Chapter 152: New Gains, Akatsuki's Movements
"Did you hear? That guy Mizuki tried to lure Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals."
"Unbelievable. Is he insane? Doesn't he realize what Naruto is...?"
"Don't worry. That kid's smarter than he looks. He told Jonin Gen and the Hokage everything. It was all part of the act."
"Tch. Not bad for the kid… though he still has trouble controlling himself."
"True, but with Hokage-sama and Jonin Gen watching over him, there shouldn't be any major issues."
---
The next morning, on the streets of Konoha…
Talk of the previous night's events was spreading like wildfire. Even though the incident was supposed to be classified, the sudden surge of Nine-Tails' chakra from Naruto hadn't gone unnoticed by the village's shinobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to alter the narrative and put out an official statement, which—unexpectedly—helped shift public opinion about Naruto in a more favorable direction.
---
Inside the Hokage's office…
"I thought I told Kakashi to tell you not to cause such a commotion."
Sarutobi looked helplessly at Kitagawa Gen. The old man was starting to feel a serious headache.
"The Nine-Tails' chakra flaring up is never a good thing—even if, in the end, nothing went wrong."
"Maybe Mizuki pushed things too far and triggered Naruto's outburst," Gen shrugged, smoothly shifting the topic.
"Anyway, I've looked into Mizuki's situation—there's a good chance he's connected to Orochimaru."
"Orochimaru?" Sarutobi's eyes narrowed. He could tell Gen was avoiding the main issue, but frankly, he wasn't in the mood to dwell on it either.
"Are you certain?"
"Not entirely," Gen admitted. "We'd need someone like Ibiki-senpai to confirm, but I'm confident. Last night, I could clearly sense him using a power linked to Orochimaru. I've encountered Orochimaru a few times—I wouldn't mistake that feeling."
"I also conducted an impromptu interrogation. Mizuki said he was taking the sealing technique to seek out Orochimaru. Still, I don't think it's as simple as that."
"Orochimaru's power, huh…"
Sarutobi frowned deeply. His thoughts immediately jumped to Anko Mitarashi.
"We'll have to investigate this thoroughly… but anything involving Orochimaru…"
"...is always troublesome and murky," Gen finished knowingly. He rubbed his chin and added, "Also, I doubt Mizuki knows much. He's just a mid-level instructor, after all. But the timing of all this…"
"I know what you're getting at," Sarutobi said solemnly. "It worries me, too."
He stood up, pipe in hand, his tone growing heavier. "This year's Chunin Exams are shaping up to be far more dangerous than expected—especially with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki involved…"
He sighed. The thought of a united Chunin Exam had seemed promising. But now—with the Five Kage gathering, Orochimaru potentially causing chaos, and Akatsuki lurking in the shadows—it felt like a nightmare waiting to happen.
Especially since Orochimaru was once part of the Akatsuki…
And the Akatsuki had major unresolved conflict with Konoha—or more specifically, with Gen himself.
Who knows what they might do this time?
---
"So," Gen suddenly asked, blinking innocently, "why not just cancel the whole thing? Too much trouble, right?"
"…"
Sarutobi nearly choked on his pipe smoke. Did he think they could just cancel something like this on a whim?
"Gen," he said seriously, "things aren't always that simple. The world isn't black and white—right and wrong aren't so easily separated. From the village's perspective, what seems like a threat could also be an opportunity."
"You still have a lot to learn. Understood?"
"…Got it."
Gen nodded quietly, though in the back of his mind, he was starting to wonder—was this old man grooming him to become Hokage?
He shook off the thought. He had more important things to consider—like Sarutobi's earlier comment.
Akatsuki…
He had considered their involvement. But now that he really thought about it, it did make sense for them to show up.
After all, he had been relentlessly targeting the Akatsuki with both his true self and his Ōtsutsuki-derived clone, Gen-shiki.
It wouldn't be surprising if they wanted payback.
Yeah… those guys probably hate me with a passion.
He exhaled sharply. "Alright, let's leave it at that for now. But honestly, I'm not too worried—Konoha has you, and the rest of us. We'll be fine."
Sarutobi smiled gently, noticing Gen was deep in thought and wanting to lift some of the pressure off his shoulders.
"By the way, Kakashi should be finishing up right about now. Want to go check on him?"
"No need," Gen said with a wry smile. "I didn't expect it to be those brats."
He had intended to oversee the trial himself, but Sarutobi had dragged him away.
"But speaking of last night… during Naruto's chakra flare-up, I sensed two other unfamiliar chakra signatures inside him. It was… strange."
"Two other chakra signatures?" Sarutobi's expression tightened. A strange idea was starting to form in his mind—
Could it be…?
---
Knock knock knock—
Before he could finish the thought, the door opened.
"Hokage-sama."
