NoviceAuthor
patreon
[NTU] [ARC-17] Chapter : 211
🕑 Added 2024-11-16 16:34:57 +0000 UTC"It was during the time I went to save Rin. That’s when he managed to obtain a part from my body," Obito muttered.
Back then, the Toshiro had taken a small piece of his tissue, and Obito hadn’t dared to react, lest he expose Zetsu's existence. At the time, it had seemed inconsequential, but now, in hindsight, the act of harvesting his cells carried an unsettling implication.
"That incident..." Obito trailed off, his memory flashing back.
Even so, he reasoned, this likely had no direct connection to Toshiro’s awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan. After all, that had happened six or seven years ago.
"Regardless, this cannot be overlooked," Black Zetsu said firmly, his tone darkening. "Uchiha Toshiro is a danger—and he must be eliminated!"
After discussing with White Zetsu and learning what had transpired, Black Zetsu seemed uncertain. Was this action taken out of mere curiosity, or had it been intentional? If it was the latter, it raised the unsettling possibility that Uchiha Toshiro knew something he wasn’t supposed to.
"You're all being overly paranoid," Obito interjected dismissively. "A small fragment of White Zetsu’s cells won’t make a significant difference. At best, it might delay the onset of blindness caused by the Mangekyo Sharingan."
Obito seemed unconcerned. "It’s just a tiny piece—it’s insufficient to sustain the Mangekyō's energy demands for long. Trust me, I would know."
He turned back toward his desk, his voice steady. "Stick to the plan. Once we have full control over Yagura and Akatsuki is functioning as intended, we’ll deal with Uchiha Toshiro and the rest of the Uchiha clan appropriately."
"But..."
Black Zetsu's tone carried a hint of dissent.
While a small fragment of White Zetsu might not seem significant on its own, other troubling factors made him uneasy.
There had been unexplained disappearances of White Zetsu units—spies embedded in Konoha—around the same time. Coincidentally, Uchiha Toshiro had been spotted active near Kirigakure during this period. The connection was too suspicious to ignore.
Obito, sensing Black Zetsu's lingering dissatisfaction, cut him off before he could voice further concerns. His tone was firm but measured as he shifted the discussion.
"Don’t worry," Obito assured, his gaze steady beneath his mask. "It won’t take long. A year or two at most, and we’ll wrap things up here."
"Our focus needs to remain on Nagato. Once he gathers enough manpower, it won’t matter whether Yagura is under our control or not. Akatsuki will have all the strength we need."
After finishing his statement, Obito stood silently by Yagura's desk, his gaze fixed on the unconscious figure before him.
It was a testament to the caliber of those who could become Kage—none of them were simple to deal with. Even with his Mangekyō Sharingan, fully subduing both Yagura and the Three-Tails inside him proved to be a considerable challenge.
If only he weren’t a Jinchūriki, Obito mused. In that case, he could have easily used a White Zetsu clone to impersonate Yagura. This would free him to focus more on Nagato’s progress without the constant need for direct intervention.
—
Meanwhile, far removed from these schemes, Uchiha Toshiro remained blissfully unaware of the growing storm surrounding him. At the moment, he was occupied with the unwelcome suspicions of a group of tense Iwa-nin, who seemed increasingly suspicious of his presence.
Toshiro had taken refuge in an empty, long-abandoned residence within Iwagakure. The house’s original owner was likely out on an extended mission, leaving it overlooked and unused—an ideal temporary hideout for him. Yet now, with the watchful eyes of these shinobi on him, the situation had become a headache.
Under the cover of night, Toshiro stealthily made his way to the Iwa Shinobi cemetery. Moving silently among the gravestones, his sharp gaze scanned the area until he finally found what he was searching for.
"There you are," he murmured.
Using a small snake crafted from ink, he discreetly extracted a fragment of tissue from the corpse of what appeared to be a high-ranking Iwa Shinobi. Without delay, he slipped away under the cloak of darkness, making his exit from Iwa Ninja Village.
Not far from the village, in a secluded location on the outskirts, Toshiro activated a summoning technique. The ritual utilized a bandit he had captured earlier to temporarily resurrect the freshly buried Iwa Shinobi.
