Deep beneath the earth, the already vast underground palace was undergoing further renovations and expansion. The floor had been dug out and lowered, the surrounding rock walls blasted open to enlarge the space, and workers hurried back and forth, keeping busy.
The surface was just as hectic.
Large quantities of instruments, machinery, experimental equipment, vessels, and more were being brought in from all over, filling the designated transport area to the brim.
Unlike the noise and bustle outside, a quiet meeting was underway in a conference room deep inside the underground palace.
Quite a few people had attended. They sat around a huge round table, silently reading the documents distributed to them.
At the head of the table,
Amado smoked as he sized up the people in the conference room.
Everyone allowed into this room had been selected by him and Orochimaru and formally joined the research team.
Among them were Tsunade, the Hokage, and Hiruko and Scorpion, members of the Akatsuki Organization wanted by the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Most of the others were relatively unknown, dedicated researchers. Some came from the Five Great Shinobi Villages, while others hailed from smaller shinobi villages.
Without a doubt,
thanks to the relentless recruitment efforts of Delta, Ranmaru, and Kabuto Yakushi, the three-person task force, everyone on Shinji's list had been gathered.
Hiruko set down the documents in his hands. "I want to see the body of that mysterious Otsutsuki!"
He'd assumed he was as good as dead after being captured by "A." Instead, he'd been dumped here and inexplicably recruited into a research team.
To that end, Shinji had even transplanted a pair of ordinary Three-Tomoe Sharingan into him, restoring his sight.
Once he could see again, he'd planned to play along for a while, then look for a chance to