24

As the Brown Zetsu finishes speaking, he slowly retreats, his dark figure melting into the shadows. His presence lingers for a moment, but he's quickly gone, vanishing into the hidden corners of the room. Hashirama, ever vigilant, senses the shift in the air—Brown Zetsu has hidden himself within the shadow of his Wood Style chakra, a silent acknowledgment that the Zetsu has grown stronger in his proximity.

The room falls silent again, the weight of the revelation that they need to keep their plans from the world heavy in the air. Shikamaru is the first to speak. "So, we keep this secret for now? But that doesn't sit well with me."

Naruto, who's been watching the exchange, furrows his brow. "You think Jigen could find out if we tell anyone?" This work was created by shredder121

Hagoromo steps forward, his voice serious. "Yes. For now, it's safer to remain silent. If Jigen learns of Kaguya's return, he could move much faster than we can predict."

Sasuke adds, his tone cold and calculating, "We don't know the full extent of his capabilities yet. Keeping this from others, at least for now, may be our best option. We'll have to make our move carefully."

Minato agrees, his gaze sweeping over the room. "It might also give us time to understand how we can use Kaguya and the Zetsu army without bringing Jigen's wrath down on us too soon."

Tsunade hesitates before speaking. "But keeping this secret means a lot of lives will be left in the dark. I don't like that."

Hashirama looks around at his comrades, his face troubled but resolute. "It's a risk we have to take for now. The fewer people who know, the less likely it is Jigen will catch wind of our plans."

The others nod, though not without doubt. The Konoha 11 and their allies exchange uneasy glances, knowing the stakes are higher than ever.

With the weight of their decision looming over them, the group agrees—this information must remain hidden for now. They begin discussing the next steps in their preparations, but the tension is palpable. Jigen is a shadow they can't afford to underestimate.