Subverting Konoha

A new week arrived with the rising sun.

Shinnō stepped out of the inn, touched the Cursed Seal hidden beneath a plaster on his neck, and forced a smile; another day of suffering in Konoha was about to begin.

Girls in white dresses flitted past on the street, their laughter bright and airy.

Today was the summer solstice.

Counting carefully, he had been infiltrating Konoha for over half a month.

Recalling his arrival, he had been full of confidence, planning to steal the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates and combine it with the Body Regeneration Secret Technique to complete his transformation. Within five years, he would be able to punch the Hokage, overturn Konoha, and kick Sarutobi Hiruzen's head around like a ball!

Unfortunately, the first step of his plan had gone bankrupt.

Now, he had handed over all the data he could to Orochimaru and Akashi, most of his money had been extorted, and he had been branded with a Cursed Seal, suffering under a death threat while working for Konoha for free every single day.

His heart was filled with bitterness!

"Yo, Doctor Shinnō, good morning."

Suddenly, that voice that chilled him to the bone rang out from behind, and Shinnō shuddered violently.

The ominous premonition returned.

He turned stiffly, gritting his teeth: "What do you want now? I've already given you everything I could."

"This time, I'm giving you something." Akashi shook the bundle in his hand and smiled, "You can leave. Exit the village in fifteen minutes and meet me at the forest we went to before."

Shinnō froze, failing to grasp the meaning.

What did that mean?

Just letting him go like that?

While he was still dazed, Akashi had already started walking toward the village gate.

Shinnō's heart immediately blossomed with joy; regardless of the reason, he never wanted to stay in this godforsaken place again.

This was the only good news he had heard in a long time!

To hell with Konoha Hospital, this old man is done pretending!

Arriving at the familiar forest.

Shinnō remembered the painful experience of having a chunk of flesh bitten off that night, and his neck couldn't help but feel cold.

He saw Akashi leaning against a tree trunk, holding a bundle in one hand, waiting for him.

"You finally arrived."

"Is it just you? Where is Orochimaru?" Shinnō scanned his surroundings vigilantly.

"Lord Orochimaru is busy; he doesn't have time to deal with trash like you." Akashi frowned, "Do you still want to be a test subject?"

Shinnō waved his hands hurriedly: "No, no, but... you can't undo my Cursed Seal, can you?"

Akashi retorted: "Don't you love the power it brings? I'll be honest with you: it can't be undone. Not even Lord Orochimaru can undo it."

At these words, Shinnō immediately stiffened.

Knowing what he was afraid of, Akashi explained: "Rest assured, the Cursed Seal has stabilized. It won't take your life. You are free."

"Free..." Shinnō clutched his neck, trembling slightly.

If only he could truly be free. The intermittent pain of the Cursed Seal felt like a warning, leaving behind a shadow he couldn't shake.

If they used the Cursed Seal to track him, they could probably find him at any time.

At this moment, Akashi handed over a bundle.

Shinnō was already terrified and didn't dare to take it. Who knew if snakes or scorpions were hidden inside? The very idea of letting him leave was already absurd. You fatten a pig to slaughter it; there was no reason to let it go.

Akashi was both annoyed and amused, opening a corner of the bundle: "Do you recognize this?"

"This is the Tailed Beast..."

"Shh!" Akashi quickly silenced him, "Be careful."

Hidden in the bundle were two scrolls: one for the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates and one for the Zero-Tails Jutsu Formula. The Eight Inner Gates was fine—it wasn't exactly a forbidden secret—but the danger level of the Zero-Tails Jutsu Formula was top-tier. If Konoha discovered it had been stolen, they wouldn't let it go.

But to Akashi, none of this mattered.

The Eight Gates were not the direction he was pursuing; the Zero-Tails was merely a semi-finished product.

If Shinnō hadn't been unable to capture other Tailed Beasts, he wouldn't have set his sights on the Zero-Tails. This kind of thing, which was extremely difficult to control, would likely take many years to fully master.

And that was exactly Akashi's goal.

Let Shinnō develop the Zero-Tails and research the Aerial Fortress.

Then, swallow him whole!

"You're really giving it to me?" Shinnō still couldn't believe it.

