Chapter 210 - Akatsuki Moves Into Action (Part 2)
Obito stood silently, calm and unmoving. With a single, piercing glare from his eyes, Han's body involuntarily transformed into the Five-Tails, Kokuō.
A towering, deer-like beast with five massive tails emerged, shaking the earth with each thunderous step. But what drew the most attention weren't its chakra surges—but the Mangekyō Sharingan patterns glowing in its eyes, identical to Obito's own.
At first, Gari was relieved. He thought Han's transformation meant the battle was over—Kokuō's power alone should be enough to overwhelm even Obito.
After all, the Five-Tails' strength was among the top tier of tailed beasts, its five tails capable of unleashing chakra from the earth, fire, water, wind, and lightning natures. It had bested both the Two-Tails and Four-Tails in the past, and even once challenged the Nine-Tails alongside the Two-Tails. Though they lost, it still proved the Five-Tails' immense strength.
But dreams and reality often don't align.
Gari's optimism was short-lived. Moments later, he was nearly stomped flat by Kokuō's massive hoof. That's when he noticed the Sharingan pattern in the beast's eyes—and realized the terrible truth.
Obito had completely subjugated Kokuō.
Obito didn't want to hand the Five-Tails over to Nagato just yet, so after the fight, he faked a chakra exhaustion episode, allowing Kokuō to "escape" after leaving the Land of Earth.
Han, however, wasn't so lucky.
Obito understood his mission well—weaken every major power aside from Konoha. In this cruel world, mercy to an enemy now would only mean cruelty to your comrades later. If Han survived today, countless Konoha shinobi might die by his hand tomorrow.
That was a cost Obito refused to pay.
—
Gari, meanwhile, limped back to Iwagakure in disgrace.
Ōnoki summoned him immediately, assuming Han was right behind him. But when he asked where Han was, Gari froze.
He didn't want to admit he'd fled mid-battle. But with dozens of witnesses around during the fight, there was no point lying. He told the truth.
Ōnoki said nothing—at least not on the surface. After all, Iwagakure had few top-tier fighters left. With Han potentially lost, their strength had been severely crippled.
Han wasn't just a powerful shinobi—he was their nuclear deterrent. A living weapon. One they couldn't afford to lose.
Ōnoki immediately sent Gari, Akatsuchi, and five elite jōnin to track down Obito and Yakura, hoping to recover Han—or at least Kokuō.
But it was too late. Obito had already moved the Five-Tails beyond the Land of Earth's borders.
Despite a full-scale search, Iwagakure found nothing. In the end, all they could do was raise Obito and Yakura's bounties and add another mark to their infamy.
Bad news travels fast.
The failure of two of Iwagakure's elites, especially with one being a jinchūriki, quickly spread throughout the village. Once respected, Gari was now seen as a coward and disgrace.
Ōnoki may not have punished him directly, but the shame burned deep. With time, it only grew worse.
Until one day, a drunk jōnin mocked Gari to his face—calling him a deserter.
That was the spark.
Overcome by rage, Gari snapped, killing the jōnin and several bystanders who tried to intervene. When the haze lifted, he saw the bloodshed—and knew there was no going back.
Fearing Ōnoki's judgment, and fed up with the village's whispers, Gari defected that very night.
His goal was simple:
"Revenge. Revenge. Revenge."
He blamed everything on Obito. In Gari's eyes, it wasn't about being weak—it was that Obito had cheated by controlling a tailed beast. If not for that, it would've been a fair fight.
And so, Gari spent the next year hunting him down.
Obito and Yakura had left behind clear trails—and with Akatsuki's growing influence, tracking them to Amegakure wasn't difficult.
Unfortunately, Nagato's Rain Tiger Vision Technique constantly monitored the village. Gari's chakra was sensed the moment he stepped in.
But he got lucky. Only Uchiha Makoto's team was available. Nagato sent them to intercept.
Had Obito responded instead, Gari wouldn't have survived.
