Chapter 60: Uchiha Obito is Worth a Fortune!
"Man, they're taking forever... Where are they already?"
In a cozy private room of a barbecue restaurant in Konoha, Naruto sat restlessly, grumbling as his stomach loudly protested. Across from him, Kitagawa Gen lounged comfortably beside Sasuke, who remained silent.
It was clear—Kakashi and Jiraiya hadn't shown up yet.
"Relax. You'll get used to it. Besides, those two have a lot on their plates," Gen said casually, then turned to Sasuke with a smile.
"Loosen up a bit. Even a 'hardworking genius' needs to rest once in a while."
Sasuke just pursed his lips in response. Truthfully, he hadn't wanted to come—he had better things to do, like training and planning how to avenge his clan.
But Gen had literally dragged him here, and... for some reason, he couldn't quite explain, there was something oddly compelling about the guy.
Shaking his head, Sasuke pushed the thought away and turned his curiosity elsewhere.
"Gen... senpai. I heard you went on another mission recently?"
"Yup." Gen nodded.
Naruto instantly jumped in, his voice loud and full of exaggerated grievance. "This guy was gone for almost two months! I had to water his plants the whole time! So unfair. I haven't even left the village once!"
"Two months?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Unlike Naruto, he knew exactly what a two-month mission implied.
Either it was a long chain of consecutive missions, or a high-level operation. And since Gen was still technically a genin, the latter seemed unlikely... but even so, it meant his sensei held him in very high regard.
After a moment of contemplation, Sasuke looked up and asked quietly, "Can you... train me?"
Gen blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Me?"
"Actually, that doesn't sound too bad!" Naruto cut in excitedly, standing up with a grin. "You owe me for all the times you've scammed me, right? Plus, you'd be training the future Hokage!"
"...Idiot," Sasuke muttered, struggling to keep a straight face. He had asked seriously, and this loudmouth had to butt in again.
"Can you two chill for a second?" Gen said, half amused, half exasperated. He thought for a moment before responding. "I've got way too much on my plate right now. And Naruto, didn't I tell you before? If you can get Jiraiya-sama to take you on, you'll be set."
"Jiraiya-sama, huh?" Sasuke murmured, thoughtful.
Naruto, on the other hand, scowled and muttered under his breath, "Ugh, that pervy old man..."
"You said you were almost ready last time, didn't you?" Gen grinned knowingly. "Come on, show me what you've got!"
"Right now?"
"Yup! Let's see it!"
"...You're such a perv." Naruto grumbled but started forming hand signs anyway.
Sasuke quickly turned away, already guessing what was coming.
"Sexy Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke filled the room, and out stepped a blonde, blue-eyed bombshell, surrounded by soft mist and sparkles. She looked like she walked right out of a fantasy.
At that exact moment, the door slid open with a whoosh.
"Gen, we're—"
Jiraiya, Kakashi, Guy, and a few others walked into the room... and froze.
Dead silence.
Every single one of them stared, eyes wide, speechless.
---
Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain...
The rain never stopped. It poured relentlessly, like the sky itself wept endlessly over the war-torn land.
In the shroud of rain, a pitcher-plant-like figure walked steadily alongside a towering man with shark-like features, who carried the massive sword Samehada on his back.
"Joining this organization doesn't come with many demands on a normal day," Black Zetsu explained calmly as they walked, "but right now, we need you to carry out missions. We need the money."
Within the Akatsuki, Uchiha Obito operated under the alias Tobi, playing the role of an intern to remain behind the scenes. Naturally, the front-end duties fell to Black Zetsu—who didn't mind taking the reins. After all, he didn't fully trust some of Obito's decisions.
Like, say… losing the Land of Water.
Black Zetsu didn't even want to talk about what happened in Konoha, but this last battle? He'd watched it from start to finish.
He still couldn't wrap his head around it—why the hell was Obito carrying a Flying Thunder God seal?
Why didn't he get rid of it?
