Is the Akatsuki Leader Hanzo? / Chapter 40: The Will of Fire Couldn't Save Konoha

It was best for the surrounding countries to stay weak, while I remained the strongest.

Have weapons and supplies, and eliminate any risks in advance. That was Danzo's way of thinking. Most of his preparations, though, ended up benefiting Orochimaru.

"Mm, I've chosen three."

"And we can begin the next step of the plan, too."

Uchiha Gin nodded.

The next step was to sell low-level ninjutsu in exchange for funds, but that plan still needed some preparation.

He had chosen three clan members who were least likely to be spies: two old-timers and one younger man. All of them could be trusted.

Orochimaru's main focus was observing the genetic changes in their bodies after they received the improved First Hokage Cells. He wanted to identify the key factors and study them in greater depth. There was nothing left to learn from the genes of ordinary Uchiha.

He had already obtained genetic information related to the Sharingan. Repeated experiments had also proven that Uchiha who had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan had the highest success rate when fused with the First Hokage Cells.

He had also captured the genetic information related to Wood Release in the First Hokage Cells, but Yamato was the only test subject who could withstand it. Now he wanted to see what new genetic information might emerge when Uchiha fused with the First Hokage Cells.

To be honest, he was starting to lose interest in becoming Hokage. If his partner weren't an Uchiha, and if the position wouldn't help his research, he wouldn't care about it at all.

That night, Uchiha Gin waited for the three men near the clan compound.

One of them was his uncle, who had previously cursed out Fugaku. Another was his friend. The last was a little younger, though still about the same age as Fugaku. He had been his grandfather's trusted aide.

"This can't get out, so I'll need to use a Cursed Seal on you to make sure you don't tell anyone."

Uchiha Gin addressed the three of them, two of whom were his elders.

But it was better to be safe. They had been ninja for a long time, and they still needed to understand the importance of secrecy. He also wanted to confirm they were willing to go through with this.

"Go ahead, Gin."

"If it's for the clan, I won't hesitate."

Fugaku's uncle spoke calmly.

He trusted Uchiha Gin. Ever since he'd agreed to help Gin stir things up and the Uchiha began to change for the better, he'd trusted him without reservation.

The other two also agreed, saying they had no problem with it.

Seeing that, Uchiha Gin began applying the Cursed Seal used by the Root Organization to prevent secrets from leaking: the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.

Chapter 39: Is the Akatsuki Leader Hanzo?

Once the seals were in place, Uchiha Gin took the three men to the underground research facility.

He entrusted them to Orochimaru and Itachi, telling the two to prioritize keeping them alive.

The three men also learned the truth about the feud between the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan. They had never imagined that the Senju's genes could cure the Bloodline Disease caused by the Mangekyō Sharingan.

This made them even more certain that Gin could lead the Uchiha to glory.

If the experiment succeeded, the Uchiha would grow much stronger. This was the real way to change the clan.

So even knowing that they might die in the experiment, none of them refused. If anything, they were more willing to go through with it.

The First Hokage gene fusion would begin that night, so Uchiha Gin stayed to watch.

The experiment began with Fugaku's uncle.

"I never thought that fellow Fugaku would have such an outstanding son."

Seeing his nephew conducting the experiment himself, Fugaku's uncle smiled.

Uchiha Gin couldn't bring himself to smile. If this filial son didn't have Gin guiding him, who knew what he'd do?

"Everything is for the Uchiha," Itachi replied.

He began preparing in earnest.

He had performed the First Hokage Cell fusion experiment many times and was fairly certain it wouldn't go wrong. Ordinary Uchiha cells didn't have enough energy, so there was a chance they would be consumed by the First Hokage Cells instead of fusing with them.

But a human body produced energy on its own and had greater endurance. As long as the amount of First Hokage Cells injected was small enough, the risks could be avoided.

"Next, we'll inject one person's worth of No. 1 Improved First Hokage Cells."

Orochimaru could hardly wait. He was ready to perform the injection himself.

Fugaku's uncle lay on the operating table, watching Orochimaru inject the First Hokage Cells. He had only his left arm; he'd lost his right one on the battlefield.

The left arm was closer to the heart. Orochimaru quickly injected the No. 1 Improved First Hokage Cells into the artery in Fugaku's uncle's arm.

The other three had their Sharingan activated as they watched the experiment unfold.

After the injection, Orochimaru watched the instruments, checking the test subject's vital signs.

Heart rate, blood oxygen levels, pulse, blood pressure, and so on.

"Dōjutsu really is convenient. If we had a Byakugan, we could observe changes in the chakra pathways directly and get more accurate data."

Orochimaru looked at the three pairs of Sharingan and sighed.

He also thought the Byakugan would be better suited to research.

"If I get the chance, I can get you a pair. I know where there are plenty, but I'm not strong enough to do that yet," Uchiha Gin said.

Everyone present except Orochimaru assumed Gin meant the Hyuga Main Family. Naturally, they didn't think much of those arrogant bastards.

But Orochimaru sensed Gin wasn't talking about the Hyuga Clan. He meant somewhere else.

That made Orochimaru curious, but the test subject was more important for now.

"His vital signs are normal. Let's proceed with the next experiment."

Orochimaru continued.

Waiting for the body to change would take a long time. And for safety, they had injected only a small amount of First Hokage Cells, so the changes wouldn't happen quickly.

The other two went through the experiment without hesitation.

If nothing went wrong at the beginning, there was little chance of the First Hokage Cells turning against them later.

The experiment went on for a long time. After confirming the three clan members weren't in any danger, Uchiha Gin left a Shadow Clone behind and went home.

Orochimaru was the head of the Root Organization, so he could go whenever he wanted. Itachi had the next day off, too, so neither of them had anything to worry about. Uchiha Gin, however, had to go to work.

