"There is a connection... to be precise, I shouldn't be called a clone, but rather an existence that should be called an Avatar!"
Vegapunk cut open the white mouse, looking at the mycelium-like structure inside where some White Zetsu skin cells had been injected, and spoke calmly.
With a clatter, Tsunade and Vegapunk both turned their heads to see Shizune, who had just returned after testing the ear on the mouse's back.
At this moment, the things in Shizune's hands had dropped all over the floor, and she was looking at Vegapunk with a face full of surprise.
However, Vegapunk shrugged: "Why be so surprised by this? I suspect the clan heads and such in Konoha must have had their suspicions for a long time."
"Then you overestimate them. Aside from Shikaku, no one else has ever considered something as absurd as you being an Avatar of the original! They only suspected you might still have some connection to the real Vegapunk!"
"Also, Shizune is a truly good girl. She's been wandering outside with me all this time, unlike these filthy politicians in the Ninja village whose hearts have seven or eight twists. It's only normal for her to be a bit simple!"
As she spoke, Tsunade gave Vegapunk another fierce glare: "Was Nagato's attack on Konohagakure supported by you?"
"No, no, no, that was something he was going to do anyway. You should know that the Akatsuki Organization he was in was destroyed because of Konoha's Root. Even his companion, who he had depended on for his life, was driven to death. Do you think he would let Konoha off?"
Vegapunk shook his head. He was very clear about what to admit and what not to. Even if Nagato wasn't controlled by Vegapunk, he would have eventually attacked Konoha. Besides the existence of the Nine-Tailed, it was mostly due to the hatred between him and Konoha.
In reality, Tsunade might not necessarily care much about the deaths of people like the Third Hokage and Danzo, but Konoha had also lost over a thousand Ninjas at that time. Tsunade would not ignore the deaths of these ordinary Ninjas.
"Konoha's Root?! What 'good' deeds did the old man and Danzo do this time!" Tsunade said huffily.
Vegapunk kindly explained the events to her: "I remember you should have met Nagato with Jiraiya back then, right? Didn't he have two companions at the time?"
"The matter is actually quite simple. Danzo conspired with Hanzou of the Salamander from the Land of Rain to capture Konan, the girl from their trio. They then forced Nagato and Yahiko to kill each other to save Konan. To that end, Yahiko threw himself onto Nagato's Kunai and died."
"After that, Nagato was severely traumatized and became extreme and cynical. Having lived through war eras, you should know what people who have been through such trauma are like, right?"
"Dammit! It's that Danzo guy's doing again! What was he doing meddling in the Land of Rain when he had nothing better to do?" Tsunade spoke with a face full of rage. Looking at her furious state, if Danzo were to come back to life and appear before her, it wasn't out of the question that Tsunade would beat him to death again.
"Who knows? Maybe he discovered Nagato's Rinnegan." Vegapunk shook his head; he didn't care about the reasons behind the events back then.
"Speaking of which, the fact that Nagato didn't just go on a direct slaughter spree can be considered giving me face! With his condition after being modified, even wiping out the entire Konohagakure wouldn't be impossible for him!"
"Modified?" Tsunade gave Vegapunk a strange look, her heart vaguely realizing that Nagato was likely an experimental subject created by Vegapunk as well—during this time, Tsunade had discovered that Vegapunk's favorite thing to do was to have Ninjas come to him for experiments. The rarer the Ninja's ability, the more Vegapunk liked them.
Thinking about it this way, Vegapunk naturally wouldn't pass up something like the Rinnegan, of which there was only one pair in the Ninja World.
"Fine, I'll attend the Five Kage Summit, but what exactly are you trying to do? You have to make that clear to me!"
"I don't want Konoha to be unknowingly dragged in and become cannon fodder in your hands!"
Hearing Tsunade's words, Vegapunk rolled his eyes: "Whatever, just do what you want to do! I can guarantee that this time, Nagato won't be able to stir up any big waves!"
"The plan he's executing by collecting all the Tailed Beasts has long been within the calculations of others. What I want to target is merely the person behind the scenes!"
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