Intelligence Exposed

Uchiha Obito made a quick round through Root and soon discovered that Uchiha Itachi had already joined the organization.

However, without knowledge of Kotoamatsukami, Obito had no idea Itachi had been placed under control. As for Itachi joining Root...

To an ordinary shinobi, this would be baffling, but the Uchiha Clan's thought process had always been unpredictable. Black Zetsu found it unsurprising, and Obito didn't dwell on it either.

But Black Zetsu noticed something else—Uchiha Itachi had already awakened his Mangekyo.

As a pure Yin Release construct, Black Zetsu could always pinpoint Indra's reincarnation with precision. His sensory ability for Chakra was self-evident.

An Uchiha who hadn't awakened the Sharingan had a Chakra signature not too different from an ordinary shinobi. But once the Sharingan awakened, that signature carried a chilling, Yin-like sensation.

And when the ultimate Mangekyo was unlocked, the Chakra signature became as distinct from ordinary shinobi—or even Sharingan-wielding Uchiha—as biting frost from tepid air. This was a secret only an existence like Black Zetsu could perceive.

"Obito, Uchiha Itachi has awakened the Mangekyo this time. You must find out what his Mangekyo ability is!"

A faint voice whispered in Obito's ear. Behind his mask, his brow furrowed tightly.

"So another Mangekyo Uchiha appears, and he's joined Shimura Danzō's ranks. Even though Uchiha Shisui was likely killed by that man..."

"Hehe, aren't all Mangekyo Uchiha like this? Normal people can't make sense of their brains—harder to understand than us White Zetsu."

White Zetsu spoke up, then felt a cold glare and quickly caught itself.

"Ah, Obito... I wasn't talking about you. You're way more normal than Uchiha Itachi!"

"Shut up! Idiot!"

Obito snapped coldly. He knew full well that his own mind and schemes bordered on madness, but hearing it from someone else always stoked his fury.

White Zetsu mimed zipping its lips and obediently fell silent. Obito took a few long breaths, gradually calming down.

"Uchiha Itachi joining Root is actually good for us. With Shimura Danzō and Root's methods, they'll eventually clash with the Uchiha Clan. That'll be the day the clan is destroyed."

"Even if we can't use Itachi's power, removing the Uchiha interference still benefits our plan."

Still, Obito agreed with Black Zetsu—he had to find out Itachi's Mangekyo ability. If it countered his own, Itachi would have to be eliminated.

"Leave this to you, White Zetsu. Plant some Spore Seeds on Uchiha Itachi, and from today, split off a clone to watch him exclusively!"

"Got it, Obito! I'll keep a close eye on that guy! Even when he's taking a dump, I'll be watching!"

White Zetsu said with a goofy tone. Obito's mouth twitched, ignoring the fool's antics as he vanished into a blur.

Uchiha Shūichi had long anticipated that Itachi would be under heavy surveillance. In the original timeline, Itachi had always been a prime target for Obito and Black Zetsu, and this time was no different.

This made contacting Itachi troublesome for Shūichi. Fortunately, Shimura Danzō was also under his control, so they could still communicate through him.

And in the short term, Shūichi didn't need Itachi to do anything. For now, Itachi had lost sight in one eye from using Izanami and replaced it with an ordinary Three Tomoe—hardly his best state.

Thankfully, Orochimaru had transplanted the blind eye onto Hashirama Cells for cultivation. According to Orochimaru's assessment, given time, the eye should recover.

After leaving his hidden mark on Itachi, Obito left Konoha Village with satisfaction, savoring the pleasure of a puppeteer pulling strings as he returned to his loyal Land of Rain.

Then came the crushing news, leaving him utterly stunned...

"What!? Information about the Rinnegan has spread across the shinobi world?"

"What!? The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is completely exposed to everyone?!"

"What!? The Land of Rain, Akatsuki's headquarters, is now a target for everyone!?"

The leaks of Akatsuki's intel, the Rinnegan, and the Demonic Statue all at once nearly made Obito spit blood.

Seeing Pain and Konan's suspicious stares only fueled his rage.

"What's with those looks?! You're not suspecting I leaked the information, are you?!"

Konan's voice was cold.

"Hard to say... Right now, only the four of us know the full picture."

Though Akatsuki had been formed, its members weren't fully gathered, and its true purpose hadn't been revealed.

Even core members like Orochimaru and Sasori of the Red Sands didn't know the real details about the Demonic Statue, and their knowledge of the Rinnegan was limited.

Yet the rumors spreading across the shinobi world not only pointed out the Demonic Statue's true power but also revealed some of the Rinnegan's abilities—including the critical fact that the Six Paths of Pain were puppets.

Under these circumstances, Konan and Pain could only suspect Obito and Black Zetsu. No one else knew this information.

It couldn't be Nagato himself or Konan who leaked it, could it!

Obito finally snapped to reality, his expression grim. He had no way to prove his innocence and could only grind his teeth.

"Hmph! It couldn't have been us! If I wanted to move against you, I've had plenty of chances before!"

"Enough!"

Pain spoke calmly, his gaze fixed on Obito, his voice cold.

"Regardless, the intelligence on the Land of Rain was your and Zetsu's responsibility, wasn't it?"

Obito understood Pain's intent but couldn't shirk the blame.

"That's right, it was ours."

"Then since such a major breach occurred, it's your fault. Dealing with the Five Great Shinobi Villages' probing attacks falls to you!"