...
Time passed by quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day before Sasuke Uchiha's first birthday banquet.
Inside the Hokage's office, there were very few documents left on the desk; the day's work was nearing its conclusion.
Minato Namikaze sat behind the desk, holding a report regarding the village's barrier maintenance, his brow slightly furrowed.
Gamakon sprawled on the windowsill, boredly using his tongue to snatch a passing fly before spitting it out in disgust.
"That old woman has been quite uncooperative lately."
Gamakon rolled over, sunning his belly. "According to the news from Orochimaru, although Kaguya is participating in the experiments, she remains tight-lipped about key information."
Minato put down his pen and rubbed his temples.
"Are you referring to the creation methods for the God Tree and White Zetsu?" Minato asked.
"Not just that."
Gamakon sat up and gestured with his front paws. "Also the secrets of how the God Tree evolves and certain backup plans she left behind. She's only willing to teach Orochimaru some basic applications of Yin-Yang Style, but when it comes to the core technology, her mouth is sealed tight."
"That's to be expected."
Minato leaned back in his chair and took a sip of tea. "She is, after all, the Progenitor of Chakra, an existence that has lived for thousands of years. How could she possibly hand over all her trump cards the moment she was revived?"
"She's afraid we'll discard her once she's served her purpose."
Minato analyzed, "In her eyes, we only revived her to deal with the main Otsutsuki clan. Once she loses her utility, or once we've mastered all the technology, she becomes expendable."
"We can't just keep indulging her though," Gamakon grumbled. "That fellow Black Zetsu is the same, hiding inside Kaguya's body and playing dead. I think this mother-and-son duo is trying to stall for time, waiting for Kaguya's strength to mostly recover before they try to negotiate terms with us."
Minato smiled and didn't argue.
This kind of power play was exactly as he had anticipated.
Kaguya was only trying to trust these mortals because of Hagoromo's words, but that didn't mean she would offer everything unconditionally.
Trust was something that needed to be built over time with leverage.
"So, we need new leverage."
Gamakon's eyes darted around, a hint of craftiness flashing in his horizontal pupils. "Relying on that heart seal and sealing jutsu might be enough to intimidate her for now. But once she adapts to her body, or if Black Zetsu finds a way to crack the seal, things could get difficult."
"What do you have in mind?" Minato looked at Gamakon.
"Isshiki Otsutsuki."
Gamakon spat out the name. "Meaning that guy called Jigen."
Minato's expression turned serious.
Gamakon had previously shared detailed information about Isshiki Otsutsuki with him.
He was Kaguya's former partner. After being ambushed and heavily wounded by her, he had been parasiting a monk named Jigen, barely hanging on for over a millennium.
"Kaguya fears the main family most, but she's also wary of Isshiki."
Gamakon jumped onto the desk and patted the surface. "She ambushed him back then; that's a massive grudge. If Kaguya finds out Isshiki is still alive and right here in the shinobi world..."
"She will feel fear and urgency," Minato continued. "To avoid Isshiki's retaliation, she'll have no choice but to rely more heavily on us and even proactively seek our protection."
"Exactly."
Gamakon grinned. "And if we can capture Isshiki and throw him in front of Kaguya, what kind of expression do you think that old woman will have? She'll definitely cooperate and spill the secrets of the God Tree."
"Occasionally, we still need to use force for deterrence."
Gamakon clenched his paw. "When dealing with an old monster who's lived for thousands of years, reasoning is useless. You have to let her see that our fists are harder and our methods are more ruthless than hers."
Minato nodded, his fingers lightly tapping the desk.
"Then let's check on the progress."
Three figures appeared in the center of the room like ghosts, kneeling on one knee.
They wore Anbu uniforms and masks, their auras extremely restrained, almost merging with the surrounding shadows.
However, the chakra fluctuations of these three individuals carried a subtle sense of disharmony.
It was the slight rejection reaction caused by the soul and body not being an original match. Although it had been suppressed to a minimum by Orochimaru's technology, it was still detectable to those with sharp perceptions.
They were the Anbu elites who had been killed by Obito during the Nine-Tails Incident while acting as cover for the bait.
Using clones and forbidden jutsu, Orochimaru had pulled their souls back from the edge of the Pure Land and transferred them into new bodies.
