Hokage Tower.
Kaminarimon Etsureki, having finished a busy day, walked out of the building. Gazing at the setting sun gradually dipping below the western horizon, he let out a soft breath. Today had been fulfilling as well...
"Kaminarimon." A voice called from behind.
Kaminarimon Etsureki turned around in pleasant surprise. His girlfriend was standing not far away, waving at him.
"Ono, what are you doing here?" Kaminarimon jogged over to her.
"What? You don't want to see me?" Izuno Akigiku looped her arm through his and asked with a smile.
"How could that be?"
The two chatted and laughed, their intertwined shadows slowly merging under the glow of the setting sun. Turning into a deserted alleyway, they brushed past a figure leaning against the wall.
"Ono, am I hallucinating?" Kaminarimon slowly stopped and asked softly.
"If it's one person, you could say it's a hallucination. If it's two, then it should be real," Izuno Akigiku said. They both slowly turned to look at the figure leaning against the wall.
"Yo! Long time no see!" Naruto looked at them with a smile.
"Quick, come with me!" Kaminarimon Etsureki grabbed his arm and pulled him deeper into the alley.
Naruto was taken aback but obediently followed behind them.
In a corner deep within the alley, Kaminarimon Etsureki leaned over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
"Kaminarimon, you've been slacking on your training lately." Witnessing this, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle.
"After you left, he switched to administrative work. He hasn't done any ninja training for a long time," Izuno Akigiku explained.
"...Is it because of me?" Naruto fell silent for a long moment, looking at Kaminarimon, who had put on quite a bit of weight.
"Not at all," Kaminarimon said, waving his hand dismissively after catching his breath. "It was my own decision. Compared to you and Ono, my talent for combat is nothing to speak of. I thought about it for a long time back then and talked a lot with Hayate-sensei. That's when I decided to switch to administrative work. My experiences during this time have also proven that logistical work suits me better than being a combatant."
How could it not be because of him... Naruto knew in his heart. Neither of them was from a prestigious clan. As members of the same team, they had definitely been affected by his defection. Even if it had been any ordinary ninja, with Hayate Gekko's influence, they wouldn't be in their current situation. But alas, he was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
It was like Anko Mitarashi. To become the personal disciple of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, spoke volumes of her aptitude. But because of Orochimaru's defection, despite her strength and achievements being more than sufficient, she had only reached the rank of Special Jonin. Unlike clan ninja whose paths were already paved, for commoners to be promoted to Jonin in Konoha, besides meeting the standards for strength and experience, a 'clean' background was also an important criterion.
"Is there a restaurant nearby?" Naruto suddenly asked.
Hearing this, Kaminarimon Etsureki grabbed his arm. "Naruto, I've heard many rumors about you. I know you're very strong. But if you're accidentally discovered by ANBU ninja..."
"Uh..." Naruto looked at the nervous pair and slowly formed a few hand seals.
Poof!
The white smoke cleared. Izuno Akigiku and Kaminarimon Etsureki stared at each other, then at the drastically changed appearance of Naruto.
This way...It seems...It might just...Work!
"A ninja is someone skilled in using various ninjutsu," Naruto stated. "No one from the Hyuga clan would keep their Byakugan active all day in the village, right?"
The two shook their heads. If they did, the Hyuga clan would surely have disappeared from Konoha before the Uchiha.
Land of Rain.
In an underground base.
Thump!
Space rippled, and Shinnō was thrown to the ground by the Masked Man.
"So, direct control with genjutsu?" Masked Man asked, looking at the pitcher plant Zetsu that had been waiting in the room.
"Your Mangekyō isn't the genjutsu type like Uchiha Shisui's. Using genjutsu for direct control could easily lead to problems," Black Zetsu said, shaking his head. "Leave it to me. I'll handle it."
"Suit yourself," Masked Man said indifferently. He didn't care about the outcome. From the very beginning, he had never agreed with treating Nagato's old injuries; capturing Shinnō was merely due to circumstances.
"By this time, the Gelel Stone should have been obtained as well," White Zetsu spoke up. "Only one last problem remains: who will convince Nagato?"
At this, both Masked Man and Black Zetsu fell silent. This was the most difficult step of the plan. Just as they had always held reservations about Nagato, Nagato and Konan had never let down their guard against them from start to finish. Finding someone to treat Nagato for no apparent reason—even they themselves felt something was off, let alone Nagato and Konan.
"We need to find a way to lure that woman away," Black Zetsu said after a moment of thought.
"With what excuse?" Masked Man asked. The method sounded easy, but only sounded so. Ever since the incident with Yahiko, Konan had stayed by Nagato's side; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she never left him. In his memory, since Akatsuki's major reshuffle, the number of times Konan had acted alone could be counted on one hand.
"Recruiting a new member," Black Zetsu said. "Coincidentally, the 'Ao' (Blue) position is vacant."
"...What's Deidara's situation now?" Masked Man's tone seemed tinged with a hint of exasperation. An S-rank missing-nin, yet he acted like an immature brat.
"He's been training in Dust Release recently. He's probably really planning to go back and inherit the Tsuchikage position," White Zetsu said with a shrug.
"Do the other members of the organization know?" Masked Man gently pressed his forehead.
"Currently, only Sasori knows," White Zetsu said with a dry laugh. "Consider it a silver lining amidst the misfortune..." This kind of thing was somewhat demoralizing. They had thought everyone was the same—S-rank missing-nin wanted by their villages, able to have fun together in the organization. But then one day, someone suddenly tells you, "I'm not playing anymore, I'm laying my cards on the table—I'm going back to my village to inherit my family's fortune worth billions." Anyone would explode.
"White Zetsu, find a way to contact him. We need the 'Ao Ring' back," Masked Man instructed. The reason Akatsuki recruited so many S-rank missing-nin, besides wanting to use their strength to hunt Tailed Beasts, was another important reason: they needed their power to seal the Tailed Beasts together. The Demonic Illusion: Nine Consuming Dragons Seal was too draining; even Nagato found it difficult to sustain for long periods.
"I'll try," White Zetsu nodded. When Orochimaru betrayed Akatsuki, they had already lost one 'Ku Ring' (Sky). Deidara's 'Ao Ring' absolutely had to be retrieved.
"By the way, I left some spores on Uchiha Sasuke. Should we try to recover Orochimaru's 'Ku Ring'?" White Zetsu then asked.
"Let's talk after you've located Orochimaru," Masked Man said, shaking his head. Although Black Zetsu said nothing, his expression indicated he agreed with Masked Man. If that snake were so easy to find, the 'Ku Ring' wouldn't have been missing for so many years.
"Have you chosen a new member?" Masked Man looked at Black Zetsu.
"Konoha missing-nin—Hiruko."
_______
+60 chapters on: patreon.com/Shinobi_Scrolls