In Konoha.
Danzo, who was dealing with his work, suddenly felt uneasy.
Frowning, Danzo tossed the documents in his hand onto the table and summoned one of his subordinates.
"Have we heard anything from Yamanaka Zen and Shimura Ikko yet?"
Danzo had been secretly monitoring radicals like Uchiha Wada, who had been on the Second Hokage's blacklist.
Although some personnel were evacuated due to the war, Danzo still showed due respect to leaders like Uchiha Wada.
Even at such a difficult juncture, they still dispatched two Jonin- level subordinates to monitor the enemy.
Just a few days ago, the ninja in charge of surveillance reported to Danzo that Uchiha Wada had made unusual movements.
Before Root could figure out what the other side wanted to do, Uchiha Wada quietly left the village with his full gear.
A ninja leaving the village without permission, especially during wartime, would have been considered a rogue ninja during the Second Hokage's era.
Danzo was more worried that the other side might use the war as an opportunity to incite a mutiny among the hawkish Uchiha clan.
After all, Fugaku and some of the Uchiha elites had already rushed to the Mist Ninja battlefield.
Once the two sides merge...
Fearing that his suspicions might come true, Danzo sent Yamanaka Zen and Shimura Ikko to track Wada. If they discovered any signs of Wada colluding with others, they were to kill him immediately.
"No, but..." The subordinate hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Explain."
Sensing the other party's hesitation, Danzo's unease intensified, and he gestured for the other party to speak.
"Yes, news just came from the logistics department that Yamanaka Zen has mobilized the Ninja Hawk to the Mist Battlefield."
Mist Battlefield?
Has Uchiha Wada already gone to that place?
Danzo's expression shifted, and his tone became somewhat urgent. "Did he send the message to Ding Wu using Ninja Hawk?"
"I regret to inform you, Danzo, that we sent a letter to Ding Wu, but his squad did not receive any message from the Ninja Hawk. I suspect..."
The ninja began to hesitate.
"What are you doubting?" Danzo's expression turned completely cold, his Chakra surged wildly, and his breathing became rapid.
"Young Master Kazashiro is in the Mist Battlefield..."
"Bang!"
Danzo out with his palm, and the violent Wind Release Chakra tore the entire table apart, sending wood chips flying everywhere. Some sharp fragments even pierced the hard door.
"Send a letter to Ding Wu immediately, instructing him to find Kazashiro and find out exactly what Yamanaka Zen said to him!"
Dozens of Mist Ninja were gathered inside a huge, man-made cave next to the lake.
They wore masks and armor, and gathered warily in the middle of the cave.
Deep within the cave, a colossal creature was bound by chains, its body covered in various sealing symbols.
Isobu.
As one of the Tailed Beast possessed by Kirigakure, it was ordered by the Kirigakure leadership to be sent to the front lines because a suitable Jinchuriki had not been found for a long time.
Originally, they intended to forcibly provoke the Three-Tails and then release it onto the front lines, but Suikazan Fuguki, the leader of the Anbu was kicked into one of the Lucky Three Treasures by Might Duy, proposed a new plan.
That is to capture a Konoha Ninja, then deliberately release him back into the village. If he chooses to return, the seal can be released then, causing even more serious damage to Konoha.
After all, Konoha's top combat power was concentrated on the front lines at this time, so even if the Three-Tails was released on the battlefield, it would not cause too much damage to Konoha.
Suikazan Fuguki's proposal was approved by the higher-ups, and it was also discovered by the White Zetsu who traveled underground, eventually reaching Uchiha Setsuna's ears.
Driven by a burning desire for revenge against Konoha, Uchiha Setsuna decides to exploit the enemy's plan, making the Shimura Clan's child a sacrifice and inflicting pain on Danzo.
Leading Kazashiro into the cave, the Mist Ninja inside were not surprised by Setsuna's sudden appearance. They had already been controlled by the Sharingan's Illusion Technique and had all become Setsuna's pawns.
"The power that Lord Madara bestowed upon me is indeed extraordinary."
Feeling the abundant power in his Sharingan, Setsuna's smile almost twisted to his ears.
Setsuna was not young anymore. As an Uchiha who raised the banner of rebellion during the Second Hokage's era, Madara was worried that Setsuna's age would not allow him to hold back Nagato, so he gave him a slight slap on the wrist.
By fusing a small portion of Hashirama Cells, Setsuna, while not reaching the level to use Wood Release, perfectly achieved his goal of enhancing his mobility and eye power.
He is now even confident that he can go toe-to-toe with Tobirama once again. He may not be able to completely defeat him, but he will definitely not be defeated by Tobirama in one move like he was back then.
"Use this brat as a sacrifice."
Pushing the dazed Kazashiro in front of them, the Mist Ninja, having received the order, immediately used the Water Whip to bind Kazashiro, and then reached out to untie the armor on his body.
Several members of the Sealing Squad also brought out the altar, waiting for everything to be ready before starting the sealing procedure.
"Hehehe, Shimura Danzō, you treated me like this in the Anbu prison..." As the Mist Ninja began to move, Uchiha Setsuna let out a lewd laugh, already imagining Danzo's grief and rage after losing his son.
Little did he know, not far from him outside the cave, Kazashiro's true form had already approached, stepping over the corpses of the sentries.
"This is a good location."
Lying prone on the ground, using the corpse of a nearby Mist Ninja sentry as cover, Kazashiro, with the help of the dim candlelight in the cave, managed to get a fairly good idea of what was happening inside.
The most eye-catching feature, of course, is the enormous Three-Tails.
"Damn, I thought it was Minato's script, but it turns out to be Rin's?"
Upon seeing the Three-Tails and the altar in front of it, Kazashiro immediately guessed Setsuna's purpose.
"Has that old bastard Madara lost his sight? He actually thinks I'm more important to Obito than Rin?"
Kazashiro reached behind his back, ready to pull out White Fang, but suddenly seemed to remember something and withdrew his hand.
"Let me give you a taste of poison, kid."
Taking out the poisoned Senbon he had prepared beforehand, Kazashiro waited for an opportunity, waiting for the moment when his Shadow Clone was close enough to him.
Because the Shadow Clone hadn't dissipated, Kazashiro didn't know the Masked Man's abilities. Therefore, he chose the safest way to approach him: using the Flying Thunder God mark on the Shadow Clone.
"I'll just unleash a Flying Thunder God Technique and blow your tsunami away!"
He said that, but hitting his opponent didn't mean the end of the matter; the numerous Mist Ninja inside the cave would also be an obstacle for him.