Just as Killer B and Yugito were about to set out, the Fourth Raikage called them back.
"Brother! Why are you pulling us back again? Yo! Yo! You fool, you idiot!" shouted Killer B.
He always spoke in that strange rhythm. Whether or not he had real talent for rap was debatable—but his love for it was undeniable, even if everyone else thought he sounded weird.
A had long since grown immune to his younger brother's odd way of speaking. As the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, B had suffered enough discrimination in the village; having a hobby was the least of anyone's worries.
"We've received news. Uchiha Itachi has led half of the Uchiha elite out of Konoha."
"So those Uchiha lunatics finally couldn't endure anymore? Yo! Yo! You fool, you idiot!"
Each great shinobi village had spies in the others; with villages so large, infiltration was unavoidable.
Thus, two days ago, they had already learned of Danzo stealing Shisui's eye. That scandal had made Konoha the laughingstock of the entire ninja world.
Killer B had no political sense at all. Not now, and not even decades later—he'd still be a political idiot. He couldn't grasp all the twists and turns behind it.
But Yugito was far sharper. She immediately caught the key point.
"Konoha's been weakened again? Should we change our target to the Uchiha?"
A shook his head. "Things are more complicated than that."
He handed the intel scroll to Yugito. B poked his head over, his eyes catching on a fearsome image of Susanoo.
"This… this is Susanoo? Yo! Yo! You fool, you idiot!"
After finishing the report, Yugito finally understood: although over a hundred Uchiha elites had left, the clan hadn't lost any actual manpower apart from buildings.
And it also revealed that Fugaku and Itachi both possessed Mangekyō Sharingan.
The Uchiha were no longer truly bound to Konoha, but they hadn't openly severed ties either. It was even possible Itachi's departure was some kind of arrangement with the Third Hokage.
If war broke out again, whether Itachi and Fugaku would support Konoha was uncertain. But one thing was clear—they would not help the Hidden Cloud. At least not now.
After all, the Cloud's finances were stretched to the limit. That was the only reason they had come forward to seek peace talks.
Now, with this new development—
"Raikage-sama, what is your plan?"
A tapped his finger on the word "Uchiha" written in the intel.
"Our original plan remains. But we must carefully watch the Uchiha's stance. Right now, they are… strong."
Though Killer B was nominally the head of the delegation, in truth, he was more like a mascot—after all, he was A's younger brother.
The true leader was Yugito.
With the Uchiha clan splitting from Konoha and the Third Hokage aging, sending two Jinchūriki now carried little risk.
Whether this mission turned into genuine peace talks—or something else—depended on the state of their counterpart.
The Uchiha clan's upheaval had stirred much gossip among Konoha's villagers. Countless rumors spread.
Some claimed that during the Nine-Tails' rampage, it was Danzo who barred the Uchiha from joining the defense, supposedly to protect the villagers—yet afterward, the clan had been endlessly targeted.
Others said that the young clan head left because Danzo had stolen Shisui's eye. And though the Third Hokage had given Danzo a token punishment, in reality, nothing changed—Danzo was still an elder and advisor.
Another rumor twisted things further, painting the Uchiha as traitors. They said the clan had long held discontent, that the Third was too weak, and that Itachi and Shisui's "betrayal" proved it. Now, the Third Hokage was too soft-hearted, calling Itachi's actions a mere "departure." Such a leader was unworthy of being Hokage.
Normally, rumors like these would find supporters. But after Shisui's eye had been stolen and the Uchiha still hadn't rebelled, most people dismissed the "evil Uchiha" rumors with scorn.
If they wanted to rebel, they would have done so long ago—not wait until now.
In truth, what mattered most to villagers was daily life. And in Konoha's commercial districts, the areas patrolled by the Uchiha were always safer. Patrols were frequent, efficiency high, and experience vast.
Next best were the Hyūga's districts—polite, with the Byakugan watching from afar. Accident responses were a bit slow, but tolerable.
The worst were the First through Fourth Streets—under Danzo's Root. There, people were thrown into cells without question. His men were cold-faced, cruel, often leaving victims with broken arms or legs.
Few wanted to go near those streets anymore. The area had grown desolate.
The villagers had never thought much of Elder Danzo before. But now, everyone saw his true face.
If you want to be Hokage, show results—not frame the Uchiha or sling mud at the Third every day.
Were it not for his position as Konoha's advisor, the villagers would have spit outside his door already.
Danzo had realized the problem too, ordering his Root operatives to enforce laws more "gently." But habits weren't so easily broken, and the villagers' impressions were fixed.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha were busy hiring construction crews to rebuild their compound—though farther from Konoha than before.
They had even paved a brand-new road to make travel easier for Uchiha civilians who ran shops in the village.
The work cost a fortune, and some said the Uchiha were just burning money.
Yet the new road improved business, and non-Uchiha villagers no longer looked at them with suspicion. Their civilians were content.
Still, the clan's new buildings were plain, almost shabby. No grandiose style, no luxurious decorations—just simplicity.
This was by design. Natsuki had discussed it with Fugaku: sooner or later, disaster would strike Konoha again. No matter how beautifully they built, it would all be rubble one day. Better to save resources and invest outward.
Meanwhile, Natsuki had been researching the Land of Fire's cuisine and snacks. After studying the world's culinary state, he had drawn up plans to recreate various Chinese delicacies from his past life.
Of course, only the broad frameworks.
In his previous life, he had run a culinary training business—his head was full of recipes. But here, the details, ingredients, and local tastes would need to be tested and refined by Itachi and the others.
Fortunately, the Uchiha had funds built up over generations—enough to sustain them through long experimentation.
If money ran short, Itachi and Shisui could always moonlight as bounty hunters. With such high-level strength, it would be a waste not to.
After all, the black market was filled with bounties. For those with skill, it was the fastest way to wealth.
That was how the Akatsuki had made their fortune… until Konan squandered it all.
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