Chapter 209 - Akatsuki Moves Into Action
The news that a village Kage had become a Daimyō was too shocking—most who first heard it couldn't believe their ears.
But as word of the Land of Fire's "Konoha-ification" spread throughout the shinobi world, people gradually began to accept it. Yet, those with sharp insight understood: with Orochimaru setting this precedent, a real storm was coming.
Once shinobi stopped respecting royal authority, that authority was doomed. After all, a civilian army was no match for ninja.
To protect themselves, daimyōs across the continent quickly began currying favor with the leaders of their respective hidden villages.
The power dynamic had reversed—the shadow now ruled the throne.
Konoha's actions reminded the world's elite: when ninja held true power, they could decide who lived and who died.
Once again, Konoha had shifted the shinobi world's balance. Where Hashirama and Madara once ended chaos by instituting the One Country, One Village system, Orochimaru had now overturned it, placing shinobi directly above ordinary citizens.
Both men were revolutionaries of their age. Now, the world would see whose path proved more lasting.
Of course, Konoha's bold move also fanned the flames of chaos, drawing the attention of every stronghold and power broker in the shinobi world.
All eyes now turned to the newly awakened lion that was Konoha.
What would it do next?
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Amegakure – Akatsuki Base
The familiar pitch-black cave. The familiar faces. And now—some new ones, too.
This was no longer the Akatsuki of old.
In just three years, the organization had expanded rapidly. The Land of Rain's territory had grown nearly as large as the Land of Water, perhaps even larger.
And now, Akatsuki was rich.
To accommodate their growing membership, they'd even bought a fancy new conference table and some slick new chairs. A grand improvement compared to their former gathering held in dark caves.
Notably, Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Makoto sat calmly side by side, as though they'd never clashed before.
Flanking them, in addition to the familiar core members, were several newcomers—some tall, some short, some bulky, some thin.
But make no mistake: Akatsuki never accepted weaklings. Regardless of their appearance, every new member was a fearsome name known throughout the shinobi world.
"There are only two items on the agenda today," Nagato announced once everyone had gathered. "First, our stance toward Konoha. Second, the next phase of our own plan."
He spoke with his usual grave composure, signaling the start of the meeting.
"Heh. Konoha, again? You still thinking of going after them, leader?" a mocking voice rang out.
It was Gari, the infamous Explosion Release ninja and a defector from Iwagakure. He leaned forward, arms crossed.
"With Konoha locking down its intel so tightly, we don't even know how strong they are now. And if Zetsu couldn't find anything, who else could? You gonna ask Uchiha Obito?"
The last line was laced with obvious provocation.
Yes—he was doing it on purpose.
The enmity between Gari and Obito ran deep. In fact, Gari's defection from Iwagakure had everything to do with Obito.
Back then, Obito had been trying every trick to sabotage Akatsuki. That included deliberately creating enemies, sparking conflict between major villages.
Gari is just one of many pawns in Obito's long game.
Masquerading under Akatsuki's name, Obito and Yakura had stirred chaos in the Land of Earth—openly and secretly killing powerful officials to provoke Iwagakure.
Yakura, having been sacrificed in the Sand-Iwa alliance, held deep resentment toward Iwagakure. So even without Obito's urging, she was eager for revenge.
Their roles were clear:
Obito: military strategist, black market broker, and enforcer through fear.
Yakura: the joyful executioner, basking in the thrill of vengeance.
In the Land of Earth, no faction other than Iwagakure could possibly stop them. But Iwagakure, undergoing a generational gap, was hesitant.
Ōnoki, wary of conflict, tried to avoid a fight by sending out Gari and the Five-Tails' Jinchūriki, Han, merely to "deter" Obito and Yakura.
He even made sure word of their departure reached Obito and Yakura two days in advance, hoping they'd take the hint and leave peacefully.
But ironically, that was exactly what led to a confrontation.
Obito, ever the dramatist, believed that no visit to the Land of Earth was complete without clashing with its elites. After all, how else would Akatsuki become Iwagakure's public enemy?
So when the two sides met—face to face on a crowded street—there was no turning back.
What followed was inevitable.
A battle between four elite shinobi.
Gari vs. Yakura: Explosion Release vs. Scorch Release.
Obito vs. Han: Mangekyō Sharingan vs. the Five-Tails Jinchūriki.
The clash was spectacular.
The Five-Tails itself, Kokuō, even manifested—but not against Obito. It was used to fight Gari.
All four were well-known throughout the shinobi world. They didn't need to probe each other's skills—the battle entered its climax immediately.
Yakura and Gari's duel was a fiery, explosive spectacle. Both possessed kekkei genkai. Their elements fed off each other in a volatile, theatrical dance.
On the other side, Han and Obito's battle was... strange.
Who would send a Jinchūriki to fight someone with Mangekyō Sharingan?
Obito couldn't help but think: "Are you just handing me a win?"
To be fair, Gari and Han weren't entirely to blame.
Aside from Madara, no one had ever publicly used Mangekyō to control a Tailed Beast.
Even if someone had heard of it, they'd attribute it to Madara's personal power—not a general trait of the Sharingan.
But after today's battle, people would be forced to reevaluate the Uchiha clan's position in the shinobi world.