Just an Intern

"..."

At this moment, beneath the mask, the expression on Obito Uchiha's face was even uglier than Orochimaru's.

If Orochimaru had fallen into the trap because he was unaware of Chen Xiaoxi's existence, it might have been excusable and logical.

But when exactly had he, Brother Obito, fallen for it?

He had clearly been guarding against it the entire time.

Damn it...

Just how many unknown abilities were hidden within those golden eyes known as the "Wicked Eye of the Tyrant"?

Could there be a hundred of them?

Obito gritted his teeth slightly, his gaze complex.

He had originally joined this mission as an intern solely to gather intelligence on Chen Xiaoxi.

Who could have imagined that after this mission, there would only be more mysteries...

Meanwhile, below, Orochimaru, who was pinned to the ground, also had his eyes shifting rapidly.

He suddenly recalled something.

When that masked fellow had jumped down earlier, he seemed to have mentioned something about a "senior" and the "Wicked Eye of the Tyrant"...

It was now certain that the so-called senior must be the youth the Masked Man called "Chen Xiaoxi."

So, the Wicked Eye of the Tyrant... did that refer to his pair of golden eyes?

Could it be some kind of brand-new Kekkei Genkai?

"Tsk..."

"I was truly careless."

"As expected, anyone capable of joining the Akatsuki is far from as simple as they appear..."

Orochimaru forced a grin, speaking hoarsely toward the space above.

As his voice faded, the silver blade in his abdomen suddenly began to retract, eventually pulling free from the ground and vanishing back into the high sky.

Clearly, Chen Xiaoxi had withdrawn the blade.

Only then did his figure truly descend from the heights.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Chen Xiaoxi looked toward Orochimaru, a faint smile on his face as he said:

"Orochimaru, how does it feel to fight against thin air?"

Chen Xiaoxi chuckled.

He certainly didn't know any genjutsu.

As for the Body Replacement Technique or Shadow Clone Technique, he didn't know those either.

However, he did possess an item that far surpassed the capabilities of a body replacement—

The Portable Gigai.

An item created by Kisuke Urahara from the world of Bleach.

As long as one injected their own spiritual pressure into it, it could form a clone realistic enough to deceive anyone, capable of moving freely.

Because it was a disguise made of spiritual pressure, even the Sharingan and Byagukan could not possibly see through it.

Back when he was on the giant tree high above, the moment the Masked Man descended, Chen Xiaoxi had immediately used the Portable Gigai.

As for his true self, he had kept his spiritual pressure suppressed, witnessing everything from the sky above.

That was how the series of events just now had come to pass.

"..."

Staring into Chen Xiaoxi's eyes, Orochimaru was slightly stunned and offered no reply.

But the next moment, he suddenly opened his mouth wide again, repeating his old trick!

He used the Orochimaru-Style Body Replacement Technique once more, and a version of Orochimaru with a snake tail crawled out, launching a sneak attack on Chen Xiaoxi!

This time, he had only one goal—

To seize Chen Xiaoxi's eyes!

Since his Wicked Eye of the Tyrant possessed such powerful abilities, wouldn't it be a waste not to take them?

Orochimaru quickly raised his hand, rushing toward Chen Xiaoxi with incredible speed, a sinister smile plastered on his face.

"Hehe... I'll be taking those Golden Eyes of yours!"

Orochimaru was a master of underhanded tactics.

Among the few things he excelled at in his life, launching sneak attacks was high on the list.

Just moments ago, the instant he laid eyes on Chen Xiaoxi's true form, he had immediately locked onto those powerful Golden Eyes.

The sensation was no less intense than the experience he'd had when he first encountered the Sharingan.

And so, he decided to seize them first and ask questions later.

However, just as his words faded and his hand drew within thirty centimeters of Chen Xiaoxi, a sudden anomaly occurred. Chen Xiaoxi spoke in a calm, detached tone:

"Way of Destruction No. 58: Tenran."

A powerful white gale erupted, slamming into Orochimaru's face with unparalleled ferocity!

