In the shadows of Amegakure, Uchiha Yōwan, wearing a cloak and a mask on his face, was coldly observing everything before him.
"That red-haired one is Nagato."
Black Zetsu emerged halfway from the ground and gestured for Yōwan to look at the red-haired man on the rooftop.
"The Rinnegan's host?"
Yōwan narrowed his eyes, carefully observing Nagato and Konan beside him. He then nodded, signaling that he understood.
"Do you want to make contact with him?"
Seeing that Yōwan showed no intention of taking action, Black Zetsu was a bit curious about his reason for coming.
Yōwan glanced sideways at Black Zetsu. He held no fondness for this so-called will of Madara. Coldly, he said:
"Mindless thing—don't try to guess my thoughts. Just do what I assigned you to do."
"Ara ara, no need to get so angry."
This time it was White Zetsu speaking. Black Zetsu remained silent.
He had thought that after Madara's death, he wouldn't be constantly scolded anymore. Yet the chosen substitute turned out just as insufferable. Black Zetsu, proud as he was, nearly exploded with frustration.
Damn it... When Madara was alive, he scolded me for being brainless. Now that he's dead, I'm still getting called brainless. What, did Madara die for nothing?!
Black Zetsu now just wanted to spew every curse word he knew at Yōwan—but in the end, his longing for "Mother" overcame his anger, and he chose silence.
"Go now. I'll call for you when I need you."
Withdrawing his gaze, Yōwan ignored the presence of Black and White Zetsu and stepped onto the street ahead.
"Well, if he says so..."
White Zetsu chuckled and prepared to leave as instructed.
"Let's go, then."
Though unsure what Yōwan was planning, Black Zetsu knew better than to press. He could only watch as Yōwan gradually disappeared from sight.
...
Yōwan walked alone until he arrived at a small food stall.
Due to the heavy rains in the Land of Rain, every stall here had rain covers, allowing customers to dine in some comfort.
He ordered a few simple dishes and declined the owner's invitation to eat inside, insisting on sitting near the edge of the canopy. His eyes scanned the surroundings.
He had come from Hanzo's territory. Compared to the sorrowful faces of civilians and low-ranking shinobi under Hanzo's control, the region under Akatsuki seemed far more lively.
Though taxes were still collected by the upper levels, the shop owner mentioned that both the amount and frequency were far better than under Hanzo's rule.
Moreover, Akatsuki genuinely protected the safety of the civilians.
You could see it in the way civilians looked at the passing Akatsuki members—there was mutual understanding and even a sense of ease.
Yōwan took a bite of the unknown snack and nodded. It tasted much better than he'd expected.
Not bad, Akatsuki.
As he sipped the drink brought out by the vendor, Yōwan's eyes grew deeper, lost in thought.
"Yo, Tsuyoshi-san!"
A patrolling squad of Akatsuki passed the stall. Seeing the shopkeeper lounging at the door, one of them called out warmly.
"Isn't that Daibutsu? Come in and have a seat—I'll cook you something."
Recognizing the man who called out to him, the shopkeeper stood up enthusiastically and invited him inside.
"No need, I'm on patrol. Since Iwagakure and Konoha declared a ceasefire, I've got to stay alert for any rogue ninja wandering into our zone."
The man called Daibutsu gave a big, honest smile and asked,
"Tsuyoshi-san, seen any unfamiliar faces these days?"
"Strangers? No, only regulars lately. I know all their names. Though I did hear that some relatives of Saburō's might be crossing over from Hanzo's territory. If they come, we might get a few unfamiliar customers."
Scratching his head and smiling, the shopkeeper faithfully reported the latest to Daibutsu.
"Alright then, that's good."
Daibutsu nodded and said nothing more.
"I'm full now. Thank you for the meal."
At that moment, Yōwan stood up after finishing his last bite, interrupting their conversation.
"The flavor was excellent. Thank you. Keep the change as a token of appreciation."
He took some money from his pocket and placed it on the table, then nodded to the shopkeeper and Daibutsu before slowly walking into the rain.
"Wait, that won't do... Uh... Ah, damn, my memory's going. I forgot my customer's name."
The shopkeeper grabbed the money, intending to chase after Yōwan, but he had already vanished from sight.
He could only plan to return the extra money later when packing up—after all, they all lived in the same neighborhood.
But for the life of him, he couldn't recall the guy's name.
"Tsuyoshi-san, your memory really is slipping. Wasn't that guy... huh, I've forgotten his name too."
Daibutsu joked with a smile, trying to recall the name, only to realize he couldn't remember it either.
"It's right on the tip of my tongue... why can't I remember? You guys—any of you remember?"
He patted his own head, feeling that face was definitely familiar, but the name just wouldn't come to him. Daibutsu looked to his comrades behind him.
"Isn't that—wait, I forgot too..."
"Yeah, he looks really familiar, but I just can't recall the name..."
As a chorus of confused voices rose behind him, Yōwan had already reached a gathering area for Akatsuki members.
In his eyes, a triangular pattern spun continuously—his Mangekyō Sharingan was active.
On the road, some Akatsuki ninja greeted him loudly, while others nodded politely. Yōwan returned each greeting in turn.
Suddenly, Yōwan abruptly turned his head, gaze fixed far off—atop one of Amegakure's signature tall buildings.
There, a figure dressed identically to Yōwan was staring coldly at him—Setsuna. His Mangekyō Sharingan was also open.
"What a troublesome guy."
Seeing Setsuna's arrival, Yōwan stopped and changed course, heading in another direction.
"Interesting ability... but it has a range limit, huh..."
Setsuna smirked, having observed Yōwan's ability.
In the world of shinobi, battle was about intel. The more intel you had on your opponent, the higher your chances of victory.
Now that he'd figured out one of Yōwan's abilities, all that was left was slow, careful observation. In time, everything would be revealed.
With that thought, and his next steps already in mind, Setsuna vanished on the spot.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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