Makoto originally didn't plan to spare him either. But when Gari saw Makoto's Sharingan, he mistook him for an Obito ally and roared:
"Bring Obito out here!"
Those words saved his life.
Makoto had long desired to take Obito down but never found the right opportunity. Their strengths were too evenly matched—and with Obito growing stronger, Makoto's chances were shrinking.
But now? A gift.
"The enemy of my enemy… is my weapon."
Makoto decided to test Gari's worth.
Their fight was brief—and brutal. Makoto overwhelmed Gari in every category: taijutsu, ninjutsu, tactics.
But Gari's ferocious use of Explosion Release earned Makoto's respect.
Standing atop Gari's head, Makoto offered him a place in Akatsuki.
Humiliated but desperate, Gari accepted.
He knew dying here was pointless. And if it meant a chance at revenge against Obito, he'd endure the shame.
Once he learned Makoto also sought to destroy Obito, Gari gladly agreed to join.
Makoto brought him to Nagato, who—eager for more strong allies—welcomed him into Akatsuki.
By the time Obito learned of it, it was already too late.
From that day on, Gari became Makoto's teammate—and a constant thorn in Obito's side.
Makoto didn't dare face Obito alone, and Obito wasn't confident he could beat Makoto in a fair fight either. So the two rivals… endured.
For now.
But Obito swore that one day, he'd kill them both.
Nagato didn't know all this at first. But while investigating Gari's background, he pieced everything together.
And truth be told, he approved.
Obito had weakened Iwagakure, raised Akatsuki's reputation, and even recruited another powerhouse. The only regret was not bringing back the Five-Tails.
Still, now wasn't the time for infighting. So Nagato said nothing. Obito was still a useful tool—he never disobeyed direct orders and always got the job done. He'd made enemies, sure, but only in service of the cause. The more enemies Obito had, the more he needed Akatsuki's protection.
Nagato turned to Gari and spoke:
"Forget the Nine-Tails for now. I'll handle that. Your job is to collect the other Tailed Beasts."
Everyone nodded. Nagato's decisions weren't to be questioned.
Then, turning to Obito and Yakura:
"You're already blacklisted in Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo. Don't go near them. You and Yakura will handle Sunagakure. Bring back the One-Tail, Shukaku."
He turned to Makoto and Gari:
"You two go to Iwagakure and capture the Four-Tails."
Then, glancing between Zetsu and Kakuzu, Nagato hesitated. Zetsu was a master of intel but not combat. Kakuzu alone wasn't enough to retrieve a Tailed Beast.
Finally, he looked at Sasori and Kisame:
"Zetsu will gather intel. Kakuzu, you'll go with Sasori and Kisame. Your mission: extract the Two-Tails and Three-Tails from Kirigakure."
Kisame had recently joined Akatsuki. A former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he was the second wielder of Samehada. He'd once faithfully served Kirigakure—until betrayal shattered that loyalty.
He once killed his own teammates to protect sensitive intel. But when his superior, Fuguki Suikazan, sold secrets to save his own skin, Kisame executed him too.
Lost and disillusioned, Kisame nearly took his own life—until he met Obito and Yakura.
Seeing potential, they brought him into Akatsuki to counterbalance Makoto and Gari's growing influence.
"As for Kumogakure… I'll go personally," Nagato declared.
His gaze swept the room—pausing on Gari.
"Any objections?"
Silence.
Seeing their compliance, Nagato revealed the method to seal the Tailed Beasts, then dismissed them.
---
Konoha – Rear Forest Training Grounds
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Two figures darted through the forest, trees snapping like twigs in their wake.
It was Kazane and Jiriku, exchanging blows with incredible speed and force.
Jiriku had recently made another breakthrough in strength and had challenged Kazane to see just how far the gap had closed.
Kazane, long idle in the office, was happy to stretch his legs.
Nearby, Might Guy, Might Duy, and Uchiha Itachi watched silently, observing the clash between titans to refine their own techniques.