At this time, in Konoha, at the Root base, Danzo and Obito were fighting fiercely over the unequal division of spoils.
The cooperation ended, and the moment of betrayal arrived.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
The Shuriken was thrown, but Obito passed right through it, followed by the poison gas bomb.
Thud...
Black, toxic smoke enveloped the Obito.
"Have you been infected?!"
"No!" Obito suddenly appeared behind a Root member and slit his neck with Kunai.
Pfft...
Blood spurted out, and this member of Root was killed on the spot.
"Ah... this guy can travel through space at will, it's the same Space-Time Ninjutsu as the Fourth!"
Everyone was terrified. The Fourth Hokage's terror was built on the lives of countless people, and this enemy before them was also proficient in Space-Time Ninjutsu.
Puff puff puff...
Obito used ruthless tactics, his figure flashing as he killed the Root members one by one.
" Danzo, if this continues, I'll have to kill all your men."
The Mind Body Switch Technique
Buzz...
Yamanaka Fū, hiding in the shadows, launched a mental attack, but Obito was prepared and dodged it, emerging from the ground in front of Yamanaka Fū the next second.
Just then, Danzo Body Flicker Technique appeared behind Yamanaka Fū, shoved him aside, and black runes lit up on his hand.
He had ripped off the bandage from his right eye at some point, and the three Tomoe in his pupil spun rapidly into a four-cornered windmill.
"Ah... those are Shisui's eyes!!" Obito exclaimed in surprise.
In the critical moment, Obito prioritized moving his head, but Danzo seized the opportunity to grab his arm, and black runes spread all over his body.
The Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal.
"As expected, you need to materialize before using your ability," Danzo said coldly.
"Hmph, so what? A mere Cursed Seal can't harm me."
Obito was on high alert; this old man had just tricked him—it was just a simple Genjutsu.
However, Danzo exposed his abilities in order to spy on him, and he also obtained Danzo's information, so he didn't lose out.
puff...
The Kunai slashed across Obito's neck and passed right through him, without any surprise.
"Even the Cursed Seal can't seal off the ability to become intangible?"
Danzo's heart sank slightly. This was too eerie, even more unsettling than Kotoamatsukami.
Obito said smugly, "It's no use. I advise you to keep your promise, or don't blame me for unleashing a massacre."
Danzo narrowed his eyes, but finally gave in, "Give it to him!"
Immediately, someone handed him a scroll, Obito took. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
Danzo was helpless against such an arrogant person and could only fume in silence.
After handing over his work, Aoki Tsuki headed to Akatsuki's base in the Land of Rivers.
The leader just sent word that everyone has gathered for a welcome party to announce the addition of new members.
He arrived at dusk and found himself to be the first one there, so he gathered some dry firewood and built a fire in the cave.
With hands Hand Seals and a gentle press, eight stone pillars rose up around the bonfire.
I chose one of them to sit down and waited patiently. Not long after, Juzo Biwa arrived carrying the Kubikiribōchō.
In such a short time, the broken sword has already grown back to its original appearance, which shows that Jūzō has carried out quite a few assassination missions.
"I knew it! In the whole organization, the two of us are the only honest people. Sigh, honest people always get the short end of the stick."
Jūzō sat down next to Aoki Tsuki and held the greatsword in his arms.
"There's no other way. We can't ignore the tasks assigned to us from above. We can't just follow Orochimaru's example."
"That's true. Orochimaru is a master at slacking off. With a newcomer joining, the leader might team him up with you for missions to help you out."
"No way, I don't want to mentor newbies, it's too much trouble." Jūzō shook his head; an old hand like him preferred to work alone.
"Having a partner is good too; at least you have someone to talk to."
"Well, we have to get along, right? By the way, you're currently in charge of the Land of Fire's affairs, are you aware of the Uchiha situation?"
"I know, let me tell you the details, this is exclusive news..."
Aoki Tsuki gave a brief, selective account of the Uchiha's annihilation, leaving Juzo Biwa astonished by its complexity, comparable to that of the Bloody Mist.
Just then, Deva Path Pain and Konan walked in.
"The leader has arrived. Good evening, Konan. You must have had a long journey."
Deva Path Pain nodded and said, "I heard that the Jashin Cult suddenly attacked Konoha a few days ago?"
"Yes, the Konoha Ninja have repeatedly attacked the Jashin Cult, promoted hegemony, and suppressed dissent. This attack on Konoha is simply a form of retaliation."
Now that Konoha has lost the power of the Uchiha Clan, its strength has declined further, and its future is uncertain.
Konan rolled her eyes inwardly; she could tell from his words that he was an indecisive person.
Suddenly left, suddenly right!
"Hmph, Konoha has severed its own arm; this is a good thing for us."
Pain was very pleased; he couldn't be happier that Konoha continued its internal strife.
Aoki Tsuki chimed in, "If the higher-ups in Konoha could press on and eradicate the Hyuga Clan as well, that would be even better."
I hope so.
Pain and Konan did not sit on the stone bench, but went inside the cave and stood in a dark place where the Kakkō could not reach.
With the leader arriving, Aoki Tsuki could no longer gossip about the Uchiha, so he simply closed his eyes and meditated, focusing on honing his mental strength.
