Tenzo Biwa's hand grazed the cold backrest of the chair in the interrogation room, his eyes flickering with unease as they darted from Jiraiya to Uchiha Akainu, and then to the ninja cat.
Whew…
Why did it feel like Uchiha Akainu was the real member of the Akatsuki, while Tenzo himself was just some disposable outsider?
The corner of Tenzo's mouth twitched. As a member of the Akatsuki, he realized he knew less than Akainu did. It gave him an odd sense of defeat, like he was out of the loop in his own organization.
The worst part? He couldn't even trade the bits of Akatsuki intel he was allowed to share to get info about "Uchiha Madara" from Akainu. Worse still, he'd overheard secrets he definitely wasn't supposed to know. It was giving him a headache.
Just then, he noticed Akainu's gaze settle on him.
Akainu spoke again, but instead of demanding a trade for critical intel, the molten-beast shinobi skipped over topics like Konan and Nagato entirely. He cut straight to the point, his voice cold and matter-of-fact: "The 'Uchiha Madara' in the Akatsuki? He's not the real deal. The real Madara died years ago."
Just as Akainu had no duty to keep Nagato or Konan's secrets, he had even less reason to cover for Uchiha Obito.
Akainu continued, his tone as casual as if he were chatting about the weather: "The so-called 'Uchiha Madara' in your group? His real name's Uchiha Obito. A vile criminal, the kind of scum justice demands we take down."
"He's just using Madara's name to work with Nagato and Konan. Or rather, he's using them, manipulating the Akatsuki to achieve his own goals."
Jiro, the ninja cat, chimed in: "Meow, that sneaky rat Obito's got a weird Mangekyo Sharingan, too. It lets him phase through stuff, so nobody can touch him."
"Lord Akainu called it a totally cheating ability. Meow, I think it's called… what was it again?"
"…Kamui phasing?!"
Tenzo's eyes widened. "!!!"
What?! So the "Uchiha Madara" Konan talked about was a fake!
Even Konan had been fooled by this guy named Obito!
No, wait. Konan must've sensed something was off but couldn't quite pin it down. That's why she sent Tenzo to the Leaf Village to dig up dirt on "Madara" from Akainu!
It clicked for Tenzo in a flash.
But then it hit him—he'd just learned another secret he wasn't supposed to know.
If word of what happened in this interrogation room got out, Konan might decide to tie up loose ends. And this Obito guy? He'd probably try to kill Tenzo, too.
Because Tenzo knew way too much.
Akainu's voice was slow and deliberate: "It's a cheating ability, sure, but it's not flawless. He can only stay phased for five minutes. After that, there's a cooldown before he can use it again. How long that cooldown is? I don't know yet."
Tenzo took a deep breath, his expression a mix of emotions. "You… you just spilled all this critical info without asking me to trade anything for it?"
Was Akainu being too generous? Or… was he trying to screw Tenzo over?
Was he trying to get Tenzo killed by making him know too much?!
Akainu's tone stayed icy: "Because to me, this isn't some big secret or valuable intel. It's just basic info about a criminal justice needs to deal with. When the police force issues a wanted poster, do they treat the criminal's details like a secret?"
"On the contrary," he paused, then continued, "the police want everyone to know as much about the criminal as possible. The more people know, the better."
Tenzo opened his mouth to respond but stopped short.
His way of thinking and Akainu's… they weren't on the same wavelength.
Or maybe… Akainu's perspective was just bigger. Tenzo was still thinking like a ninja, but Akainu? He seemed to have moved beyond that mindset entirely—a thought that popped into Tenzo's head out of nowhere.
"Uchiha Obito…" Jiraiya, whose face had been burning with embarrassment, muttered. The name sounded familiar. Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning: "That's Minato's student! He was in the same class as Kakashi Hatake!"
Akainu glanced at him. "Jiraiya, the first 'Child of Prophecy' you went looking for? He's now obsessed with making the ninja world feel pain."
"And your second 'Child of Prophecy'? His student, Obito, has become one of the ninja world's worst villains, on par with the likes of Orochimaru or Danzo."
"Jiraiya, you're still out here looking for a third Child of Prophecy? Makes me wonder if you're just gonna train another monster."
