Eve of the Return Journey

Several days later.

Rain Village Tower conference room.

Pain, Konan, Sasori, Kakuzu, Kisame, Tobi, and Uchiha You gathered once more.

This time, they were discussing the next steps.

Pain stood at the highest point, his voice cold.

"Uchiha You."

"Akatsuki can reserve a place in the operation for you."

"But before officially entering Konoha, you must return to Konoha and confirm the situation first."

"We will not rashly attack the foremost of the Five Great Shinobi Villages based on your word alone."

Uchiha You nodded.

"Fine."

"I should have returned anyway."

Konan looked at him.

"How do you plan to explain coming back alive?"

Uchiha You replied calmly.

"Three ANBU were killed in an attack by rogue ninja from the Land of Water."

"I escaped with severe injuries."

Kakuzu sneered.

"That's a terrible excuse."

Uchiha You glanced at him.

"It doesn't matter whether the excuse is terrible."

"What matters is whether the Third is willing to tear off the mask in public."

"As long as he is unwilling, then this is the truth."

Kakuzu paused, then gave a low laugh.

"Interesting."

"You've included the Hokage in your calculations too."

Uchiha You said,

"Someone like Hiruzen Sarutobi fears not evil itself most."

"He fears evil being laid bare in the sunlight."

"As long as I give him no evidence, he can only keep pretending to be ignorant."

"And those who pretend to be ignorant are the easiest to use."

Konan frowned slightly.

She suddenly understood why Uchiha You dared to return to Konoha alone.

Because he understood the personalities of Konoha's upper ranks too well.

Danzo would want to kill him.

But the Third would not allow the matter to be exposed so openly at once.

As long as Uchiha You still held the status of having returned from a mission, he could continue returning to the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

And when that happened, he would be bringing back more than intelligence.

He would also bring Akatsuki's promise.

Pain asked,

"How long do you need?"

Uchiha You said,

"Within a month, I will send the first signal for action."

"The target is Shisui."

"If Danzo makes a move against Shisui, you do not need to enter Konoha. Just provide support from the outskirts."

"The real Uchiha Massacre Night is still to come."

Tobi suddenly spoke.

"You're so sure Danzo will make a move against Shisui?"

Uchiha You glanced at him.

"Someone like Danzo will never be able to resist Kotoamatsukami."

"He's like a starving dog. The moment he sees a bone, he'll pounce."

Kisame grinned.

"That's a good comparison."

Kakuzu nodded as well.

"Danzo's reputation on the black market really isn't much."

Tobi giggled.

"You really hold quite a grudge against Danzo, You."

Uchiha You replied flatly,

"It isn't a grudge."

"It's clarity."

"Many tragedies in the shinobi world happen because people know full well that someone is a dog, yet still expect the dog not to bite."

"I won't make that mistake."

Pain fell silent for a moment.

"What is the action signal?"

Uchiha You took out five specially made kunai.

Black-red threads were wrapped around the handles, bearing tiny Uchiha Gunbai patterns and an umbrella-shaped mark.

"These are tokens I marked with Black Umbrella Chakra."

"They cannot teleport, but they can serve as nodes for my pathogen sensing."

"Once I activate the marks, Konan's Paper Clones, Kisame's Water Clones, or Pain's Animal Path summons can use them to determine the general location."

Konan took one of the kunai and sensed it carefully.

There was indeed an extremely faint but steady trace of chakra within it.

Like a sleeping seed.

Once activated, it would spread.

Konan looked at Uchiha You.

"Aren't you afraid we'll use these marks to monitor you instead?"

"Of course you can try."

"But I suggest you do not touch the core technique inside."

Konan frowned.

"Why?"

Uchiha You's tone remained calm.

"It will infect you."

Konan: "..."

Kisame laughed aloud.

"This thing really suits your style."

Kakuzu put away the kunai.

"As long as it can locate the Root Treasury, I don't care whether it's poisonous."

Sasori said hoarsely,

"I care more about the Hashirama Cells data."

Uchiha You said,

"You'll have it all."

Pain finally nodded.

"Then it is settled."

"Uchiha You, return to Konoha."

"Kisame will accompany you as far as the Land of Fire border for now, but he will not enter Konoha."

Kisame looked at Uchiha You.

"No problem."

But Tobi suddenly said,

"I can come along too."

Uchiha You refused directly.

"No need."

Tobi's tone became exaggerated.

"So cold?"

Uchiha You looked at him and said flatly,

"I'm afraid your acting will be too poor and expose us."

Tobi: "..."

Kakuzu chuckled in the conference room.

Sasori also let out a faint laugh.

Though Konan's face remained expressionless, there was a distinct flicker in her eyes.

Kisame laughed without bothering to hide it.

Tobi stood there as if he had been slapped in public.

He could play dumb.

But that did not mean he enjoyed being mocked as an idiot.

Especially by someone like Uchiha You, who clearly knew certain things but refused to say them outright, instead using one sarcastic remark after another to slap him in the face.

Pain ignored Tobi's embarrassment.

"Meeting adjourned."

Everyone left one after another.

Just as Uchiha You stepped out of the conference room, the system's voice sounded again.

[Host has successfully confirmed Akatsuki's participation in the preliminary operation for Uchiha Massacre Night.]

[Side Quest Four progress updated: five core Akatsuki members have been confirmed to participate.]

[Reward issued in advance: 10,000 Behind-the-Scenes Points.]

[Current Behind-the-Scenes Points: 27,000.]

[Temporary ability obtained: Beginner Akatsuki Command.]

[Effect: When the host conducts benefit negotiations, faction guidance, or task assignments with Akatsuki members, the success rate of persuasion is slightly increased.]

Uchiha You's steps paused slightly.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

The system's reward had come at just the right time.

After returning to Konoha, there would be even more people he needed to persuade.

Fugaku.

Shisui.

Itachi.

Mikoto.

The Uchiha Radical Faction.

The Uchiha Conservative Faction.

None of them would be easy to deal with.

Especially Itachi.

This most absurdly gifted genius of the Uchiha Clan had been fooled by the upper ranks into personally exterminating his clan in the original story. His way of thinking could not be corrected with just a few words.

He had to administer a strong dose of medicine.

And that medicine would be best delivered by Danzo making a move against Shisui.

At that thought, a cold glint flashed through Uchiha You's eyes.

"Danzo."

"You had better not disappoint me."