Pawn?

"You're leaving already!"

Katsuki stood with her hands behind her back, looked up at the full moon in the sky, and sighed softly.

He withdrew his gaze and looked again at Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso, who were hiding in Susanoo. He glanced at the two of them and then his gaze fell on Senju Zen's clone.

"Yo! Not bad! Suikazan Fuguki, Hanzō, and the Third Mizukage— are these spoils of war of mine suitable for use?"

"Naturally, it's top-notch."

Senju Zen's smile seemed somewhat forced.

"Haha! I heard the Third Mizukage's body was stolen, and it turns out it was you two little thieves."

"It has nothing to do with me! I don't need that stuff." Uchiha Genso raised his hand to distance himself. "I just helped clear the way; I didn't take the stuff."

Senju Zen: "

"How long has Madara Uchiha been dead?"

Katsuki suddenly asked.

Fourteen years.

After a moment of silence, Senju Zen decided to answer.

"Fourteen years? That's about time." Katsuki nodded, then asked, "When do you plan to start hunting the Tailed Beast?"

Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso both stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape, like two hippos.

"Where did you learn about these things?"

Faced with their questioning, Katsuki's lips curled up. "There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. You've been hiding very well for the past fourteen years, but you're not truly without a trace. If I really wanted to find you, I could find you. Anyway, hurry up and collect the Tailed Beast. Come back to me after you've collected One-Tail Four-Tails. The Five-Tails is with me."

Katsuki stretched out her hand, and her blood-red Chakra surged like mist, revealing the ferocious aura of the Five-Tails.

Senju Zen's eyes twitched. He couldn't understand what was going on. It was strange enough that Konoha's natural disasters weren't attacking them, but this was as if they were going to help them collect the Tailed Beast. It was simply unbelievable.

I don't know how Katsuki knew their secret, nor do I understand why they chose to help them. This feeling of knowing nothing is really awful.

Moreover, the conversation between Katsuki and Hashirama Senju wasn't kept secret from them.

They didn't believe what Katsuki said, but a seed of doubt was planted in their hearts, which troubled them greatly.

"What is your purpose in doing this?" Senju Zen asked directly.

"Our goal? It's none of your business, and even if I told you, you might not believe me. As things stand, until all Nine Tailed Beasts Nine Tailed Beasts gathered, we're on the same path. Once they're all gathered, we can fight each other based on our own abilities."

I can't help but say this Katsuki said calmly.

"Why don't you take action yourself, Lord Calamity? With your abilities, collecting Nine Tailed Beasts would be a piece of cake for you," Uchiha Genso stared at Katsuki.

"This is none of your business. Mind your own affairs. Aren't you tired of worrying about so many things?" Katsuki waved her hand impatiently. "Also, if you don't get out of here now, are you waiting to fight a major battle with the Cloud Ninja?"

The Cloud Ninja's reinforcements have already appeared within the sensing range and will arrive soon. A large group of extremely powerful Chakra fluctuations are present. Most importantly, Xi is already below the cliff and is currently rushing up.

Five seconds later, you will reach the stone tower.

"Snort!"

Senju Zen gritted his teeth, stared intently at Katsuki, and then patted Uchiha Genso on the shoulder. The latter retracted his Susanoo, and the two of them, along with their five clones, simultaneously departed in the opposite direction from the Cloud Ninja.

Katsuki stood before the stone tower, unmoved, watching the black figures disappear into the night.

The next instant, hope rushed forward.

Xi Junmei's handsome face was now twisted like a demon crawling out of hell, staring at Katsuki with a questioning look in his eyes.

As a top-tier sensory ninja, he naturally couldn't miss the fact that Katsuki, Senju Zen, Uchiha Genso had faced each other without making a move. Considering Senju Zen and the others' identities Konoha missing-nin, he couldn't help but overthink it.

Did this missing-nin truly defect, or was it merely a ploy by Konoha to deceive others?

Beneath her frivolous exterior, Xi is actually quite perceptive and intelligent. However, the more intelligent a person is, the more complex and nuanced their thoughts often become.

"Senior Katsuki, why did you release the missing-nin from your village?"

Katsuki glanced at Xi, a gentle smile on her face, but her words were as cold as the north wind in the dead of winter.

"Who do you think you are? Do I need you to tell me what to do? If you want to chase after your Raikage's corpse, then hurry up and do it. Stop making a racket here."

Xi's face flushed crimson, his eyes filled with murderous intent, but when he looked at Katsuki, he managed to suppress the anger and suspicion in his heart.

In the Shinobi World, strength reigns supreme.

Xi himself was one of the best Jonin and a top-ranking strongman among the younger generation of Cloud Ninja, but he couldn't even lift his head in front of Katsuki.

"Chase those two thieves!"

Xi roared, sensing the Chakra of Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso, and led a group of subordinates past Katsuki.

"Bon Voyage."

Katsuki waved to the retreating figures of the Cloud Ninja, then resolutely turned and left, stepping on lightning as she headed towards the location of Minato and the others.

"The Cloud Ninja are chasing after us relentlessly!"

Uchiha Genso uttered a soft sound.

"Ignore them, they're just a bunch of ants." Senju Zen said with a tense face, in a bad mood. After a few breaths of silence, he suddenly said, "Genso, our strength is still insufficient!"

Uchiha Genso narrowed his eyes, moving nimbly through the mountains and forests like a monkey, but his mood was not high.

"That guy is too strong."

Uchiha Genso sighed, his frivolous and composed expression finally crumbling.

In the previous exchange with Katsuki in front of the stone tower, I used the ultimate move, Golden Mountain Ancient. Although I didn't injure Katsuki, I believed that if I had gone all out, the outcome would have been evenly matched.

However, they did not expect their opponent to be so well hidden. He was completely unfazed by the imposing aura of Hashirama Senju. It was only then that he used his Sharingan to see something deeper beneath the disguise. Senju Zen also noticed this, and because of this, the two did not make a move.

They weren't confident they could defeat Katsuki, or rather, they weren't confident they could escape Katsuki alive.

"Brother Zen, once your clone is finished, will you still proceed according to plan?"

"Let's talk to Black Zetsu first. Whether he's deliberately deceiving us or simply refusing to answer, we'll never be able to determine the truth."

"Senju Zen," he said in a deep voice.

Both of them were fully aware of their status as pawns of Madara Uchiha, but they didn't care. As long as their wishes were fulfilled, what did it matter if they were pawns?

What's most astonishing is that even Madara Uchiha was a pawn being manipulated; such a thing is truly horrifying. (To be continued)