Naruto: Sasuke's return

[Chapter Size: 1300 Words.]

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The identity of the masked man is Obito. Shortly after he arrived at the ruins of the Tenchi Bridge, closed aloe-like leaves emerged from the water, revealing a figure clad in a black cloak adorned with red clouds.

The leaves slowly parted, unveiling a face split into black and white. There was no doubt about it, this was none other than the enigmatic Akatsuki member, Zetsu.

"Zetsu" is the collective term for both Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, one embodying Kaguya's will and the other representing her vast army.

Of course, that is a secret that cannot be revealed just yet.

White Zetsu: "Wow, this is really tragic. Look at what Orochimaru did!"

Black Zetsu: "It wasn't Orochimaru..."

White Zetsu: "Huh?"

Black Zetsu: "Look over there."

Following Black Zetsu's gesture, White Zetsu noticed black flames burning atop the water.

"Hey, Amaterasu! Could it be that Itachi did this? Did he betray the Akatsuki?"

At that moment, Obito, still speaking in the voice of Madara, responded: "No. Right now, anyone could betray the Akatsuki, except for Itachi."

White Zetsu: "Well, if it wasn't Itachi, then it could only be his brother, Uchiha Sasuke! This is too much to take in, I can barely keep up!"

Black Zetsu: "Mangekyō Sharingan? But how? When he spared Naruto at the Valley of the End, his eyes had yet to awaken. Did something else trigger it?"

Obito: "It doesn't matter how. What matters is that Sasuke has awakened his eyes. That is an undeniable fact."

White Zetsu: "But no matter what, I don't think Sasuke, who just unlocked the Mangekyō, could have taken down Sasori alone. He must have teamed up with Orochimaru. That has to be it. What a shame..."

Obito: "Regardless, we can no longer treat Sasuke like a mere child."

White Zetsu: "And what about Sasori? Did he just die in vain?"

Obito lifted his gaze to the cold moonlight and spoke in a deep voice.

"Nagato's Tailed Beast Weapon Plan stands in direct opposition to my Eye of the Moon Plan. Sasori, who provided technical support for the Weapon Plan, was nothing more than an obstacle in my path. I had originally planned to eliminate him once the Akatsuki began capturing the tailed beasts in three years. His early demise has simply saved me the trouble. However, with this level of combat prowess, replacing Sasori in the short term won't be easy, so..."

Obito crouched down and removed the Akatsuki's Ring from Sasori's lifeless left thumb.

Black Zetsu: "Oh? Are you stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight?"

Obito's gaze darkened.

In truth, with the Akatsuki's current structure, they were already fully capable of launching the tailed beast hunt immediately. The only reason it had been delayed for three years was due to Nagato's differing ideology.

In the beginning, both Nagato and Konan had agreed with Obito's Eye of the Moon Plan. However, as Nagato's strength and experience grew, he began forming his own ideals.

The constant oppression of smaller nations by larger ones had always been Nagato's greatest grievance.

Thus, he sought to gather the power of all the tailed beasts, forge weapons of mass destruction, and transform the Akatsuki into a force greater than the Five Great Nations. This was the final phase of Nagato's vision for the Akatsuki, a path of conquest.

To achieve this, the Akatsuki required funding.

On the other hand, the Eye of the Moon Plan required nothing more than sealing the tailed beasts inside the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, reviving the Ten-Tails, and casting the entire world into the Infinite Tsukuyomi. What need was there for money?

Yet, whether controlling the Outer Path Statue or wielding the Rinnegan, Nagato remained indispensable. Eliminating him over a mere ideological dispute was not an option, not yet. Obito could afford to wait three more years.

After all, whether it was the Tailed Beast Weapon Plan or the Eye of the Moon Plan, both required the beasts to be sealed within the Outer Path Statue. Once that crucial step was completed, negotiations, or eliminations, would become much simpler.

