After several days of research, barely stopping to eat or sleep, Zou Hyuga finally emerged from the laboratory and quietly returned to the village's residential district.
No major incidents like another Akatsuki attack on the village had occurred over those few days.
Obito had surely devoted all his energy to guarding against him and Nagato. What was at stake for Obito was not merely the loss or acquisition of Jinchūriki, but ownership of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as well.
The only unknown was whether the Otsutsuki lurking in the shadows would play dirty and launch a sneak attack.
With the Sage of Six Paths watching over the shinobi world, however, the Otsutsuki probably would not dare reveal themselves recklessly. The Sage of Six Paths was ruthless enough to seal his own mother a second time, even a thousand years after his death.
He had thwarted Otsutsuki Agarwood's thousand-year plan, leaving Agarwood sealed alongside her in the primordial space.
Only after returning home and receiving his Shadow Clone's memories did Zou Hyuga learn what had happened.
Something significant really had occurred in the village over the past few days. Under the Third Hokage's leadership, almost every jonin had gone to the Heroes' Cemetery to attend the funeral of the ninja who had fallen defending Konoha.
Notably, the highest-ranking ninja among the dead was Danzo, the Hokage Advisor and leader of Root.
Although Danzo's influence on Konoha had been almost entirely negative, the final image he had presented was that of a village elder who died for the village. The Third Hokage could hardly allow those negative reports to spread, either, and had kept a tight lid on them.
Zou Hyuga felt little about Danzo's death.
He had only met Danzo a few times, and most of those encounters