Chapter 157: The Curtain Rises
"What?! Not only is Uchiha Itachi badly injured again, but Kisame's been captured too?!"
In the Hidden Rain Village, within the Akatsuki's base, Black Zetsu stared in disbelief at Obito, who looked deeply frustrated. He then turned to glance at Uchiha Itachi, unconscious on the ground with a gaping wound in his chest.
At last, he couldn't hold it in anymore.
Failures—he was used to them. He had plenty of experience with plans going wrong. But this time, just when their grand scheme was about to begin, they were hit with a catastrophe.
Was this really the right time for something like this?!
"It was that idiot Itachi's idea," Obito muttered, clearly irritated. "I also thought we could use the situation to shift attention onto Sasuke, so…"
He gritted his teeth.
"He said he only needed one minute. But Kitagawa Gen—he has Ice Release. Under pressure from Flying Thunder God, Kisame didn't even last a full minute."
Obito was seething. He'd been monitoring Kisame's battle. He knew it wasn't that Kisame was weak—it was because he ran into Kitagawa Gen.
The terrifying mobility of the Flying Thunder God, combined with Ice Release's ability to lock down Water Style jutsu, left Kisame with no room to fight. He was utterly dismantled.
To make matters worse—Zabuza escaped too.
For a moment, Obito even questioned if they should stop recruiting new members altogether. They'd barely brought in Ameyuri Ringo, and now not only had Zabuza failed, Kisame had been captured too.
"Still, we did gain a bit of intel from this mess."
Obito sighed and continued.
"We've learned that Orochimaru seems to be planning something for the Chūnin Exams. And Konoha still thinks he's one of us."
"Orochimaru? He's targeting the Chūnin Exams too?" Black Zetsu paused, taken aback by the new information.
"And Konoha's got their eye on us?"
"Unclear," Obito replied. "But there may be an opportunity here."
His mind was spinning with possibilities.
"Orochimaru's a former Leaf shinobi—and one of the legendary Sannin. He knows their security systems better than Itachi ever could. Even if they've changed things, he'll still be more useful than Itachi."
"So you're saying we should make use of Orochimaru?"
Black Zetsu was still annoyed but followed Obito's logic.
"Exactly," Obito said after a moment of thought. "And if needed, we can always take him down later. At the very least, he might lead us to Kisame. Following him might also help us locate Danzo."
Kisame was one of his own men—Obito wasn't going to just let him rot.
"Besides, Orochimaru has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Using him might bring unexpected benefits."
"…Fine. I'll investigate Orochimaru and track his location."
After a long sigh, Black Zetsu accepted the situation. What else could he do?
"What about Itachi? What do you plan to do with him?"
"Heal him," Obito said through clenched teeth, glaring at the unconscious Uchiha. "He's still useful—we haven't squeezed out his full value yet. He doesn't get to die that easily."
---
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office in Konoha…
Third Hokage Hiruzen SaruObito frowned deeply after hearing Kakashi and Kitagawa Gen's report. Rubbing his temples, he asked:
"So Akatsuki is now targeting Sasuke? And they may also be planning something during the Chūnin Exams?"
"That's how it looks," Kakashi nodded seriously. "But the details are still unclear. Obito denies that Orochimaru is with them. I'm not sure if he's telling the truth—but I don't think a group like Akatsuki would lie about something like that."
"So Orochimaru's gone rogue from them?" Hiruzen mused aloud. Honestly, it didn't surprise him. Orochimaru was too arrogant to serve under someone else.
But… when did he break ties with Akatsuki? Were they even cooperating during this operation?
"Start an investigation. If we can get any information out of Kisame, do it. You two did well this time."
Hiruzen sighed again. His headaches were only growing.
He felt sorry for Kakashi—how could a C-rank mission end up clashing with Akatsuki? Just like Gen's first mission years ago. But still, crippling Akatsuki right before the Chūnin Exams?
That was a huge win.
"…Except."
Hiruzen suddenly slammed the desk and roared, turning toward Kakashi and Kitagawa Gen:
"What do you mean 'Gatō hired Akatsuki'?! They were there to recruit Zabuza and his team, weren't they?!"
"…"
"And what's this nonsense about Zabuza being 'moved by emotion' and killing Gatō for free? 'Thanking nature's bounty'? Don't joke with me!!"
"…"
"I even heard Zabuza almost killed your client?! That's outrageous!"
"…"
Kitagawa Gen casually picked his ear, unfazed. Kakashi, on the other hand, looked completely awkward.
"Well, Gatō's been smuggling and oppressing the Land of Waves. Honestly, it might be better now that he's dead."
"Yeah, and we didn't kill him—Zabuza did," Gen chimed in, blinking innocently. "We're just the bystanders here."
Kakashi gave him a helpless glance. Of course Gen would help cover for him—but his words only made Hiruzen angrier.
"Don't you remember what I said about the Fourth Raikage incident? About keeping your voices down when plotting? Gen I can understand, but Kakashi—you forgot too?!"
"…"
"And how could you let him complain to me?!"
"…"
Kakashi fell silent. Gen, however, nodded enthusiastically.
"Exactly! That's what I said too—but Kakashi-sensei didn't listen."
"Shut it!" Kakashi finally snapped, clamping a hand over Gen's mouth before he could stir up more trouble.
He was starting to feel like he didn't belong in this chaos.
Was this really something they should let Naruto's team get involved in?
"…Forget it. Let's leave it at that."
Hiruzen sighed heavily again. He didn't want to dwell on it any further.
In the end, Gen and Kakashi handled things well. Letting Zabuza take the blame, while Konoha reaped the rewards—it was the perfect solution.
