"Phew... that hazy atmosphere and salty breeze? Feels great to be back in the Land of Water!"
After journeying across the water for roughly three days, thanks to his unusual curse, Yoichi made his way to the misty destination without a hitch.
As he wandered around, the scent of seawater, the busy coastal ports, and the vibrant fish markets sparked fond memories of his past adventures here with his loved ones.
"Some things never change..." Yoichi mused, shaking his head. "Still, the shinobi seem unusually alert, as if they expect something significant to unfold. Ah! I should check in on the old man. I've been wandering for quite some time."
With that thought, he seamlessly melted into the crowd, blending in with the throng of people like anyone else on a casual outing.
...
"What are we still waiting for? Get them ready!"
"Is this guy for real, Black Zetsu? Sure, he can pull off some crazy stuff, but his brains are something else entirely!"
"Come on, don't mind him seriously. He's just joking around and itching for a fight."
In a quiet camp, the three individuals exchanged words and discussed secret plans.
Black Zetsu, Kirigakure Saizō, and Shin regrouped after their earlier meeting.
During this conversation, Shin was pushing hard for an early start, eager for action. In contrast, both Black Zetsu and Saizō strongly opposed his urgency.
Small steps in the plan require careful thought and detailed measures, after all.
They couldn't just rush into the Land of Fire recklessly, asking for a beating from those powerful beings.
"They are right, foolish worm. This calls for precision and careful planning. You can't expect me to come up with every clever idea for you, can you?"
A different voice echoed in the room as a grotesque mouth formed in Shin's cheeks, almost as if Sukuna had emerged from Itadori, scolding his host in front of the two imposing "allies."
"What do you mean, Seimei?! If I recall correctly, you were the one begging me to let you settle inside my body! What an ungrateful bastard!"
Upon hearing Shin's angry tone, Seimei grimaced in the depths of consciousness.
Meanwhile, Black Zetsu and Saizō picked up some insights about their synchronized formation without needing to ask. It was a good takeaway as they pondered the hows and whys in their minds.
"Now that I'm here, let's concentrate on the ongoing plan. We can't waste time without any resources or manpower to work with."
Seimei broke the tense silence, his host's mouth curling slightly in response. In Shin's mind, winning a verbal spar with Seimei often felt more satisfying than defeating some foolish enemies.
With that settled, Black Zetsu chimed in:
"Hehehe, as you wish. Saizō-san..."
"Considering my lord and our connections in these territories, we can reasonably expect to gather valuable resources like pills, weapons, and training plans for our army. The challenge is we'll need time to assemble these reinforcements."
"How long will that take?"
"Hmmm... With careful yet quick strategies... I'd say it will take about six months to gather what we need."
"What?! That's way too long to—"
Shin interrupted with disbelief and an anxious look on his face after Saizō shared his calculations. He was eager for the brutal feast to happen, but his enthusiasm faded when Seimei firmly shot down his thoughts.
"That's enough, Shin. This is what I anticipate them having at this point. I know your temper can be rash and savage, much like the person you used to be, but come on, rushing things won't fix our issues!"
'Seriously, why do I have to be stuck with this idiot?!'
As Shin managed to calm himself down, the atmosphere shifted to one of seriousness. He eventually kept his primal urges in check, almost like a monk. It was ironic given that they had once been hunted by monks, but now that same sense of calm felt necessary for both Shin and Seimei amidst their chaotic thoughts.
"What about cutting the main catalyst of this problem from the get-go? Like killing the Murakami Clan's members and other elders once we are at it?"
Upon hearing Saizō's suggestion, the three were alarmed simply because of his thoughts. Although his logical approach had quite truth to its foundation, the three of them knew Yoichi's capabilities like the back of the hand.
"Hahaha, do not even try to endanger that monster's family in the slightest..."
"I agree. Yoichi Murakami's battle prowess in your earlier fight was just the tip of the iceberg."
In an instant, Black Zetsu and Shin silenced his thought-provoking idea. Extinguishing such a notion made Kirigakure Saizō extremely curious.
"... Honestly, we have some prior engagements against Yoichi in the past... Let's just say that the result was completely different than what we expected."
Seeing Saizō's interest, Seimei explained deeply.
"However, based on our experiences with him, that guy is still finding some entertainment in his life. Why did I think of that? Because of his boredom and longevity here in this world! Alive for more than 2,000 years yet still had some sanity left as his wives, friends, and loved ones died one by one!"
"If that happened to us, we would have to find some amusement or hobbies just to waste time."
After those words, Shin and Black Zetsu reluctantly nodded. Technically, they are also old monsters like Yoichi and will also do whatever is necessary for their joy to be satiated.
On the other hand, Saizō felt shocked at the information that unfolded in the room. The sense of weakness once more enveloped his stature as Seimei added his statement with some revelation.
"Still, I don't have any kind of clue what is his purpose. For us, our sense is the feeling of thrill and conquest against our foes yet on Yoichi's side was helping the innocents? How laughable!"
"I feel like there's a much deeper reason in his actions that I am not aware of or understand at the moment..."
As soon as he said it, the room was permeated with a sense of mysticism and silence as the people inside began forming deeper thoughts, trying to comprehend their problematic opponent's past movements.
"Hahaha, splendid! I'm greatly impressed by your speculations, Seimei! As expected of you!"
"Who's there?!"
Suddenly, a flurry of blood tendrils, kunai, shuriken, and flickering lights shot through the air as the voice echoed from the shadows, heightening the group's alertness and caution.
"How cold! After all of those intimate times, you are giving me a cold shoulder..."
The figure blocked the attack and gradually appeared in their sight, shocking them to the next level.
'Yoichi Murakami!!!'
The golden eyes and slightly dark skin with a white coat made them instantly prepared for a brutal fight on the spot.
Meanwhile, Yoichi was quite surprised at first, seeing both Shin and Seimei living well. In honesty, he merely sauntered around the lands until he discovered such fluctuations in space and time, eventually witnessing their meeting and plans.
Energy and mass were bending spacetime fabrics as Yoichi's expertise on his Space-Time Release wasn't that good due to his biological condition as a 16-year-old brat. However, it's enough to detect them with clarity.
"Whoa! I'm not here to fight so just chill out for a bit, alright? Being scaredy-cats like this was amusing though. Look at you all, HAHAHAHA!"
The People in the room: 凸ಠ益ಠ)凸
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, the rest felt their blood pressure rise and gritted their teeth with anger boiling inside their minds as Yoichi's laugh resounded in the room.
"Now, let's get back to the business. I am merely here because of some mission so don't worry. As for your assumptions, it's nearly there. Anyways, now that I've seen you all here alive and kicking, it's time for me to go."
From being cautious to puzzled, the rest of them were completely bewildered by Yoichi's nonsense. Still, their vigilance was at the maximum level as Yoichi began walking out of the room.
"Oh, and by the way, entertain me, please! I'll be waiting for such a grandiose revelation!"
After that, he left the group without any more qualms. On the other hand, the others were entirely mind-fucked with the rollercoaster of emotions swirling to the fullest earlier on.
"Retreat first! Cover the tracks and we'll meet at a later date!"
With Saizō's call, the others departed immediately.