The summoned figure, spectral and disoriented, delivered startling news.
"What did you say?" Toshiro's expression hardened as he processed the revelation. "The Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi, has fallen out with the Tsuchikage... and left the village on his own."
The implications of this news caused his brow to furrow deeply.
"When did this happen?"
"Just... last month," replied the thin, frail man with a wooden expression, revealing everything Toshiro wanted to know without hesitation.
"Last month?" Toshiro murmured, a hint of regret flickering in his eyes. Had he arrived earlier, his mission to gather tailed beast chakra might have been much easier.
Realizing that pursuing Rōshi was now futile, he shifted his focus to another matter. "Do you know where the Secret Book of Dust Release is kept?"
The man hesitated briefly before responding, his voice as lifeless as his demeanor. "Dust Release... It is taught personally by the Third Tsuchikage. No written records... are ever kept."
Toshiro’s eyes narrowed. This revelation confirmed that acquiring knowledge about Dust Release would be even more challenging than he anticipated.
The senior Iwa Shinobi seemed to be making a final, desperate effort to resist as he spoke, attempting to control his thoughts.
However, any defiance was utterly ineffective against Toshiro's Mangekyo.
"Where is the body of the Second Tsuchikage? And who is the Five-Tails’ jinchūriki?" Toshiro asked, his tone calm but commanding.
The revelation about Dust Release being passed down solely through oral tradition had caught him off guard, though it wasn’t a significant obstacle.
'If I can’t get the knowledge from Ōnoki, then there’s still his master,' he thought, his gaze sharpening. Though summoning the Second Tsuchikage might make things... complicated. I wonder if he’ll try to fight me even indeath.
"The Five-Tails’ jinchūriki is Han," the Iwa Shinobi revealed, his voice faltering. "He lives in the northwest corner, far from the village."
"And the Second Tsuchikage’s body?" Toshiro pressed, his expression unyielding.
"...The Second Tsuchikage is buried in... in..." The man’s voice trembled, the strain evident as he struggled to continue.
As the high-ranking Iwa Shinobi uttered his final words, his body abruptly crumbled and disintegrated on its own.
“Tch! Is this what they call the Will of Stone?” Toshiro muttered disdainfully.
---
At the Outskirts of Iwagakure, Land of Earth
A solitary stone house stood isolated against a barren, desolate landscape. Constructed from earthen materials, it was solid and unyielding, a testament to its durability. Surrounding it was a wilderness of weeds, scattered dead trees, adding an air of melancholy and abandonment.
From afar, the house appeared shrouded in darkness, save for the dim flicker of a rickety oil lamp, casting faint, ghostly light through the gloom. Moss clung stubbornly to its walls, and the dust-covered ground bore silent testimony to its neglect and isolation.
Locals whispered chilling tales about this house—a legend of a terrifying monster said to dwell within. According to the stories, the creature delighted in devouring disobedient children who dared to wander too close.
"Another misunderstood and abandoned jinchūriki," Toshiro murmured under his breath, his tone cold as his eyes fixed on the house from a distance.
Activating his heightened senses, he scanned the area, detecting faint shadows lurking around the house. Confirming their positions, he melted into the surrounding darkness, moving silently and deliberately toward his goal.
By the time Toshiro reappeared, he was already at the door of the stone house.
The Iwa ANBU stationed nearby were no longer a concern—they had succumbed to an unnatural slumber. Even if there was a commotion now, they wouldn’t notice a thing. And should suspicions arise later? That was of no consequence to him. By then, he would be far from Iwagakure, beyond their reach.
“Who’s there?"
A gruff voice barked from within the house, cutting through the silence before Toshiro could make his next move.
“Han, the Third Tsuchikage has sent for you,” Toshiro replied smoothly, his voice calm and confident.
Though his presence had been detected, he remained unfazed. The lie slipped from his tongue effortlessly, woven with such ease it carried the weight of truth.
"The Third Tsuchikage looking for me?"
"It's so late, why is he asking about me for?"