This was a desecration, but also a miracle.
Yet, these three Anbu had no complaints.
For a shinobi, being able to continue serving the village after death—and even gaining greater power—was a blessing.
"Hokage-sama."
The leading Anbu captain lowered his head, his voice raspy. "You summoned us."
"No need for formalities."
Minato waved his hand. "Is there any result regarding the search mission for 'Jigen'?"
The Anbu captain looked up, a hint of shame in his eyes behind the mask.
"Your subordinates have been incompetent."
The captain said, "Following the clues provided by Gamakon-sama, we did indeed find some traces of the target in the mountain range bordering the Land of Iron and the Land of Earth."
"However..."
The captain paused. "When we approached the area, the target seemed to sense our presence. The base was already empty, leaving only some strange black markings and remnants of space-time ninjutsu."
"He spotted you?"
Minato wasn't particularly surprised.
Although Isshiki Otsutsuki's power was greatly diminished while parasiting Jigen, he was still an Otsutsuki. His sensory abilities far exceeded those of normal people.
"The target is extremely cautious."
The Anbu captain continued his report. "We searched the surrounding area for three days and discovered that the target seems to be deliberately avoiding areas of shinobi activity. He has begun moving between remote, small nations, and his tracks are unpredictable."
"Furthermore, the target seems to possess some high-level space-time ninjutsu. Our tracking shinobi were about to lock onto him several times, only to lose him at the last moment."
The captain lowered his head, his fists clenched tight.
As resurrected souls, they were eager to prove their worth and repay the gift of rebirth from the Hokage and Orochimaru-sama.
Yet, this first mission had been performed so poorly.
"Don't blame yourselves."
Gamakon spoke up. "If that guy were so easy to catch, Kaguya wouldn't have needed to ambush him back then. Isshiki is just that cautious. His physical condition is poor right now, so he definitely wouldn't dare to face us head-on."
"Exactly."
Minato looked at his three kneeling subordinates, his tone gentle. "You are facing a legendary existence. To have discovered his tracks and forced him into hiding is already a commendable feat."
"Don't be discouraged."
Minato stood up, walked to the Anbu captain, and patted his shoulder. "We'll shift the focus of the mission for now. There's no need to rush the capture. First, figure out his range and patterns of activity."
"Since he's started hiding, it means he's wary of Konoha's power."
Minato eyes flashed with a sharp light. "As long as he's still in the shinobi world, he won't get away."
"Yes, sir!"
The three Anbu responded in unison, their fighting spirit reignited.
"You are dismissed."
Minato waved his hand. "Continue the surveillance, but remember not to alert him. Once I've handled the matters at hand, we will personally go to meet this Isshiki Otsutsuki."
"Your subordinates take their leave."
Three figures turned back into shadows and vanished outside the window.
The office returned to silence once more.
"Personally?"
Gamakon looked at Minato. "When do you plan to move?"
"No rush."
Minato sat back in his chair and picked up the barrier report. "Isshiki is like a startled bird right now. Pushing too hard might make him desperate. Let him run for a bit and exhaust his energy."
"Besides..."
Minato looked up at the calendar on the wall, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Tomorrow is Sasuke's first birthday banquet."
"Fugaku sent me an invitation."
Minato said, "This isn't just a family matter for the Uchiha; it's also a vital turning point for the reconciliation between the village and the clan. At this juncture, as the Hokage, I cannot be absent."
"True."
Gamakon nodded, grabbing an apple from the desk and taking a bite. "Fix the internal unity first, then deal with the mess outside. Besides, I want to see what that Young Master picks during the grab ceremony."
"Young Master?" Minato raised an eyebrow.
"Cough, it's nothing; just my pet name for Sasuke."
Gamakon brushed it off. "By the way, have you prepared the gift? Don't go empty-handed and lose face for the Hokage."
"Don't worry."
Minato pulled a beautifully wrapped gift box from his drawer. "Kushina prepared it long ago. She said since it's Mikoto's child, we have to give a special gift."
"That's good then."
Gamakon stretched his limbs. "Then I should get ready too. Tomorrow is a big occasion. The entire Uchiha clan out in force—it's bound to be a grand spectacle."
Minato did not see the inscrutable, mischievous grin Gamakon wore at the end.