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Konoha's efficiency was still quite high. Uchiha Obito's bounty had already spread to neighboring countries in about a month.
Although his so-called "great achievements" were not explicitly mentioned—after all, Konoha couldn't afford that embarrassment—his exact abilities were also not detailed.
However, they labeled him "extremely dangerous," Konoha even put up an exceptionally large bounty on him!
With such a lucrative reward, an unknown number of bounty hunters were drawn in.
Even though Konoha clearly stated that this man was "extremely dangerous," that was meaningless for bounty hunters who only cared about money.
To them, every enemy they faced was extremely dangerous! One more wouldn't make a difference.
Moreover, the major Shinobi villages also seemed interested in this Uchiha, which Konoha wanted.
Even if they didn't know exactly what he had done, just hearing his surname was enough to spark interest! Uchiha—that meant Sharingan, and being labeled "extremely dangerous" indicated that his Sharingan had reached a high level.
Under the allure of bloodline power, at this moment, the entire shinobi world seemed to be moving restlessly around.
{"Uchiha Obito."}
"Bastards!" However, Obito himself was not happy in the slightest.
He couldn't understand what had gotten into Konoha! Did they confirm his identity based on a few words from Shigenari Shuuzawa?
"Or did I slip up somewhere?" Obito couldn't figure it out, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. The Akatsuki was convening a meeting.
Though he usually stayed in the shadows, he would appear when necessary.
Besides, Nagato had called the meeting in the most serious manner possible this time, making his presence essential.
"I'll have White Zetsu investigate it." With this thought, Obito took Black Zetsu along and set off for the meeting. Black Zetsu, however, seemed puzzled.
"Nagato is in such a hurry. What's going on this time?"
"No idea. Who knows what that fool is thinking?" Obito shook his head. How could he possibly know what Nagato was up to? Not that he cared.
Nagato was just a tool, and what he thought didn't matter. All that mattered was keeping him under control.
His body turned into a swirling vortex, and in no time, he arrived at the Akatsuki base with Black Zetsu.
At this moment, inside the Akatsuki base, Sasori, Kakuzu, a projection of Nagato, and Konan were already present.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin the meeting," Nagato spoke indifferently as soon as he saw them.
"This meeting is important. We may soon gain a new teammate."
A new teammate? Obito, who had just arrived, raised an eyebrow. This was something that caught his interest.
The Akatsuki had too few members right now, especially regarding core personnel.
Perhaps due to the failure of the previous Akatsuki, Nagato had now adopted an elite recruitment approach.
Only powerful shinobi, particularly rogue-nin, were his focus.
This strict selection process had resulted in their current state—only Sasori and Kakuzu were proper fighters.
"Wait… a new teammate… it can't be…" Black Zetsu suddenly froze as if realizing something. Meanwhile, Kakuzu let out a cold laugh.
"Of course, it could also be our bounty. After all, who knows what Uchiha Obito is thinking? Besides, Konoha has put up an offer that's impossible to refuse!"
Hearing that familiar name, Obito stiffened instantly. Now he understood—so they had set their sights on him?
Black Zetsu immediately let out a sigh, just as he had expected! A rogue Uchiha, defined by Konoha as "extremely dangerous," was precisely the target the Akatsuki sought.
"Uchiha Obito?" Obito muttered under his breath, his face darkening. His voice was filled with disbelief, with a hint of barely suppressed fury.
He never expected that being put on a wanted list would have such an absurd consequence!
Right now, he truly wanted to strangle Shigenari Shuuzawa to death, and while he was at it, he might as well add Shimura Danzo to the list.
That senile lunatic had raised that troublesome brat, and now he had ended up in this mess!
"That's right, Uchiha Obito." Nagato nodded, confirming Obito's thoughts.
"He fits our requirements well. Being wanted by Konoha like this suggests he isn't weak."
"However, against the combined forces of the great nations, he will need protection."
"I believe the Akatsuki would be his best choice. I called you here because you should know about him, right?"
Nagato meant that as "Madara Uchiha," Obito should have insight into another Uchiha. But right now, Obito just wanted to curse.
He didn't need to be Madara to understand—because he was Uchiha Obito! Recruiting himself? What a joke. He was already inside the Akatsuki!
