Kurama was just about to unleash his power for Naruto. The power of Baryon Mode had already begun stirring within him when it suddenly came to a halt.
Inside the mindscape, the giant fox's eyes snapped open wide. Reflected in his pupils was a familiar figure that had suddenly appeared before him, Uchiha Hikaru.
"You... Hikaru? Why are you here? What did you just say?!"
Kurama's voice was filled with surprise as one of his thick arms slowly lifted.
Hikaru stood inside the sealing space. She had already removed her mask, revealing a face wearing a faint, helpless smile.
She spread her hands and spoke casually.
"Well, it couldn't be helped. The Great Sage gave me this mission. Leave the rest to me. You can clock out now."
Kurama froze for a moment before quickly asking, "What about the other Tailed Beasts? How are they now?"
Hikaru answered at once, "They're fine."
———
[Inside The Demonic Statue Of The Outer Path's Space]
"ROAR!!"
The Tailed Beasts were tightly bound by several chains, unable to break free.
The Tailed Beasts had refused to cooperate with Uchiha Hikaru, so she simply restrained them by force.
———
"If that's the case... then all right."
Kurama looked at Hikaru, hesitation flashing through his giant fox eyes.
He lowered his head and thought for a while. Although he still felt uneasy, if Sensei had arranged for Hikaru to take over the situation, then as a Tailed Beast, there seemed to be no reason for him to keep interfering.
In the end, he nodded.
"Fine... I just feel a little sorry for that kid..."
Kurama looked ashamed as he lowered his gaze slightly, seemingly recalling everything he had experienced with Naruto over the years.
Hikaru didn't seem to care.
"It's fine. Once you reach the Pure Land, everyone will be at peace."
"The Pure Land?!"
Kurama suddenly raised his head. His brows tightened, and his voice instantly rose.
"You're going to kill that kid Naruto? He's Asura's reincarnation!"
At that moment, Kurama realized something was wrong.
Asura and Indra were the core of Sensei's current plan. There was no way they would be killed this early.
"Hikaru, let me out. I want to ask Sensei myself."
Kurama said in a deep voice, his tone carrying a clear warning.
Hikaru smiled helplessly, her smile still as sweet as ever.
"Kurama, after all these years, you don't even trust Hikaru anymore?"
Kurama looked at the familiar face, hesitation flashing through his eyes.
It was true.
After so many years, he had long regarded Hikaru as family.
"Hikaru, I trust you... but I want to hear it from Sensei himself."
Kurama still insisted.
Hikaru's expression instantly darkened, and the smile at the corner of her lips gradually disappeared.
"Then I won't hold back."
Hikaru said coldly.
"So you really do have a problem!"
Kurama's expression changed dramatically.
"Kurama, there are some things you don't know."
Hikaru's figure gradually faded from Kurama's mindscape, leaving only Kurama's angry yet shocked roar echoing through the sealing space.
Outside, the crimson barrier of the Yata Mirror had begun flickering violently. Sasuke's breathing grew heavier, veins bulging across his forehead as his chakra consumption neared its limit.
Although Naruto continued supplying him with chakra, both of them knew that staying on the defensive like this could not last.
At that moment, Hikaru had completely left Kurama's mindscape and returned to reality.
Without expression, she raised her right hand and gave a light wave.
"Move."
At her command, the controlled Five Kage and the many samurai of the Land of Iron all advanced at once.
The power of so many Kage-level fighters merged into a terrifying torrent and slammed toward the Yata Mirror's barrier.
"This is bad!"
Sasuke's pupils shrank sharply, and he made his decision immediately.
"Naruto, we can't wait any longer!"
The instant the words left his mouth, Sasuke pressed his right hand onto Naruto's shoulder.
The Flying Thunder God Technique activated.
Whoosh!
With a flash of light, Sasuke and Naruto instantly vanished from the protection of the Yata Mirror.
BOOM!!!
The combined attack of the Kage-level fighters struck empty space, blasting the place where the Yata Mirror had been into a massive crater as dust shot into the sky.
Not far away, Hikaru watched the direction in which the two had disappeared. Her brows were tightly furrowed, a trace of coldness flashing through her eyes.
"...Sigh."
She let out a quiet sigh and casually waved her hand.
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu slowly emerged from the ground, its bud-shaped body swaying gently.
"I've already dealt with the White Zetsu monitoring underground too."
"The Great Sage won't find out."
the Venus flytrap White Zetsu said.
Hikaru simply shook her head.
"It's useless. Uchiha Sasuke and Naruto have already escaped. They'll definitely tell the Great Sage everything that happened here... Next, prepare to face the Great Sage directly."
Hearing this, the Venus flytrap White Zetsu fell silent for once, the face on its bud stiffening slightly.
Hikaru keenly sensed its body trembling faintly, so she turned her head and asked, "Are you afraid?"
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu took a deep breath and nodded. Its voice actually carried a trace of human-like trembling.
"Before... I never felt fear. Now we White Zetsu... we're becoming more like humans..."
Hikaru clasped her hands behind her back and looked toward the gradually brightening horizon.
"Prepare for the Fourth Great Ninja War."
After saying that, she spoke no more. Her figure disappeared from where she stood, leaving only the Venus flytrap White Zetsu standing alone in the ruined forest, motionless for a long time.
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu quietly stood there, looking at the massive crater before murmuring to itself, "Something big is coming..."
Inside the Akatsuki base, the atmosphere in the dark, damp cave was unusually heavy.
Kakuzu leaned against the rock wall with his arms crossed, the gaze beneath his mask flickering.
Beside him, Tobi stood with his hands in his pockets, his head tilted against a stone pillar. His usual carefree attitude had long since disappeared.
"...Those people really were controlled."
"I'm afraid Nagato still hasn't realized it...", Kakuzu said in a low voice.
Tobi didn't answer immediately. He simply gave a quiet, "Mm."
The strange changes within the Akatsuki could no longer be hidden from the two of them. It was as if invisible threads filled the air, silently linking every member together.
———
[Meanwhile, In Konoh
Arisu sat quietly in a wicker chair with his eyes closed, looking completely at ease.
"Strange. Why hasn't today's report arrived yet...", Arisu muttered to himself.
The intelligence network he had built with his own hands had always been highly efficient.
Every day, White Zetsu would deliver a compiled report on time, allowing him to stay informed about everything happening throughout the ninja world.
Although he had not attended this Five Kage Summit himself, he had already sent White Zetsu to infiltrate and monitor it, ensuring he would receive firsthand information.
Just as Arisu was waiting, he suddenly sensed a familiar presence rapidly approaching.