He didn't know how much time had passed when a cold, eerie aura came and sat down beside him.
"Hehe... Yue, you're really working hard!"
" Lord Orochimaru, for a ninja who has neither talent nor Kekkei Genkai, diligent training is the only shortcut to becoming stronger."
Orochimaru neither confirmed nor denied it; he had thought so before.
It wasn't until I saw Itachi practicing with Kunai in the training room that I realized that what many people couldn't do in their entire lives, Itachi accomplished with ease thanks to his bloodline talent.
To hell with effort! To hell with diligence! The efforts of ordinary people are nothing compared to those of geniuses.
What is the meaning of becoming stronger?
This question seemed to be directed at Aoki Tsuki, but it also seemed to be directed at himself.
Aoki Tsuki hesitated for a moment, then replied, "I'm becoming stronger so that people will be willing to talk to me properly."
"It seems you've experienced quite a few setbacks growing up. Were you taken advantage of?"
Orochimaru had seen too many ninjas like Aoki Tsuki grow up in this way, precisely because it was a history of hardship and compromise.
That's why I so desperately crave respect.
Aoki Tsuki secretly despised Orochimaru's malicious behavior of digging pits and causing trouble; Orochimaru's evil was truly everywhere.
"In this world, apart from family affection which is unconditional, the relationship between people is essentially an exchange of value. Being used by others is a manifestation of one's own value."
Otherwise, you'd be like roadside weeds, not even worthy of a glance. What does Lord Orochimaru think?
"Heh... you're quite an interesting person," Orochimaru commented.
Aoki Tsuki nodded. "Yes, that's what everyone who knows me says."
Click... click...
The sound of gears grinding came from the cave entrance, and the scorpion slowly crawled over, seemingly slow, but actually not fast at all.
Seeing this, Aoki Tsuki waved to Sasori, "Brother Sasori, you're here! Come on over, let's chat for a bit..."
"What are you blowing?" Scorpion asked, puzzled.
"Of course it's bragging, what else would it be about?"
Sasori's Hiruko leaped onto a stone pier opposite Aoki Tsuki, rolled her eyes, and said, "We have nothing in common."
"Ahem... I can accommodate you, but I have a request, I'm not sure if I should say it?"
Aoki Tsuki rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Seeing this, Scorpion said warily, "If it's something that will put people in a difficult position, then don't say it."
"No, this question has been on my mind for a long time, and I have to get it out."
Aoki Tsuki pointed at Sasori's Hiruko and asked curiously, "Can't I stay in your little house for a while?"
Dragons have scales that cannot be touched; they will surely enrage you.
"You bastard!"
call out...
The steel scorpion tail immediately stabbed towards Aoki Tsuki, the scorpion extremely enraged.
"Spare me, Brother Scorpion, I was wrong, I was really wrong..." Aoki Tsuki cried out in terror, running away in all directions.
"Sigh! This guy is really..." Konan sighed repeatedly upon seeing this.
Why bother exploring the scorpion's little house for no reason? Curiosity killed the cat!
"Stop, stop, stop! I promise I'll never do it again!" Aoki Tsuki swore to the heavens, which finally made Sasori stop.
"If you keep being so curious, I'll turn you into a puppet."
"No, no, I haven't lived enough yet."
After fussing around for a while, Aoki Tsuki got hungry. He called out and left the cave to hunt for prey. The night was long, and he couldn't stay hungry forever.
Once he left, the cave fell silent again, with only the flickering Kakkō.
Ten minutes later, Aoki Tsuki returned carrying a cleaned deer.
They discovered that Kakuzu had also arrived.
A rack was set up over the fire, and they started grilling. After a while, the aroma filled the air. Once it was done, they took out a rib.
"Brother Scorpion, you eat first..."
"You bastard, do you want to fight again?"
"I'm sorry, I forgot, I forgot." Aoki Tsuki turned his head and said, "Leader, Konan?"
Both of them shook their heads in unison, indicating that they didn't need it.
" Lord Orochimaru? Senior Kakuzu?"
Orochimaru and Kakuzu, being cautious individuals, clearly wouldn't accept food from strangers and both refused.
"Brother Jūzō, let's eat together."
"Thank you." Jūzō didn't stand on ceremony and took the venison steak, eating it in silence.
Both of them had large appetites, and they managed to eat a whole deer in fits and starts. After they were full, they started to stare blankly.
Late into the night, Deva Path Pain suddenly spoke, "They've arrived."
This outpost was carved out of the side of a canyon in the Land of Rivers. At this moment, a small boat was slowly sailing down the river.
A lantern hung at the bow of the boat, Obito and Itachi stood on the boat.
"In the organization, my name is Tobi. I'm just a mediocre intern, so watch your attitude towards me."
Why did you conceal your identity?
"Because it would be very troublesome if others knew that Madara Uchiha was still alive."
"Hmm." Itachi nodded, still wearing the Anbu standard equipment he wore when he left Konoha, with a long sword on his back.
Joining Akatsuki was for surveillance purposes, to prevent Akatsuki from harming Konoha.
"Next, I will take you to see the leader of Akatsuki. He knows my true identity. Also, the organization is full of rogue ninja from various villages, just like you."
Some people give me headaches, so be careful.