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[NTU] [ARC-18] Chapter : 214
🕑 Added 2024-11-23 18:32:01 +0000 UTCKonan, having just finished organizing the party, turned to Nagato beside her, worry evident in her eyes.
"Are we really going to proceed with Madara's plan to collect the tailed beasts? Doing so would make us enemies of the five great nations!"
Though still grieving the loss of her beloved, Konan, as a pragmatic woman, believed the matter should end here—especially since the murderer, Hanzo, was already dead.
"Konan, I will never forget the day Yahiko died!" Nagato declared firmly. "I also want to ensure no one else experiences the pain I endured!"
While Konan did not agree with Madara's plan, Nagato remained resolute. According to his vision, stripping the five great nations of their tailed beasts would grant him absolute authority, elevating him to the status of the "god" of the world.
When the time comes, the peace Yahiko dreamed of will surely emerge, just as the name of their organization symbolizes hope.
"However, Madara Uchiha cannot be trusted! And your body is far too frail to endure such power output," Konan cautioned, her gaze lingering on Nagato's emaciated frame, a shadow of his former self.
Her eyes held a flicker of pity. She knew the burden Nagato carried—having been forced to kill Yahiko with his own hands. That guilt weighed heavily on him, and Konan had long blamed herself for the events of that tragic day.
Over the years, she had tried countless times to dissuade him and steer him away from the path he had chosen.
But Nagato seemed unable to move past that fateful incident.
"Konan, this is Yahiko's dream!" Nagato declared, his voice resolute.
To become a god or to bring peace to this fractured world—this was Yahiko's vision. And now, the only thing Nagato could do was devote himself entirely to realizing that dream.
Toshiro managed to locate the Iwa Shinobi, who had contacted the Akatsuki organization. Quietly taking control of the situation, he assigned the mission of tracking down Roshi, along with another mission, to the Akatsuki.
With that handled, Toshiro made his way directly to the village hidden in the Mist.
—-
Inside a luxurious inn in Kirigakure, a rotund innkeeper with a perpetual squint and a broad, toothy grin greeted a mustachioed middle-aged merchant.
"Oh! Boss Fujiwara, how's business going this time?" the innkeeper asked cheerfully.
"Not bad," the merchant replied with a nod. "In about ten days, this batch of goods will be ready to sell."
"Thanks to you for your hospitality these past few days. I'll be sure to show my gratitude when the time comes!" he added with a polite smile.
The mustachioed Boss Fujiwara, with his tall, sturdy build and affluent demeanor, appeared poised to finalize the sale of his goods. With a warm smile, he assured the innkeeper of his gratitude.
"Then I wish Boss Fujiwara great success in business!" the innkeeper replied, bowing slightly.
Fujiwara, hailing from the Land of Craftsmen, was a prized guest. Known for his luxurious merchandise, which sold slowly due to their exclusivity, he had been residing at the inn for nearly four months.
In addition to his extended stay, Fujiwara's generosity left a lasting impression. The innkeeper, eager to please, treated him with the utmost respect.
"You fools! Hurry up and guide Lord Fujiwara! Standing there like statues—do you want the ninjas to haul you off for questioning?" The innkeeper barked at his staff, his tone sharp.
Thanks to Fujiwara’s goodwill, he had also connected local merchants with lucrative opportunities. When the business deals were completed, the potential profits promised to be substantial.
As this thought crossed his mind, the innkeeper hastily urged his staff to escort their esteemed guest.
This was a valuable customer—one he couldn’t afford to keep waiting.
The mere mention of "ninja" by the innkeeper seemed to hold an almost supernatural weight. The moment his subordinates heard the word, they looked visibly shaken, scrambling to lead Toshiro, disguised as the merchant Fujiwara, on his way.
"The owner is certainly hospitable!"
Walking with measured, deliberate steps behind the innkeeper's staff, Toshiro observed their fearful reactions with little surprise. He understood why the mere mention of "ninja" sent shivers down their spines.
