Chapter 142: Akatsuki's Actions!
"Tch… I can't believe that one day, I'd have to wear a Hidden Rain Village headband and this ridiculous gas mask. It's so annoying… It's lowering my standards."
In the Land of Fire, near Konoha.
Jūzō Biwa, wearing a black gas mask, was in a foul mood. He never expected that shortly after joining this strange organization, he would be given such a bizarre mission.
The mission: disguise himself as a Hidden Rain Village envoy to Konoha and seize the opportunity to make contact with "Uchiha Ikeizumi" in the village.
He glanced at the several Hidden Rain Village chunin accompanying him. His eyes narrowed slightly. The Akatsuki's control over the Hidden Rain Village was somewhat beyond his expectations. These rain ninjas actually listened to that woman's orders without any question or objection.
It seems… he had joined a very impressive organization. However, he didn't understand why that woman wanted him to infiltrate Konoha and make contact with the "Scorching Release Beast" to uncover some secret about "Madara Uchiha."
Madara Uchiha… hadn't this legendary man been dead for a long time?
Jūzō Biwa's mind flashed back to some of the things Konan had told him.
— "This is a top-secret mission for the organization. No one knows about it except for me, the leader, and you. You must never reveal the purpose of this mission to anyone, not even to another Akatsuki member. You must remain silent."
— "Uchiha Ikeizumi of Konoha knows a secret about 'Madara Uchiha,' and I need you to obtain it."
— "Why did I send you? Although you are known for your cruelty in the ninja world, your cruelty is limited to the battlefield and is only directed at enemies from other villages. In Uchiha Ikeizumi's eyes, you are not a villain."
— "According to the information Akatsuki has, Uchiha Ikeizumi cannot tolerate a single villain who commits murder, arson, and robbery. When a villain appears before him, he will kill them without hesitation."
— "The other members of Akatsuki are not suitable for this mission. Their sins are too deep to be washed away, and once they appear before that man, they will immediately be treated as enemies."
— "Remember, you must remain silent to everyone."
— "After you complete this mission, you will become a core member of our organization, no longer a new recruit."
As these words flashed through his mind, Jūzō Biwa pouted unhappily. He, a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, was actually not considered a "villain"?
However… what that woman said was not wrong. Jūzō Biwa's cruel nature was only used on the battlefield. Other than that, he kept his cruel nature in check very well and would not let it affect people who had nothing to do with him.
"So in the eyes of that 'Scorching Release Beast,' a ninja who kills enemies on the battlefield for his own country is not a villain? Or is it that as long as you don't harm innocent civilians, you are not a villain?"
Jūzō Biwa "tched."
"Absolute Justice, what a strange nindo. Uchiha Ikeizumi is also a strange Konoha ninja."
He casually asked a Hidden Rain chunin next to him, "How much longer until we reach Konoha?!"
The chunin replied, "Two days."
"Uchiha Ikeizumi knows too many secrets about me. If he reveals my secrets, everything I have done… all my preparations will be for nothing."
At the same time, in another part of the ninja world.
Obito Uchiha was sitting on a large rock covered in moss.
He said coldly, "Especially when Nagato and Konan realize that I am not 'Madara Uchiha,' and even know about my Mangekyō Sharingan's ability… Nagato might not do anything, but that woman Konan might attack me."
"The way she looks at me is always strange. I can faintly sense her wariness and distrust. And… I suspect that Uchiha Ikeizumi knows more than just that. He might know more secrets about me."
At this point, he looked at Zetsu, who had a black and white body. "He might even know about your existence. That's why I need the power of Akatsuki to investigate that guy."
"I need to get information about him and then erase him from the ninja world, completely eliminating this hidden danger that makes me feel very uneasy."
Zetsu was silent for a moment and said, "Obito, when you asked them to investigate Uchiha Ikeizumi, they probably already realized that Uchiha Ikeizumi must have some secret."
"Neither Nagato nor Konan will investigate according to your wishes. They will probably secretly investigate to try and find your motive for doing this."
Obito frowned. "That's not likely. What motive could they possibly think I have?"
Zetsu shook his head. "You said it yourself, that woman Konan is very wary of you. And in my opinion, every move you make seems to have a deeper meaning and a hidden motive in her eyes. Especially you, as 'Madara Uchiha,' why would you inexplicably investigate a junior from the Uchiha clan?"
Hearing this, Obito's expression became a little unusual. He felt that he was already cautious enough about Konan's distrust.
Could that woman's thoughts be so meticulous?
Zetsu continued, "As long as Konan has this suspicion, she will definitely try to investigate in this direction. Obito, I warned you a long time ago not to be so impatient."
Zetsu's eyes held a hint of helplessness. The Obito Uchiha in front of him was only in his early twenties. In the eyes of a life form that had lived for thousands of years, all of Obito's actions were too hasty, making him seem very naive, which also led to the current passive situation.
In the end… Obito Uchiha was just a cheap substitute for Madara Uchiha. He was not even one-tenth as good as Madara Uchiha.
Now that Obito Uchiha's impatience had created a hole that could expose his secrets, he still had to step in and comfort him, telling him not to be so impatient and frustrated… If it were Madara Uchiha, would he have to be so tired?
