"Yakushi Kabuto."
When the White Zetsu clone found Kabuto, it imdiately handed him the scroll. "This is from Lord Shigen."
"Understood."
Kabuto was montarily startled by the strange creature before him.
Fortunately, his nerves were strong enough, and since the creature ntioned Lord Shigen, it clearly understood his relationship with him. That was enough for Kabuto to take the scroll without hesitation.
However, as soon as he opened the scroll and saw its contents, his pupils shrank in shock. His expression shifted from stunned disbelief to sudden realization and, ultimately, to confusion.
"What's inside?"
The White Zetsu clone curiously observed Kabuto's shifting expressions.
"It's..."
Kabuto hesitated, then glanced at the creature before him before suddenly chuckling. "Lord Shigen has assigned us a mission in the Land of Water. I'll need your help gathering intelligence in Kirigakure."
"Alright."
The White Zetsu clone sighed as if reluctant. "I just hope this mission ends quickly..."
"Hmm..."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, his gaze subtly sweeping over the strange creature before him. He recalled the hidden ssage within the scroll.
The contents of the scroll were quite unusual.
It was divided into three parts.
The first part contained information on Edo Tensei, including detailed theoretical research and improved techniques. From developnt to refinent, the technique was far more complete than Orochimaru's version. After reading it, Kabuto was confident he could master the jutsu.
Lord Shigen's instructions were clear: he wanted Kabuto to learn Edo Tensei and summon powerful shinobi to protect himself while carrying out his tasks.
The second part detailed their mission in the Land of Water. Kabuto was to follow Obito's orders and contact Kisa Hoshigaki, persuading him to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage's Bloody Mist regi. The scroll even outlined a contingency plan in case Kisa's assassination attempt failed.
The third part...
It seed to have been added at the last mont.
Shigen wanted him to use this White Zetsu clone as a sacrifice for Edo Tensei.
Shigen was a lone operator. Akatsuki lacked the manpower to assign him guards, which was understandable. Kabuto had no moral objections to using the dead as tools.
However, using the ssenger as a sacrifice puzzled him—especially since this was his first encounter with a White Zetsu.
But soon, Kabuto understood.
These White Zetsu creatures were complete fools.
On their way to the Land of Water, the clone rambled incessantly about how much more fun it had with Obito and how dull Lord Shigen was.
"Obito is way more interesting..."
"Compared to him, Lord Shigen is just too boring."
"All he does is write on scrolls. He never does anything fun. The main body and Black Zetsu said that even after he was first revived, all he did was heal people and write dical records. That kind of life is just too dull..."
"It was the sa in the ancient era, apparently..."
"Black Zetsu said that back then, Lord Shigen's life was even more boring—just healing and more healing. He had no interesting companions and no fun stories to tell..."
Is this thing sick in the head?
It must be.
Kabuto endured the mind-numbing chatter throughout their journey. The more he listened, the stranger it seed. He couldn't understand why Obito was being compared to Shigen as if they were equals.
The thought processes of White Zetsu were clearly not human.
Luckily...
Besides being a dical ninja, Kabuto was an excellent spy.
As an elite infiltrator, he always maintained a polite and friendly smile, even when he completely disagreed with the creature's opinions.
"Really?"
"Listening to you, Obito does sound like an interesting guy."
"After all, being a dic can be pretty dull. I'm a dical ninja myself, and sotis, saving lives can be such a hassle..."
Kabuto kept up the pleasant conversation while focusing on studying Edo Tensei, determined to master the technique as soon as possible.
Land of Water, Kirigakure
This isolated nation, shrouded in eternal mist, had a peculiar atmosphere. A faint scent of blood always lingered in the village.
In Kirigakure, killing comrades wasn't even considered noteworthy. It was a common occurrence, as shinobi were often ordered to eliminate their fellow villagers.
No one ever knew when they might be ordered to kill a comrade.
No one ever knew when they might be killed by one.
Mistrust ran deep, and betrayal was second nature. The village had long been accustod to deceit, backstabbing, and bloodshed.
"What's our first move?"
The White Zetsu clone followed Kabuto into the village.
Their first stop...
Was the cetery.
The White Zetsu clone had no idea what Kabuto was planning, so it simply followed him, puzzled as to why their first destination was a graveyard.
"Let's find ourselves a powerful ally first."
Kabuto thodically examined the tombstones, searching for the perfect target, until he stopped at a specific grave and unearthed a skeletal corpse.
Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki.
He had once clashed with Shigen during the First Shinobi World War. After the war ended, he returned to Kirigakure and lived out his days.
By all accounts...
He was possibly the strongest person in Kirigakure's history.
He had even fought in the Second Shinobi World War and was one of the most renowned Mizukage.
"You're using Edo Tensei?"
The White Zetsu clone instantly grasped Kabuto's intention and rubbed its chin in thought. "I was always watching Orochimaru and saw him revive Lord Shigen. I rember this jutsu requires a sacrifice. Should we grab soone from the village...?"
"No need."
Kabuto shook his head.
As he lifted his fingers, black Cursed Seals flowed like liquid across his arm, enveloping his body as he activated his Curse Mark transformation.
The next mont—
A powerful strike slamd into the White Zetsu clone's neck!
The ambush was so sudden that the clone had no ti to react. Dizzy, it stared in shock at Kabuto, whose eyes now glead with cold intent.
"Kabuto, you—"
The White Zetsu clone couldn't comprehend why Kabuto had attacked it.
They had traveled together, spoken at length, even bonded as allies. Why betray it now?
"Apologies."
The light reflected off Kabuto's glasses, obscuring his eyes as his voice turned ice-cold.
"From the beginning, I found a dical ninja who saves lives far more interesting than a fool responsible for the Nine-Tails attack that killed thousands."