This was, after all, the Village Hidden in the Mist, infamous for its "Bloody Mist" era. Here, even ordinary ninja were enough to terrify civilians, let alone those with bloodline abilities.
"Things are getting a bit tricky..."
Once back in his room, Toshiro sank into a chair, rubbing his temples as a sense of unease crept over him.
Given the unique nature of Kirigakure, Toshiro refrained from revealing his true identity. Instead, he assumed the guise of Fujiwara, a merchant, to avoid drawing the attention of White Zetsu.
Of course, Fujiwara was a real person—but not exactly a virtuous one. After taking care of the original, Toshiro appropriated his identity and brought his goods into Kirigakure.
By now, Toshiro had collected six samples of Tailed Beast chakra, completing two-thirds of his goal. However, the remaining targets—the Three-Tails, Four-Tails, and Six-Tails—presented significant challenges.
Fortunately, acquiring the Six-Tails’ chakra seemed manageable. He had already scouted the location and needed only to choose the right moment to claim it.
The Three-Tails and Four-Tails, on the other hand, posed greater difficulties.
There had been no updates on the Four-Tails from the Akatsuki, and even the Three-Tails presented challenges that were proving hard to navigate.
Based on the information he had gathered over the past few days, it was clear that the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was under Obito's control. To enforce the "Bloody Mist" plan, Yagura's movements were highly restricted. When he did appear, he was heavily guarded, surrounded by numerous white Zetsu clones.
Stealing the Three-Tails’ chakra unnoticed seemed nearly impossible.
"It seems I can’t make a move here in Kirigakure." Toshiro muttered to himself.
Staying true to his careful approach, Toshiro spent another week evaluating his options. Ultimately, he concluded that attempting anything within Kirigakure, essentially the enemy’s home turf, was too risky. Instead, he needed to find a way to lure Yagura away from the village.
That night, after successfully obtaining the Six-Tails’ chakra, Toshiro departed Kirigakure and began executing his next plan.
Unbeknownst to him, it was precisely his careful disguise that allowed Toshiro to evade the watchful eyes of White Zetsu and avoid detection by Pain. However, this anonymity was only temporary.
Land of Fire.
On a chaotic battlefield, an emerald-green giant retracted the spiraling sword in its hand.
The scene was one of utter devastation. Bodies lay scattered across the ground, deep trenches carved into the earth, fires still smoldering, and the remains of kunai and shuriken littered the area—all evidence of a fierce battle that had just taken place.
"Finally, these enemies are dealt with," Shisui muttered, wiping blood from the corner of his eye. He deactivated his powerful eye technique and turned his attention to the edge of the battlefield, where a gravely injured Konoha ninja lay, barely clinging to life.
Judging by the severity of the wounds, it was clear the man wouldn’t last much longer without help.
"Domen, stay with me!" Shisui urged as he pulled out a vial of the Uchiha clan’s secret medicine. With steady hands, he injected the serum directly into Domen’s vein.
"Is... is the mission complete?" Domen rasped weakly, his voice barely audible.
The invigorating effects of the Uchiha secret medicine momentarily revived Domen, who had been teetering on the brink of death. His gaze wandered over the lifeless bodies scattered around him before settling on Shisui.
"Domen, do you have any final words?" Shisui asked softly.
"No... I don’t," Domen replied weakly. "I’m just an orphan... no family, no friends in the village."
Despite knowing his time was almost up, Domen showed no signs of fear or despair. His expression remained calm, almost unnervingly so.
"In that case, I have something to ask of you," Shisui said, his brow furrowing.
He hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was right to burden a dying man. But as his eyes swept over Domen, dressed in the same green vest as himself, and the countless other lifeless comrades lying around, Shisui’s resolve hardened.
"Our mission was supposed to be top secret," Shisui began, his tone firm. "Even the Hokage shouldn’t have known our precise retreat route. So how did these enemy ninjas manage to intercept us? And why did they attack without hesitation the moment they recognized our forehead protectors?"
The unspoken question hung heavily in the air, suspicion and unease etched into Shisui's face.
