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As time passed, Obito's desire to increase his power grew stronger.
Having only one Sharingan was a major disadvantage. He urgently wanted to obtain the other one.
Unfortunately, that eye was in the hands of Kumogakure, hidden away securely. Obtaining it wouldn't be easy.
Obito had already tried to find it privately, but his efforts yielded nothing.
And he couldn't be too conspicuous, or it would alert Kumogakure.
If his search for the Sharingan affected the Akatsuki's plans, Nagato would likely come after him immediately.
Now that all Five Great Shinobi Villages were busy with war, Obito finally raised his request to find the Sharingan.
With both eyes in his possession, his power would increase.
Having already transplanted White Zetsu cells, he didn't need to worry about the drain on his Sharingan's power. He could just activate Susanoo and go wild.
The prerequisite was, he could find his own eyes.
Obito made his request. No one spoke. They all silently looked toward Pain, standing on the elevated platform.
"No." Pain coldly rejected Obito's request.
"Although the Five Great Shinobi Villages have entered the war, the organization remains important to them. If the organization mobilizes all its resources to help you find your Sharingan now, it will undoubtedly arouse Kumogakure's suspicion."
"Kumogakure is already bogged down in the Land of Waterfalls!!!" Obito's voice carried a hint of anger.
Suspicion, my ass. You just don't want me to get my Sharingan back.
If Obito got his Sharingan back, his power would increase, introducing instability into the organization.
Therefore, Nagato didn't want him to obtain his eyes. Hence, he rejected Obito's request.
"Who can guarantee that while the organization helps you find your Sharingan, the Five Great Shinobi Villages won't seize the opportunity to stop their wars and turn on us?"
Some things Nagato didn't want to say, Konan said for him.
After the Amegakure battle, the Five Great Shinobi Villages all hated the Akatsuki. Plus, the Akatsuki's ultimate plan constantly threatened the ruling status of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Obito stared coldly at Konan. Konan didn't back down, staring back silently.
The base's atmosphere instantly became tense. Kisame Hoshigaki, a newer member, shook his head speechlessly and moved aside. He wouldn't speak, just watch the show.
The stares between Konan and Obito practically sparked.
Then, Pain spoke.
"If you find clues yourself, the organization can provide support to help you retrieve your Sharingan. But if you need the organization to mobilize all its resources to find leads, gather intelligence, and retrieve your Sharingan—that's impossible."
Either investigate yourself, find relevant information and leads, and the organization will help you retrieve your Sharingan.
Or find a way yourself.
Expecting the organization to do all the groundwork for you? Impossible.
"Hmph!"
Obito gave Pain a long, hard look, then his body began to distort, entering the Kamui dimension and disappearing.
Obito was angry. Nagato didn't care. He just warned the rest of the organization.
"Until the war between the Five Great Shinobi Villages ends, I hope everyone will keep a low profile. I don't want anyone, due to some minor matter, causing an accident in the organization's plans."
Whoever it was, besides Konan, if anyone in the organization disrupted the Akatsuki's plans, Nagato would make sure they regretted it.
In a hidden base known only to Obito and Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu warned Obito.
"If you retrieve your Sharingan, you might become uncontrollable. That's why Nagato won't help you find it."
Whether Obito got his Sharingan back, Black Zetsu didn't care.
Even if he got his eyes back, Obito's ceiling was fixed. He couldn't stir up big waves, and it wouldn't greatly affect Black Zetsu's plan.
"Do you have any leads?"
Obito filtered out Black Zetsu's warning.
Frustrated time and again, he was desperate to get his Sharingan back.
"Still needs a bit more time."
Black Zetsu wasn't lying about this. Kumogakure had indeed hidden the Sharingan quite deeply. Even Black Zetsu hadn't found where Obito's eye was hidden.
"Then keep looking."
Obito's gaze was dark.
"Since the Amegakure battle, Nagato has become like a different person. He no longer trusts us. We need to have power of our own."
Frustrating!
Though he had the means to control Nagato at any time, he couldn't use it. He had to keep enduring, keep playing along with Nagato and Konan.
Obito was tired of this charade.
"I'll keep searching."
Black Zetsu sank into the ground and vanished, leaving Obito alone in the base.
Akatsuki base.
Konan looked up at Pain, who stood like a statue.
"Are you really going to help Obito retrieve his Sharingan? This guy is getting more active. I'm worried that if he gets his Sharingan back, he might disrupt the organization's plans."
"It doesn't matter."
Pain's voice was as cold as ever.
"A pair of Mangekyō alone can't pose much of a threat. The real problem is Konoha's Uchiha Kazuki. I remember this guy has no siblings."
"Yes." Konan was also troubled.
Kazuki directly activated a complete Susanoo to cause trouble. The Akatsuki was desperate to figure out how he obtained Eternal Mangekyō, since he clearly had no siblings to provide eyes for transplantation.
This had become a headache for the Akatsuki.
If Kazuki with Mangekyō was a threat, then Kazuki with Eternal Mangekyō was a huge threat.
But no matter how the Akatsuki tried to gather intelligence, Kazuki remained shrouded in mystery.
"Have Black Zetsu continue investigating. We must uncover Uchiha Kazuki's secret."
An enemy shrouded in such mystery was definitely a major threat to the Akatsuki. Nagato didn't like this passivity. He wanted to control everything. But unexpected things kept happening.
Receiving the order, Black Zetsu himself was speechless.
Do you all treat me like a servant?
One orders me to uncover Uchiha Kazuki's secret. Another orders me to find a hidden Sharingan.
Damn it. Do you think I'm invincible, or omnipotent?
Admittedly, Black Zetsu's intelligence-gathering abilities were unmatched. Even so, he wasn't omnipotent. There were things he didn't know, secrets he couldn't uncover.
Yet Nagato and Obito both loved to boss him around.
One treated him like a subordinate. The other was worse, ordering him around like a servant.
If not for saving his mother, Black Zetsu would really want to slap Nagato and Obito upside the head.
So many damn problems.
If you're so capable, investigate yourselves. Why come to me with everything?
The infuriating part was, he couldn't refuse.
Whether it was Nagato or Obito giving orders, he, Black Zetsu, had to comply. The most he could do was delay a bit.