"Yagura Karatachi! Your Assassination Technique is truly impressive!" Ye Liang spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed.
"Hmph, with such minimal strength, he still dared to attempt assassination?" Yagura Karatachi kicked the fallen body of Ye Liang, seeing no movement, and walked directly toward Obito Uchiha.
"This is the killer from Rivershadow Village you spoke of? Not that impressive after all," he remarked.
Obito Uchiha's expression remained hidden, but his tone carried teasing undertones. "Haha, he was indeed weak, but your son was killed by him."
Yagura Karatachi's face darkened slightly. "That was his own fault; those with weak power don't deserve to live in this world!"
"Fair enough."
Obito shrugged indifferently.
Who knew Yagura Karatachi would prove even more ruthless and merciless than rumors suggested. However, for Obito, he merely needed to use him temporarily to obtain the tailed beasts.
What did he care about Yagura Karatachi's personality?
"Well then, let's get on with our actual task." With that, Obito placed Naizi onto the ground.
She lay motionless—obviously knocked out from Obito's earlier strike.
"You've knocked her out. How am I supposed to interrogate her for the location now?"
"Haha, that's not your concern. I have my own methods." Obito formed a single hand seal as his eyes suddenly revealed the pattern of the Mangekyō.
He gently pried open Naizi's eyelids and fixed her with an intense stare. She immediately stood up like a puppet.
"I ask you, where is the treasure?"
"In the secret chamber."
"And where exactly is the secret chamber?"
"In the palace cellar."
"Then take us there now."
"Yes."
Upon hearing Obito's command, Naizi began moving forward obediently.
Observing the controlled Naizi, Yagura Karatachi's expression turned wary.
Obito's technique was truly terrifying—it allowed complete domination of another person's mind using only eye power. If something like that were ever used against himself, the consequences would be unimaginable!
"Let's go. Follow her," Obito said.
At this point, Naizi had already begun walking in a specific direction.
The two shadowy figures left the General's courtyard, each with their own hidden motives.
"Finally gone, huh?"
After a long while, the surroundings were completely empty.
The previously lifeless Ye Liang suddenly opened his eyes. He twitched his eyebrows slightly, and a strange rune on his forehead slowly faded away.
It was the [Yin Seal]!
This ninjutsu was something Ye Liang acquired during a previous mission.
So long as his body remained intact, even a severe wound could heal instantly.
Ye Liang hadn't act rashly at first because he realized—he'd been betrayed!
Yagura Karatachi silently ambushing him from behind meant one thing: their positions had already been compromised.
Under such circumstances, either someone among them had turned traitor, or some powerful ninja had discovered everything. From current evidence, it seemed most likely the latter!
Since joining Akatsuki, Obito Uchiha had mastered potent Space–Time Ninjutsu!
He must have been the one behind it all.
"It seems I really need to be careful from now on."
As Ye Liang muttered these words, his Mangekyō fully activated!
Previously, due to underestimating the threat, he'd been caught off guard by Yagura Karatachi.
If Ye Liang had maintained the Eternal Mangekyou state from the very beginning, he definitely wouldn't have been deceived by the fake Yagura illusion.
He moved forward to follow them. Now he was the one tailing behind in silence!
Naizi wasn't moving very fast. Well, you couldn't really expect much speed from a little girl.
Fortunately, the cellar beneath the General's residence wasn't too far away. After half an hour, Yagura and the others finally arrived at their destination.
"The treasure of the Land of Rivers is inside," Naizi said flatly.
"Then lead us in."
Obito nodded.
Without a word, he used a Fire Release technique to burn off the lock on the cellar door, after which Naizi walked inside.
Yagura glanced around from the entrance.
It was pitch-black inside, with a musty, rotten smell lingering in the air.
He screwed up his nose slightly while casting a wary glance toward Obito.
At this point, Obito had already moved ahead. He could easily eliminate the other with one move, but hesitated since he didn't really know this person well.
"What are you waiting for? You coming in or not?" Obito called out without looking back.
"Hmph."
The two followed him inside.
Inside the cellar,
Everything was pitch-dark, making it impossible to see clearly.
Yagura felt around near the door and touched what seemed like a light-switch mechanism. The room immediately lit up.
"The treasure is deeper inside, in a secret chamber. We need to find the hidden mechanism among nearby objects," Naizi explained.
"I see."
Obito Uchiha glanced around the room.
Mostly expensive antique vases filled the space, alongside numerous boxes containing various items.
He lifted one of the boxes.
It was overflowing with pure gold!
"No wonder this place is one of the richest countries in the world. This wealth probably rivals the total of many other nations combined."
"So what? It's all ours now!" Yagura Karatachi said indifferently.
"Let me correct you—it's mine! Our agreement was clear—I help your Hidden Mist Village take over the Land of Rivers, and in return, you hand over all this wealth to Akatsuki. Don't tell me you've forgotten," Obito reminded coldly.
"Of course not!" Yagura Karatachi replied as he stroked a box full of gold coins, his eyes gleaming with greed. Money was essential for the development of a ninja village after all.
"Good. Then start looking for clues," Obito said, kicking the lid of a box shut before moving outward to search.
A slight displeasure flickered across Yagura's face.
Meanwhile, their guide Naizi caught a spark of cunning in her eyes—just briefly though, as it vanished almost instantly.
A dozen minutes passed.
"Found anything? Why still nothing?"
"Not sure. There's nothing here but these damn jewelry boxes."
"Could it be underground then?"
"Maybe."
Yagura responded casually while slipping a green coin bearing the General's likeness into his own pocket. He cast a quick glance at Obito's back, who appeared completely oblivious.
"Yagura! I think I found a keyhole here. Come have a look!" Obito suddenly shouted.
Upon hearing that, Yagura Karatachi quickly made his way over.
There was a circular slot embedded in the ground, about the size of a gold coin. Obito tried inserting a gold coin, but nothing happened.
Yagura's face froze.
He immediately realized—it was that green gold coin from earlier that was the key. But how could he say that out loud!
What children? In the ninja world, who even has time for that! Doing what benefits yourself—now that's the right path.
"This isn't just any gold coin. We need to keep looking."
"Alright."
Yagura grunted in agreement. Just as he turned his head away, a sudden pain struck him from behind—a shuriken shot through his heart like a bolt of lightning!
Just like when Ye Liang was stabbed before!
"Obito Uchiha, what are you doing!"
"What else could I be doing? Obviously, I'm after your key!" Obito roared. Immediately afterward, a Massive Fireball erupted from his body, shooting straight toward Yagura.
Boom! Before Yagura could react, fire consumed him in an instant.
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