Zetsu sighed slightly in his heart.
"However, the problem shouldn't be too big," Zetsu said. "Konan might not be able to find anything. After all, even we don't know why Uchiha Ikeizumi knows so many secrets. By the time she realizes what we're trying to do, and by the time she realizes she needs to make other plans, it will already be too late."
Obito let out a sigh of relief.
Zetsu suggested, "Obito, if you want to investigate Uchiha Ikeizumi and even kill him, it will be very difficult to start with him. That guy is a little powerful."
"However…"
"If he were alone, it would be very difficult to find his weakness, but he has a subordinate. It's that kid from your Uchiha clan who awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan the earliest in history."
"Uchiha Ikeizumi!" Without Zetsu needing to finish, Obito Uchiha narrowed his eyes and slowly said the last name.
Konoha, Hyūga clan compound.
Uchiha Ikeizumi had left, Hiruzen Sarutobi had left, and the Anbu had also left. All that was left was the silent members of the Hyūga clan and the bloody corpse of a young Hyūga clan member.
Feeling the gazes of his clan members, Hiashi Hyūga sighed helplessly in his heart, but his face remained calm. "Take the body inside. Find a day and give him a proper burial."
"Lord Hiashi…"
A Hyūga clan ninja tried to say something, but Hiashi Hyūga interrupted him with a cold face. "Let this matter pass. It's best to pretend that none of this ever happened. If we pursue this matter further, it will not be good for our Hyūga clan."
"The result of pursuing this matter is that the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, Lord Hokage, Uchiha Ikeizumi, and the Uchiha clan… will all stand on the opposite side of the Hyūga clan."
Just thinking about that scene made Hiashi feel a chill in his heart.
Although the Hyūga clan always prided themselves on being Konoha's number one ninja clan, it was only after the Uchiha clan was constantly ostracized by the village that they dared to say that. Before that, the true number one ninja clan in Konoha was definitely the Uchiha clan.
If the Hyūga clan were also ostracized by the various forces in the village, Hiashi Hyūga didn't dare to think about what kind of third-rate ninja clan the great Hyūga clan would become.
The Hyūga clan was able to endure the Cloud Village incident back then. So many years have passed, and they have acted as if nothing happened.
Today, it was just the death of a young member of the Hyūga branch family. It was no pressure for the Hyūga clan to endure this.
"Take this child back." Facing the gazes of some of his clan members, Hiashi Hyūga's tone became a little colder, and he repeated himself.
"…Yes!"
And what happened outside the compound soon spread throughout the entire Hyūga clan. A great Konoha ninja clan had a young member killed right outside their compound. Logically, they should demand an explanation from the Hokage and the killer, right?
But their own clan leader chose to swallow his pride.
This would make anyone feel resentful!
"Even if that Naruto Uzumaki is very likely the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, and even if that Uchiha kid is really the second son of the Uchiha clan leader… can they kill a Hyūga child in broad daylight? Can they disregard the laws of the Land of Fire?"
A Hyūga clan ninja gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Hokage has always been reminding us ninjas to be well-behaved in Konoha Village. We have been well-behaved enough, but why are the people who don't follow the rules riding on our heads, and we, the ones who follow the rules, can't resist?"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became. If he were an Uchiha clan ninja, he would probably be so indignant that he would have awakened his Sharingan. "The one who was killed was our Hyūga clan member! He was just a child! Even if he did something wrong, he shouldn't have been killed!"
Next to him, a Hyūga clan jonin from the branch family, who had a cold expression, said with his arms crossed, "Perhaps in Lord Hokage's heart, the Hyūga clan is just a tool."
Someone pouted and said, "Lord Hokage doesn't dare to show his displeasure to Uchiha Ikeizumi, but he shows it to us…"
"That's because Uchiha Ikeizumi is strong enough. If our Hyūga clan also had that kind of power, we would probably be the true number one ninja clan and surpass the Uchiha clan. By then, Lord Hokage would probably see us in a different light."
"…"
A series of resentful discussions came to an end as Hiashi Hyūga "unintentionally" walked past.
Listening to the indignant discussions of his clan members, Hiashi felt very helpless.
If the Hyūga clan had Uchiha Ikeizumi's power, Lord Hokage and the others would indeed see the Hyūga clan in a different light, but this "different light" would be a derogatory one.
His clan members probably didn't understand why the Uchiha clan was ostracized. It was because they were too strong. They had the capital to sit at the table and were so strong that they were already affecting some people's rule over Konoha!
He, the clan leader, chose to endure at the last moment. It was to prevent the Hyūga clan from becoming a target like the Uchiha clan.
Being too prominent was not a good thing.
It was a pity.
Some of the younger members of the clan might not understand his actions, but once they understood the situation in Konoha a little better, they would understand his good intentions.
Hiashi Hyūga was not like Setsuna Uchiha, who wanted to lead the Hyūga clan to a more brilliant future. He was not like Fugaku Uchiha, who wanted to maintain a balanced relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha. He just wanted to be as low-key as possible.
Only then… no matter who was the Hokage of Konoha, the Hyūga clan would still be one of the top ninja clans in Konoha.
