Kawaki Aoba, with a spectator's mindset, viewed the entire shinobi world as a vast chessboard.
Elsewhere, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, having just contacted Black Zetsu, soared through the air toward the Land of the Moon—the agreed rendezvous point where the Shinobi Alliance planned to gather the Tailed Beasts to reconstitute the Ten-Tails. By then, Black Zetsu had already brought Nagato, wielder of the Rinnegan, to the location.
As she flew through the freezing sky, Kaguya's earlier panic from her awakening began to settle. Her emotions cooled, and her clarity returned.
Reflecting on Kawaki Aoba's calm demeanor during their encounter, Kaguya realized she had been manipulated.
Yet, being used did not necessarily mean that the information he'd provided was false.
The names Kinshiki, Momoshiki, and Urashiki were not inventions—Kaguya knew them. They were fellow members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, and their existence was an undeniable truth.
Still, the composure with which Kawaki Aoba had mentioned them disturbed her. He didn't seem the least bit afraid of their impending arrival.
Kaguya shook her head, casting aside such thoughts. Whatever his backup plan was, it had nothing to do with her. Her current priority was to recover her sealed core body.
Kaguya's speed was unmatched. By the time she reached the Land of the Moon, the Allied Shinobi Forces had already gathered and were engaged in heated debate.
The Five Great Nations had assembled—though the mood was grim, especially among the ranks of Sunagakure, which had lost its Kazekage during the recent operation.
Were it not for Elder Ebizō's leadership, Sunagakure might have withdrawn entirely and declared the plan a failure.
"Lord Tsuchikage, Lord Mizukage—you owe Sunagakure an explanation," Ebizō demanded, voice stern. "So many shinobi were deployed. Why did only the two of you return?"
Onoki's aged face remained neutral as he spoke with practiced coldness, "An explanation? I've already told you the truth. The Fourth Kazekage was killed by a rogue Uchiha from Konohagakure. In that chaos, we had no choice but to retreat. Unfortunately, he became the target."
Then Onoki added with slight ambiguity, "That said, we didn't personally witness his death. He may have been captured. Either way, if you're looking to blame someone, don't look to Iwagakure. We lost many elite shinobi ourselves."
He turned to another figure, his voice sharp. "Danzo, shouldn't you say something? Konoha was involved too. You led the mission. You can't dodge this responsibility."
Danzo Shimura stood with utter calm, his single visible eye cold. Behind him loomed the Nine-Tails—now subdued, its eyes reflecting the Mangekyō Sharingan. With that power, Danzo had grown bolder than ever.
"Hmph. I fulfilled my part," Danzo stated flatly. "We agreed that I would capture the Nine-Tails and bring it here. I did. If the operation was compromised, it's because your forces exposed us. After all, the site was near Konoha. That was always a risk."
Danzo's shamelessness gnawed at many, but none dared confront him—not with the Nine-Tails under his control.
He relished the silent hostility, knowing his power protected him.
"Ahem," came a voice from the shadows. Black Zetsu stepped forward beside Nagato. "Enough. The Tailed Beasts are here. Let's proceed with reviving the Ten-Tails. The Nine-Tails' escape from Konoha couldn't be hidden. Kawaki Aoba might already be en route. We don't have time."
Though few trusted or respected Black Zetsu, none took Kawaki Aoba's name lightly. The threat he posed was real—and near.
More eyes turned toward Danzo, now brimming with resentment, but Danzo remained unmoved.
He was the darkness of the shinobi world. He had already defied death once—what did he have to fear?
As attention remained fixed on Danzo, Onoki's eyes drifted toward the red-haired youth standing silently next to Black Zetsu.
Nagato.
He made no effort to hide the Rinnegan, its ripple-patterned gaze radiating detachment.
Onoki recognized it immediately. The legendary Rinnegan. Yet to see such power wielded by someone so young… and so indifferent to everyone present—it unsettled him.
This boy believed he could crush them all if necessary.
Was this Black Zetsu's trump card?
Onoki glanced toward Yagura, the Mizukage. He, too, stood silently, seemingly detached from the proceedings. A disturbing change from his usual demeanor.
Onoki's eyes scanned the crowd until he met Chiyo's gaze. She, too, glanced at Nagato.
They understood. Of all the madness around them, they were still among the few who saw the truth clearly.
Over by the Kumogakure group, the elders stood guard around Killer B. The jinchūriki, known for his boisterous rapping, now sat in brooding silence—drained and subdued.
Onoki frowned. Clearly, he could not count on Kumogakure to act sensibly.
Finally, Nagato moved forward, his voice cold and authoritative.
"Enough. If you don't want Kawaki Aoba to find you and kill you all, stop wasting time. Extract the Tailed Beasts. Revive the Ten-Tails now."
Nagato had once devastated Konohagakure, claiming to be "Pain" and acting as a vessel of Madara's will. Though eventually defeated, his strength was not forgotten—at least, not by those who'd witnessed it.
