Chapter 597: The Only Absurd Solution?
"So, the most likely scenario is that the mastermind behind Nagato’s revival deliberately controlled Edo Itachi, framing you to take the blame for their crimes?" Kakashi, no fool, quickly pieces together the truth—or rather, part of it.
Of course, he doesn’t know that Edo Nagato and the others are currently free, with no one pulling their strings.
"Exactly, that’s what I think!" Kabuto nods in agreement.
"Then who is this person? Do you know?" Kakashi asks.
"Maybe the masked man..." Kabuto ventures.
"The one suspected to be Uchiha Madara?"
"No, no, no, the masked man isn’t Uchiha Madara. Since I could summon Madara with Edo Tensei, it proves he’s dead. So, the masked man definitely isn’t Madara!" Kabuto says confidently, backed by the undeniable results of his ninjutsu experiments.
But who is the masked man, really? Kabuto doesn’t know...
Kakashi presses, "Can that person also use Edo Tensei?"
"I’m not sure. In theory, only Orochimaru-sama and I currently master this forbidden technique. But Orochimaru-sama is dead, his arms sealed by Shiki Fuujin. Even if the masked man revived him somehow, Orochimaru-sama couldn’t use ninjutsu..." Kabuto says, full of doubt.
These uncertainties about Edo Nagato were why Kabuto didn’t rush to contact them. He feared his hand wasn’t strong enough, and acting rashly might get him devoured by the other side.