"Of course we can talk."
Anya hadn't been surprised by the voice—actually, he had been expecting it.
A figure wearing an orange Uzumaki spiral mask appeared before Anya. After hearing Anya's reply, the man continued, "I know why your master, Legend of the White Fang, died. Therefore, I truly fail to understand your decision. Truth is, you and I should be on the same side."
Anya didn't respond but instead asked knowingly, "How should I address you?"
Obito remained silent behind the mask for a moment before slowly answering, "Madara Uchiha."
Upon hearing that name, Anya smiled slightly, bent his finger, and flicked a card flying toward Obito.
Obito caught it without understanding its meaning. After seeing the pattern on it, his eyes narrowed. Then with a mocking tone, he asked, "My dear junior, what's the meaning of this card?"
"Oh," Anya said casually, "your era was too ancient for you to have ever played any card games. Let me explain—it's from the game Werewolf (also known as Mafia). The card you're holding now is the Seer in Werewolf. During the Night Phase, he can freely choose someone and discover their true identity. Now, I also hold a card in my hand. Want to check mine?"
Saying so, Anya pulled another card from his hand, showing its backside toward Obito.
"Boring," Obito scoffed coldly. He made the card vanish from his hand, speaking indifferently, "I don't like these useless games. Please just listen carefully to what I have to say and then make your final decision."
"Well then," Anya shrugged casually, pushing the card into the soil next to him, "go on."
"The ability to unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan is extremely rare," Obito began persuasively, "but such powerful strength isn't perfect either. Although I don't know how you've overcome its flaws, I imagine it mustn't have been easy. However, I possess a method that can completely eliminate these imperfections." He added enticingly, "You won't have to pay any cost at all—consider it a token of my sincerity in seeking cooperation. What do you think?"
Anya's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Anything else?"
Seeing no reaction from Anya, Obito decided to reveal a secret, "There is a stone tablet passed down within the Uchiha Clan, still hidden underground in Konoha today. It contains the biggest secret of this world. With your current ocular power, after viewing it, you'll certainly believe everything I'm about to tell you."
"You're talking about the Moon's Eye Plan," Anya smiled faintly, "heh, you really believe in that plan? You actually think it will succeed?"
"You actually figured that out," Obito exclaimed in shock, quickly regaining composure, "It seems you've already seen the stone tablet. Therefore, you already know what the Sage of Six Paths left upon it. In that case, you must also understand my plan—by gathering all Tailed Beasts..."
"I don't trust you," Anya interrupted firmly, enunciating each word, "even if that plan indeed needs to be carried out, it'll be done by myself."
"Hahaha..." Instead of anger, Obito laughed, "My brilliant junior, you truly impress me. Regarding this point, I won't object at all. But for the initial phase, I believe our goals align perfectly."
"So, the person behind Akatsuki is you."
Obito admitted calmly, "That's right."
Anya asked cautiously, "There probably aren't many people in this organization who know about your plans. Aren't you afraid I'll expose you?"
Facing Anya's probing question, Obito spoke calmly, "Let me tell you a piece of news. Ninja from Konoha are heading this way. Among them, there's someone you should be very familiar with—her name is Hakuto."
Anya, who had been completely at ease, suddenly changed her expression.
Interesting. Are you threatening me?"
"Not a threat. Just so you know, in this world, I no longer have any weaknesses. But you're different." Obito's tone became more leisurely instead. "If we can't reach an agreement, then I'll have no choice but to use every means possible to strike against you comprehensively. After all, you're the one most likely to ruin my plan."
"I'll remember what you said just now. At the same time, you must also remember this: when someone touches my weakness, you'll regret it."
After leaving those words, Anya turned and walked away.
As he watched Anya leave, Obito stood still for a long time. Just as he was preparing to depart, his lone eye suddenly noticed the card Anya had thrown on the ground. Unable to resist his curiosity, he floated over for a look and saw a striking image of a werewolf.
On her way back, Anya ran into a panting Lee. Without a word, she swooped down, snatched him up with one hand, and veered off in another direction.
The wind roared past Lee's ears, and the intense air currents pressed heavily against him, making it hard to breathe.
After quite some time, Lee shouted against the wind, "Why... did we suddenly... change direction?"
Without showing emotion, Anya gave a simple explanation, "I've found their location, but there are too many enemies there. I can't do anything alone. We'll wait for reinforcements."
"Oh, that makes... sense."
After flying for a while, Anya spotted Team 7. She retracted her Wing Unit and descended from the sky.
"Dad?" Hakuto greeted first.
Anya used the [Spirit Transformation Technique] to sense the area briefly before frowning and asking, "Hakuto, did you come out by yourself?"
Hakuto winced slightly and took half a step back, hiding behind Kakashi. Sticking her tongue out, she replied, "This was a mission given to Team 7 by Lady Tsunade. As a member of Team 7, of course I had to participate."
"Let's not get into that," Naruto interrupted.
Seeing Naruto getting excited, Anya suddenly understood. Without wasting words, she casually pulled out a piece of paper and started drawing a map. Soon, the cave's location was clearly marked.
Anya pointed at the center of the map and said, "Right here—it's where Akatsuki seals the Tailed Beast. They just returned here from Sunagakure Village, so the one being sealed inside must be the One-Tail. As for Gaara's current condition, I don't know yet."
Kakashi glanced at the map before asking Anya, "Now that you've already located them, considering your abilities, you must have already figured out how strong the enemy is. How many Akatsuki members are there?"
Anya shook her head and said, "I was stopped by a mysterious figure. I don't know what's going on."
"Someone actually managed to stop you alone?" Kakashi asked in surprise.
"What's so strange about that?" Anya chuckled. "Wait, did you really think I was unbeatable this whole time? That just showing my Sword Art would send enemies running?"
Kakashi sighed helplessly. "This isn't the time for jokes."
"All right then, I'll be serious." Anya turned solemn. "There's a barrier near the cave—most likely [Five-Seal Barrier Pass Technique]. To break the barrier, we need to find five forbidden talismans and tear them off."
Kakashi quickly counted the people present: Naruto, Sakura, Hakuto, Lee, plus Anya—there were more than enough of them. He couldn't help but feel relieved.
Then he heard Anya continue, "Hakuto will stay with me. The rest of you, follow the locations I've marked and get moving."
"Got it."
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>