"?"

BOOM!!

Amidst the raging winds, Orochimaru had no room to dodge and took the hit head-on!

"Pfft!!"

As he spat out a mouthful of blood, Orochimaru's body was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, soaring dozens of meters away!

Along the path of his flight, every tree and blade of grass was pulverized!

After landing, Orochimaru stared in utter shock, his face a mask of confusion.

What just happened?

At such close range... when did this guy perform the hand seals?

Off to the side, the Masked Man witnessed the scene and reacted instantly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Tsk... has that bizarre ocular technique appeared again?

After the seal-less golden Lightning Release and the azure Fire Release, now comes a Wind Release...

"Orochimaru,"

"Let's put an end to these boring tricks."

Chen Xiaoxi's expression remained unchanged as he looked toward Orochimaru and chuckled lightly:

"It's about time we discussed your real business."

"..."

Hearing this, Orochimaru climbed to his feet, bared his teeth, and laughed in a low voice while looking at Chen Xiaoxi:

"Hehe... indeed."

"Although I wanted to try my luck just now, it seems it really won't be that easy."

"As for my real business—"

Orochimaru paused slightly and smiled:

"I've noticed that your Akatsuki is currently recruiting members, is that right?

Then... how about you let me join the Akatsuki as well?"

"I have always been very interested in your organization."

"If I were to join, it should be able to bolster your strength, right?"

"..."

"Besides, I possess quite a bit of intelligence on the major nations, which could certainly provide your organization with many conveniences."

"Don't you think?"

Orochimaru stared intently at Chen Xiaoxi, his expression unreadable.

He had indeed spent these years setting up extensive intelligence networks across the major nations; otherwise, he never would have learned of the Akatsuki's existence.

Upon hearing this, the corners of Chen Xiaoxi's mouth curled upward.

As expected, the time for the snake to recommend itself had arrived—

This guy really wanted to join the Akatsuki.

Chen Xiaoxi glanced at his system panel, where a brand-new series of side quests was clearly displayed—

Recruit one member for the Akatsuki organization (0/1), incomplete, reward unknown.

Recruit two members for the Akatsuki organization (0/2), incomplete, reward unknown.

"Recruit three members for the Akatsuki (0/3), incomplete, reward unknown."

There were a total of three tasks in this series.

In other words, he could obtain three rewards in total by recruiting three members.

Nowadays, completing system tasks not only granted lottery rewards but also provided direct rewards.

Naturally, Chen Xiaoxi would not refuse any rewards.

And Orochimaru, who was right in front of him, was practically a free gift; there was no reason to disagree.

Therefore, after listening to Orochimaru's words, Chen Xiaoxi smiled without the slightest hesitation and said:

"I see."

"It seems... you truly are a perfect fit for the Akatsuki."

"In that case, I shall act on behalf of our leader, Pain, and grant you permission to join—"

"?"

As these words fell, the expressions of both Orochimaru and the Masked Man shifted simultaneously.

Orochimaru was, of course, in a great mood; he had not expected to receive an affirmative answer so easily...

However, the Masked Man on the side was displeased.

Yet, he did not forget his current identity, so he spoke in Tobi's usual tone:

"Ne, Chen Xiaoxi-senpai?"

"I, I don't think this is appropriate, right?"

"If a guy like Orochimaru really joins the Akatsuki, he might end up stealing our intelligence..."

"I think it would be better to refuse!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Orochimaru's brows furrowed slightly, and he prepared to retort.

However, before he could speak, he saw Chen Xiaoxi look toward the Masked Man, roll his eyes, and say indifferently:

"You're just an intern, why are you worrying about this?"

"..."

Chen Xiaoxi stared intently at Obito's Spiral Mask, saying with a half-smile:

"Could it be... that you think you are the mastermind behind the Akatsuki?"

"Possessing even greater authority than Pain?"

As the words landed, Obito, beneath the mask, felt his throat tighten, and he froze.

I...

What is the meaning of this?

I am the mastermind behind the Akatsuki, aren't I?