Konoha's Second Tailed Beast

"Holy crap..."

At an outlying base in Kirigakure, the area outside was packed with Konoha Ninja as far as the eye could see.

Tonight, the place was surrounded so tightly that not even a mosquito could escape.

There was no chance of anyone fighting their way out to deliver a message, either.

Inside, White Zetsu had just stuffed the Three-Tails into Rin Nohara. He closed his eyes with a bleak expression. Was it his turn to make the sacrifice today?

But...

But Obito was still on his way.

The White Zetsu were pitiful, and so were the Mist Ninja they had tricked into coming here.

They had to hold out until Obito arrived.

"Brothers! For Kirigakure!"

"For Kirigakure!!"

The Kirigakure captain, a White Zetsu in disguise, rallied the troops, whose morale had been flagging.

"White Zetsu will never be slaves!!"

The White Zetsu who said this was the last one Madara had planted in Kirigakure with a captain's rank. All his other White Zetsu brothers had sacrificed themselves for the Eye of the Moon Plan. There wasn't a second White Zetsu to be found anywhere in Kirigakure.

For the Eye of the Moon Plan, the White Zetsu were willing to shed their very last drop of blood!

"Huh? What do you mean, 'White Zetsu will never be slaves'?" one Mist Ninja asked, confused.

"The captain's name is White Zetsu."

"Oh, I see!"

"Then I, XXXX, will never be a slave either!"

This was a one-sided massacre.

You dared to imprison Minato's promising student, the Fourth Hokage's student's crush? Did you think your entire clan was available wholesale?

What a fine base they'd built. In an hour, it was demolished so thoroughly that not a single tile remained.

Even the earthworms inside had to be split lengthwise in two.

A Three-Tails had just been stuffed inside Rin. With her own ears, she'd heard the Mist Ninja discussing how they'd let her get rescued later, then, once she returned to the Konoha camp, trigger the Three-Tails' rampage and make her attack Konoha.

What was she supposed to do?

Zhengyi lifted Rin Nohara out of the sealing platform and leaped away in a few great bounds.

The moon was huge tonight.

Zhengyi had an impressive spring in his step. He leaped high into the air.

Minato, who was clearing the battlefield, heard the sound and looked up. The scene seemed strangely familiar.

"Rin, the moon's so big tonight."

"But I might not be able to see it anymore, Zhengyi."

Out in the wilderness, Obito was still on his way.

He was frantic with worry.

Almost there! Just wait a little longer for me.

"What's Minato-sensei doing? And where's Zhengyi?! I told him to look after Rin! Damn it!!"

The White Zetsu attached to half of Obito's body had no idea the Mist Ninja base had been devastated. He echoed Obito's words. "There's nothing you can do about that, Obito. The Shinobi World is just like that. It's full of cold words and indifference. Not everyone's like you, willing to risk their life for a comrade."

"Of course!"

Obito proudly agreed, then continued on his way.

I have to make it in time!

And what was Madara doing underground?

He was wondering whether he'd offended Zhengyi in a past life.

So far, the only part of his plan that had succeeded was luring Obito over and starting to win him around. He'd even had to do that part himself.

Madara gave a helpless laugh. Truthfully, he was all out of ideas.

"Lord Madara, what should we do next?"

Black Zetsu still had plenty of ideas, but every one of them would take time.

Madara didn't have much life left. After thinking it over, he went into standby, temporarily shutting down his bodily functions and saving his final breath to entrust Obito with his last wishes. It's all in your hands now, my will.

Black Zetsu was a little exasperated. In the end, he had to step in himself?!

Wait.

Madara had been so sure his plan was succeeding and that Obito would definitely return that he'd never told him not to reveal their whereabouts.

If Obito had mentioned to Orochimaru and the others that Madara was still alive...

Black Zetsu hurried through the night, having White Zetsu carry the dormant Madara and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path away.

Zhengyi!