Akashi threw the bundle directly at him: "Take it or leave it. If you keep talking nonsense, I'm taking it back."

Shinnō gripped the bundle tight: "I'll take it, I'll take it!"

"I'm letting you go, and I even gave you the technique for the artificial Tailed Beast. Aren't you going to thank me?"

"Thank you so much!" Shinnō's mouth twitched.

"You're welcome." Akashi smiled. "Go on. If there's a chance, let's keep in touch. Our collaboration was quite pleasant."

Pah!

I would rather die than ever see you again!

Shinnō braced himself, flicking his robes as if to restore the demeanor he had when he first entered the village, yet the questions weighing on his heart left him struggling to breathe.

He suddenly stared at Akashi.

"One last question, may I?"

"Ask away."

"What exactly is your goal?"

Shinnō had pondered it over and over, yet he remained baffled.

As far as gains went, Akashi had already obtained everything; as for his own value, it had been squeezed dry. Yet, for some reason, he had allowed him to leave Konoha, even carrying the technique for the Zero-Tails.

It made no sense!

This brat was definitely no saint, so why? Shinnō scratched his scalp, unable to fathom it.

Akashi hadn't expected Shinnō to be so persistent, fixated on uncovering his motives. Perhaps those who enjoy research all possess an inexplicable thirst for knowledge.

With a smile, Akashi stepped closer, signaled for Shinnō to lower his head, and whispered, "I let you go because I look forward to the day when Ancor Vantian flies over Konoha."

Shinnō's heart tightened.

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

This guy actually knew about the secret fortress of the Sky Ninja; that was his hidden super-weapon.

The Sharingan—does it have the ability to see through a person's heart?

Too terrifying.

"You... you want to..."

"Overthrow Konoha!" Akashi said, enunciating every word.

Those four short words left Shinnō stunned, unable to recover for a long while.

What did he say?

Am I crazy, or is he?

Shinnō looked up and saw those cold eyes, feeling a chill run through his entire body.

Before he could ask more, Akashi had already turned and left, but a lingering sense of dread told him that the brat was telling the truth!

"Hahahahaha..."

Shinnō burst into wild laughter, bordering on madness, unsure if he was celebrating his escape from the abyss or fantasizing about the future feat of destroying Konoha.

After the laughter died down, Shinnō suddenly remembered that his luggage was still at the inn.

Furthermore, running away without saying a word might arouse the suspicion of the Hokage, leading to a pursuit.

He gathered his thoughts, returned to the inn to pack, and then ran to the Hokage to spin a lie about having to depart. Sarutobi Hiruzen tried to persuade him to stay several times, but failing to do so, he had no choice but to see him off to the village gate with great reluctance, even gifting him local Konoha specialties to show his gratitude.

Shinnō maintained his act until he was out of the village, at which point he took off at a full sprint.

Heading west, he never looked back.

On the roof of the research laboratory.

Akashi and Orochimaru both watched this scene, their lips curling upward.

Letting Shinnō go was within their calculations.

Although Orochimaru regretted losing a reusable experimental subject, Shinnō could clearly accomplish more on the outside. When the time came, he would only need to use the Cursed Seal to control him and claim everything as his own.

Let this fat sheep graze for now.

Akashi's thoughts aligned with Orochimaru's, though he suspected the two of them would have to fight over Shinnō's legacy eventually.

At least five years from now.

By then, dealing with Orochimaru shouldn't be a problem, right?

"Akashi-kun."

The call pulled him back to reality. He saw Orochimaru staring at him. "You are also thinking about how to swallow everything Shinnō has, aren't you?"

"Ah? No." A flash of shock crossed Akashi's eyes, but he quickly denied it.

"No need to hide it; I know very well. You are a smart person. In this village, the situation of the Uchiha clan is becoming increasingly awkward. You need to find a more suitable path, otherwise, you will inevitably head toward extinction. That is also why you are willing to be my assistant."

"You flatter me."

"Heh, do you know the most important reason why I appreciate you so much?"

Orochimaru turned and walked away. "We are the same kind of people."

The voice drifted across the empty rooftop to Akashi's ears.

The same kind of people?

Perhaps from the perspective of rebellion, that was correct.