To counter the Ōtsutsuki branch family on the moon, the Hyuga clan's assistance was indispensable.
Only the Hyuga clan's Byakugan chakra could resist the chakra-draining power of the Giant Tenseigan. Without it, even Naruto—arguably the strongest below Six Paths level after the Fourth Great Ninja War—could be drained of chakra in a single encounter.
Moreover, if the Ōtsutsuki branch family sought to awaken the Tenseigan, they would require the pure Byakugan of the Hyuga main branch. By securing the Hyuga clan's allegiance, Shinji could block the Ōtsutsuki's chance to awaken the Tenseigan, forcing them to resort to desperate measures like abduction.
With this in mind, Shinji, clad in Akatsuki garb, immediately said to Neji, "I bear no ill will toward the Hyuga clan. The Ōtsutsuki branch family on the moon threatens us all. In facing this Ōtsutsuki crisis, we can cooperate!"
Neji's face lit up with joy. "Please rest assured, I'll convey your intentions to the Clan Leader at once!"
"Go. I'll contact you again," Shinji instructed before turning to leave.
Neji promptly relayed the message to Hiashi.
Hiashi hesitated upon hearing it.
Neji cooperating with the Akatsuki as an individual was an entirely different matter from the Hyuga clan as a whole aligning with them.
If the village discovered the Hyuga clan had secretly colluded with the Akatsuki, even if it was to avert a world-ending crisis, the village wouldn't let it slide easily.
Agreeing to cooperate would mean handing the Akatsuki leverage over the Hyuga clan.
But refusing meant that if the Ōtsutsuki branch family succeeded in destroying the shinobi world, everyone would perish together.
After a moment of contemplation, Hiashi said to Neji, "The Hyuga clan is a shinobi clan of the Hidden Leaf. We will never cooperate with the Akatsuki in any form."
Neji protested urgently, "But the Ōtsutsuki on the moon—"
Hiashi raised a hand to silence him. "However, whether you choose to cooperate with the Akatsuki is a personal matter. I… know nothing of it!"
Neji wasn't naive; he understood Hiashi's meaning.
The Hyuga clan wouldn't cooperate with the Akatsuki, but Neji could as an individual. The clan would support Neji, but claim ignorance of everything else!
The next night.
With a casual curiosity, Shinji visited the training ground Kimimaro frequented and noticed the mark Kimimaro had left.
"Huh, a response this quickly?"
He pondered for a moment before revealing himself.
Seeing Shinji appear, Kimimaro's usually stoic face instantly shifted to one of wariness.
Shinji asked, "Orochimaru agreed?"
"Yes," Kimimaro nodded.
"A wise choice!" Shinji smirked, then added, "So, do you believe me now? You're far sicker than you think, with only a few years left to live."
Kimimaro's expression darkened.
Just yesterday, Kabuto, highly skilled in medical ninjutsu, had examined him and concluded that he suffered from a rare Bloodline illness.
Whether it was terminal remained unclear, requiring further study, but one thing was certain: the illness was extremely troublesome!
Shinji said, "Name the time and place for the meeting."
Kimimaro promptly provided the details.
Shinji said no more, turning to leave.
At that moment, Kimimaro couldn't help but call out, "Why do you care so much about my illness?"
"For the Tenseigan, obviously…" Shinji quipped inwardly, then suppressed his playful tone and said gravely, "Orochimaru isn't the only one who can see your value. Unfortunately… I arrived a step too late."
With that, Shinji's figure vanished into the night, as if he'd never been there.
Staring in the direction Shinji had gone, Kimimaro murmured, "My value…"
Ignoring Kimimaro's thoughts, Shinji returned to his apartment, pulled out a map, and checked the location Orochimaru had chosen for the meeting.
Finding the spot on the map, he frowned slightly. "Here, huh?"
The meeting was set for three days later in a riverside forest within the Land of Fire. The area was crisscrossed with waterways and well-connected, making it an ideal meeting spot.
Putting away the map, Shinji grew puzzled. "How could Orochimaru respond so quickly? Even if communication issues could be resolved with secret techniques or summoning jutsu, how did Orochimaru confirm Kimimaro's serious Bloodline illness in just one day? Is Kabuto hiding in the village? Or… is Orochimaru himself here?"
The possibility made Shinji realize he needed to approach this meeting with caution. A misstep could spell trouble.
Root Base.
Upon receiving Kimimaro's message, Orochimaru smirked. "Interesting. Who would've thought the Akatsuki's 'A' is hiding in the Hidden Leaf Village?"
Undoubtedly, just as Shinji could deduce from subtle clues that Orochimaru might be in the village, Orochimaru could infer from Shinji's frequent appearances that he, too, was hiding there.
Kabuto, standing nearby, said, "Though he's shown concern for Kimimaro, I can't shake the feeling this meeting isn't as straightforward as it seems."
"Indeed. Kimimaro's Bloodline illness, whether terminal or not, hardly justifies the Akatsuki going to such lengths," Orochimaru agreed.
In his view, even if Kimimaro's illness was confirmed terminal, he wasn't worth the Akatsuki's extensive efforts.
Kabuto asked, "What's your plan, then?"
Orochimaru's face twisted into a sinister grin. "Inform Danzo of the meeting's time and place."
"What?" Kabuto was taken aback, pressing, "Are you planning to use the Hidden Leaf's forces to ambush the Akatsuki's 'A'? Should I arrange for Kimimaro to withdraw now?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "No need. If 'A' genuinely wants to negotiate, he won't mind a little unpleasantness. As for Kimimaro, if he withdraws now, how will I know if the Akatsuki truly values him as they claim?"
Kabuto's heart sank.
He understood Orochimaru's scheme. Orochimaru intended to use Danzo to test the Akatsuki's sincerity, with Kimimaro as bait to probe whether the Akatsuki genuinely cared about him.
Soon, Kabuto met with Danzo and relayed the intelligence.
Danzo's voice was sharp. "What? The Akatsuki's 'A' will appear there in three days? Is this intelligence reliable?"
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Whether it's true, we'll know in three days."