Standing across Juzo, Gai, and Dai at the border of the Land of Fire, Jiraiya thought that you never know the future.
"As you may have guessed, the White Zetsu Army arrived at the Land of Fire here as well. They are attacking everything in their sight as if they were to be programmed killing machines."
Jiraiya would've liked to talk more with Gai and Dai to address their hatred toward the village. However, there was no time for that, given how urgent the situation was.
"I'd assume that Ame, with everyone practically living in the Land of Rain, and Suna, with most of the Land of Wind being uninhabitable, are faring better than us. With many locations to guard, we immediately had to disperse our force. I, in particular, was in an attempt to identify their root, of where they appeared from, but came to conclude that they 'emerged' from the ground."
"...If we were to give you hope, their number is finite."
Juzo replied, relaying the information that Mei wrote on the communication paper.
"Our leader proved so. Ame is now free of them."
"Is that so... that's good to hear."
Jiraiya was evidently surprised by the information.
"However, the other villages aren't as formidable, unfortunately. We will be occupied dealing with these White Zetsus for quite some time. It will effectively prevent our attempts to unify. As Uchiha Madara acts to fulfill his objective, I am afraid that there won't be much that we would be able to do..."
Juzo, after relaying Jiraiya's information on the paper, got the response. He momentarily froze, wondering he was seeing the right thing. He eventually spoke,
"...The ultimate objective of Uchiha Madara is the Eye of the Moon Plan, which is to cast the genjutsu named 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' in the entire world. Two conditions are required, which are the possession of Rinnegans and the status as the jinchuriki of... ten tails."
Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly, due to how absurd the information. He slowly nodded, however, integrating the information. He then asked,
"Ten tails? I've never heard of them."
"It is known as the progenitor of chakra, the monster recorded in the legends that was dealt by the very Sage of Six Paths himself. Ten tails currently has its power separated into nine fragments... and we refer to them as the tailed beasts."
"I see. Then, Madara would..."
Jiraiya grimaced, now seeing the full picture of what was going on. He then let out a dry chuckle, amazed by how this organization led by Akashi was able to access this information.
"What is it that your leader asked you to do in this Land of Fire?"
"..."
Juzo thought for a moment if he should reveal their mission or not. Eventually, he decided that it would be fine, given how they share a common interest for now.
"There are primarily two objectives. One is to monitor the situation in Konoha, to calculate the estimated number of White Zetsus. Two is to monitor for the potential appearance of Madara."
Jiraiya nodded. Without hesitation, he then suggested,
"Then why don't I guide you to Konoha, where the nine tails jinchuriki is at?"
Gai and Dai's already stoic expressions became more reluctant. Seeing this, Juzo contemplated for a second.
"Do you trust us?"
"Frankly speaking, I don't."
Jiraiya smirked casually, shaking his head as he did so.
"It isn't you whom I trust, but your leader."
Over the years, Jiraiya spent a good amount of his spare time digging after Akashi's trail. Although not much could be learn, he deduced that the majority of the fights he got into were ultimately the acts of defence.
Jiraiya used to be obsessed with the idea of finding the Child of Prophecy.
A student of Jiraiya would bring a great revolution to the world of the ninja.
He always asked, could Akashi be considered his student? Although Akashi was under his guidance for a brief period of time, he did indeed teach the boy.
...Weeks ago, Konoha was assaulted by the masked shinobi with Sharingans. He, striking right at the moment when Kushina was giving birth to her son, unleashed the nine tails in Konoha. This happened while he was away on the front line, protecting the borders.
The matter was then single-handedly dealt with by none other than Akashi, who appeared out of the blue.
There was a stark improvement to his strength. Jiraiya knew that regardless of how talented one may be, one must relentlessly train and seek improvement to reach the height of strength that Akashi arrived at.
Knowing the harshness of the life that Akashi must have led, Jiraiya came to think that considering him as the 'Child of the Prophecy' may be an act of mocking his efforts, regardless of whether he truly was one or not. After all, deeming him as the Child of the Prophecy meant that Akashi was destined to become who he was today, denying his hard works.
'None of them matter anymore.'
Jiraiya knew,
'What matters... is that you possess what is needed to save the world right now, Akashi.'
For quite some time, Jiraiya and Juzo stared at one another in silence.
Juzo then sighed.
"I'll go."
Juzo accepted the deal proposed by Jiraiya. Turning, he then said to Gai and Dai,
"I'll be going alone. Given the situation, it may be better if you monitor a different location. The wider our net, the greater the likelihood of discovering Madara."
"...Thank you."
Dai nodded, knowing that the biggest reason why Juzo made the suggestion was because of their reluctance to return to the very village that did them wrong.
Juzo summarized this development in the communication paper. Eventually a response arrived,
Nine tails in Konoha. Eight and two tails in Kumo. Seven tails in Taki. Six tails in Kiri. One tail in Suna. Five, four, and three tails are unknown, with theirs jinchurikis having been dealt with by the leader. Among them, seven tails is at the greatest risk.
We will head over to Taki.
