feel like a useless son.

Finally, when the Rabbit Goddess glanced his way, Black Zetsu froze in shock!

His mother knew he was here.

But her gaze seemed to carry a warning, telling him to stay away.

Black Zetsu almost fell to the ground, tears of frustration welling up in his eyes.

It was clear.

His mother was probably disappointed in him!

It had been a thousand years since she was sealed away, and even a god would have grudges after being trapped for so long, right?

But I really tried my best!

Black Zetsu felt like crying without tears. He was genuinely devoted to his mother, but his lack of strength meant he could only resort to underhanded tactics.

"Looks like there's something interesting over there."

As the Akatsuki trio came to a stop, Hyuga Hitoshi scanned the area with a sharp gaze and spoke in front of Kaguya.

Hearing this, the Rabbit Goddess suddenly paused, tugging at Hyuga Hitoshi's sleeve. She first shook her head at the blasphemer and then pointed in the direction the trio had fled.

Alright.

This time, Hyuga Hitoshi understood Kaguya's body language. It seemed she was saying that the important matters took priority, and whatever was over there wasn't important. Did that mean Black Zetsu wasn't worth worrying about, like Hamura or Hagoromo?

"That kid is actually quite devoted."

He had fabricated the entire history of the ninja world to save his mother. The whole original story could be called Black Zetsu's quest to save his mom. Although he had betrayed many people, his devotion was remarkable and stood in stark contrast to those so-called saviors.

Some saviors could seal their own mothers, while others could forgive the enemies who killed their mothers. But that reasoning clearly didn't work for Black Zetsu.

For his mother, he would turn the whole world upside down. As a son, he truly did his best. Although he was a villain, he could still be appreciated.

However, this only worked if the two weren't on opposing sides.

He was indeed devoted.

If his will was disrespectful to himself, that would be a problem, right?

The blasphemer seemed to know many of his secrets, and the Rabbit Goddess's gaze turned slightly cold.

That was originally part of her. It was just a command to lift the seal, but now the command had taken on a life of its own.

By the way, Hamura and Hagoromo were also once part of her, yet they sealed her away.

With a complex expression, the aloof Rabbit Goddess finally let out a simple "Hmm."

This intrigued Hyuga Hitoshi.

But it didn't matter. Since Kaguya didn't speak, he wouldn't ask. A mute would eventually speak, so it wasn't a big deal. He casually adjusted Kaguya back on his belt and turned his sharp gaze toward the trio that was quickly fleeing in the distance.

"Hold on tight, I'm going to speed up."

Hearing this, Kaguya's expression tightened, and she quickly snapped out of her sad state, gripping the man's belt tightly.

In the next moment, the scenery around them rushed backward. Once she got used to the speed, Kaguya waved at Black Zetsu, who was being left behind. She had her own plans.

The blasphemer was very powerful, and using his strength to break the seal wouldn't be hard. However, she was thinking about what would happen afterward.

For example, hidden enemies in the ninja world, or whether the ancestral star that hadn't received offerings in a thousand years would send someone else.

She needed to consider the possibility of bringing the blasphemer to her side and didn't want to hear Black Zetsu's reports for now, especially not in front of him. Otherwise, it would make her feel embarrassed, even though she didn't have any pride in front of the blasphemer.

When the Rabbit Goddess waved her hand three times, it actually held deep meaning.

For instance, she recalled the story of "Journey to the West" that the blasphemer had told her. The monkey understood his master's signals and came to learn from him at midnight after receiving three knocks.

Black Zetsu was a manifestation of her will. Theoretically, he should have understood the hints that even the monkey could grasp. So, if she made a gesture, Black Zetsu had no reason not to understand. She just needed to be careful at night and meet with him quietly when he came over.

However, the Rabbit Goddess didn't know how much her "rather disdainful" gesture hurt Black Zetsu. She didn't realize that he stood there all day mumbling to himself, "I'm useless. I've disappointed my mother."

Hyuga Hitoshi continued to chase after them, while behind him, Kakashi and Orochimaru followed at a steady pace. However, Black Zetsu, whose eyes had lost their spark, didn't seem to notice them.

"Let me carry that for you, Orochimaru."

Although Kakashi didn't understand why Patriarch Hitoshi was so focused on those three, he felt a bit guilty seeing Orochimaru struggle with bags.

After all, he had heard a lot about his father from Orochimaru.

Especially about how terrifying the legendary White Fang of Konoha was during the Second Ninja War.

"Thank you."

Orochimaru didn't hesitate and handed over a bag of scrolls. Since they were going to be colleagues, there was no need for formality.

This move was quite rushed, and they hadn't prepared enough sealing scrolls in advance; otherwise, he wouldn't have had to ask his boss for help.

"But no matter when, this feeling of being completely crushed by Hitoshi is really uncomfortable," Orochimaru said, standing up straight and looking at the wide chasm.

"Hitoshi-sama has always been very strong."

"Yeah, ridiculously strong."

"You seem to know a lot about Hitoshi-sama?"

"More than just a little. If you've been thoroughly beaten by him, you'd definitely feel that pressure."

"So, Orochimaru-sama, do you know why Hitoshi-sama continues to pursue them?"

"Shall we guess together?"

"Uh, does he think Sasori of the Red Sand is a talent? Trying to recruit him?"

"Ha, there are many talents, Kakashi, but he's definitely not one of them. Turning himself into a puppet just to achieve immortality? That's a clever understanding. I'd rather believe that Hitoshi is interested in Kakuzu, who can actually make money, and there's definitely his presence here."

"Who is Kakuzu?"

"Hmm, he's fought with the First Hokage."

"…"

"Then he really is a talent."

As they continued on their way, Orochimaru and Kakashi finally spotted their target while passing through the Land of Grass.

But to their surprise, Kakuzu, the "talent" who could be useful, had not been successfully recruited.

By that man's side was a red-haired woman holding a baby.

In that instant, Kakashi and Orochimaru exchanged glances, and they both saw realization in each other's eyes. Then their expressions changed to match the doll on Hyuga Hitoshi's belt, and the atmosphere grew increasingly strange.

Well, maybe they had been too serious for a while.

It seemed they had forgotten the man's true nature.

If Hitoshi was going to such lengths to pursue him, he must be hungry.

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