Turning his gaze to Black Zetsu, he found the creature bowing its head in silence. At that moment, Obito realized that Black Zetsu was unreliable.
After all, no one had ever encountered such a ridiculous situation before.
"Perhaps." Obito gave a vague response. After a moment of thought, he hesitated before speaking.
"Do you really want to recruit him? Uchiha is proud of nature. They aren't easy to recruit."
"That's why we want to learn more through you." Nagato's tone remained indifferent.
He didn't trust this so-called Madara, but he couldn't deny that he was useful. "No matter what, you're the most convenient choice, and you might even relate to him."
Relate? Of course, he could relate—he knew exactly what "he" was thinking! Obito clenched his fists, but there was nothing he could say.
After a long silence, he finally spoke in a low voice. "I can't guarantee I can persuade him, and I'll need time to study him."
"No problem. Do what you need to." Nagato nodded but added another remark.
"If you fail, kill him if you can. If not, bring back his intel. After all, he's quite valuable."
"I'd prefer the intel. We need money right now." Kakuzu also nodded in agreement.
To him, a pile of cash was far more appealing than an unknown new teammate with unclear motives!
As the one overseeing the Akatsuki's finances, money was his greatest priority.
"Understood." Obito kept trying to suppress his emotions to stay calm. But he failed. The sheer absurdity of the situation only fueled his growing rage!
Who would have thought that after a single visit to Konoha, he would end up in a situation where he was "investigating himself" and "hunting himself down" simultaneously? And yet, here he was!
At this moment, only one thought burned in his mind.
"You all deserve to die!"
...
While Obito was on the verge of mental collapse, Shuuzawa and Kabuto Yakushi had arrived secretly at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
A month had been enough time to prepare many things—especially with Danzo breathing down his neck like a relentless hound.
With no other choice, Shuuzawa carefully calculated the timing and set off without delay.
"So, what are you planning to do next?" Looking at the seemingly endless expanse of yellow sand before him, with the howling cold wind kicking up layers of sand waves, Kabuto Yakushi turned his head and asked.
"You said you wanted Sunagakure to hate Danzō, and it seems you've achieved that. But how are you going to handle these negotiations now?"
"Of course, I'll negotiate according to Lord Danzō's intentions." Shuuzawa couldn't help but smile at those words.
Tightening the windproof scarf around his neck, he spoke in a low voice.
"Negotiations are crucial. If they go well, everyone benefits. If they fall apart, well, that would be unfortunate."
"You can't possibly not understand this. In reality, our task is quite simple—just follow the highest standards set by Lord Danzō."
Upon hearing this, Kabuto immediately broke into a cold sweat.
Negotiations always have a standard: an ideal price and a bottom line, with the middle ground used for bargaining.
Yet Shuuzawa was outright demanding the ideal price Danzō envisioned. Wasn't this essentially pushing things toward a breakdown?
"Hey, don't be crazy!" Kabuto could hardly hold it in and quickly spoke up. "If you just want to leave me behind, you might as well say it outright!"
"There's no need to do this! You can escape with the Flying Raijin, but I can't! When Sunagakure's fury erupts, I'll be the one they take it out on. Come on!"
"I'm not crazy, and you won't die." Shuuzawa rolled his eyes, feeling that Kabuto was being overly sensitive.
"We're just workers. We carry out Lord Danzō's orders. Anyone who wants revenge should go after him, not us."
"Besides, since I dared to come here and do things this way, I have my reasons. I can tell you in advance—I have the intelligence they want."
"And it's real intelligence. They have no choice but to take it. In fact, we can even drive the price down."
"You mean…" Kabuto was incredibly sharp, and he immediately understood Shuuzawa's intent. This guy had something even more important!
"Lowering the price further would certainly infuriate them, but they wouldn't be able to act rashly. So, we're continuing to 'fan the flames'?"
"Fan the flames? No, we're glorifying Lord Danzō's greatness and achievements!" Shuuzawa shot Kabuto a glare, feeling that this guy had no tact.
"Didn't I already say? We are Lord Danzō's subordinates. Any problems or grievances should be directed at him, not us."
