Looking at the masked man in front of him, whose gaze was filled with scrutiny and curiosity,
Gento knew that after this period of fermentation, the news about him had already spread, and through Konan's intentional mentions, he had successfully caught Obito's attention.
Yet he still feigned a cautious appearance, staring at the masked man with a vigilant expression, his body retreating slightly as his right hand quietly rested on the kunai at his waist.
"Who are you?"
"And what does the Akatsuki do?"
The masked man let out a disdainful laugh, carrying a hint of condescending arrogance.
With his arms crossed over his chest, his tone was flat:
"Our Akatsuki's ideal is to change this rotten world. As for me..."
He paused, and his single exposed crimson Sharingan narrowed slightly:
"I am Madara Uchiha!"
On the side, Gento naturally understood that the masked man was Obito in disguise.
And "Madara Uchiha" was merely a name he was using to bluff and deceive.
Still, cooperating with Obito, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his body visibly stiffened.
He face's vigilance was instantly replaced by shock, and his voice even became somewhat stuttered:
"Wh... What?"
"Madara Uchiha?"
"Are you... kidding me?"
"Madara Uchiha was killed by the First Hokage long ago!"
The masked man seemed very satisfied with Gento's reaction, letting out a low laugh.
He tilted his head slightly and said:
"If you live as long as I have, you will understand that nothing is impossible in this world."
"Furthermore, there are many talents like you in the organization; defectors, the abandoned, those who want to change the world."
He slowly approached Gento, his tone carrying a bit more demagogic allure:
"How about it? Interested in joining us?"
In order not to arouse Obito's suspicion, Gento intentionally showed a hesitant expression.
He frowned, his eyes flickering as if weighing the pros and cons in his heart.
After a moment, he raised his head, stared at the masked man, and asked:
"Before I answer you, I also have a question."
"Speak."
"Why did you seek me out?"
The masked man pondered for a moment:
"Because you are strong enough."
"There are very few in the entire shinobi world who can repel the combined forces of Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha, let alone..."
He paused.
"You have nowhere left to go now."
"The Hidden Gento Village is hunting you down, the Leaf will not harbor rogue ninja, and other shinobi villages dare not offend the Uchiha."
"Joining the Akatsuki is your only way out."
Nanashi bit his lip, seemingly in thought.
The masked man seeing this, added:
"By the way, I haven't asked you yet, for what reason did you defect from the Hidden Gento Village?"
These words seemed to strike a sore spot.
Nanashi's face instantly darkened, and a trace of deep-seated hatred flashed in his eyes.
He was seen gritting his teeth as he said:
"I mastered a Kekkei Genkai that fuses lightning and fire. I named it: Flash Release."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand.
In his palm, a ball of fiery red lightning suddenly coalesced, a fist-sized lightning-fire bomb crackling in his hand, emitting a scorching and violent aura.
The light was like burning flames and flowing lightning merging into one, the surrounding air warping from the high temperature.
"This Kekkei Genkai simultaneously possesses the swiftness of lightning and the explosiveness of fire."
As he explained, he casually threw the lightning-fire bomb toward the empty space in the distance.
Boom!
The violent explosion was deafening, with flames and electric light intertwining and blossoming.
After the smoke and dust dispersed, a deep crater several meters in diameter appeared on the ground, with scorched traces remaining on the edges.
The corner of the masked man's eye twitched.
This kind of power made even him feel a bit apprehensive.
Nanashi did not look at him, continuing:
"After Gento Uchiha discovered that I mastered this Kekkei Genkai, he asked me to teach the fusion method of this jutsu to the clan members."
"As compensation, he promised that he would let me replace Fugaku Uchiha in the future."
"But after so much time has passed..."
"He did not fulfill his original promise."
His voice suddenly grew cold.
"Gento Uchiha broke his word!"
"Not only did he not fulfill his promise, but he also intentionally suppressed me, taking all credit under his own name!"
"He claimed the Flash Release was his masterpiece, garnering everyone's admiration."
"While I ended up with nothing in the end!"