Kakashi walked in, followed by a disheveled Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
Kakashi didn't seem concerned about their appearance. He gave Gen a nod before speaking.
"The evaluation is complete. They passed—more or less. I'm here to request a mission assignment."
"…More or less?" Sarutobi repeated, puzzled. "Isn't this a bit sudden?"
"Too soon?" Kakashi tilted his head. "Gen started out the same way, didn't he? Let's start with something simple. A C-rank mission."
"…Gen started with a C-rank," Kakashi said again, nudging him. "It was easy, wasn't it?"
"Very easy," Gen replied deadpan. "Just a C-rank. No big deal."
"…Ugh."
Sarutobi massaged his temples, feeling the stress build. The way these two—master and disciple—played off each other was giving him a headache.
---
Meanwhile, Gen's eyes narrowed.
[Statistical Report Complete]
[Side Quest Complete: "As the White-Haired One, It's Only Natural to Clean House"]
[Objective: Stop Mizuki-the threat and uncover who's backing him.]
[Reward Acquired: Scroll of Seals]
[Naruto Exclusive Mission Complete: Naruto's grades are less than stellar]
[Reward Acquired: Nine-Tails Chakra (Integrable with the God Tree's Core)]
---
Amegakure – Inside the Akatsuki Base…
"How do you feel now?"
Black Zetsu looked calmly at Nagato, who clenched his fists slowly.
"…Not bad. I didn't expect you to have this kind of power."
"As long as you're feeling better. But remember—this is just temporary assistance."
Black Zetsu shook his head, clearly not interested in discussing it further. He looked at the now seemingly recovered Nagato and sighed inwardly.
"My clone can help you act, and even provide a small amount of chakra support. But that's the limit."
He wasn't telling the full truth, of course.
If he really wanted to restore Nagato, he could always transplant a White Zetsu body directly…
He had always been cautious and meticulous—after all, that's the only way he managed to survive for over a thousand years, constantly outmaneuvering the Uchiha clan and manipulating them like pawns on a board.
He knew never to play all his cards at once. The smarter move was to reveal his trump cards bit by bit, adjusting to the shifting tides of the situation.
And when he did reveal something, it was crucial to make it look like it came at a great cost—like it was a last resort. That way, he could maintain control over those around him far more effectively.
Nagato was a prime example. His natural talent was terrifying, and if he truly recovered his full strength, that would go against Black Zetsu's long-term plans.
So, just like how he once manipulated Obito, the best solution now was to send Tobi (White Zetsu) to keep Nagato in check and on course.
"Not strong enough to fully recover, but just enough to maximize the use of his own power—so he can fulfill that lofty ideal of his: 'Only concentrated power can shatter the immovable stone.'"
Black Zetsu was satisfied with how things were progressing. Of course, he had contingencies as well.
"If this doesn't work out, then I'll have to consider fully restoring him… or even…"
He shook off the thought. No point in overthinking—he had already taken every precaution. With Tobi (White Zetsu) placed near Nagato, he had an added layer of control.
"For now, you need to properly acclimate to the changes and make sure there won't be any complications," he said calmly.
"I know. This is already more than enough," Nagato replied as he stood up. His body still looked frail, but his spirit had clearly returned.
"By the way, how are the others doing?"
"Hidan's still the same lunatic. Kakuzu and Sasori are nearly ready; the only thing they still need is a Wind-natured heart. They're waiting for the Chūnin Exams and the opportunity it presents in Konoha," Black Zetsu replied without hesitation.
"As for the other two—Kisame is back to full strength. He only had chakra depletion before, and his physical resilience is excellent. He's fully recovered now."
"And Uchiha Itachi…" Black Zetsu frowned at the mention.
Honestly, he didn't care much for Itachi. To him, Itachi was just another traitorous pawn. If not for the fact that his strength was useful—and that Obito had his own plans for him—Black Zetsu would have discarded him already.
In his eyes, anyone who slaughtered their entire family was irredeemable, especially when compared to himself, who was desperately trying to save his own mother.
"We've restored his basic combat ability, but his physical condition is deteriorating. As long as he can still fight, it's good enough," he said with a shake of his head.
Nagato nodded in understanding.
"Seems like everything's in place. Looks like this Chūnin Exam will go smoothly."
Initially, Nagato didn't care much about the Chūnin Exams—it was only supposed to be a trap to lure out that so-called "Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
But after taking a series of heavy hits from Kitagawa Gen, his perspective had shifted. Now, he wanted to act. He had to make a move.
"By the way, have we found any replacements for the missing members?" he asked.
"Yes," Black Zetsu replied. "We had already identified someone—a man named Hiruko. He's agreed to join us. And we've got another target in mind."
"Who?"
"He's in the Land of Waves. Used to be a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist…"