"And I must thank you for accompanying here."
"Now I won't have to alert Kirigakure's forces—I already have the perfect sacrifice."
Kabuto bowed his head slightly, calmly forming the necessary hand signs with the sa gentle touch he once used to heal patients.
"Ninjutsu—Edo Tensei."
His palm pressed against the ground.
As the White Zetsu clone watched in horror, specks of ash rose from the corpse on the ground and adhered to its body!
Kabuto's mind raced, analyzing Edo Tensei's chanics as the reanimation process began.
"It seems..."
"White Zetsu make excellent sacrifices."
"Judging by the reanimation process, I might be able to resurrect the Second Mizukage at full power."
As the transformation completed, Kabuto swiftly raised his fingers, ensuring control over the revived shinobi.
"This improved version of Edo Tensei enhances the caster's control..."
"It allows full command over the subject's actions and even enables direct ntal orders..."
The Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki, opened his lifeless eyes in confusion. He examined his hands and imdiately understood his situation.
"Edo Tensei? That bastard Tobirama's jutsu?"
"Congratulations, Lord Second Mizukage, on your return to the world of the living."
Kabuto smiled out of habit, though his eyes remained devoid of warmth.
"Now... help us bring peace to this world."
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on!"
Gengetsu instantly recalled the first person ever resurrected by Edo Tensei and wisely objected.
"Even if another war has started, I'm nothing like Lord Shigen—I can't bring peace or any of that! Don't count on , kid!"
However...
Kabuto ignored his protests.
Because he still had a mission to complete.
Because he still had a mission to complete.
After sealing the Second Mizukage inside a coffin, Kabuto wasted no ti and continued his infiltration of Kirigakure.
Kirigakure - The Depths of the Hidden Mist
A damp underground complex lay deep beneath Kirigakure.
The people here had all taken countless lives—so their enemies, others their comrades. They lurked in the darkness, carrying out the will of Kirigakure's high command.
Unlike the ANBU of other villages, who might still uphold ideals of protecting their comrades or safeguarding their village, Kirigakure's ANBU had been trained into true executioners.
Many of Kirigakure's own shinobi had died at the hands of their village's ANBU, their blood staining the very mist that veiled the land.
And among these ruthless killers, none was more infamous than Hoshigaki Kisa.
Born into the Hoshigaki Clan, Kisa possessed a natural ability to absorb chakra, allowing him to quickly rise in the ranks. He was recruited into ANBU at an early age and diligently carried out every order given to him.
Even if those orders were to murder his own allies.
For Kisa, it was simple. If he couldn't protect soone, he would ensure that they died by his hands first rather than fall into enemy hands.
Over ti, his skills only grew stronger.
Recently, he had killed his own superior, Suikazan Fuguki, a mber of the Seven Ninja Swordsn of the Mist, after learning he was leaking village secrets. Taking possession of the Sahada blade, Kisa was now one of the strongest in Kirigakure.
That day, when he obtained Sahada, he also learned the truth about Kirigakure.
It was then that he first t "Madara Uchiha."
And it was then that he accepted the Moon's Eye Plan as the only way to escape the cruel, twisted reality of the world.
With a goal in mind, Kisa no longer hesitated.
But lately, sothing had been bothering him.
He had heard rumors from the outside world—rumors that "Madara" was actually a fraud. That "Madara" was nothing more than a fake identity used by a forr Leaf shinobi nad Uchiha Obito.
If that was true...
Then had he once again been deceived?
Was everything he had believed in... nothing but a lie?
Kisa's heart was conflicted.
He wanted answers.
He wanted to confront Obito directly and demand the truth.
But—
"Is 'Madara-sama' afraid to et ?" Kisa murmured to himself, fingers gently running along the edge of Sahada's bandages.
Perhaps this was why Obito had yet to appear.
Perhaps Obito knew that if Kisa found out the truth, he would turn against him.
As Kisa continued tending to his weapon, his heightened senses picked up on sothing.
He suddenly stopped what he was doing.
His sharp ears caught the faintest sound of footsteps—light and careful, but not belonging to a trained assassin of Kirigakure.
The intruder was skilled in stealth, but not quite enough.
Kisa slowly reached for Sahada's handle, keeping his voice low and calm.
"Co out," he said, his grip tightening on the sword. "I can hear you."
A figure erged from the shadows—a grey-haired man in glasses, smiling in an eerily composed manner.
Kabuto.
"Quite sharp, aren't you?" Kabuto said with a chuckle.
Kisa didn't relax his stance. His cold, shark-like eyes stared at the intruder. His killing intent hadn't faded in the slightest.
"An outsider sneaking into Kirigakure..." Kisa mused, gripping his sword. "Looks like you're out of luck."
Kabuto didn't flinch.
Instead, his smile remained as polite as ever.
"On the contrary," he said smoothly, adjusting his glasses. "I'd say I'm quite fortunate."
"After all, it didn't take long to find the person Obito-sama sent to et."
"!!!"
Kisa's eyes imdiately sharpened.
His shark-like gaze pierced through Kabuto's words.
Had he just confird the rumors?
Had this strange man—who called himself Obito's ssenger—just admitted outright that Obito was never Madara Uchiha?
Kabuto watched the shift in Kisa's expression carefully.
Sothing was wrong.
Kisa should've been one of Obito's most loyal subordinates.
Obito had assured them all that Kisa was his man.
Yet...
Why did Kisa not look the least bit pleased?
Why did he look like he was about to kill him instead?
Kabuto's smile stiffened slightly.
Was Obito's influence over Kisa weaker than they thought?
No—more than that—had Obito never truly won Kisa over to begin with?
If that was the case...
Kabuto inwardly sighed, glad that he had prepared accordingly.
Fortunately—
Before eting Kisa, he had already revived the Second Mizukage.
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