No one knew whether Big Pillar could rest in peace beneath the Nine Springs, but as the discussion deepened, the two key figures who had remained silent throughout the meeting finally began to weigh in...
"The Uchiha clansmen who have already joined up with the Sand Ninja will clean up the mess they caused themselves. The remaining forces in the northwest are enough to cooperate with them in resolving the problems left behind by the Rock Ninja."
Sarutobi looked toward the Pot King as he spoke, his gaze cold and merciless.
"Regarding the accident caused by the 'Great Collective' plan, don't you have anything to add, Danzō?"
"I have nothing to say."
The Ninja of Darkness answered stiffly.
In truth, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō undoubtedly knew more about the details of the Battle of Red Pine Ridge than anyone else present—especially the pincer offensive jointly launched by the Uchiha clan and the Sand Ninja's Soul-Burial Corps, as well as the "Great Collective" issue hidden behind it.
Yes.
The Uchiha clan plugging into a shared consciousness was simply impossible to conceal... not to mention that Director Yamada had never intended to keep a low profile from the very beginning!
The backlash from the chakra consciousness had indeed exceeded his expectations, but for Soji, who had repeatedly manipulated events from the shadows on a grand scale, wasn't the Rock Ninja's fierce attack also an opportunity to accelerate the rollout of "Great Collective 1.0"?
As for the challenge this posed to the traditional ninja order?
Wasn't Comrade Pot King there to take the blame?~
—Looking back over the entire affair, beginning with the spirit-transfer surgery, Director Yamada had laid out his plans layer by layer, long since placing himself in the position of a victim and washing his hands clean of every