Putting on an Act

"When do we leave?"

Hatake Kakashi asked.

"We'll leave once Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki from Kirigakure, arrives."

Mizuki stood silently to one side, watching Tsunade issue her orders.

This kind of dangerous journey was probably meant to temper Team 7 as well, especially Naruto. If Mizuki's space-time ninjutsu helped them avoid every danger, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's combat strength would likely see no improvement at all.

Mizuki had no intention of interfering with Tsunade's considerations for the time being, so long as they did not affect the final battle to seal Kaguya Otsutsuki.

However, Mizuki had not been involved in this brief meeting at all, which gave him a bad feeling. Whatever task eventually landed on his head might be extraordinarily troublesome.

After everyone else left, only Tsunade and Jiraiya remained, and they gave Mizuki an instruction.

"We need to use the Rinnegan!"

The concise statement caught Mizuki off guard.

"If, as we suspect, the Ten-Tails' resurrection is closely connected to the Rinnegan, then we must find the enemy's location and eliminate them completely. Otherwise, even if we form the Shinobi Allied Forces, we can only remain on the defensive."

"Understood."

Other than Mizuki, no one knew where the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was hidden. Even if they did know, it could still be transferred away through the Rinnegan's Summoning Technique. But if they possessed a Rinnegan themselves, the situation would be different.

Still, whether a novice who had only just acquired the Rinnegan could affect the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path remained unknown. Moreover, not just anyone could undergo a Rinnegan transplant. If they could not endure it, the Rinnegan would simply drain away their chakra and life force, costing them their lives for nothing.

"Who will serve as the Rinnegan's host? Such a person won't be