Kabuto instinctively adjusted his glasses, feeling like he could never reach this level of shamelessness.
Glorifying Danzō? This was outright stirring up trouble! Why make it sound so noble?
"Also, while you're in Sunagakure, pay attention. When doing something shady, it's best to leave traces. And those traces—"
Shuuzawa wasn't finished yet, still elaborating on his theories, but Kabuto had had enough.
"Alright, alright! I get it! I'll discreetly leave hints pointing to Danzō," he sighed. "But what if you're wrong?"
"Even if I'm wrong, don't you want to gain power yourself? So you can do something for the orphanage and people like the director?"
Danzō believed he had a firm grip on Shuuzawa, having brainwashed him from a young age and branding him with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, ensuring both psychological and physical control.
But in reality, Shuuzawa held Kabuto's fate in his hands.
Kabuto's brainwashing was far from deep—after all, he had been sent to infiltrate other villages early on.
He knew little about Danzō, so his tongue had no curse mark. And Shuuzawa understood Kabuto's personality and motivations far too well.
Of course, Shuuzawa approached Kabuto precisely because of his character, potential, and lack of brainwashing and seals.
(A/N: The original story didn't mention this, so let's assume it's true.)
"Besides, you left the village early, so you don't understand Danzō well. But I do. He will definitely do this."
"You sure are confident." Kabuto sighed helplessly and shook his head. But then he suddenly noticed Shuuzawa handing him a kunai. "What's this?"
"I don't know when it'll happen, but better safe than sorry."
Shuuzawa smiled and explained, "When you're nearly done with your mission, I'm worried that Danzō might orchestrate a meeting between you and the orphanage director—whether through a setup or another mission."
"Either you'll be sent to assassinate her, or she'll be sent to kill you. It's just speculation, but it's best to be prepared. Stay alert. It won't hurt."
"You are a dark person," Kabuto grumbled, but he obediently took the kunai.
Then, after a moment, he suddenly smirked, "Am I the first guy to receive a kunai from you? You weren't like this back at the orphanage."
"You talk too much." Shuuzawa rolled his eyes. He considered snatching the kunai back for a moment, but Kabuto spoke again before he could.
"I have a question. Konoha is really far from Iwagakure. Can you even get there? And even if you do, will you still have any combat ability left?"
"That's exactly what we're solving tonight." Shuuzawa's gaze shifted toward the horizon. The distance was already enough for him. "Are you ready?"
"For what?" Kabuto was puzzled, but the next moment, Shuuzawa threw a kunai to the ground and placed a hand on Kabuto's shoulder.
A surge of chakra roared to life. Kabuto instantly felt dizzy, his vision twisting.
By the time his sight stabilized, that overwhelming vertigo still lingered—but to his shock, he found himself inside a tall tower!
"This is…" Forcing down the urge to vomit, Kabuto turned to Shuuzawa and saw him downing a soldier pill.
"This is Rōran," Shuuzawa spoke between bites, catching his breath. "I don't think I need to explain its history to you, do I?"
"I know this place." Kabuto struggled to stand and glanced around. His gaze quickly landed on the kunai embedded in the ground. "This kunai design… is this…?"
"Yes, it's the Fourth Hokage's kunai. He was here before and sealed something away."
Shuuzawa nodded as he slowly walked over, allowing the soldier pill to take effect while rapidly recovering his chakra.
Looking at the kunai on the ground, he continued, "I've heard of this mission. I also secretly read through a lot of books and scrolls, and I've found the answer."
"An answer?" Kabuto muttered, already realizing what Shuuzawa was after.
"Yes. Hidden here is a massive chakra source—one that technically belongs to Rōran but is essentially unclaimed." Shuuzawa smiled as he turned to face Kabuto.
"Sunagakure has been coveting it, wanting to use its power to grow stronger. But tell me, which is better?"
"A stable ally with little ambition, or an ally filled with greed and the potential to stab you in the back at any time?"
"So, for Konoha's sake, I think it's best to sever their ambitions now."
Kabuto was speechless. He had seen shameless people before—he was one himself. But Shuuzawa was on another level entirely. Stealing was stealing—why make it sound so noble?
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