Black Zetsu shook his head. "I wasn't monitoring Nagato before. Once your identity was exposed, he went into hiding."
"Both Nagato and Konan know me well. I haven't found a single clue to their whereabouts so far."
"It's not yet clear what they're planning."
Obito's calm gaze was devoid of any ripple. He understood that Nagato and his allies would not be easy to find. But Madara's Cardiac Curse Seal was still on Nagato's heart; no matter what, he could not escape his grasp.
However…
Obito glanced down at his own heart. He needed to find a way to get rid of this thing, too.
Outwardly, Obito remained serene. "Where are Kazuma and Kakuzu?"
"They're gathering Corpse Soil. They should be active near the Land of Rivers right now," Black Zetsu replied.
The ninja world was vast. Apart from the relative stability of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, the smaller nations were rife with conflict. Death was commonplace. Countless minor factions rose and fell each day.
Obito had used Chiriku's body to temporarily placate Kakuzu, telling him that he could come to him for help with any difficult opponent and they would earn money together. Kakuzu was convinced and was now operating with Kazuma's team in various small countries.
"What's the situation in Konoha?"
Black Zetsu chuckled. "The Fifth Hokage will be chosen in the next few days. When that happens, if the Uchiha and Konoha were to fight..."
Beside them, the Danzō White Zetsu, who had been eating, suddenly paused. Then, as if he hadn't noticed anything, he resumed eating. As long as he ate enough, he could defecate again!
"...Knowing Uchiha Kawasaki's personality, he definitely won't seek a direct conflict with Konoha," Obito mused. "We'll have to see how things develop. For now, have the White Zetsu clones keep a close watch."
Obito hadn't expected that a small arrangement Black Zetsu had made earlier would now be yielding such significant results. Konoha was currently crawling with White Zetsu clones released from Hyūga Kaito. They usually parasitized the members of the Hyūga Guard, and whenever they discovered important intelligence, they would find an opportunity to detach and report back.
Today, every part of Konoha was infested with White Zetsu, with the sole exception of the Uchiha Compound, which they could not enter. It seemed many things truly required long-term planning, Obito thought to himself.
...
Within the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Most of the jōnin had returned to the village today, for the election of the Fifth Hokage was to be held. The Ninja Academy's graduation had even been postponed for the event.
The plaza in front of the Hokage Residence was surging with people.
A stage had been erected for speeches, with a large digital screen behind it. On either side sat the village elders and the heads of the major clans. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as well as Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, were all present.
In the front stood a large number of jōnin, with nearly the entire younger generation gathered. The Third Hokage's son, Asuma Sarutobi, and his girlfriend, Kurenai Yūhi, were also in the crowd.
Torifu Akimichi made a rare appearance, but due to old injuries and his advanced age, his health was poor. A few junior members of the Akimichi clan had to carry a massive armchair for him, placing him in the back row.
Earlier, Uchiha Kawasaki had led the Uchiha clan, along with members who had hurried back from the Village Hidden in the Sound, into the plaza. Within their ranks, Yōgetsu looked around restlessly, muttering something under her breath.
Tsunade arrived with Shizune, accompanied by a group of medical-nin she had summoned from Konoha's medical corps. Though their numbers were small, the value of a medical-nin far exceeded that of an ordinary ninja, and their presence was no less imposing than Kawasaki's.
Sasuke followed closely behind Kawasaki, while Naruto stood behind Tsunade. Naruto had actually wanted to stand with Kawasaki, but to avoid agitating the Third Hokage's sensitive nerves, Kawasaki had arranged for him to be with Tsunade.
After Kawasaki and Tsunade were in position, Orochimaru made his slow, deliberate entrance. Behind him were Konoe One, Karin, Jūgo, Shin, Sai, and Kakashi.
Anko, Orochimaru's own disciple, stood among the spectators. She wore a conical hat, hiding her face. Clearly, she was worried about being recognized.
She hadn't gone to see Orochimaru since the last incident. From the time she was separated from him as a child, her world had been a monotonous white. Orochimaru's sudden return had shattered that illusion. He told her that the white world was a lie, that her surroundings only seemed bright because she had deliberately avoided the darkness.
Orochimaru had ripped away the pretense.
As Anko's worldview collapsed, she began to tentatively engage with the real world. Just then, a new village announcement seemed to give her a push. Orochimaru's cloning technology had achieved a breakthrough and could now be used to treat those with physical disabilities, giving a new lease on life to many who had been helpless in the face of death. The greatness of this technology was palpable...
But Anko, her memories restored, knew everything about the origins and development of cloning. She suddenly realized how narrow her own perspective had been. The world wasn't black and white, but a complex shade of gray.
Still, she didn't return to Orochimaru's side.
The reason was... she had gotten fat! And not just a little fat—incredibly so.
Her face had rounded out, and a spare tire had appeared around her stomach. If in the past she was Anko, a red bean, now she was a red potato!
She was utterly devastated. The same sedentary lifestyle, the same excessive drinking, binge eating, and constant sweets. Before, she had never gained weight, but now it had all hit her at once. Experiencing anxiety about her appearance and body shape for the first time, Anko was completely defeated.
She couldn't bear the thought of appearing before her master like this. Especially not after hearing that he had been nominated for the position of Fifth Hokage. Though Anko had been trying desperately to lose weight, gaining it was easy, and losing it was hard. After a month, the results were negligible.
Staring at her plump reflection in the mirror, then thinking of her ever-graceful, ageless master, the normally carefree, playful, and impulsive Anko was overcome with a sense of inferiority. This feeling drove her to sit in the audience rather than stand behind Orochimaru.
...
Orochimaru's entourage was small, looking rather sparse compared to Kawasaki's and Tsunade's. However, the moment he stepped into the venue, the sound of explosions echoed from outside as fireworks lit up the sky. The atmosphere instantly reached a fever pitch, and the civilians watching from the periphery cheered with excitement.
Kawasaki found the Third Hokage's little trick rather amusing. He had really gone to great lengths to build up the hype for Orochimaru's entrance.
Orochimaru hadn't made a public appearance in a long time. The Third Hokage had turned away everyone who tried to see him, allowing him to focus on his experiments. This was his first time participating in such a large gathering since his defection.
Orochimaru scanned the venue, his eyes passing over many familiar faces. On the stage sat Torifu Akimichi, who looked to be on his last legs. Life was truly fragile.
His gaze drifted, searching for traces of the past. Suddenly, it paused on a person in the audience wearing a conical hat before moving on.
My dear Anko, did you really think I wouldn't recognize you?