When Uchiha Yuan first discovered Black Zetsu, he intended to kill him outright. Yuan's original plan was to use Magatsuhi + Inari to drain Black Zetsu's chakra and life force, reducing him to a lifeless heap, and then destroy him using high-powered ninjutsu.
However, during the pursuit, Yuan realized that Black Zetsu could somehow neutralize his Lightning Release. In other words, it was likely impossible to destroy Black Zetsu's body with ordinary jutsu.
Since Black Zetsu was Kaguya's will incarnate, his soul was essentially bound to Kaguya's. No matter how confident Yuan was, he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could annihilate Kaguya's soul.
So from the start, his goal had only been to destroy Black Zetsu's physical body.
Once it was confirmed that Black Zetsu could resist ninjutsu, Yuan gave up the chase. Especially since Danzo and Hanzo of the Salamander were just up ahead—he didn't want to alert them.
Meanwhile, Danzo and Hanzo had stopped somewhere to meet. After some plotting, they sent an invitation to Akatsuki.
Currently in the Land of Rain, Akatsuki already controlled half of Amegakure's power. Hanzo's invitation seemed very formal, stamped with Amegakure's official seal on the scroll.
Akatsuki had specific members assigned to liaise with Amegakure, though after falling out, they hadn't communicated for some time.
After handing the scroll to an Akatsuki messenger, Hanzo said nothing more and began meditating.
Once the Akatsuki ninja had left, Danzo ordered his subordinates to tail him.
"Danzo, I suggest you don't waste your effort," Hanzo interjected.
Danzo frowned. "Why? Does he possess some special jutsu that prevents tracking? Or is their scroll delivery method too well-hidden?"
"The latter," Hanzo explained. "This one is just the first link. He'll pass the scroll to others, who will relay it again and again before it reaches Akatsuki. Don't waste your time."
Since even Hanzo said so, Danzo didn't insist.
Though Danzo trusted his Root ninjas, he knew that Hanzo had operated in the Land of Rain for many years. His men were everywhere and still hadn't located Akatsuki's base. It was unlikely that Root would succeed either. There was no need to waste resources.
"Hanzo, are you certain Akatsuki will show up this time?" Danzo asked.
"Don't worry. I mentioned in the scroll that this meeting concerns peace in Amegakure. Yahiko, their leader, is devoted to peace. They'll definitely come."
Danzo nodded in acknowledgment and said no more.
Sure enough, as Hanzo said, after being passed through many hands, the scroll reached Akatsuki.
Yahiko read it alongside Nagato and Konan.
The scroll's content was formal diplomatic language—essentially an invitation to discuss peace and the future of Amegakure.
"Nagato, Konan, what do you two think?" Yahiko asked.
"It looks official. I think we can trust Hanzo this once," Konan said.
Nagato, however, couldn't help recalling the warning from Black Zetsu days earlier and immediately voiced his opposition: "I don't agree. Hanzo's been targeting us for a long time. This sudden peace talk is suspicious."
Yahiko frowned, caught in a dilemma. He didn't know whether to trust Hanzo or not.
After thinking it over for a long time, Yahiko decided to go. He still had doubts about Hanzo's integrity, so he summoned Akatsuki's reconnaissance specialists to survey the meeting site.
Soon a team set off.
But Yahiko didn't know that their conversation had been overheard by White Zetsu's spores.
Not long after they left the Akatsuki base, the reconnaissance team met Obito who had been waiting.
White Zetsu's spores started absorbing the chakra of Akatsuki's team and grew rapidly, and then Obito easily killed the team.
The spores then transformed into exact copies of the team and, after a few hours, returned to the Akatsuki base with false information: there were no ambushes.
Yahiko sighed in relief, and trusting their comrades, Konan and Nagato didn't question it.
The next day, all three went to the agreed location.
Out of caution, Yahiko had Konan fly overhead to scout the area.
But to their surprise, Hanzo's hidden men threw salamander poison pouches at the airborne Konan.
Disrupted by the toxin, Konan lost her chakra balance and fell from the sky.
Hanzo seized Konan, and the hidden Amegakure shinobi emerged, surrounding Yahiko and Nagato.
At the same time, Danzo made his move—he led Root operatives to surround Uchiha Yuan, who had been observing nearby.
"I didn't expect it to be you, Uchiha Yuan! I thought it would be that ANBU who's been tailing me," Danzo remarked in surprise.
"So you've known all along that the Hokage had someone following you—pretending not to notice, huh?"
"Hmph! How could an old fox like me not detect a trick as weak as one from Minato?" Danzo scoffed coldly.
Though Danzo pretended to be composed, he had no idea when his tail had been switched with Uchiha Yuan.
Root had only identified that they were being followed by Minato's ANBU.
Danzo had laid a trap here to prevent interference from ANBU—but he never expected that the one they'd encircled was Uchiha Yuan.
Yuan was far more powerful than any regular ANBU.
If nothing else, the fact that he had once repelled Kitsuchi during the Battle of Kikyo Pass was enough to make Danzo wary.
"Danzo, now that you see it's me, you and your men planning to back off or what?" Yuan activated his Sharingan and looked at Danzo with a half-smile.
Danzo's face darkened. For a brat from the Uchiha clan to mock him like this ignited a deep fury.
After a moment of hesitation, Danzo gritted his teeth and issued the order: "Root operatives—attack!"
Root shinobi, trained to obey without question, charged at Yuan without hesitation.
Yuan sneered. He activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode—no need for teleportation against these grunts.
All Danzo saw was a flash of lightning—and the Root operatives who had rushed toward Yuan were all on the ground.
(To Be Continued...)