Night fell, and the autumn wind swept over desolate fallen leaves. The streets had long since lost their daytime bustle.
As the Third sent more ANBU out of the village, its defenses were further depleted. The Hokage Building's guard had shrunk from several ANBU squads to just one.
Hidden in the darkness across the street, Zou Hyuga watched the bright lights of the Hokage Building.
Although it was late at night, the Third and the village leadership were still working inside, perhaps because of the disturbance outside the village earlier that day.
Large-scale ANBU movements might escape ordinary people's notice, but not that of the Hyuga or the Konoha Military Police Force.
Zou Hyuga barely needed to think to know that Obito was behind the disturbance outside the village.
Not only did Obito possess a space-time Dojutsu, he also had numerous White Zetsu who could burrow underground using the Mayfly Technique. On top of that, he secretly controlled Kirigakure.
That was why Zou Hyuga had never expected to prevent the meeting's contents from leaking.
His purpose here tonight was simple: investigate the ground beneath the Hokage Building. It was packed with Sealing Jutsu Formulas, and he had detected a resonance with Nine-Tails Chakra there.
He waited patiently. Once the Third and the other leaders left, he would have his chance to slip inside.
The possibility of failure never entered his calculations. No one could stand in the way of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Even if he was discovered, it would simply be another Akatsuki plot.
Among his many identities, he was also a member of the Akatsuki-a core member personally recruited by Nagato, no less.
Glancing back at Oto Uchiha as she wiped her kunai, Zou Hyuga remained hidden in the darkness.
Before long, the Hokage Building's lights went out. The