Black Zetsu's capture order did not target the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
He chose Takigakure.
The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki's identity had yet to enter any country's public records, and their escort was far smaller than those assigned to the major nations' jinchūriki.
More importantly, Takigakure had recently made plans to send a Seven-Tails Chakra Testing Sample to the Land of Grass Border Experimental Station.
The sample was not enough to complete a tailed beast sealing.
But it was enough to give the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path its first contact with genuine tailed beast power.
Black Zetsu's goal was not to seize the Seven-Tails immediately.
First, he would seize the sample and awaken the Demonic Statue's deeper channels.
Then, he would trace the connection between the sample and the jinchūriki to establish a route for the next full capture operation.
The operatives were not core Akatsuki members recognized by Nagato.
Six black market mercenary shinobi, four White Zetsu, and a peripheral liaison versed in sealing jutsu formed the temporary team.
All they knew was that the order had passed under Madara's old authorization.
They did not know Nagato had already suspended operations against the tailed beasts.
Just after Takigakure's transport team entered the Northern Land of Grass, the first bridge collapsed behind them.
Two guards stopped advancing.
They first transferred the sample box to an unmarked, ordinary backpack, then sent a call for help to the Land of Grass border station.
White Zetsu had already hidden beneath the bridge.
As the distress signal's chakra rose, plant roots traced the signal back to lock onto the actual carrier.
The mercenary shinobi launched Earth Release from the mountain walls on both sides, forcing the transport team into a valley rigged with a sealing formation.
Four Black Stone Pillars capable of absorbing tailed