The Akatsuki's move

How could the Third Hokage not know what Danzo was scheming?

His little schemes were so obvious that the Third Hokage was embarrassed to expose him.

Danzo's face darkened. "Hiruzen Sarutobi, what do you mean?!"

"That's just how Jiraiya is. He has no interest in power or anything like that."

In front of his old friends, the Third Hokage decided to let him save some face.

"Hmph..."

Danzo let it go. His remarks about Jiraiya were nothing more than his habitual suppression of those who disagreed with him anyway.

He held Jiraiya in contempt, too.

A dignified Kage Level expert, spending all his time on such sordid nonsense!

Writing novels while he was away was one thing, but he even peeped into women's bathhouses every day!

No wonder his strength had barely improved. He really had spent it all on women.

All he could say was, like student, like teacher.

Yes, that meant you, Hiruzen!

But dealing with the Uchiha remained the most urgent matter.

Especially Uchiha Fengyao. Danzo practically hated him to the core.

His entire stock of Sharingan was gone. Without the Sharingan to suppress them, the Hashirama cells inside him had begun rejecting him violently.

Left with no other choice, Danzo had been forced to cut off his entire left arm.

Now he had lost more than half his strength. Even Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura could probably defeat him easily.

He could not swallow this insult!

His teacher had been right. The Uchiha were inherently evil!

Teacher, you should have marshaled the entire village's strength to wipe out the Uchiha back then.

"Hiruzen, I've already contacted Hanzō!"

"He agreed that for just one billion ryo, he'll cooperate with us in surrounding and attacking the Uchiha!"

"What? One billion ryo!"

"Is Hanzō trying to take advantage of our predicament?!"

The Third Hokage laughed in anger. One billion ryo-even with Konoha's considerable resources, paying that sum would hurt badly.

"Heh."

A gleam of triumph flashed through Danzo's eyes.

"I know, so I spent several days negotiating with that old fellow Hanzō in detail. In the end, I secured a price of five hundred million ryo for Konoha!"

"For just five hundred million ryo, Hanzō will help us strike!"

The Third Hokage gave him a strange look. From what he knew of his old friend, this did not seem right.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura made no effort to hide the doubt in their eyes as they looked at Danzo.

Their eyes seemed to say, You?

Seeing them all looking at him doubtfully, Danzo's face darkened.

He was furious!

"What are you looking at? Do you doubt my ability and credibility?"

Everyone's expressions turned solemn, while inwardly they rolled their eyes at Danzo.

As if we don't know how capable you are.

But can your credibility even be called credibility?

We can't even be bothered to expose you.

Danzo's face darkened further.

Fine, fine, fine. None of you believe me, do you?

Sure, I embezzled a tiny hundred million or so, but it was all for Konoha's sake. Konoha cannot exist without darkness.

Otherwise, who would take the blame? It can only be me, Danzo.

In the end, the Third Hokage looked at Danzo. "Are you certain Hanzō will come?"

"I can't be certain he'll come personally, but he certainly won't go back on his word. His Amegakure is only a small village, and these past few years have been difficult. With his greed, he definitely won't pass this up!"

"Add in the assassin organization I hired in secret, and nothing can possibly go wrong!"

"When the time comes, the Uchiha-heh, they'll be like turtles in a jar!"

Danzo gave his solemn assurance.

Only then did the Third Hokage nod. He was still willing to trust Danzo's ability to get things done.

And for Konoha, five hundred million ryo was neither a particularly large nor a particularly small sum. It fell at just the right point.

Thinking of it that way, the Third Hokage's gaze toward Danzo grew a little kinder.

Danzo, you've really come into your own!

Hearing Danzo's assurance, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also breathed a sigh of relief...

Elsewhere, in Amegakure.

The City of Steel, where rain fell year-round.

Or rather, Rain City.

This was the capital of the Land of Rain, as well as Amegakure.

As far back as Hanzō's time, the Land of Rain's daimyo had existed in name only. Amegakure's leader was effectively also the Land of Rain's daimyo, controlling the entire country.

Rain fell endlessly beneath a dark sky.

Amegakure's technological development was exceptionally advanced. Calling it the best in the Shinobi World would not have been an exaggeration.

Unfortunately, the limitations of the shinobi mindset meant that they possessed technology capable of changing the future, but not the thinking to change it.

Atop a tower, Deva Path Pain looked down over the City of Steel.

His Akatsuki Robe rustled in the wind, whipping wildly.

Rain fell onto him, but he paid it no mind.

He simply gazed quietly at this weeping country.

"Nagato, it's time to act..."

Konan stepped out from behind him.

She, too, wore a long Akatsuki Robe, with long, deep-blue hair.

Behind her stood Sasori, Juzo Biwa, Kakuzu, Orochimaru, and Zetsu.

"Where is Madara Uchiha?"

Pain glanced behind him.

"Leader, Madara has something to attend to, but he'll be there when the time comes..."

Black Zetsu spoke up.

This was no joke. Without Kamui, Obito could no longer act as recklessly as before.

It would be trouble if Nagato noticed anything.

"Hmm. He'd better be!"

Meanwhile, in a basement.

This had once been Madara's base. Now it belonged to Obito.

With White Zetsu's help, Obito had transplanted a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

"Uchiha Fengyao, I swear I'll kill you! I'll take back my Mangekyo!"

Obito now hated Feng Yao to the bone.

His Kamui Mangekyō had been taken, and Feng Yao had also taken the Mangekyo he had left with Kakashi.

As for the things he had left in the Kamui Dimension, he could essentially consider them gone.

Fortunately, Obito had kept a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan at the base for research. Otherwise, he truly would not have had a single pair left.

Once he activated Infinite Tsukuyomi in the future, he would never let Feng Yao enjoy happiness!

"Wood Release: Wooden Spike Technique!"

Countless wooden spikes immediately surged upward and spread, their destructive power terrifying.

"Hmph. Even without Kamui, with Wood Release, I'm still the strongest in the Shinobi World!"

Obito nodded in satisfaction, already immersed in his own world.

Spiral White Zetsu was startled by Obito's actions.

"Obito, why are you using ninjutsu inside the base? Is it to make the urge to poop stronger?"

Spiral White Zetsu asked curiously.

Still immersed in his sense of invincibility, Obito shot Spiral White Zetsu a cold look.

If this White Zetsu had not been special and possessed some strength, he would have loved to kill the stupid bastard on the spot.

What an embarrassment!

That bastard Black Zetsu had actually left this Spiral White Zetsu behind to disgust him.

Meanwhile, he had taken Aloe White Zetsu off to enjoy himself. So what if he was Madara's will?

Hmph. He's practically asking to die!

Obito ignored Spiral White Zetsu, who kept making a fuss about the urge to poop.

Obito put on his mask and went outside.

"The Rinnegan..."

Greed showed in Obito's eyes. Nagato's Rinnegan had a restriction placed on them.

Aside from the deceased Madara Uchiha, he was the only one who knew how to use that restriction.

When Madara had transplanted the Rinnegan into Nagato back then, how could he possibly have failed to leave himself a safeguard?

Still, Obito suppressed his greed for the Rinnegan.

Nagato was very useful right now. Unless absolutely necessary, Obito did not want to take the Rinnegan away.

That said, Obito had long since regarded the Rinnegan as his own property.

They were merely being kept with Nagato for the time being.