The scene with the Mist-nin Chūnin was only the beginning.
It would not be the last, Gen knew such incidents would repeat every single day from now on.
Each day, he would send out half of his spirit through the Spirit Transformation Technique, slipping into enemy minds, bending their will, and harvesting their souls.
Uchiha Gen had already decided and this was now part of his daily routine.
That Chūnin's body had been seized in an instant, his terror feeding the jutsu, and his soul and lifespan were devoured within the prison of his own consciousness.
Because it all happened inside the mindscape, no one without extraordinary sensory ability could detect anything unusual.
But Gen was cautious. If the Hidden Mist lost too many shinobi too quickly, they would simply pull back their forces. So, suppressing his greed, he set a strict plan; sixty Genin, six Chūnin, and one Jōnin per month.
Today had been his first harvest, and he'd indulged a little more freely.
But from now on, he would stick to the quota.
The Mist had over fourteen hundred shinobi on this front alone with twenty-plus Jōnin, more than three hundred Chūnin, and around twelve hundred Genin.
Even if he excluded support personnel, his 'supply' would last a long time.
A week passed. The slight uptick in casualties caused by Gen's feeding went unnoticed by the Mist's higher-ups.
Then, one cold noon, high on a mountain ridge near Konoha's frontline camp, the snow and wind twisted into a whirlpool. Out of the distortion stepped two figures.
One wore a black cloak and a white mask etched with dark patterns. The other was pale as bone, with algae-green hair.
"Tobi," the masked man said evenly, "call in the Zetsu who are monitoring Konoha."
"No problem."
Tobi closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he grinned. "Done."
Within seconds, four White Zetsu erupted from beneath the snow, where soil lay hidden under the ice.
Uchiha Obito stood with the wind tugging at his robes, voice steady and detached.
"How's the target?"
One Zetsu answered promptly:
"He was promoted recently to Vice Commander. Stays in camp most of the time, rarely leaves."
"Vice Commander?" Obito murmured.
Another Zetsu added, "He's risen fast. Just two years from Genin to Vice Commander. Even Kakashi didn't climb that quickly."
Behind the mask, Obito's lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "And what's a Vice Commander worth?"
Tobi tilted his head. "Don't get jealous. You're stronger than him now. Every move you make shakes the shinobi world."
Obito: "…"
"You don't need to console me," he said quietly. "Power, titles, and achievements, they don't matter. What matters is peace… a peace where Rin exists."
His voice dropped, almost tender, before turning sharp again.
"What about the camp's defenses?"
"Core of Konoha's position. Protected by a barrier, and heavy guard. Also…" The Zetsu hesitated. "He has a summoned beast. It doesn't vanish with time or return to its habitat. It's always there."
Obito's gaze hardened behind the mask. "Keep watching him. Report the instant he leaves camp."
"Yes." The Zetsu melted back into the snow.
Tobi exhaled. "A beast on watch duty complicates things. Otherwise, with your strength, a quick ambush could finish him."
Obito's reply was cool, dismissive. "It doesn't matter. He can't slip away forever. If anything, it'll be more entertaining outside camp." His eye glinted. "I, the so-called dropout of the Uchiha, want to test the so-called Uchiha prodigy."
Tobi chuckled. "You've got a twisted sense of fun."
"I just finished tightening Yagura and the Sanbi under my control. This will be… a distraction."
"Fine, but don't botch it."
Obito's tone was scornful. "Relax. He's not Namikaze Minato. And if I fail, there will be other chances. Worst case, I can always target another three-tomoe Uchiha. The clan has no shortage."
With that, Obito placed a hand on Tobi's shoulder. A whirlpool opened, swallowing them into Kamui.
Days later, still no word from the Zetsu. Obito's patience frayed.
In the Mizukage's office, Yagura sat stiffly at his desk, eyes suddenly blank. A vortex tore reality open, and Obito and Tobi stepped into the room as though it were their own.
Obito dropped onto the desk, picked up Yagura's half-finished coffee, and pulled his mask up to sip. Tobi sprawled lazily beside him.
"What if we have Zetsu sap chakra from two Konoha Jōnin and bait him out?" Tobi suggested.
For a moment, Obito considered it. Then he shook his head. "Too easy to fail. As Vice Commander, he holds authority over them. He won't just follow their lead."
He tapped his fingers on the cup. "But… your idea sparked something. Instead of bait, what if Zetsu impersonates an Anbu envoy? Carrying a direct order from the Hokage's council."
Tobi's eyes widened, then narrowed with appreciation. "Perfect. He couldn't ignore that. No risk of him refusing."
Obito's smile was thin. "To be certain, I won't use Yagura's people for the disguise. I'll procure an actual Anbu uniform from Konoha. No room for doubt."
"Meticulous as ever," Tobi said admiringly. "You've grown sharper than when Madara first picked you up."
Obito's glare cut through him. He hadn't been stupid back then but only naïve, hot-blooded, and kind.
He despised the reminder.
Tobi shrank back, chuckling awkwardly. "Where should we set the stage?"
Obito's voice softened with a cold poetry.
"Near the front lines lies Crimson Moon Lake. In autumn, the maple leaves set the mountains ablaze, their reflection turning the waters scarlet, like liquid fire.
I'll take his eyes there. Then I'll sink his body into that lake. For a fellow clansman, a classmate, I'll give him a burial fitting of Uchiha, fiery, beautiful, and eternal."
Tobi blinked, then sighed dramatically. "So thoughtful, Obito. Truly benevolent."
Obito's face darkened. "...Are you mocking me?"
Tobi shook his head quickly. "No! I mean it."
"Really?"
"Really!"
Obito exhaled through his nose. "Hmph. You White Zetsu think in strange ways. Me? I don't care who dies. In the new world, everyone will be reborn anyway. But benevolent?" He scoffed. "That's not me."
He stood, mask sliding back down. His Sharingan whirled into Mangekyō, power lashing through Yagura's mind, tightening the faltering strings of control.
Then, without another word, he seized Tobi's shoulder and vanished into Kamui, leaving Yagura bent over his paperwork, signing with mechanical precision.
Whether the documents made sense? That was irrelevant.
The operation against Uchiha Gen would begin the very next day.