Chapter 68: Orochimaru and Kakuzu Join the Game!
Deep within the Anbu Root headquarters, Danzō Shimura sat on a seat carved from black stone, his figure almost merging with the boundless darkness.
"Come in."
A Root Anbu wearing a blank mask knelt silently before Danzō.
"Deliver this scroll to the snake's lair." Danzō took out a scroll from his sleeve, on which a pattern of an Ouroboros was drawn with special ink. "Once it's done, those eyes will be his."
The Root Anbu silently accepted the scroll, his body vanishing like an afterimage.
Uchiha Akira is a monster. Therefore, to deal with a monster, one needs to invite another monster who has no reverence for life. Orochimaru is undoubtedly the best choice.
But that's not enough. Although Orochimaru is a seasoned Hokage-level powerhouse, relying solely on him might not be enough to take down Uchiha Akira. To be safe, another powerhouse must be found to cooperate with Orochimaru.
"Go to the Exchange Office and find that living dead man who only cares about money." Danzō ordered. "Tell him, for this mission, I'm offering this much."
Danzō extended 5 fingers, a gesture representing an astronomical sum that would make any bounty hunter's heart skip a beat.
"I want him to clean up the Uchiha Clan for me." The second Root Anbu also took the order, and his figure instantly disappeared from the spot.
Danzō's gaze slowly turned to his remaining confidants, Fū Yamanaka and Torune Aburame.
"You two, gather all the elites of Root." The chilling killing intent almost solidified. "3 days from now, when the slaughter begins, your task is not to participate. It is to wait."
Fū Yamanaka's body trembled uncontrollably.
"If Itachi, and the two helpers I've invited, gain an absolute advantage, you will immediately join in and completely annihilate the Uchiha, like extinguishing embers. Remember, leave no one behind. All Sharingan must be brought back intact."
"Yes."
"But if… if the situation changes, and Uchiha Akira's power exceeds expectations, your mission is to immediately retreat and preserve Root's effective strength. As for Itachi, that snake, and that living dead man, don't worry about them."
"Understood, Lord Danzō."
A hidden underground cave. A strange smell permeated the air. In giant glass cultivation tanks, various twisted and deformed biological tissues were immersed, and murky, viscous bubbles occasionally rose from the green liquid.
Orochimaru, dressed in a white research coat, was observing the cultivation tanks with keen interest in his golden snake eyes.
Just then, a subordinate led a Root Anbu in. The Root Anbu knelt on one knee, presenting the scroll with the Ouroboros drawing with both hands.
Orochimaru did not turn around. A small purple snake emerged from his sleeve, used its tongue to coil around the scroll, and respectfully brought it to him. Slowly unrolling the scroll, Orochimaru saw the reward Danzō offered.
[Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan]
"Hehe... hehehehehe..." Orochimaru began to laugh, his laughter growing louder and louder, like a madman.
"Mangekyō... what kind of power, what kind of truth, is hidden within those eyes..."
"Danzō, I cannot refuse this trade. Tell your master, in 3 days, I will arrive on time. I look forward to personally plucking out those perfect eyes."
Underground Exchange Office. This is the most defiled, yet most real place in the Ninja World. There are no countries, no morals, only cold money, and everything that can be bought with money, including life.
A Root Anbu wearing a straw hat passed through the noisy crowd and entered a innermost secret room, open only to top clients. In the center of the secret room sat a tall figure. He wore a forehead protector and a black mask, revealing only a pair of eyes that glowed with an eerie green light.
Kakuzu. He was rumored to have once fought the First Hokage, the strongest bounty hunter in the Ninja World.
"Speak, what's the mission, how much."
The Root Anbu wasted no words, directly pushing a heavy box in front of Kakuzu. The box opened. Inside were not banknotes, but a whole box of neatly stacked high-purity gold bars. The golden light instantly illuminated Kakuzu's greedy eyes.
"Target: Konoha, the Uchiha Clan." The Root Anbu was concise.
Kakuzu's movements paused for a moment. Uchiha. This was no ordinary mission, but a major operation in the heart of Konoha, one that could cause a tremor throughout the entire Ninja World. The risk was extremely high.
But… Kakuzu's gaze could not move away from the dazzling gold in the box.
"Not enough." Kakuzu coldly uttered two words.
The Root Anbu seemed to have anticipated this, and placed another scroll on top of the gold box. "This is the deposit. After it's done, there's 4 times more."
Kakuzu reached out his hand, covered in stitches, and picked up the scroll. "Hehe..." He let out an extremely unpleasant laugh.
"Very good. For this price, let alone one Uchiha. Even the 5 Great Ninja Villages, I can play with them."
Kakuzu slowly stood up, his massive figure casting an oppressive shadow. "Tell your employer. I will arrive on time!"
Night fell. On the streets of the Uchiha Clan Territory, lights lit up one after another, outlining the warm silhouettes of each household. Uchiha Sasuke sat on the steps in front of his house, hugging his knees, his small face puffed up with anger. He had been waiting here for a long time.
A figure finally appeared at the end of the street, stretched long by the dim yellow light.
"Brother!" Sasuke immediately jumped up, all his unhappiness vanishing in an instant. He rushed towards the figure.
Uchiha Itachi stopped, quietly watching his younger brother rush towards him.
"You're late again." Sasuke ran to Itachi, looking up, his tone full of childish complaint.
Itachi did not brush him off as usual; instead, he reached out and gently ruffled Sasuke's hair. This action made Sasuke freeze for a moment. Brother seems a little different today.
"Practice shuriken with me, right now!" Sasuke grabbed Itachi's sleeve, shaking it vigorously, trying to pull his brother towards the training ground.
But Itachi remained motionless. He slowly withdrew his hand.
"Sasuke." Itachi's voice was light, yet carried an undeniable calm. "Do you hate me?"
This question came so suddenly that Sasuke was completely bewildered. "Huh? What silly things are you saying? I admire you the most!"
"I want to become a great Ninja like you, Brother, in the future." Sasuke puffed out his small chest, his face full of pride and longing.
Itachi looked at him, a hint of indescribable sadness flashing in his eyes.
"Is that so." He seemed to have just asked casually.
"Of course! So hurry up, let's go train!" Sasuke reached out to pull Itachi again.
This time, Itachi raised two fingers. Sasuke instinctively closed his eyes, waiting for that familiar, slightly painful flick on the forehead. However, the anticipated tap did not fall. He opened his eyes in confusion.
He saw Itachi's fingers hovering in front of his forehead, neither falling nor retracting. The moonlight shone on Itachi's face, his expression hidden in shadow, making it unclear.
"Brother?" Sasuke asked softly.
Itachi's fingers finally fell, but it wasn't a tap. It was a gentle touch. His fingertips were cold, with a barely perceptible tremor.
"Forgive me, Sasuke." Itachi's voice was so light it was almost carried away by the wind.
"..." Sasuke looked at him blankly, completely not understanding the meaning of this sentence.
The next second, Itachi withdrew his hand, and the words Sasuke had heard countless times rang out again.
"Next time."
After speaking, Itachi turned around, not looking at Sasuke again.
"It's 'next time' again!" Sasuke shouted at his retreating back, his voice full of grievance and dissatisfaction. "You always say that!"
Itachi's footsteps did not falter. His figure resolutely merged into the boundless darkness, leaving only Sasuke standing there, angrily rubbing his forehead.