But now, the death of Sasori, a key figure in the Weapon Plan, had presented Obito with the perfect opportunity to intervene in the Akatsuki and accelerate the Eye of the Moon Plan.

Sliding the ring onto the thumb of his left hand, Obito murmured:

"Taking center stage will allow us to control the situation more directly..."

White Zetsu: "However, you should carefully consider your identity. You can't simply appear and claim to be Uchiha Madara."

Obito: "..."

…

Only a few days had passed since the last meeting. Deep within the cavern, where stalactites hung like jagged fangs, the spectral forms of the Akatsuki members gathered once again.

This time, only Deidara was present in person.

"Sasori is dead..."

When Pain announced Sasori's death, all the Akatsuki members, except for Deidara and Zetsu, who already knew, were simultaneously taken aback.

"That guy, Sasori. Wasn't he supposed to be eternal? How could he have been killed? Who did it?"

Pain responded, "Uchiha Sasuke. It's possible he had Orochimaru's assistance."

"It's Itachi's little brother again? Didn't he join Orochimaru in pursuit of revenge against Itachi? Why would he go after Sasori?"

"Sasori had planted a spy near Orochimaru. When he learned that Orochimaru was heading to the Tenchi Bridge, he set up an ambush. However, it turned out to be a trap Orochimaru had prearranged to lure Sasori into a corner..."

"Hmph. So he wasn't strong enough, after all. He got killed by that rookie. Even with Orochimaru's help, it just means Sasori was too weak..."

"No," Pain interrupted. "Uchiha Sasuke has already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"What?! The same eyes as Itachi!?"

Pain cast a sideways glance at Itachi's spectral form.

"Itachi, this is the information we have so far. One of Sasuke's abilities is Amaterasu. Though we don't know to what extent Orochimaru was involved, Sasuke is already capable of defeating Sasori. You should tread carefully..."

Itachi remained silent, his cold gaze lost in the darkness.

Pain's voice grew solemn. "Orochimaru was already a traitor to the Akatsuki. His actions against Sasori can be considered a direct provocation. From this moment on, the Akatsuki will mobilize all its forces to locate Orochimaru. Once found, he will be eliminated without mercy."

Kisame: "Leader, with all due respect, that guy's greatest strength is staying hidden."

Pain: "Which is why I have other plans..."

White Zetsu: "During a reconnaissance mission, I happened to stumble upon one of Orochimaru's northern bases. It's a human experimentation facility for his Cursed Seal experiments, and it holds a crucial position..."

Pain: "That's it. The Akatsuki's vengeance will begin with the destruction of Orochimaru's northern fortress."

Deidara stepped forward. "No need to say more, I'll handle it myself!"

Hidan: "Oh? You're really fired up this time, Deidara."

Deidara: "Though Sasori and I never saw eye to eye due to our differing artistic views, as fellow artists, I can't just let his death slide. At the very least let me blow up Orochimaru's base in his honor!"

Kakuzu: "You just want an excuse to make things explode..."

Pain: "Very well. You will carry out this mission, Deidara. Additionally, a 'newcomer' will be joining us soon."

Kisame: "A new member? Why not introduce him now, Leader?"

Pain: "He's just an apprentice for now. If he returns alive from this mission, he'll be deemed worthy of replacing Sasori and officially becoming a member of the Akatsuki. Until then, it's too soon for formal introductions."

Kisame: "Heh. I just hope he's interesting..."

With that, the projections of the Akatsuki members faded one by one.

In the shadows behind Deidara, a man wearing an orange mask timidly stepped forward.

"Hum… hum… May I ask something, Deidara-senpai?"

Deidara turned, looking at him with disdain. "You're the new guy?"

The masked man immediately straightened up and saluted.

"Yes! My name is Tobi! I have admired the esteemed Deidara-senpai for a long time. From today onward, I will be an Akatsuki apprentice, following Deidara-senpai's lead. Please guide me!"

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