Still, Madara and Kawaki Aoba had long since eclipsed him. Nagato remained feared—but not respected.
Many wanted to silence him, but none dared. With all the village leaders present, no one wanted to make the first move.
Silence settled again.
Then a raspy chuckle broke the stillness.
"Heh… the brat's right," Danzo said. "We revive the Ten-Tails now—or you won't have the chance once Kawaki Aoba arrives. As for me… I've already died once. I'm not afraid of dying again."
It was truly rare for Danzō to speak in support of anything—but his eyes, like many others', were fixed on a single goal: the revival of the Ten-Tails.
"Reviving the Ten-Tails is something we all want," he said gruffly. "However, how exactly are we to revive it? Lord Black Zetsu instructed us to gather the Tailed Beasts but gave no detailed method of revival."
"That's right," another added. "Now that the Tailed Beasts have been collected, shouldn't Lord Black Zetsu tell us the next step?"
"Yes, yes, we are all quite curious about this so-called Ten-Tails," a third voice chimed in.
Surrounded by suspicion and eagerness, Black Zetsu gave a sinister grin.
It was not surprising. His pitch-black form and twisted smile only served to heighten the sense of unease among the group.
"You're all impatient," Black Zetsu said calmly. "Very well. Let's begin. Nagato, summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."
Swish swish swish…
Eyes turned sharply like drawn kunai. The crowd's intense stares seemed to pierce Nagato, devouring him with anticipation and suspicion.
They didn't understand exactly what the Demonic Statue was—but the word summon was clear enough. With the Ten-Tails looming in their thoughts, it was easy to jump to dangerous conclusions.
---
Under the heavy gaze of the crowd, Nagato stepped forward.
Some attempted to follow, but he turned and said coldly, "If you want to die, go ahead."
That stopped many in their tracks. Some frowned in annoyance. A few bold ones still followed, ignoring the warning.
Black Zetsu appeared again, this time smiling apologetically.
"My apologies, everyone. What Nagato meant is that the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is quite massive. If you get too close, you may be harmed."
"Massive?" someone sneered. "Bigger than the Nine-Tails?"
Black Zetsu didn't entertain the mockery. "The Demonic Statue is the husk of the Ten-Tails. The Nine Tailed Beasts were created by the Sage of Six Paths splitting the Ten-Tails' chakra. To revive it, we simply need to reinsert the chakra of the Tailed Beasts into the statue."
That explanation silenced most of them.
Still, some like Ōnoki wore sour expressions. Their ambitions burned within—many still dreamed of becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki to confront Konoha's strongest asset: Kawaki Aoba.
But Nagato already had a contract with the Demonic Statue. If he cancelled the summoning after the revival and dismissed the Ten-Tails to another dimension, all of their plotting would be for nothing.
Worse still, he wielded the Rinnegan—eyes of godly power and mystery. Who knew what hidden schemes he had?
No, Ōnoki thought, this was unacceptable. They could not allow the balance of power to shift to Nagato.
Plans to eliminate him began forming.
---
Nagato reached a clearing and activated his Rinnegan's Outer Path. The summoning was smooth. A monstrous form emerged—a towering statue with ghastly features and countless stakes embedded in its back.
Everyone stood frozen.
This was the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path?
Even with all nine Tailed Beasts combined, nothing compared to its sheer size. Though inert, the aura it emitted carried oppressive weight.
It was terrifying to imagine what it would be like alive.
And while awe gripped them, so too did fear and envy. Ōnoki and others like him began calculating—Nagato had to be removed. But not yet.
---
Black Zetsu, watching all this, understood perfectly.
These men were opportunists. Once the Ten-Tails was revived, they would turn on Nagato. If he didn't act, Nagato would be attacked and torn apart by all sides.
Especially since they controlled seven of the nine Tailed Beasts, including the Nine-Tails.
Even Nagato, powerful as he was, wouldn't survive such a siege.
But Zetsu's priority was not Nagato—it was reviving the Ten-Tails. Time could not be wasted.
"Everyone," Black Zetsu called out. "You may have noticed the eyes Nagato bears. Yes, those are the Rinnegan—the legendary dōjutsu of the Sage of Six Paths. Summoning the Demonic Statue is one of its powers.
And reviving the Ten-Tails requires not just chakra—but the power of the Rinnegan. Without Nagato, resurrection is impossible. That is why we need your cooperation—for now."
It was a warning in a velvet glove. Attack Nagato, and the entire operation fails.
But the others weren't fools.
If the Rinnegan was that essential to controlling the Ten-Tails, then once it was revived, who would hold true power?
The answer was obvious.
Helping Nagato was tantamount to handing him dominion over the Ten-Tails.
That, they would not allow.
But abandoning the plan wasn't an option either. They had already burned their bridges with Konoha. If they didn't obtain power soon—specifically the kind needed to counter Kawaki Aoba—they would face annihilation.
"Lord Black Zetsu, this old woman has a question."
It was Elder Chiyo of Sunagakure. She said question, but her tone allowed no room for refusal.
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