"It also makes me wonder if you're the real source of all this evil. Maybe Jiro's been right about you all along."
Jiraiya: "…"
He was speechless. For once, he had no comeback.
Because right now, Jiraiya was lost in his own confusion.
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere:
"A Rain Village envoy? The rogue Mist ninja from the Seven Swordsmen, Tenzo Biwa?" When Fugaku heard the Hokage's orders relayed by an Anbu, he struggled to connect the dots.
The Anbu explained, "Tenzo Biwa seems to have joined the Rain Village and is now one of their ninja. His status as an envoy makes him a special case, so the Hokage wants the police force to release him ASAP."
Fugaku nodded in understanding. "Got it."
His stern face didn't show it, but internally, he breathed a sigh of relief. The Hokage giving the Uchiha police force a task meant the clan was still seen as useful. As long as they were useful, the Leaf's higher-ups wouldn't push the Uchiha into a corner.
It was a delicate balance, one Fugaku believed he was maintaining. His efforts, and Itachi's, seemed to be paying off. Things weren't as dire as they'd feared.
Fugaku rushed to the underground interrogation room at the police headquarters, worried that any delay might mean Tenzo Biwa ending up dead.
But when he got there, the room was empty.
He asked the guard, only to learn Tenzo had been released two minutes earlier.
"Akainu let him go?" Fugaku was stunned.
That was… unexpected.
---
"Didn't think I'd get this intel in this way," Tenzo muttered, slinging his massive Decapitating Carving Knife over his shoulder. His face carried a complicated expression. "Now the question is… is passing this info to Konan the right move?"
"That woman gave me this mission knowing it'd stir up trouble. She definitely didn't have good intentions!"
This was bound to piss off "Uchiha Obito" big time.
Lost in his dilemma, Tenzo didn't notice a strange, white Zetsu clone lurking in the dense branches of a tree nearby, its presence almost completely erased.
The Zetsu, having slipped into the Uchiha compound, was watching Tenzo as he left the police headquarters.
Zetsu narrowed its eyes. "He walked out of the police station alive. Does that mean he traded intel with Uchiha Akainu? Does he know things he shouldn't?"
Just as Zetsu sent the intel out, a faint rustling sound came from behind.
The moment it turned in shock, a hand grabbed its neck, twisting its head 360 degrees. The hand then turned into searing lava, engulfing the Zetsu clone in an instant.
"Too many rats around," Uchiha Akainu said flatly, leaping down from the tree.
"Another one of those weird creatures, meow," Jiro said, hopping down beside him. "Last time, we saw one of these freaky white humanoid things at the Leaf Village cemetery. Seems like they're tied to that Obito guy."
"Lord Akainu, does this mean Obito's close by? Maybe even in the Leaf Village? Did he get bold again after you scared him off last time?"
Akainu's voice was calm. "Looks like it was watching Tenzo. Most likely, Obito's got his eyes on him."
"Maybe Konan's plan to get info on 'Madara' from me was something Obito already sniffed out."
Jiro tilted its head, thinking. "That sneaky Obito doesn't want the rest of the Akatsuki knowing his secrets, does he? Meow, is he planning to silence Tenzo?"
"So we let Tenzo go," Akainu said coolly. "He's bait to lure out the real villain."
---
Far from the Leaf Village:
"Obito, new intel," Black Zetsu said, trailing close behind. "Tenzo Biwa was taken to the Uchiha police station, and Uchiha Akainu went in there too. They likely made contact."
"Half an hour later, Tenzo walked out of the station unharmed. He might've struck a deal with Akainu for information."
Zetsu paused, then added, "He probably knows things about you… and maybe about me."
Deep down, Zetsu felt a flicker of doubt. If Akainu knew Obito's secrets so clearly, could he also know Black Zetsu's secrets?
No, that's unlikely.
Even Uchiha Madara couldn't see through Black Zetsu's true nature. Akainu, just some descendant of Madara, couldn't possibly compare to him, no matter how talented.
"Hmph!" Obito's cold grunt snapped Zetsu out of his thoughts. "If he knows things he shouldn't, he's not making it back alive."
"But," Zetsu countered, "he could've already sent the intel to Konan through his ring or a summoned beast. Killing him might not stop it."
