The Operation Begins!

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

In the open space beneath the Demonic Statue, the White Zetsus were frolicking and playing around.

At that moment, one attention-seeker suggested, "Hey, hey, let's play tag~. After the 'it' catches someone, they throw them out, and that person becomes the new 'it'~~!"

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

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

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

"Let's do that."

The moment it finished speaking, the attention-seeker had already placed a hand on its shoulder...

Sizzle!

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

"Now you're 'It Number Two.' I'm counting on you~!"

"Ha ha...!"

"Take this...!!"

The Zetsus chased one another, having a lively time.

Obito, wearing Tobi, sat on the bench Madara had once used, one hand resting on the backrest. The eye within the hole of his swirled face watched the White Zetsus playing and squabbling as he said helplessly, "As noisy as ever, aren't they?"

Standing before him was White Zetsu's true body—the one with the giant inverted spike 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 watch Orochimaru's base in the Land of Rice. What's this about? Why did you suddenly start worrying 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 those puppets caught my attention."

White Zetsu asked, "Oh? What did he look like?"

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 became connected, but if... Sasori became the link between Nagato and Orochimaru, then the problem would be serious!"

White Zetsu tilted his head. "Not to put too fine a point on it, but aren't you overthinking this?"

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

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

White Zetsu spread his hands. "Wouldn't it be better for us if Nagato grew stronger because of it? The hunt for the Tailed Beasts could go more smoothly, the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique could be awakened sooner, and the Eye of the Moon Plan would progress much faster~!"

"Yeah... perhaps so. The stronger he becomes, the better." Obito's gaze darkened. "But only if his power remains under my control."

"The Rinnegan is a double-edged sword to us... If he develops other intentions, and I lack the power to suppress him, we'll be completely passive."

"So this year, I can let Nagato run wild anywhere he wants. I can even tacitly allow him to remain outside my sight... But Orochimaru alone is different. I don't want Nagato to have any contact with him—at least, not any contact beyond my surveillance!"

White Zetsu scratched his head. "I see. That does make sense. But right now, we can't openly monitor him, because 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 we haven't discovered as soon as possible!"

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

Boom!

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

"Idiot, now you've become it! 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~~~"

"Glub glub glub glub...!"

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

"Ha ha... You're such an idiot. We can sense each other, so what's the point of hide-and-seek?"

"Forget it... Let's keep playing tag. This time, it's my turn to be 'it'!"

Obito said, "Zetsu, what kind of madness have your clones gotten into today?"

"Glub glub glub glub..." The White Zetsu "swimming" across the Demonic Statue arrived beside the Hashirama Artificial Body and began pawing at it.

White Zetsu's true body stepped forward and said, "Hey, clone. Play all you want, but don't damage that thing. It concerns our very existence."

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

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

"Fine." That 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 somber tone made the chattering White Zetsus in the open space all fall silent.

The White Zetsu hanging from the Demonic Statue looked somewhat confused. "Huh? Me, Obito?"

"Yeah. Come down and let me have a good look at you."

This White Zetsu was practically going mad!

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

Did I act too hastily? During the seven days since I returned, Obito should have been wandering around Konoha every day, yet he never left this base even once. I had no choice but 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 just did? Should I say I accidentally got it? And what if he uses his Sharingan to inspect me?

It was nearly despairing...

I'm sorry... Lord Nagato, I may have messed this up!

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 suspected to be Orochimaru's follower, a guy named Yakushi Kabuto!! He was sneakily searching for something, and guess what? It was right where you got crushed by that rock back then!!"

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

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