Diversion of Trouble to the East
A few days later, Akatsuki held an internal meeting.
Before Pain (Tendo) could assign missions, Obito (under the guise of Madara) signaled Zetsu to step forward and deliver an update regarding the remnants of the Uchiha clan.
Upon hearing that the surviving Uchiha had chosen to settle in the Land of Whirlpools, several members of Akatsuki reacted with keen interest. Among them, Orochimaru, Sasori, and Kakuzu stood out the most. Each had their own motivations—Orochimaru was fixated on obtaining Uchiha bloodline specimens, Sasori entertained the idea of crafting a Sharingan-wielding puppet, and Kakuzu saw them as lucrative bounties.
Bloodline Limit users were always highly coveted, especially when they operated outside the protection of a hidden village. However, the presence of Uchiha Itachi within Akatsuki made them wary. He bore the Suzaku ring, marking his official status in the organization, but more importantly, he had personally slaughtered his own clan.
A madman who had turned against his own kin could not be judged by common logic.
No one wanted to risk drawing Itachi's ire by openly discussing their interest in targeting the Uchiha remnants. Despite his relatively quiet nature, Itachi had already demonstrated his overwhelming strength in prior missions, ranking among the top members of Akatsuki.
While the Sharingan was valuable, the potential consequences of provoking Itachi were not worth the risk. However, should they encounter any Uchiha in the wild, they wouldn't hesitate to take what they desired.
Itachi, unfazed by their scrutinizing gazes, remained composed. He and Shisui had once walked the same path but had ultimately chosen different roads. If they met again, would they be allies or enemies?
Though Shisui had lost his Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi knew his old friend's true power hadn't waned. The only major drawback of using a standard three-tomoe Sharingan instead of a Mangekyō was the inability to manifest Susanoo. However, the cost of wielding Susanoo was too severe anyway.
Zetsu's report also made Itachi more suspicious. Zetsu had always been closely tied to Pain, but this action suggested he might be aligning with Obito's faction instead.
Even within Akatsuki, there were political divides.
Pain and Konan had personally recruited Sasori and Kakuzu, making them part of Pain's faction. Meanwhile, Obito had brought in Itachi and Jūzō Biwa, placing them under his own sphere of influence. Until now, Itachi had assumed Zetsu was neutral or solely loyal to Pain, but this incident hinted otherwise.
Still, allegiances in Akatsuki were fluid. If necessary, Itachi could exploit this divide and strengthen his standing with Pain's faction. But he also understood that antagonizing Obito might provoke another attack on Konoha—an outcome neither the village nor Sasuke could afford. He would have to bide his time.
With Zetsu's report concluded, Pain resumed distributing missions.
Some of these tasks originated from the black market, while others were direct contracts from daimyō and Kage. The missions ranged from assassinations to espionage and even inciting conflicts between nations. Despite Akatsuki's ultimate goal of capturing the Tailed Beasts, their mercenary operations were highly valued by ambitious leaders seeking power plays.
As the meeting adjourned, Itachi severed his Demonic Illusion: Phantom Sound Chains technique, returning to the real world.
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A Stormy Night in the Land of Water
Itachi and Jūzō Biwa were stationed in a small Earth Release-constructed shelter, seeking traces of the Nine-Tails in the Land of Water. Outside, a summer downpour raged relentlessly.
After braving the rain to retrieve rice balls, Itachi returned to find Jūzō still engaged in the Magic Lantern Body Technique.
This was unusual. Was he still communicating with Pain? Or had he received additional orders?
Ten minutes later, Jūzō finally dispelled the technique, accepting the rice ball Itachi handed him. He took a bite without hesitation, unconcerned about poison.
After finishing his meal, Jūzō wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said, "The leader contacted me privately. We've been given a new mission—infiltrate Kirigakure and investigate the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi."
Yagura, as the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, was an obvious target for Akatsuki's plans. But something felt off.
Itachi narrowed his eyes. "A mission like that won't be easy. Do you have a cover identity to get inside?"
Jūzō chuckled bitterly. "Kirigakure has more spies than it has shinobi at this point. We can just walk right in."
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A Dangerous Proposition in the Land of Rivers
Elsewhere, Orochimaru and Sasori concluded their own use of the Magic Lantern Body Technique, eyeing each other with mutual distrust.
The two had vastly different approaches—Orochimaru, a scientist obsessed with the potential of human evolution, and Sasori, an artist who saw immortality in the perfection of his puppets. They should have been kindred spirits, yet their fundamental ideological divide kept them at odds.
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with mischief. "Sasori, aren't you interested in visiting the Land of Whirlpools? The Uchiha there could provide excellent test subjects. Surely, you'd love a Sharingan Puppet?"
Sasori scoffed. "Go yourself. I have more important matters to attend to."
Orochimaru smirked, disappointed but unsurprised. Sasori had never been easy to manipulate. Still, he had hoped to use him as a pawn to probe the situation.
While the Sharingan was valuable, his Cursed Seal experiments were yielding results far beyond what simple bloodline research could provide. With his method, he could artificially cultivate shinobi nearing Jōnin-level strength.
Of course, while he had little interest in standard Sharingan, the Mangekyō Sharingan was a different matter. But attacking Itachi outright was too dangerous. A failed attempt would make him an enemy of Akatsuki as a whole.
Though Orochimaru wouldn't go to the Land of Whirlpools himself, he had another idea—Kakuzu.
A higher bounty placed on the Uchiha in the black market would be all the incentive needed to send Kakuzu hunting. And as far as Orochimaru was concerned, money was a small price to pay for valuable research specimens.
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