Black Zetsu Inc.
Kakuzu lounged comfortably on a plush sofa, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips.
"I can earn tens of millions a month just by living lazily. This money is way too easy," he muttered to himself.
When Kakuzu first joined Black Zetsu Inc., he had only intended to coast by.
After all, who wouldn't want to stay in a company where you got paid generously for doing nothing all day?
Just then, the "Green" ring on his finger began to glow faintly.
Kakuzu immediately sat up, his expression sharpening.
"The leader's calling a video conference? Must be something important," he whispered.
He tapped the ring, and several holographic projections appeared in front of him, each representing a remote member of the Akatsuki organization.
"What's going on, Chief?" Biwa Juzo asked curiously.
Nagato didn't respond right away. He waited until everyone had joined the call before speaking.
"I just received a commission from the Fire Daimyo. He's asked us to locate the person responsible for robbing his gold mine and is offering a reward of two billion ryo."
At the mention of such a massive bounty, the once quiet members of Akatsuki instantly erupted in excitement.
"I'll take the mission!" they shouted in unison.
"Don't even think about it! That one's mine!" Kakuzu said, his voice trembling with greed.
"Why should it go to you?" Biwa Juzo snapped. "This job should be mine!"
"Haha," Orochimaru chuckled. "I've already broken through to the second level of foundation building. Let me handle it."
"You're all wasting your breath. I'll take care of it," said Sasori flatly.
Konan, calm as always, interjected. "Don't be hasty. If the Fire Daimyo is willing to pay that much, the target must be no ordinary criminal."
"She's right," Nagato nodded. "I already have a good idea who the target is."
"Who is it, Leader?" Biwa Juzo asked eagerly.
Nagato paused before revealing the name: "Uchiha Obito."
"Obito? The guy who left the organization?" Kakuzu muttered.
"Yes. Uchiha Obito is extremely powerful. Capturing him won't be easy," Nagato said with a grim look.
He couldn't help but think of Obito's mysterious Hollow ability. If Obito truly wanted to escape, stopping him would be nearly impossible.
"What's there to be afraid of? I'll take this mission," Kakuzu said, narrowing his eyes.
"Count me in too," Orochimaru added, licking his lips. He was eager to get his hands on the Mangekyō Sharingan — and Obito had just the pair.
"I've been bored anyway. Time to stretch a bit," Sasori said, standing up lazily.
"Fine. Let's see who gets to Obito first," Biwa Juzo declared, grinning.
Just then, the door opened and Black Zetsu strode in, eyes glued to the projections. His voice trembled with excitement.
"You're going after Obito?!"
Nagato, expression steady, replied calmly, "We've accepted a mission to capture Uchiha Obito."
Black Zetsu's eyes widened in surprise — then pure joy. At last, the Akatsuki were moving against that traitor!
"If any of you kill Obito, I'll personally offer a one billion ryo bonus!" he shouted.
The Akatsuki members lit up with renewed fervor.
"Are you serious, Boss Zetsu?" someone asked.
"Of course!" Black Zetsu said, thumping his chest proudly.
"Haha! Then just wait for my good news!" Biwa Juzo laughed, then promptly ended the call.
"I hope you'll keep your word," Konan said before logging off.
"Mangekyō Sharingan…" Orochimaru murmured, eyes gleaming with greed as he vanished from the feed.
"Time for Obito to witness my new body's power," Sasori smirked before signing off.
Seeing the others go offline, Kakuzu wasted no time. He ended the call, rushed out of the building, and began his hunt for Obito.
Black Zetsu couldn't help but burst out laughing, his voice full of joy and anticipation.
"Hahaha! Uchiha Obito, your time has come!"
Truthfully, he hated Obito with every fiber of his being. This was the perfect chance to eliminate him once and for all.
He immediately sent a squad of White Zetsu to assist Akatsuki in tracking Obito's location.
---
Meanwhile, at the Pharmaceutical Company—
"Boss, I need two days off," said Tendo Pain. "Shurado will be guarding you in my absence."
"Alright," Afei nodded. "Go, and come back quickly."
With his boss's approval, Tendo Pain didn't delay. He set out immediately for the coordinates sent by White Zetsu.
Soon, Akatsuki members across the ninja world began converging on the location.
---
Somewhere in the Fire Country – A Hidden Mineral Vein
Obito was digging hard when he suddenly froze, staring into space as if sensing something.
Noticing this, Kakashi glanced at him.
"What's wrong, Obito?"
Obito snapped out of it at the sound of Kakashi's voice.
"I don't know… I have this bad feeling. Like something terrible's about to happen."
"Senior… did someone discover our secret mining operation?" Shisui asked.
In truth, this mineral vein wasn't abandoned land — it had a known owner.
Obito's group had taken control by force, knocking out the original miners and working in secret.
"It's very possible. We need to hurry!" Obito shouted, resuming his digging with urgency.
Kakashi and Shisui exchanged glances and quickened their pace.
But the ominous feeling in Obito's chest only grew stronger.
It was as if an unseen force was closing in. A weight pressing on his soul.
"It's like I'm being watched… but I don't see anyone," he muttered, anxiety creeping into his voice.
Unbeknownst to Obito, two powerful groups were rapidly closing in on his position.
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