"The Uchiha really haven't given up. Shisui has a Mangekyō, and he never told Hiruzen. This so-called defection might just be an excuse to come after me."

Shimura Danzo stared at the information his subordinate had brought him, his face dark.

He didn't dare show himself carelessly now. He could only communicate with the outside world through his subordinates. He had also lost several trusted men in his ambush against Uchiha Gin, and he had few capable ninja left.

"Hiruzen is indecisive. He's completely unsuited to be Hokage. If I were Hokage, the threat of the Uchiha would have been dealt with long ago!"

Danzo set down the report and muttered again.

Ever since leaving Konoha, he'd felt uncomfortable. Without his lofty position and power, he was now forced to skulk in the shadows, barely scraping by. He was deeply dissatisfied with his situation.

Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't given him any men, either. He'd only provided him with information and a little funding, while ordering him to investigate the Akatsuki and deal with the Uchiha.

Now Uchiha Shisui had entered the picture, too. Danzo felt he had his work cut out for him.

"Lord Danzo, we've obtained information about the Akatsuki. Sasori of the Red Sands, an S-rank missing-nin from Sunagakure, is a core member."

"The Akatsuki's leader is referred to by its members as a god. There's also a woman called God's Envoy, as well as several missing-nin from other villages..."

Danzo's subordinate continued reporting what he knew about the Akatsuki.

The information included what Konoha's Anbu had gathered, as well as intelligence obtained by Root operatives who had infiltrated the Akatsuki's outer ranks.

"This organization seems to be the same one we joined forces with Hanzo of the Salamander to destroy."

"Could Hanzo be the one pulling the strings from the shadows?"

Danzo furrowed his brow.

He had a secret alliance with Hanzo of the Salamander, but Hanzo hadn't told him anything about the Akatsuki.

So Danzo suspected Hanzo was controlling the Akatsuki and using it as a black-glove organization to carry out unsavory business in secret. Perhaps his partner was Uchiha Madara. The pair of eyes that boy possessed was a power that had caught Danzo's attention. He'd wanted to get his hands on it through that incident, but he'd later learned from his subordinates that the other two members had escaped. It was possible Hanzo had deliberately let them go before taking control of them.

After all, Hanzo of the Salamander was known as the Demigod of the Shinobi World, while the organization's leader was called a god. It was hard to believe the two had nothing to do with each other.

"I'll go to Amegakure and meet with my ally."

Danzo prepared to set out.

If he could get to the bottom of this, he could use the achievement to return to Konoha.

All Hiruzen would have to say was that Danzo had gone undercover on his orders and become a missing-nin to gain the other side's trust. No one else could argue, as long as he earned a big enough victory!

For example, capturing the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident!

Or perhaps Uchiha Shisui had defected to join the Akatsuki, too.

After all, the intelligence said Shisui had ties to Uchiha Madara. If the organization really was connected to Madara, then there was a good chance Uchiha Shisui would show up!

And if that boy still had those eyes, Danzo should be able to control them now. Perhaps they were an even rarer dōjutsu than the Sharingan!

"So this is the Akatsuki?"

By the time Danzo was preparing to set out, Shisui had already found the base of one of the Akatsuki's outer members. He easily defeated the person in charge.

He got some information from the man's mind.

The intelligence he obtained showed that the Akatsuki was simply a mercenary organization whose goal was money. As long as you paid enough, they would complete any mission for you.

The organization handled assassinations for nobles and even provoked wars between several small ninja villages.

"I've never seen the leader. Is there someone trusted within the organization who assigns them missions?"

Shisui planned to infiltrate the organization gradually. He'd used the Transformation Technique for this raid and intended to join the outer ranks under his real identity, so he could learn more over time.

Chapter 40: The Will of Fire Couldn't Save Konoha

Zetsu looked surprised as he read the intelligence sent by the White Zetsu he'd stationed at the branch base.

Zetsu was the one in charge of the organization's outer ranks.

He had lived for so long and made many preparations while waiting for a suitable candidate. Money meant nothing to him. If he weren't so timid and sinister, he could have gathered a good number of Tailed Beasts himself.

He managed the outer ranks to keep a low profile and let the Akatsuki members capture the Tailed Beasts. After all, he knew more than they did. He knew his mother feared someone, and he didn't believe Otsutsuki Hagoromo could have died so easily. So he had always kept himself hidden.

"Uchiha Shisui—is he the new Mangekyō Sharingan user you mentioned?"

Obito stood and put on his mask.

He had only recently returned from Kirigakure. He'd planned to meet with Nagato, then head to Konoha.

But as soon as he got back, he received the latest intelligence from White Zetsu: another member of the Uchiha Clan had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and he had attacked Uchiha Gin, another Mangekyō user. After failing, he defected from Konoha. Obito hadn't expected him to attack an Akatsuki branch base, too.

"That's right. He's infiltrated that branch base and joined the outer ranks."

"Could Konoha have sent him? Or was it the Uchiha?"

Zetsu was cautious. Like Danzo, he preferred to hide and disliked showing his face.

This sudden turn of events made him wary. He wanted to make sure it couldn't threaten him.

"Why not go and see for yourself?"

"Since he came looking for us as a missing-nin, is he here because of 'Uchiha Madara'?"

Obito was a little excited.

Ever since Rin died, and he sent his teacher and his wife to join her, he had become sickeningly twisted.

If he didn't vent his anger in Kirigakure now and then, he really would go mad.

Fortunately, the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan gave him something to live for. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the will to go on.

So whenever he came across someone interesting, he toyed with them, making them feel despair before killing them.

The feeling of making people despair gave him great pleasure.