c131 — The Strong Ones Gather Together
Near noon, deep within the Land of Water, in a dilapidated and long-abandoned safehouse on the outskirts of Kirigakure no Sato, Uchiha Obito removed his spiral-pattern mask and sat cross-legged on the dusty tatami, eating from a steaming bowl of ramen.
"The ramen in Kirigakure doesn't hold a candle to Ichiraku's in Konoha," he muttered, curling his lips. "Teuchi-san's broth had actual soul in it…"
By the time the broth was half gone, a White Zetsu phased silently up through the warped wooden floorboards. This one's pale body and mouth-split grin marked him as Guruguru, also nicknamed "A-Fei."
"Hey," A-Fei chirped, tilting his head, "you're eating ramen. I wonder… what does it feel like when it finishes digesting?"
Obito's eye twitched. "Fei… don't tell me you've started acting like those idiots in the lower ranks who just harass people for fun."
"Hehe… not exactly. I'm just… curious. I mean, wouldn't you like to know what it's like to"
"Stop," Obito cut in sharply. "You're wasting my time. Did you find a window for Yagura to leave the village?"
"Nope," A-Fei replied, his voice now casual. "Still no clean opening. But… we do have fresh news from Konoha."
Obito looked up. "What news?"
"Gen Uchiha has left the village. He's awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan."
"Uchiha Gen?" Obito paused, then the name triggered a memory. "Ah… I remember him now."
He pictured a boy from years ago, back in the Konoha Academy. "He wasn't quite Kakashi's level at the time, but still a top-tier student. Way better than me back then… or at least the me everyone thought they knew."
"Same age as you," A-Fei added, "and already a full Three Tomoe. His chakra control and reaction speed are on par with Hatake Kakashi's."
"And he's one of the clan's 'Twin Stars' alongside Shisui," A-Fei continued slyly, "plus a personal disciple of Orochimaru of the Sannin."
"Not just that " A-Fei's voice dropped to a mock whisper "Bai Zetsu intelligence says he even temporarily worked with Team 7 on a joint mission. His bloodline traces back to Uchiha Izuna… Madara's younger brother. That makes him a relative of yours, however distant."
Obito gave a low, humorless chuckle. "Family ties? I severed those the day I crushed my sensei and his wife. Whether it's him or Kakashi, I won't hesitate."
"They'll live on in the new world I'm building," he added with conviction.
"So," A-Fei leaned in, "do we move now?"
"Not yet," Obito replied. "Once Yagura's fully under control, there's no rush. If he doesn't present an opening, we make one. Until then… patience."
A-Fei nodded, and Obito slurped the final noodles, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
Before A-Fei could say more, another White Zetsu emerged, pale eyes wide. "Fei, we've lost contact with all ten units stationed inside Konoha."
Both Obito and A-Fei froze.
"What?" A-Fei asked sharply. "Lose contact? That's not possible."
"Confirmed," the newcomer said. "The scouts near the village report zero remaining Zetsu signatures within the walls."
A-Fei scratched his head. "But… our orders are absolute. They'd carry them out even if it killed them. This… doesn't make sense."
"When was the last scheduled contact?" Obito demanded.
"This morning. Not a single unit reported in."
Obito narrowed his eye. "Could Konoha have developed a detection method using the corpse we left behind after the Kyūbi attack?"
"Possible," A-Fei admitted reluctantly, "but unlikely. Our concealment technique rivals any in the shinobi world."
"Then send no more than one at a time," Obito ordered. "Find out exactly what happened."
"Got it," A-Fei replied, though his tone was dark.
…
Far to the west, in the snow-lashed highlands of the Land of Whirlpools, Konoha forces clashed violently with Kirigakure shinobi.
The Mist had planned this ambush for months, bringing elite swordsmen and kekkei genkai users. Outnumbered in high-ranking shinobi, Konoha's lines had been pushed back more than fifty miles from the country's heartland, though their resolve kept them from breaking.
The Land of Whirlpools was never as temperate as the Land of Fire. Winter snow here was near constant, but no storm could pause a battle once begun.
It was 12:30 p.m. lunchtime for civilians, but for these warriors, chakra and steel were the only sustenance.
Thousands of meters overhead, Gen Uchiha and Orochimaru rode upon Zhu Rong, the great dragon whose heat repelled the blizzard in a shimmering sphere. Explosions and jutsu clashes echoed faintly below.
"Finally," Gen said. "Zhu Rong, take us to the fiercest front."
"Yes, Master."
"Why not mask our approach and surprise them?" Orochimaru's tongue flicked over his lips, his smile snake-like.
"No need," Gen replied. "Our open arrival will be surprise enough… and I have other gifts prepared for the Mist."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Ho ho… delightful."
Zhu Rong banked, spotting a river valley where the fiercest combat raged. Jōnin on both sides hurled torrents of water, sheets of lightning, gouts of flame, and stone-shattering earth jutsu. The terrain itself shifted under their blows.
No one noticed the descent until a deafening crash sent gravel and snow spraying. Smoke roiled, and the combatants instinctively disengaged to see the source.
When the dust cleared, Orochimaru and Gen stood together, calm as tourists. Zhu Rong had already vanished into concealment Gen's last-second decision to save the reveal for maximum effect.
"Lord Orochimaru!" Konoha jōnin cried, morale surging. "And his Uchiha disciple!"
The Mist shinobi's expressions darkened. Orochimaru's name was forged in the blood of the Second and Third Shinobi Wars a predator's reputation none took lightly.
Still, Kirigakure's commanders didn't flinch. Their jōnin ranks, though lacking a Kage, included numerous elites.
Suikoyama Fugu Oni, leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and deputy head of the ANBU, produced a flare. Four crimson water-lines burst overhead, the signal for all Mist jōnin to converge.
Within a minute, they encircled the valley. Gen's Sharingan swept over the gathering: Watermelon Mountain Fugu Oni, Black Hoe Raiga, Loquat Jūzō, a young Hoshigaki Kisame, and bloodline-bearing clans Oniden, Minazuki, Kaguya, Terumi, Hagoromo…
Kirigakure, second only to Konoha in the number of powerful kekkei genkai lineages, had assembled its sharpest blades.
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