After ending his communication with Lou, a member of the Outer Circle, Victor sank into thought.
"Jigen explicitly forbade all Inner Circle members from showing their faces in public. I think he's worrying over nothing, but if this gets exposed at a time like this, he'll surely fly into a rage. Beneath that kindly exterior, that man is an Ōtsutsuki, after all..."
At that thought, Victor began to have second thoughts.
But then he reconsidered. "How much funding have I provided for Amado's research over the years? Yet he still hasn't found the most crucial thing-the 'vessel'!"
"Without a vessel, he can't resurrect, which means he can't sacrifice himself to the Ten-Tails and make the God Tree flower and bear fruit again!"
"Damn it, if not for immortality, who would abandon their convictions as a ninja to consort with those bandits?"
"With him being so timid now, getting the fruit is a distant prospect..."
"And the God Tree Flower just had to appear now. Damn it, is there really no way? What if I sent an Outer Circle member to attend the auction in my place? No, faced with such temptation, even the Outer Circle can't be trusted!"
"Either I don't go, or I go myself. But going myself means defying Jigen and risking my life. How can I resolve this?"
Victor racked his brains. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and a calculating smile curled his lips.
In an unknown hideout, another member of Kara's Inner Circle, Deepa, known as the Fighting Clown, sat at a table enjoying red wine and steak.
Lately, however, everything had tasted bland to him!
"Damn it, what is Jigen playing at? Why won't he let me kill anyone?"
Crash!
Deepa violently overturned the table, sending the wine and dishes crashing to the floor.
He slumped to