He lowered his head, looking at his hand, his voice filled with venom:
"To take revenge on him, I poisoned his tea."
"It is just a bit of a pity that I failed to poison him to death directly this time."
Saying so, he let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with unwillingness:
"Furthermore, Gento Uchiha's strength is immense; I am absolutely no match for him in a frontal battle!"
"Having missed this time, I'm afraid I won't find such a good opportunity again in my life."
Listening to these words, the masked man recalled his own experiences over the years, and an inexplicable resonance welled up in his heart.
He nodded, his voice becoming a bit warmer:
"So, you hate Gento Uchiha very much?"
"Hate! Of course I hate him! I hate him so much!"
Nanashi's emotions suddenly became agitated.
"Gento Uchiha is the worst person in the world!"
"He is hypocritical, greedy, and treacherous!"
"For his own power, he suppresses all talented people!"
"He deserves to die!"
The masked man nodded:
"Indeed. If you join our Akatsuki organization, the organization will provide you with opportunities to take revenge on Gento Uchiha in the future."
"We have a common enemy: Gento Uchiha and this rotten shinobi world."
"How about it, interested in joining our Akatsuki?"
Nanashi immediately raised his head, showing an impatient expression as he said:
"Really? Can you really help me take revenge on Gento Uchiha?"
"Of course."
"Our Akatsuki is full of talents, so achieving this kind of thing is not difficult, let alone..."
"Your strength is also enough to make you an important combat asset for the organization."
Nanashi hesitated no longer and nodded vigorously:
"Terrific! Then I am willing to join you!"
The masked man spoke no further, taking a ring from his sleeve and tossing it to the other party.
Nanashi reached out to catch it and looked down.
He saw the character "Shu" engraved on the ring.
He put the ring on his right ring finger.
Seeing this, the masked man nodded in satisfaction:
"From now on, your codename is 'Shu'."
"Remember, from today on, Nanashi Uchiha is dead. The one living is 'Shu' of the Akatsuki."
He took out another scroll and a standard Akatsuki cloak from his vest and tossed them over:
"Three days from now, the organization will hold its first meeting at the location marked on the scroll. Do not be late."
"Furthermore, I will not show my face at that time. My subordinate, Pain, will declare my will on my behalf."
Nanashi caught the two items, tucked them into his clothes, and nodded.
The masked man stared at him for a moment, then slowly retreated:
"Until we meet again, then."
Just as his voice fell, his figure gradually warped and contracted, finally being sucked into a spatial vortex and disappearing completely.
The fields returned to tranquility, leaving only the sound of the wind and the waves of wheat.
Nanashi stood in place, waiting for a moment until he confirmed the masked man's aura had dissipated before opening the scroll.
A location was marked on the scroll.
It was a hidden stronghold on the border of the Land of Rain, about a two-day journey from here.
He memorized the coordinates, incinerated the scroll, and turned to leave.
His figure disappeared at the end of the wheat field.
After a moment, the space warped once more, and the masked man's figure slowly emerged from the void.
Beside him, the half-black, half-white Zetsu poked his head out of the ground, his gaze looking in the direction Nanashi had departed.
The masked man looked in that direction, his voice deep:
"This person was unheard of in the past, yet he suddenly popped out, and his strength is actually so great that he could repel the combined force of Shisui and Itachi..."
"I always feel like something is wrong."
"Send a White Zetsu clone to follow him and see what secrets he's hiding."
Zetsu tilted his head, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness:
"Oh? What could possibly be wrong with his identity?"
"Maybe he's a genius secretly raised within the Uchiha clan who was pushed to the brink and defected."
"Aren't you overreacting a bit?"
A cold light flashed in the masked man's eyes as he coldly glared at Zetsu.
Feeling the masked man's freezing gaze, Zetsu's smile stiffened.
"My, my, how scary~"
Zetsu raised his hands, making a gesture of surrender.
"I'll do as you say."
Having finished speaking, his figure slowly sank into the branches beneath his feet and disappeared.
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