At the border, deep within a dense forest.
Dusk dyed the sky a dark red. The last rays of sunlight filtered through gaps in the branches, casting mottled patches of light across the damp forest floor.
A faint scent of blood hung in the air, mingling with the smells of earth and decaying leaves.
Several pale corpses lay scattered around Tianyi. Their bodies had begun to stiffen, and their white skin took on an eerie gray hue beneath the setting sun.
Tianyi crouched down and pressed his right hand against one of the White Zetsu corpses. His Magnet Release Sensory penetrated its body, confirming that no active spores remained inside.
His brow furrowed slightly. Just as he had thought, the recent string of attacks along the border had been orchestrated by Akatsuki from the shadows.
Those corpses from different ninja villages, those carefully arranged scenes, those seemingly chaotic traces that nevertheless revealed deliberate design at every turn.
Everything pointed to the same answer.
Tianyi rose to his feet, shifting his gaze from the corpses to the stretch of sky in the distance, dyed red by the sunset.
He understood Akatsuki's purpose well. They wanted to throw the entire Ninja World into chaos again, making the four great nations distrust one another, stirring up constant border conflicts, and leaving the smaller nations trapped in the middle.
That way, they could fish in troubled waters. While the entire Ninja World's attention was tied up in mutual restraint, and the Five Great Nations exhausted their ninjas and resources in endless defense and retaliation—
Akatsuki could seize the chance to attack the Tailed Beasts. If one village fell into chaos, they could make their move. If the whole world descended into chaos, they could act without restraint.
A faint rustling came from the bushes