However, his actions were all seen by Neji Hyūga.
"The main family…"
"Father…"
Neji looked at Hiashi Hyūga's back as he slowly walked away. He clenched his fists tightly and slowly took a deep breath. After thinking for less than two seconds, he turned around and walked out of the Hyūga clan compound.
He remembered that Naruto Uzumaki had left in this direction.
As for why he didn't go directly to Uchiha Ikeizumi?
A deep-seated fear in Neji's heart made him unconsciously rule out that option. Even he himself didn't know why.
Uchiha clan compound.
By the time Yamanaka Yoshinobu sent Naruto home and Sasuke to the Uchiha clan, it was already completely dark.
Sasuke watched as the Anbu ninja disappeared in a flash. A hint of envy for the Anbu ninja's strength flashed in the depths of his eyes.
But the envy quickly dissipated. Because Sasuke knew that he would be just as strong one day, or even stronger! His goal was not a mere Yamanaka Yoshinobu, but Itachi Uchiha!
"That dead-last was right… Executing justice really can bring the gift of 'Absolute Justice'!" Sasuke's eyes held a hint of shock as he murmured to himself.
Sasuke still clearly remembered the moment his sharp kunai pierced the back of that Hyūga villain's heart.
When the other party finally died, he clearly felt a power that didn't belong to him surge through his body, and this power was instantly converted into his own.
The most significant change was that his chakra reserves had increased!
This shocked Sasuke greatly.
Executing one villain gave him more than a month of hard training!
This… is this Absolute Justice?
In a daze, Sasuke unconsciously walked to his front door. When he stepped inside, he suddenly thought of something and was instantly shocked, quickly looking down at his bloodstained hands.
But before he could clean the blood off his body, his mother's voice came into his ears. "Sasuke, why are you home so late tonight? Did you find out that Ikeizumi came back to Konoha and went to see him? You… hmm? Sasuke, why are you covered in so much blood? Are you injured?"
Not long after, at the dinner table, Sasuke, who had wiped the blood off his body and changed his clothes, was sitting upright on his knees at the side of the table. On his left was his mother's worried gaze, and on his right was his father's stern gaze.
This made Sasuke feel a lot of pressure. He thought about it and felt that he couldn't hide what happened today. His father and mother would definitely find out about it.
So, Sasuke could only speak the truth in a low voice, but he hid the matter of the gift from 'Absolute Justice.'
After hearing this, Mikoto Uchiha didn't have time to react, but Fugaku Uchiha couldn't sit still.
"Sasuke… you killed someone in the village?!"
Fugaku took a deep breath. His face was grim, and his eyes were filled with disbelief as he looked at his disappointing second son. "And you killed a junior from the Hyūga clan?!"
"…Yes."
Sasuke's head hung even lower. His father's stern and harsh authority was not so easy to erase after all.
"Lord Hokage was also there?" Fugaku was already feeling extremely exhausted. "And you killed that young Hyūga clan member with Naruto Uzumaki?!"
"…Yes."
Sasuke's reply made Fugaku close his eyes in pain.
Now, even his second son was backstabbing the Uchiha clan, making it even more difficult for the Uchiha clan to gain the trust of the higher-ups! When the clan leader's eldest son and second son were both so extreme, even though Setsuna Uchiha was dead, could Lord Hokage still trust him? Could he still trust the Uchiha clan?
Just as Fugaku slowly opened his eyes, gritting his teeth in anger and about to say something to reprimand him, Mikoto Uchiha suddenly interrupted him.
"Fugaku, you should have expected this day after you found out that Sasuke chose to follow Ikeizumi's Absolute Justice. You can understand Itachi, so why can't you understand Sasuke?"
Mikoto Uchiha stood on Sasuke's side and said. "You said—you are proud of Itachi, even if he does what Ikeizumi's prophecy said he would do. Because the greatness Itachi displayed made you very proud."
"Now, the greatness Sasuke displayed might not be as great as Itachi's in your eyes. But this is also his greatness. When he chooses to do something like this for the Absolute Justice he believes in, shouldn't you, as his father… be proud of him?"
"Besides, Sasuke didn't do anything wrong. If he did something wrong, Lord Hokage, who was present, wouldn't have let him come back."
The words from his mother made Sasuke, who had his head hung low, couldn't help but look up a little.
"Mikoto, you're spoiling him too much!" Fugaku frowned. "He's not like Itachi. Itachi is for Konoha, and he is for Ikeizumi."
"But Ikeizumi is for the ninja world," Mikoto said. "Sasuke's pursuit of his nindo is also ultimately for the peace and stability of the ninja world. Is a Sasuke whose goal is the ninja world really not as great as Itachi?"
Mikoto Uchiha paused slightly and continued, "Besides, instead of saying that I'm spoiling Sasuke, it's more accurate to say that you're spoiling Itachi."
Fugaku's frown deepened. He always felt that his wife, Mikoto, was always siding with Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Sasuke suddenly realized… that the atmosphere of the conversation between his father and mother seemed to carry a hint of discord. Both sides seemed to be suppressing their anger, but because they were husband and wife, they didn't show it.
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