With their identities laid bare, the two men fell into a brief silence.
They were fellow students of Jiraiya, yet their different experiences had each made them into major figures capable of influencing the shinobi world.
Whether it was the Fourth Hokage or the Akatsuki Leader, either title was enough to strike terror into their enemies.
And yet, guided by fate, they had abandoned their respective identities and found themselves in this Underground Cave.
Enemies not long ago, they now stood together to protect the shinobi world.
It felt unbelievable, but even the Five Great Shinobi Villages had set aside their prejudices and formed the Ninja Alliance to confront Madara Uchiha. The impossible had become possible.
After looking at each other for a long while, they averted their eyes. They wanted to speak, but neither knew what to say.
Zou Hyuga cleared his throat. Seeing the awkwardness between Minato Namikaze and Nagato, he spoke to ease the atmosphere, shifting the conversation to the Shinobi World War.
After briefly explaining the current situation on the battlefield, Zou Hyuga said gravely, "We'll leave the Shinobi World War that Madara Uchiha started to the Allied Shinobi Forces. We'll head to Amegakure to deal with an even more troublesome enemy."
"An even more troublesome enemy... are there other members of your clan hiding in the shinobi world? And they're hiding in Amegakure?"
Nagato's expression changed. He knew that the Tailed Beast Association President was an Otsutsuki, and an Otsutsuki's strength far exceeded his own at his peak. Worse still, this was an Otsutsuki whom even the Tailed Beast Association President found troublesome.
If a battle between Otsutsuki broke out within Amegakure, the entire village would be razed to the ground.
Destroyed infrastructure could be rebuilt, but Amegakure's villagers could not be brought back from