Chapter 185: The Masked Man Appears

After leaving Kakashi with final instructions, Tsunade and Kirito prepared to return to Konoha.

Though Kakashi felt deeply unsettled about Sasuke's sudden betrayal and his attack on the village, he understood that staying in the Iron Country to attend the next day's meeting was his responsibility. He had no choice but to remain behind.

As Tsunade and Kirito reached the hotel entrance, Kirito suddenly paused. "Master, isn't it dangerous to leave Kakashi here alone?"

"You're worried that Akatsuki might target Kakashi once we're gone?"

"Yes," Kirito said firmly. "If the three of us stay together, Akatsuki will have a much harder time making a move. But now that we're leaving him alone, it feels like they're waiting for this exact opportunity."

Influenced by his knowledge of the original events, Kirito had a strong hunch that Obito wouldn't pass up a chance to create chaos at the Five Kage Summit.

Tsunade waved a hand dismissively. "This is the Land of Iron, the location of the Five Kage Summit. Akatsuki wouldn't dare make an appearance here."

With that, Tsunade and Kirito disappeared into the snowy night, heading back to Konoha through the relentless storm.

In the early morning…

The snowfall had stopped, leaving the grounds of the hot spring hotel quiet and covered in a pristine blanket of snow.

In a shadowy, deserted corner of the hotel grounds, a distorted vortex appeared. From it emerged a figure clad in Akatsuki robes, wearing an orange mask with a single eyehole.

Shortly after, another figure surfaced from the ground, split into black and white halves with large green leaves on his shoulders—Zetsu.

"Are you certain they've left?" the masked man asked, his voice cold and deliberate.

"Yes," Black Zetsu replied. "All the spores we planted were wiped out. The last thing they reported was Tsunade and Kirito heading toward Konoha."

"That guy's ability to sense and eliminate our spores is troublesome," White Zetsu added. "We didn't dare plant any in the meeting hall for reconnaissance."

"Shut up," Black Zetsu snapped. "It doesn't matter. Once we achieve Infinite Tsukuyomi, even someone as powerful as him will be meaningless."

The masked man, Obito, scoffed. "Hmph, I hope he's as strong as you claim. Even if he defeated Pain, he won't stop me."

Obito hadn't taken Zetsu's warnings seriously at first. It wasn't until he learned that Kirito defeated Pain directly that he began to pay attention. Even so, Obito was confident. With his space-time ninjutsu Kamui, he believed himself invincible.

"Nagato couldn't even catch the Eight-Tails," Obito muttered in annoyance. "Is everything really going to fall apart now?"

"Haha!" White Zetsu laughed. "Who would've thought that Eight-Tails' clone technique was so convincing it even fooled Nagato's Rinnegan? All that effort just to catch an octopus tentacle. Hahaha!"

"If the Eight-Tails wasn't captured, Raikage must have hidden him," Black Zetsu surmised.

"Fine," Obito said dismissively. "I'll go confirm it myself. Besides, I wouldn't mind paying an old friend a visit."

Inside Raikage's Room…

The Iron Country had provided individual rooms for the summit attendees, but Ay, Darui, and Cee had chosen to stay together. In the dimly lit room, Raikage Ay snored loudly on his spacious bed while Darui and Cee rested on a nearby sofa.

Without a sound, the space beside Ay's bed twisted and warped, and Obito emerged, his masked face unreadable.

Seeing that Darui and Cee remained asleep, Obito silently reached out toward Raikage. Just as his hand neared Ay's body, the snoring stopped abruptly.

In an instant, Ay's elbow, crackling with blue lightning, shot toward Obito's head.

"Lariat!" Ay roared, channeling all his Lightning Release chakra into his strike.

Whoosh!

Ay's elbow passed through Obito's head harmlessly, smashing into the hotel wall with an earth-shaking BOOM.

The explosion woke everyone in the hotel.

"Cee!" Ay barked.

"Lightning Illusion: Lightning Pillar!"

Cee formed hand seals, and his body erupted with blinding white light, flooding the room and disorienting Obito. Hidden within the light was a subtle genjutsu designed to disrupt Obito's senses.

"Now!" Darui shouted, drawing his massive blade and slashing at Obito.

Swish!

But his attack passed harmlessly through Obito's form, leaving him unscathed as the light faded.

Obito stood calmly as the three ninjas faced him. "A trap? As expected of Raikage."

"Stop talking nonsense! Where's Bee?!" Ay demanded, his rage palpable.

"I should be asking you that," Obito replied. "Where are you hiding the Eight-Tails? Fooling Nagato's Rinnegan takes skill. He really is a perfect Jinchuriki."

"That idiot…" Ay muttered, realization dawning. "Did he sneak off again?! When I find him, I'll pound him into the ground!"

Hearing this, Darui and Cee sighed in relief. "Typical Bee," Darui muttered.

Boom!

The door to Raikage's room flew open as ninjas crowded in—Kakashi, Onoki, Gaara, Terumi Mei, and their guards among them.

"You!" Onoki growled, floating in the air with his hands ready to unleash Dust Release. "Who are you?"

"I am… Uchiha Madara," Obito declared.

"Madara?" Onoki's face twisted in disbelief. "Impossible! Madara died long ago in his battle with Hashirama at the Valley of the End."

"I didn't die," Obito replied. "I was only severely injured."

The room fell silent as Obito continued. "Since all of you are here, I have a proposition. Hand over the final Jinchuriki and help me achieve my plan."

"What plan?" Onoki asked warily, probing for more information.

Obito's voice grew louder, echoing across the room. "To create a world without barriers or conflict. I call it the Eye of the Moon project."

(End of this chapter)

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