Gatō was scum anyway. No one would mourn him.
Still, they could've been a bit more discreet about it.
The shinobi world had its unspoken rules, after all.
As for Tazuna, Hiruzen was furious. Even as a "nice old man," he had to consider the safety of his ninja. This time, they were lucky to send Kakashi's team—but what if it had been someone else?
The cost of Tazuna's lies could've been fatal.
"I hope next time you two can be less reckless," Hiruzen scolded. "One of you is a seasoned ANBU, the other a prodigy jōnin—why can't you act cleaner?"
"Yes, sir," Kakashi replied obediently.
After a moment, Hiruzen added:
"The ANBU will handle things in the Land of Waves from here on. As for the Chūnin Exams—I want Naruto and the others to participate."
"But they just graduated. Are they ready for that?" Kakashi asked, frowning in concern.
"There's still time. Let them hone their skills."
Hiruzen shook his head and continued:
"Also, have Jiraiya take Naruto under his wing during this period. Gen—your last discovery was meaningful. Jiraiya might be able to do something about it."
"Yes, sir."
With Hiruzen giving the orders, neither Gen nor Kakashi had any objections. Still, Gen added thoughtfully:
"Lord Hokage, could I be involved in Kisame's interrogation? He seems like an interesting guy."
"No problem," Hiruzen nodded. "Talk to Ibiki about it."
He didn't even ask why. His mind was already turning toward other matters—like discussing affairs with the Mizukage during the Chūnin Exams, and how the Land of Waves situation might factor in.
At this point, Hiruzen truly felt like the number of headaches piling onto his desk was growing by the day.
"Alright, you two go get some rest. But I expect you not to repeat mistakes like this again in the future."
"..."
Kakashi nodded silently and simply took Kitagawa Gen with him as they exited the Hokage's office.
On the way out, Kakashi couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Why did you want to interrogate that guy?"
Gen just smiled casually. "Pure curiosity. And I want to see what I might be able to learn from it."
But of course, it wasn't just curiosity.
Gen had his own plans.
The "special Yin Release trait" he'd obtained from Sasuke had benefited him immensely. While he had once worried about side effects—after all, the Uchiha clan came with some… baggage—those concerns had faded over time.
He had joked to himself before:
"What if I end up absorbing Madara's karma, Obito's 'brilliance,' Fugaku's unyielding stubbornness, Sasuke's sulky brooding, Itachi's manipulative scheming, or Shisui's overzealous alertness? That'd be a disaster!"
The Uchiha certainly had their fair share of troublesome traits.
Fortunately, the absorption only seemed to extract chakra and energy, without any of the psychological residue. That alone gave him great peace of mind.
---
[Name: Kitagawa Gen]
[Bloodline: Otsutsuki Clan (Development Level: 42%)]
[Dojutsu: Tenseigan (Eye of Rebirth)]
---
"Not only has my development reached 42%, but the most important thing is—I've gained a new ability."
His eye now possessed a unique power: Chakra Spirit Sphere, which allowed him to control a target like a puppet.
"Kisame... he might just be the perfect test subject."
In addition, perhaps due to absorbing Sasuke's chakra, Gen noticed a new leap in his understanding and use of spatial power.
"Could it be? Am I starting to touch on Amenotejikara (Heavenly Hand Power)?"
There was one oddity, though. Despite having absorbed Yin Release from Nagato's Rinnegan, he hadn't gained any noticeable abilities from it. He speculated that maybe it was because those weren't Nagato's original eyes.
Still, all things considered, this boost was solid. And now he was more curious than ever.
"42%... What will happen when I hit 50%?"
---
Meanwhile, in Iwagakure, inside the Tsuchikage's office…
"Old man, let's get going! Let's go already!"
Deidara beamed with excitement as he looked at Ōnoki. His enthusiasm was so overwhelming it almost gave the old Tsuchikage a heart attack.
"Why are you in such a rush? And besides, you and that Kitagawa Gen kid are both Jōnin—you're not even competing! What's got you all worked up?!"
"Hmph! We made a promise. Kitagawa Gen and I are destined for an artistic duel!"
Deidara clenched his fists with a grin full of anticipation.
"I've waited two years for this! This time, I'll show him what true art really is!"
So... all those two years of training under me in Dust Release... were for this?
Ōnoki could only sigh in silence, utterly speechless at Deidara's priorities. But even so, he had a bad feeling about this Chūnin Exam.
"Something tells me this one won't be easy…"
---
Elsewhere, in Kumogakure, within the Raikage's office…
"Big bro, maybe you shouldn't go," Killer Bee said cautiously. "Let's just participate normally and keep a low profile."
"Hmph! Bee, do you take me for some hot-headed brute?!"
The Fourth Raikage growled and smacked Bee on the head. His voice thundered with irritation.
"I know how to handle myself! I'm not going to do anything reckless... but I still can't let this go!"
He took a deep breath.
That humiliating moment when his arm had been severed... and later, the indignity of being threatened by Kitagawa Gen—it all still burned in his memory.
He had kept an eye on the boy's development since then and was aware of how rapidly he was growing. The string of nicknames alone proved how feared and respected he had become.
But for the Raikage to bow his head was never an easy thing. He'd been training, too.
"This time, I'm going not just because of personal grudges… I can feel it. This Chūnin Exam is different."
He clenched his fists, eyes serious.
"With all Five Kage attending... this won't be a simple event."
The Five Great Nations had never truly been of one mind, after all.
---
Meanwhile, deep within Konoha's Root Division...
Danzo sat in silence, his expression dark and grim.
"Hiruzen... are you investigating me?"