Even if you couldn't dispel the seal, you could at least carve off that chunk of flesh. Just cut it out. It's not embarrassing. Worst case, stick a piece of White Zetsu on there.
But no—he didn't. And now look where they were. Not only had they been tracked down, but Obito had lost, and his control over the Fourth Mizukage's genjutsu had collapsed entirely.
Black Zetsu sighed inwardly. He'd warned Obito to stay sharp. They'd already suspected someone from Konoha had been tailing them.
And now it was clear. All his warnings had gone to waste.
"I understand," Kisame said simply, unaware of Black Zetsu's internal complaints.
"Oh right," Kisame added, "the guy who recruited me—how is he now? What's his status in the organization?"
"He's recovered. That level of injury wasn't enough to seriously harm him. He just needs a few days of rest," Black Zetsu replied smoothly, snapping out of his thoughts.
"As for his role—think of him as the true power behind the scenes, hidden deep within the organization."
"I see," Kisame grinned, his shark-like face as unsettling as ever.
"No wonder he could control the Fourth Mizukage. Takes real skill to pull that off. But why not use his real name? Is he worried it doesn't carry enough weight—or is he just afraid of Konoha?"
"..." Black Zetsu was thankful Obito wasn't here to hear that. He wouldn't have taken it well.
He was about to reply when Kisame spoke again.
"But I get it. Being wary of Konoha makes sense. Who would've thought another brat from there would master the Flying Thunder God technique?"
Kisame pursed his lips at the thought of Kitagawa Gen, the kid's near-teleportation movements still fresh in his mind. Even he had been caught off guard.
And Black Zetsu? He felt the same—uneasy and full of questions.
"That kid… what is he?" Black Zetsu muttered. "His presence…"
He remembered watching the battle unfold from the shadows in the Mist Village. The moment Gen appeared, a strange shiver ran down his spine.
That sense of familiarity… yet foreignness. It was stronger now, more distinct. And he didn't understand it.
But he knew one thing for sure—that boy was hiding something. Something big.
"…What's really going on with him?" Black Zetsu felt a rare pang of anxiety. This kind of unpredictable factor was dangerous.
He needed to investigate—soon. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to rest easy.
Wordlessly, he led Kisame toward a sewer entrance beneath a building. This was one of Akatsuki's hidden bases.
"I'll take you to meet our leader," Black Zetsu finally said. "The public one. He's extremely powerful."
"And don't mention his real name, or anything about the Mist Village. Got it?"
"Oh? Sounds like he's a big deal," Kisame said with a smirk. "So… he's worried his own name can't command enough respect?"
"…Don't overthink it. Someone's coming."
Black Zetsu rubbed his temples. Kisame was strong, smart, and terrifyingly competent. But sometimes, being too smart was a pain.
They paused as a figure approached—someone wearing the Akatsuki cloak, face half-covered with a black cloth, and a slashed forehead protector from Takigakure.
A long scar crossed his headband, marking him as a missing-nin. His green eyes scanned Kisame before shifting to Black Zetsu.
"A new recruit, huh? From the Mist—and carrying Samehada, no less. Looks like a tough one."
"He's very capable," Black Zetsu affirmed.
"Where are you headed, Kakuzu?" he asked.
"Recruiting someone," Kakuzu replied bluntly. "Heard there's an interesting guy in the Land of Hot Water. Our leader wants me to check him out. Supposedly, he's immortal."
Immortal?
Kisame raised an eyebrow, while Black Zetsu frowned slightly.
Immortal… could it be those cult freaks?
"Oh yeah—since you handle intelligence," Kakuzu added, "I've got a question for you."
"Hmm?" Black Zetsu blinked, then nodded. "Go ahead."
"Konoha just issued a new bounty. Saw it posted in the black market."
"Oh? Who's the target?"
"Someone named Uchiha Obito. Can you believe it? An Uchiha still alive."
"???"
"The bounty's hefty, too. Ever heard of him?"
"…"
"No? Well, I'd suggest you dig into it. Find the guy and kill him—we could make a fortune."
"..."