Obito: "…"
"Shut up!" Obito was fed up with Zetsu's constant undermining. He shot him a cold glare. "You're just a manifestation of Madara's will, created to serve me. I make the plans. You follow. Stop running your mouth."
"Yeah, sure thing," Zetsu replied vaguely, going along with Obito for now.
If only Madara had lived longer, we wouldn't need you, Zetsu thought but didn't say.
---
At Mount Myoboku:
In the misty depths of Mount Myoboku, a puff of white smoke signaled Jiraiya's arrival via reverse summoning.
His face was heavy with unresolved thoughts. After a moment's hesitation, he headed straight for the ancient stone hall, its walls etched with the weight of time.
Inside, flickering candlelight illuminated the massive, orange-red form of the Great Toad Sage, half-lidded eyes giving him a drunken, sleepy air.
"Who's there?" the sage asked, his voice formal despite clearly knowing the answer.
Jiraiya's mouth twitched. Here we go again. The Great Toad Sage always asked, even when he knew exactly who it was.
"It's little Jiraiya, huh…" the sage's voice drifted from the stone throne, thick and distant. "You've come with more questions. Is this about that Uchiha Akainu kid again?"
Jiraiya took a deep breath, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles whitened. His face was bitter as he spoke. "Great Toad Sage, I learned from Akainu that Nagato isn't dead."
"And the kid I once thought was the Child of Prophecy… I don't even recognize him anymore. He's leading the Akatsuki, shouting about making the world feel pain."
"Nagato wants to use fear of pain to…"
Jiraiya recounted everything he'd heard from Akainu, laying it all out for the Great Toad Sage.
Fukasaku and Shima, the two sage toads, silently hopped to Jiraiya's sides, watching his heavy expression. They didn't know what to say.
Jiraiya looked up, guilt in his voice as he asked something he'd never dared ask before: "Great Toad Sage, will finding the Child of Prophecy really bring peace to the ninja world?"
"Like Akainu said, everything I've done hasn't exactly helped. If anything, my mistakes turned Nagato into… that."
"Am I… even fit to guide the Child of Prophecy?"
Jiraiya's shame and guilt ran deep. He was Nagato and Konan's teacher, after all.
The Great Toad Sage's cloudy eyes finally shifted, his raspy voice steady. "Little Jiraiya."
"As I told you before, the Child of Prophecy will bring either unprecedented peace or destruction to the ninja world. But whether it's peace or destruction depends on their choices."
Jiraiya froze. "So… Nagato chose destruction?"
He bit his lip, his guilt growing heavier.
"Little Jiraiya," the sage continued, "you once said that Akainu told you the true Child of Prophecy is close to him. That means Nagato isn't the one."
"You planted the wrong seed, and that seed's branches got bent by the storm." The sage's voice was calm but profound. "Nagato wasn't the Child of Prophecy, yet he faced trials meant for one. He failed, and it's only natural he went astray."
"Instead of wallowing in guilt, your job is to find the true Child of Prophecy and guide them to make the right choices. Show Nagato that the future the true Child creates is better than the one he's chasing."
The sage coughed dryly. "Haven't talked this much in a while. Throat's getting sore."
Find the true Child of Prophecy. Let their choices reshape the ninja world and show Nagato his mistake.
Jiraiya exhaled heavily, the guilt and confusion on his face fading. "Great Toad Sage, I'll find the true harbinger of change! If they're in the Leaf, near Akainu, I'll track them down soon!"
He turned to leave, his resolve firm.
"Wait," the Great Toad Sage's voice stopped him.
He turned to Fukasaku and Shima. "You two, go with Jiraiya to the Leaf. Meet this Uchiha Akainu kid. See if his eyes can truly see a future beyond my dreams."
"And help Jiraiya find the one who'll save the ninja world."
Fukasaku and Shima exchanged surprised glances. Jiraiya hadn't told them about Akainu's supposed "prophetic" abilities. This was the first they'd heard of someone with powers akin to the Great Toad Sage's!
In all of ninja history, no one had ever matched the sage's foresight. Yet now, someone from the Leaf—from the troublesome Uchiha clan—might have.
"Yes, Great Lord," they said in unison, nodding.
…