Dai wrote the message through the paper of his own.
"Then, this is where we part for now."
Juzo, shifting the way he held his enormous blade, Kubikiribocho, grinned.
"Stay safe."
__________
"Soon or later, Madara will act."
Walking back and forth in the war room that Hanzo gave them the access to, Mei bit her nails out of frustration.
"We determined that White Zetsus are simply the tools to give Madara time. Though it takes long, they will eventually be eliminated."
"Gai and Dai arrived at Taki."
Nagato, who was monitoring the communication paper, then stated. Konan nodded to that, before placing a green flag on top of the drawing of Takigakure within the world map, which sat at the middle of the room.
"Tailed beasts are the targets that Madara is gunning for. There also is quite a possibility that he secured the missing three, four, and five tails, at their weak states. Unlike here and Konoha, ninjas aren't informed of Madara's objectives, which make them more vulnerable."
It wasn't about saving those villages. It was about preventing a further progression of Madara's plan; they didn't know if Madara would gain additional strength for every tailed beast he managed to collect.
"Now, Suna, Konoha, Taki, and here are covered. Kumo and Kiri remain out of our reach, so we may need to give up the tailed beasts in those regions."
Groaning, Nagato leaned into a chair he was seated on.
"We've done the best that we could. All we can do now is to wait for Madara's appearance."
"...Well, you're right."
Mei, letting go of the matter that was inducing stress on her, sighed.
"Kumo and Kiri's borders are closed anyway."
Then, all of a sudden, they heard a noise from outside the window. Turning to said window, they saw a small bird pecking at it.
"Hm?"
"...I recognize that bird."
Mei immediately headed over to the window and opened it.
"You... what are you doing here?"
The bird landed on her hand, and Mei asked.
"You're Ao's summon."
"Long time no see, lady Mei."
The bird nodded, speaking the human language.
"As Ao-sama said, you were here in Ame. I am glad to see that I did not miss."
Raising its right wing over its peck, the bird cleared its throat.
"Now, let me pass on the message that Ao-sama wanted me to deliver to you."
Then, its voice changed to match exactly that of Ao's, which only Mei recognized,
"Mei-sama, I hope that you are well. I am in Kumo right now, and just learned about the death of third Raikage by the hands of the 'Ghost of the Uchiha,' who was supposed to be dead. I..."
The message went on for long, but Ao was, in summary, asking if there is anything that he can do to help, knowing by instinct that this is the matter that involves the whold world.
"I managed to reach you. Should you allow, let's form a temporary summoning contract so that I can reach you and Ao at anytime."
The bird spoke while bowing in an elegant manner.
And that wasn't the end, as another ninja summon hopped through the window and landed on the floor. With silver furs and long limbs, this male wolf sniffed with his butt high and nose on the floor as he treaded toward Mei.
"And this is?"
Konan raised an eyebrow at Mei, who looked just as confused this time around.
"Me wolf. Me Zabuza summon. Me find Terumi Mei. Me found Mei!"
"My my, what a barbaric kind, lacking the necessary intellect."
The bird gossiped while stop on top of Mei's hand, but the wolf didn't seem to care. With his eyes locked on Mei, he woofed, shaking his tail as he did so.
"Since when was the summoning contract this common?"
Nagato remarked dryly, but no one listened.
Mei, crouching down, spoke back,
"Zabuza sent you to me?"
"Zabuza gave me cloth! I smelled and ran! Tired but mission complete!"
Wolf lifted its right foreleg, revealing a folded paper that was tied around it like a ribbon.
Mei took it off and unfolded it, revealing the letter inside.
I'm still in Kiri. Shit's gone wilder, with that so-called Mizukage dying against, guess what, Uchiha Madara of all things. Hah, never did I expect to hear that name again.
Madara struck the conference that had all the world's leader. Coupled with these... white creatures, even I can tell that he's plotting something against the world. This has to be related with that goal of your organization, I bet.
Form a temporary contract with that wolf of mine. I am sensible enough to know that I stand no chance should Madara appear here... but I know that he may be able to.
"...Zabuza is in Kiri."
Mei turned to face Konan and Nagato.
"Then..."
"...Huh."
Nagato chuckled,
"Looks like we covered all the known sites with jinchurikis."
__________
Akashi, within the dark room, sat in a meditating position with his eyes closed.
Thoughtless and emotionless, he simply meditated, breathing in and out.
After a sound rest, he was back to his optimal form. His body seemed to have strengthened even, having healed after all the work he did.
Time was ticking, and the world was in the state of a calm before storm in Akashi's perspective.
With the majority of ninjas distracted by White Zetsus, this was akin to a shogi board where all the pieces were in a lock. It meant that it was the time for kings to move, to settle for once and all.
Uchiha Madara.
Be it for his revenge or for his future, Akashi will fight.
"Akashi!"
The door to his back then opened. The light shone in through the door, and Yahiko, huffing, shouted,
"Madara appeared at Suna!"
Akashi's eyes opened, revealing a gleam sharper than ever.
It was time for the finale.