On a storm-soaked night, trouble arrives before it's announced.
"I saw Yahiko's shadow in him." Konan's beautiful eyes shimmered with distant memory.
Only then did Nagato's tense expression soften slightly.
"That's a good thing," he said.
Konan nodded. "I think… he'll lean toward our side."
"Then let's see how he performs," Nagato replied in a low voice. "That man… will be back soon as well."
"…Mm." Konan's gaze flickered.
She let out a quiet breath of relief.
With Kamizuki Gen's addition, the pressure she and Nagato faced from "Madara" would be greatly reduced.
No matter what rogue ninja "Madara" brought into Akatsuki next, it wouldn't weigh on her like before.
After a moment of thought, a hint of expectation appeared in Nagato's eyes.
"With Gen joining us… we can move up the plan to capture the tailed beasts."
…
…
Evening.
At the edge of the Land of Rain.
In a forest.
Obito stood on a tree branch, holding an umbrella, looking down at the figure trudging through the mud below—letting the cold, torrential rain soak his body.
He wore a blue robe, a swirling-pattern mask, and messy hair, exuding an air of mystery.
Below him, Itachi walked slowly.
A slashed Konoha forehead protector.
The same dark ANBU armor from the night of the massacre.
A blade strapped to his back.
His eyes were empty—like a walking corpse.
They moved at a slow pace.
After all, Itachi had just slaughtered his entire clan. His emotions were at rock bottom. Obito had no reason to rush him.
He knew—
this man was probably trying to numb his heart by tormenting his body.
"Itachi. We're almost at Amegakure," Obito said coldly.
"I know."
Itachi glanced up at him, gave a brief reply, and continued forward.
Rain slammed against his expressionless face, water tracing the deep lines beneath his eyes. His eyes were red—swollen.
Obito said nothing more.
Behind the mask, his single eye glowed faintly red as he prepared to activate Kamui.
At that moment—
From the mud near Amegakure, a tall, distorted figure emerged.
Itachi's gaze sharpened. He stopped.
Obito halted as well.
The figure—
a plant-like form, half black, half white—
Zetsu.
"Obi—" Zetsu started urgently, but after catching sight of Itachi, swallowed his words and quickly corrected himself. "Something's wrong. Big trouble!"
"Calm down. Speak properly," Obito said coldly.
Zetsu glanced at Itachi, signaling for a more private conversation.
Itachi understood immediately.
Without a word, he continued walking forward, distancing himself.
As his figure faded into the rain—
Zetsu sank into the ground.
Moments later, it resurfaced beside Obito.
White Zetsu spoke rapidly, unable to hide the urgency:
"Obito—this is bad! Nagato has recruited a rogue ninja from Konoha whose strength rivals his own!"
Earlier that morning, it had witnessed the battle above Amegakure.
Even now—
White Zetsu hadn't recovered from the shock.
As for Black Zetsu—
having lived for a thousand years, it understood one rule: the more you spoke, the more you revealed.
So as usual, it stayed silent and let White Zetsu handle things.
"A shinobi from Konoha… on Nagato's level?" Obito frowned. "Jiraiya? Tsunade? No—even the Sannin aren't a match for the Six Paths of Pain. Aside from them, does Konoha even have anyone above Kage level now?"
White Zetsu shook its head quickly.
"No! It's a young genius—I saw him fight the Deva Path with my own eyes!"
"A young genius?" Obito's voice turned colder. "Just tell me his name."
Ridiculous.
Among Konoha's younger generation, the most talented was Uchiha Itachi—who was right there with him.
As for the rest—
trash.
No one could possibly rival Nagato.
Even Obito himself wouldn't confidently claim he could defeat the Deva Path.
The only person who could—
was still lying underground, waiting to be revived through the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life.
He stared coldly at Zetsu, his gaze shifting toward Black Zetsu.
White Zetsu immediately shut up.
Black Zetsu let out a faint sigh.
"What it says… is true. That man is called Kamizuki Gen. We saw it ourselves—he displayed power equal to the Deva Path… and even shattered Chibaku Tensei with a single punch."
Obito's pupils shrank.
"…Impossible!"
After a moment, he forced himself to calm down, searching his memory.
Kamizuki Gen.
Nothing.
"…I've never heard of him."
"He also destroyed Konoha's Root organization," White Zetsu added, "and severely injured Shimura Danzō."
Obito's expression darkened again.
"Why wasn't I informed immediately?"
Black Zetsu replied calmly, "The intel couldn't be verified. It happened the day after the Uchiha massacre."
Silence.
Then—
Obito's patience snapped.
"We're returning to Amegakure. Now. I want to meet him."
As he spoke, Kamui began to warp space again.
Before he entered, White Zetsu asked, "So what's the plan? Kill him?"
Behind the mask, Obito's lips twitched.
"If what you're saying is true… do you think I can?"
He hadn't figured out a solution yet.
But no matter what—
he had to return.
His expression turned icy.
He would never allow an uncontrollable variable inside the Akatsuki he manipulated.
Without another word, Obito tossed aside his umbrella and vanished into Kamui.
Zetsu immediately sank into the ground and followed.
…
…
Night.
Demonic Statue Tower.
After finishing the lavish dinner delivered by the maid, Kamizuki Gen took a comfortable hot bath and changed into his tailored Akatsuki cloak.
He stood before a full-length mirror in the bathroom.
Though he couldn't see—
the ritual still mattered.
He carefully sensed his current appearance.
High collar.
With a slight tilt of his head, it could cover his chin and lips, leaving only half his face exposed.
As for the color—
he couldn't perceive it.
But based on his memories, he could easily imagine himself in the black cloak adorned with red clouds.
As for how handsome he looked—
"Heh…"
A thought crossed his mind from his previous life.
"I'm probably only about half as handsome as those readers staring at their screens right now."
He shook his head, smiling to himself.
"Honestly… what kind of normal person spends their time reading fan novels?"
Well—
he'd made it.
A full-fledged member of Akatsuki.
Just as the thought settled—
the smile on Gen's face faded.
In his perception—
three uninvited guests had just appeared in the living room.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read chapters ahead on Patreon → patreon.com/c/CelestialInkstudios