Although Moriyue really wanted to find Tsunade now, preferably with her honestly telling him how to get to Shikkotsu Forest, that was probably impossible given their current positions.
Even so, Moriyue felt it was necessary to give it a try. Konoha's security was indeed tight, but that was no challenge for him. What truly troubled him was how to make Tsunade speak.
"Hmm... Pain..."
After thinking for a while, Moriyue saw that figure in his mind. Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki Organization—they would definitely be interested in intelligence about him.
"I'll still have to rely on Naruto. Naruto probably hasn't learned Sage Mode yet either..."
Naruto should have undergone far more trials during this period. His most remarkable achievement should have been killing Kakuzu alongside Kakashi, but Kakuzu had been dealt with by Moriyue ahead of time. As a result, Naruto had not actually displayed any particularly outstanding accomplishments during this period.
"Jiraiya really still hasn't gone to Amegakure, but it should be soon."
Moriyue had a bit of a headache over Akimoto Osamu and the others. Plans could not keep up with changes. They should have played a major role, but now they could only be left over there.
Fortunately, he had planted quite a few nails in Amegakure. Nagato would need some time to deal with those things, so Akimoto Osamu and his people should still be able to escape.
A pitch-black tentacle extended from Moriyue's back. The fusion was nearly complete. A cluster of tiny eyeballs grew from the tentacle's slick surface, their dangerous scarlet glow unchanged. However, unlike before, a faint shadow of a black tomoe could be seen at the center of each eye.
"It worked. The Sharingan fusion succeeded. That means..."
The Black-faced Sheep suddenly appeared beside Moriyue. It still stood like a