War is Cruel

Iwagakure.

"Old man, you just want our Akatsuki to help you, don't you? Heh heh!"

Watching Ōnoki sink into thought ahead of him, the White Zetsu clone snorted inwardly.

He had long guessed the other party's intentions. But from White Zetsu's perspective, Iwagakure's Four-Tails and Five-Tails would be taken away sooner or later. When that happened, they were bound to become enemies with Iwagakure.

Furthermore, Konoha was now about to wage war on Iwagakure. By then, whether Iwagakure—and Ōnoki standing before him—would even still exist was another matter entirely. There was no way Akatsuki would help Iwagakure.

Though that was what he thought, the White Zetsu clone would not say it outright. He had plans of his own as well.

Konoha's impending war against Iwagakure had given them an opportunity.

An opportunity to weaken Konoha's strength.

"If Akatsuki can join Iwagakure in standing against Konoha, we can seize Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki while we have the chance. Then the strongest Tailed Beast in the shinobi world will belong to you," Ōnoki said slowly.

"What a cunning old fox!"

The White Zetsu clone muttered inwardly. What Ōnoki was doing was no different from trying to get something for nothing.

Seizing the strongest Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails, while taking advantage of the situation? That was little more than a lie meant to fool children.

What Ōnoki meant was that he not only wanted Akatsuki to help Iwagakure resist Konoha, but also wanted to strike back. He might even be planning to seize the Land of Fire while he was at it.

"He's dreaming pretty big!"

"Heh heh, Lord Tsuchikage, Akatsuki has rules when we do things. There are certain things we will not do. You should understand that."

The White Zetsu clone spoke, his tone carrying a hint of refusal.

Ōnoki was not