Action Begins!

Deep underground, within a dim nest, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path stood solemnly.

On the open ground beneath the statue, the White Zetsus were fooling around.

At that moment, one particularly conspicuous White Zetsu suggested, "Hey, hey, let's play tag~! When the 'it' catches someone, they throw them, and that person becomes the new it~~!"

Another Zetsu chimed in, "Hey, that sounds fun~!"

"The question is, who'll be the first it?"

"Hee hee hee, let the one who came up with it do it~!"

"Sounds good."

The moment it finished speaking, the conspicuous White Zetsu had already placed a hand on its shoulder...

Sizzle!

Everything changed, yet somehow... it looked as though nothing had changed at all!

"Now you're It Number Two. Do your best~!"

"Haha...!"

"Take this...!!"

The Zetsus chased one another around, having a grand old time.

Wearing Tobi, Obito sat on the bench Madara had once used, one hand resting on its back. The eye within the hole of his spiral-patterned face watched the White Zetsus frolic, and he said helplessly, "Just like always, they're a noisy bunch."

Standing before him was White Zetsu's main body—the one with enormous inverted spikes growing from between his legs. Of course... Black Zetsu was one with him as well.

White Zetsu said, "Earlier, you had one of my clones stay behind to monitor Orochimaru's base in the Land of Rice. What's this about? Why did you suddenly start thinking about that disgusting guy, Orochimaru?"

Obito withdrew his gaze from the frolicking White Zetsus and lowered his face.

"On the night Nagato attacked Konoha, he used the Six Paths Technique of the Rinnegan to control several puppets. One of them had an appearance that greatly concerned me."

White Zetsu said, "Oh? What kind of guy was he?"

Obito recalled the man who had landed beside the masked woman that night—the Asura Path of Pain.

In a low voice, he said, "If I wasn't mistaken, that was the Third Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village. According to the intelligence, Sasori killed him and turned him into a Human Puppet."

"Something that should have belonged to Sasori... ended up in Nagato's hands. At the very least, that proves they came into contact and something happened between them."

White Zetsu nodded. "Hmm, indeed... but what does that have to do with Orochimaru?"

Obito said, "Sasori has always been secretly investigating Orochimaru's whereabouts. It doesn't matter if Nagato and Sasori have some connection, but if... Orochimaru becomes connected through Sasori, then the problem will be serious!"

White Zetsu tilted his head. "Not to be rude, but aren't you overthinking this?"

Obito said, "Even if I am overthinking it, I have to take one more precaution... Nagato is a descendant of the Senju Clan and possesses the pure bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan. The experiments Orochimaru has conducted for years also happen to overlap with Nagato's traits. If they establish contact..."

"Setting aside the actual risk, the potential risk at least exists."

White Zetsu spread his hands. "Wouldn't it benefit us if Nagato became stronger because of this? The hunt for the Tailed Beasts could proceed more smoothly, the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique could be activated sooner, and the Eye of the Moon Plan would advance much faster~!"

"Ah... perhaps." Obito's gaze darkened. "The stronger he becomes, the better. But only on the condition that his power does not exceed my control."

"The Rinnegan is a double-edged sword to us... If he develops other intentions and I cannot suppress him with my power, then we'll be completely passive."

"Therefore, this year, I can let Nagato run wild wherever he wants, even tacitly allow him to remain outside my sight... But Orochimaru alone is different. I do not want Nagato to have any contact with him—at least, no contact beyond my surveillance!"

White Zetsu scratched his head. "I see. That does make sense, but we can't openly monitor him now. His Rinnegan can easily detect our presence."

Obito said, "If we can't monitor Nagato, then monitor Orochimaru. Not just the one in the Land of Rice—send watchers to every base we know of."

"Also, expand the search area and find the bases of his that we haven't discovered yet as soon as possible!"

"The moment Orochimaru is spotted, I'll personally make a move and erase him first..."

Boom!

At that moment, a White Zetsu was thrown by the "it" and slammed into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

"Idiot, you're It now! Come catch us!!"

The White Zetsu that had become "it" laughed. "Hahaha, I'm getting a little tired of tag. Let's play hide-and-seek instead~~~"

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle...!"

As it spoke, it sank into the Demonic Statue and began "swimming" inside it!

"Haha... you're so dumb. We can sense each other, so what's the point of hide-and-seek?"

"Forget it... let's keep playing tag. This time, I'm It!"

Obito said, "Zetsu, what kind of madness has your clone gone crazy with today?"

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle..." The White Zetsu "swimming" across the Demonic Statue reached the Hashirama Artificial Body and began pawing at it.

White Zetsu's main body stepped forward and said, "Hey, clone. Play all you want, but don't damage that. Our existence depends on it."

The clone stopped. "Ah, of course I know. Madara used the Demonic Statue to cultivate this, and that's how he obtained us byproducts, right?"

White Zetsu's main body said, "Good that you know. Stay away from it."

"Fine." The White Zetsu began moving away.

"Wait." At that moment, Obito stared darkly at the Hashirama Artificial Body, then suddenly narrowed his eyes.

He rose from his seat. "Come down. I have something to ask you."

Whoosh!

His somewhat grim tone brought the chattering White Zetsus on the open ground to a halt.

The White Zetsu hanging from the Demonic Statue looked bewildered. "Huh? Are you talking to me, Obito?"

"Yes, come down. Let me get a good look at you."

This White Zetsu was practically going mad!

Because it was Number One! And in its palm, it was clutching a small chunk of flesh from the Hashirama Artificial Body!

Did I act too hastily? During the seven days since returning, Obito should have been wandering around Konoha every day, but he never left this base for even a step. Left with no choice, I had to take the risk.

Sure enough... doing this right under his nose was far too dangerous.

What do I do? I'm about to be discovered. How can I explain what I was doing just now? Say I touched it by accident? And what if he examines me with his Sharingan?

It was nearly desperate...

I'm sorry... Lord Nagato, I may have ruined everything!

Boom!!

Just then, a White Zetsu emerged from the mountain wall and shouted anxiously!

"Hey!! Obito, something's happened! Something huge!!"

"Near Kannabi Bridge, we found someone who seems to be Orochimaru's follower, a guy named Yakushi Kabuto!! He's sneakily searching for something, and wouldn't you know it, it's right where you were crushed by rocks back then!!"

Crack!!! Within the white hole, those blood-red pupils suddenly erupted with a terrifying, ghostly gleam.

"I'll go... and kill him!"