"Perfect. That'll make it easier for me to find Orochimaru later!"
He was bound to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in the future.
And when it came to the continued use of the Mangekyō, Orochimaru should have plenty of insight.
Joining the Akatsuki would also make Uchiha Obito think twice before making a move against him, buying him enough time to build up his strength.
The next day!
Two major pieces of news from Konoha spread quickly, stirring up a storm across the otherwise peaceful shinobi world.
["S-rank Missing-nin" Uchiha Itachi massacred the entire Uchiha Clan before fleeing Konoha. Only his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, and clan member Uchiha Ye survived.]
["S-rank Missing-nin" Uchiha Ye had been hiding in Konoha for years. After killing several Konoha elites, he fled the village. Kill on sight.]
"Seriously? The once-mighty Uchiha Clan has been wiped out?"
"That's astonishing. The Uchiha Clan produced two S-rank Missing-nin!"
"I've heard of Uchiha Itachi's reputation as a prodigy, but where did this Uchiha Ye come from? He's only thirteen, yet he's been made an S-rank Missing-nin alongside Uchiha Itachi!"
The various powers across the shinobi world were greatly stirred by the news.
To Konoha, they were missing-nin.
But to everyone else, they were rare talents!
Who didn't know the power of the Sharingan?
Almost immediately, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure sent agents into the Land of Fire to track the two down.
Recruiting either one would greatly increase their strength.
Kumogakure, in particular!
Having already acquired a Byakugan, they were even more eager to obtain a Sharingan.
At that moment, in Amegakure.
On the observation deck of the tallest steel building in the center of the village.
A man with orange hair and a detached gaze, his face studded with various Black Receivers, spoke without turning around to the purple-haired woman behind him. "A talent like Uchiha Ye is exactly the kind of member we need. I plan to recruit him."
"Angel, what do you think?"
The purple-haired woman raised her eyes slightly and offered her suggestion. "In that case, why not recruit Uchiha Itachi as well? They're both rare talents. There's no reason to let either one slip away!"
Then she said to the orange-haired man before her, "Let me handle this personally."
The orange-haired man nodded, but his voice remained indifferent. "Take Sasori with you."
"They're both S-rank Missing-nin, and we know nothing about them. We should be cautious when dealing with people like this."
Angel didn't object to the orange-haired man's suggestion. "All right."
But just as Angel was about to leave, the space beside them suddenly twisted, and the Masked Man, Uchiha Obito, appeared. "Angel only needs to recruit Uchiha Ye. Uchiha Itachi is already on his way here."
At this, a flicker of surprise passed through the orange-haired man's deep, indifferent eyes. "Mr. 'Madara' is personally inviting someone? What talent does he see in Uchiha Itachi?"
In his eyes, the masked man before him, who called himself "Uchiha Madara," was an immensely mysterious figure who was almost impossible to track down. Seeing him take the initiative to recruit a member was truly unexpected.
Uchiha Obito glanced at the orange-haired man. "I didn't recruit him. He asked to join us himself. He certainly has enough talent, so I had no reason to refuse!"
Then he turned to the purple-haired woman, his eyes narrowing beneath his mask. "Angel, Uchiha Ye is no ordinary person. Be careful!"
The purple-haired woman was a little surprised by his warning, then smiled. "If even Mr. 'Madara' has to warn me personally, I'm getting more and more interested in this Uchiha Ye!"
As she spoke, a vast number of paper sheets streamed from her body, forming a pair of enormous wings behind her that spread wide and carried her away.
Jice Street, on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain!
"Have you heard? Konoha's offering a 55-million-ryo bounty for 'S-rank Missing-nin' Uchiha Ye!"
In a tavern, a green-haired middle-aged man exhaled a breath of liquor.
"It's Konoha, all right. They sure know how to spend. Heh, that's one tempting offer!"
A young man with a buzz cut and one eye licked his dark lips, his gaze burning with excitement.
"Yeah, 55 million ryo would keep us living it up for more than a decade!"
The green-haired middle-aged man's eyes burned just as brightly.
Beside him lay a bounty poster bearing a clear image of Uchiha Ye.
"55 million ryo, huh..."
In a corner, a figure in a conical hat, wrapped from head to toe in a robe, glanced at the bounty poster. His lips curled into a faint smile as he murmured, "Konoha really thinks highly of me!"
It was none other than Uchiha Ye.
"Hmm?!"
Suddenly, he sensed several people staring at him. His Observation Haki picked up their hostility as well.
"They've already got their eyes on me?"
A faint smile crept onto his lips. "Looks like I really can't afford to underestimate anyone."
He set down his fruit tea, took out two qian—one qian was worth ten yen—and left it on the table before walking out.
"Follow him!"
As soon as he left, the green-haired middle-aged man and the buzz-cut man with one eye exchanged a glance and immediately followed.
Quite a few other people in the tavern did the same.
In a secluded grove!
Uchiha Ye stopped in front of a large tree. "Since you've all followed me here, why not show yourselves?"
At his words, two figures shot out and surrounded Uchiha Ye from the front and behind.
"I can't believe my luck! I actually found such a fat sheep here!"
The green-haired man stepped out, eyeing Uchiha Ye greedily.
"Heh, did you think we wouldn't follow just because you deliberately lured us somewhere secluded?"
The one-eyed man's gaze was sharp. "Kid, never underestimate a bounty hunter's determination to pursue his prey!"
Uchiha Ye narrowed his eyes. "Then aren't you afraid you'll bite off more than you can chew? 55 million ryo is nice, but only if you live long enough to spend it."
At that, the green-haired man grinned. "You don't think we're capable of killing an S-rank Missing-nin, do you?"
"Let me tell you, we've killed more than a few S-rank Missing-nin."
The one-eyed man picked up where he left off. "So you won't be any different!"
Uchiha Ye looked resigned. "All right. But I have one question: how did you figure out who I was?"
He was certain his disguise was flawless and that he hadn't let anything slip.
He'd only muttered a single sentence, yet they'd already set their sights on him. It was bizarre.
"Was it really that hard to figure out who you were?"
The green-haired man gave a smug snort. "I was born with the ability to hear faint sounds. I heard every word you said in the tavern."
"Besides, liquor is what bounty hunters drink. You stood out just by ordering fruit tea."
"Put those two things together, and the answer's obvious, isn't it?"
Hearing that, Uchiha Ye nodded. "This is my first time making my way in the shinobi world. I really am inexperienced!"
Of course, now that he'd learned his lesson, he could avoid making the same mistake again.
Before you continue