I'll never forgive you!

It was all because that bastard showed up that their plan had gone so badly off course.

Originally, the plan hadn't involved grabbing Rin so hastily.

But Obito had been drinking Protein Powder and then going straight to sleep, over and over. Combined with the Hashirama Cells Madara had implanted in him, his body was recovering faster by the day. Yesterday, he'd fully recovered.

They'd had no choice but to move the plan up. They'd captured Rin without having Kirigakure tie up Konoha first.

Two major things had happened in Konoha recently!

First, Obito, who had supposedly died on the battlefield, had returned on his own.

Second, Konoha now had another Tailed Beast.

At first, Madara had planted a lot of White Zetsu in Kirigakure. They went and tricked the Third Mizukage into sealing the Three-Tails inside a Konoha Ninja. Then they planned to quietly release the Konoha Ninja and let him return to Konoha, where he would activate the seal and have the Three-Tails destroy the village.

The plan was simple and crude. If they hadn't been dealing with the Uchiha, a surprise Tailed Beast Bomb would have given Konoha a nasty shock.

But because it was so simple and crude, Konoha had easily thwarted it.

"Orochimaru-sensei!!"

With Rin on his back and dozens of Anbu escorting him, Zhengyi returned to Konoha.

It wasn't that he'd neglected his duties or abused his authority by abandoning his post as commander and leaving the front lines without permission.

It was just that...

Konoha had hit the jackpot this time.

Orochimaru-sensei had just become Hokage. He needed a major victory to prove himself and win the people's support.

And the enemy had delivered a Tailed Beast right to us.

The Third Mizukage was such a nice guy.

There were all kinds of Sealing Jutsu in Konoha Village. You'd have to be out of your mind to agree to let a Tailed Beast come and wreck the place.

"The Three-Tails? The Third Mizukage really is a nice guy." Orochimaru smiled, too. The better things went for Konoha, the better things went for him. His relationship with Konoha was one of mutual exploitation!

First this, then that.

And then one final touch.

The Sealing Jutsu Orochimaru-sensei used was called the Five Elements Seal. Its main effect was to prevent people from using chakra. Orochimaru's seal only restrained the Tailed Beast's chakra, so it wouldn't interfere with Rin's own chakra flow.

After all, not every Tailed Beast was the Nine-Tails. The Three-Tails was unhappy, but it wasn't rebellious. It didn't struggle; it simply lay back and accepted its fate.

And just like that, the Tailed Beast seal on Rin was reinforced with ease.

Kirigakure had lost a Tailed Beast!

"Rin."

"Zhengyi..."

Unlike people who were always falling in love and had plenty of practice, these two teenagers were both avoidant. Even just talking made them feel embarrassed.

Watching the pair's tender atmosphere, Orochimaru clicked his tongue. Tch, the stench of romance.

He actually wanted to tear them apart.

Being in love meant Zhengyi would have to spend half his attention on this girl named Rin Nohara.

Then how was he supposed to slack off? How was he supposed to conduct his research experiments?

He was also afraid his student would fall into ruin and lose himself in boring romance.

Zhengyi should be with him instead!!!

And follow his arrangements!

"Zhengyi, Rin, I don't want anyone finding out about you two," Orochimaru said.

Zhengyi: "?"

Rin: "?"

What could possibly be going on between us?

Orochimaru made his move, intending to keep their romance locked away before it could even begin.

That was the Hokage for you! Power meant doing whatever you wanted.

Whenever Zhengyi was sent east, Rin was assigned to the west. Whenever Rin was sent north, Zhengyi was sent south. In short, Orochimaru didn't want them seeing each other too often.

He really was going to great lengths as their teacher.

Poor kids, blinded by affection!

Rin Nohara's teacher was Minato. If Rin picked up even a little information from you and passed it on to Minato Namikaze, it could deal us a devastating blow!

The Hokage race had only just ended. Konoha's infighting was only just beginning!