Well, well, Black Zetsu finally said something that makes sense.
When the shadowy creature took the initiative to suggest letting Obito handle the Konoha problem, Emiya Shirou felt a wave of relief. At least it seemed he wouldn't have to personally lead Kakashi's team to the Akatsuki base.
He'd been enduring Mitarashi Anko's clumsy attempts at tracking for so long, he was tempted to just yank out her hair and leave the clues himself. This whole journey had been one bumpy ride after another. Fortunately, everything was slowly, finally, falling into place, with Obito now tasked with cleaning up the mess.
Speaking of which, Black Zetsu's hatred for Obito seemed a bit... excessive.
Of course, Shirou knew this was partly his own doing. Back in the ancient era, he had meticulously played the role of a respectful, trustworthy, and highly capable pawn in front of Black Zetsu.
His goal was simple: to condition Black Zetsu to subconsciously detest anyone who was arrogant, unreliable, and disrespectful. Looking at it now, he might have pushed a bit too hard. Black Zetsu seemed to wish for Obito's suffering at every waking moment.
But Black Zetsu didn't see it that way. In its own twisted logic, it was scheming. If Obito ran into Konoha ninjas, he'd become a marked man, a target for them to watch.
This would turn the "useless" Obito into convenient bait. Waste not, want not. If the plan succeeded, however, the already disgruntled Obito would probably have a complete emotional meltdown.
Fortunately, Emiya Shirou's emotional intelligence was a tad higher. When it came to using people, he was always more subtle than Black Zetsu. He even displayed an attitude of extreme tolerance towards his defeated foe.
"Don't pressure Obito too much," Shirou advised casually, the hidden meaning in his words making the nearby White Zetsu's eyes light up. "If he's unwilling, I can deal with the Konoha team myself. This isn't an order."
"Yes!" White Zetsu said, overjoyed. It and its clones had cared for Obito after the war, and they still held a fondness for the boy he once was. The last thing it wanted was a conflict between Obito and Shirou, because it knew Obito would surely die.
Sooner or later, anyway, it thought. But it would be nice if our 'fun' could live a little longer.
"Also," Shirou said, already doodling on a scroll, "call that newcomer over. The one named Itachi Uchiha. Have Obito bring him along. I'll take this opportunity to see what he's made of."
-----
Back at the Akatsuki base, Obito and Itachi were still processing the latest news. Apparently, everyone had discovered that Orochimaru was a Konoha spy and was chomping at the bit to eliminate him.
Obito scoffed—he couldn't care less about Orochimaru's fate. But Itachi's heart felt a familiar, unsettling pang.
This sounds a bit too familiar.
He suspected Orochimaru was in the same boat as him: a "rogue" ninja secretly working for the village. The fact that the Akatsuki members were convinced he was Danzo's man and were eager to execute him only strengthened his suspicion.
Should I try to save him?
The thought was a conflicting mess. He was new here. Intervening on behalf of a fellow "traitor" seemed like a bad move. He needed to find a way to secretly find out where Orochimaru was and help him escape.
His moral quandary didn't even last a day. The second piece of shocking news arrived: the Akatsuki planned to use Orochimaru as a double agent, a spy planted right by Danzo's side.
Should I kill him?
The thought flashed through Itachi's mind, and he immediately questioned his own sanity. Orochimaru was one of the legendary Sannin, a war hero who had almost become the Fourth Hokage. Even with his Mangekyo Sharingan, could he really take him on?
But he didn't have time to dwell on it. A White Zetsu clone appeared, delivering a message carefully tailored for Obito's ears. "Lord Emiya is on his way back and has been discovered by a Konoha team."
Hmph, the old fossil really doesn't understand ninja subtlety, Obito thought, still simmering with dissatisfaction. Power alone won't keep you safe in this era.
"The team's leader is Kakashi Hatake," the clone added.
Obito ran a hand through his short, choppy hair.
Kakashi? Pursuing Emiya Shirou?
Did he bring the other four Kage with him?
Who gave that fool the courage?
This was a suicide mission.
That idiot, Obito's eyes darkened at the mention of his former teammate.
He remembered always losing to Kakashi, but now, with his Kamui, they were in different leagues. Still, even the current him was likely no match for Shirou. A
battle between space-time users could be decided in an instant, and Shirou also had the Rinnegan. Even if Kakashi's team was made up of the Five Kage, they'd still be walking into a slaughter.
Should I just sit back and watch?
If Kakashi died without his knowledge, it wouldn't matter. But now that he knew...
Obito's fingers cracked. He thought of the Infinite Tsukuyomi world, the dream where Rin was still alive, where he and Kakashi were still rivals and friends. Before that dream could become reality, should he do something about the crisis Kakashi was about to face?
"Does he need my help?" Obito sat up, his face a mask of cold indifference. "Does Emiya Shirou need my help to deal with that waste, Kakashi Hatake?"
He looked for a reason, a justification. "Shirou probably doesn't understand how meticulous this era's ninjas are. Even if he kills Kakashi, more will follow. We'll be at war with Konoha before we can even capture the Tailed Beasts."
"Yes," the White Zetsu clone nodded eagerly. "We were worried about that too! We requested that he let someone more familiar with this era's ways handle it."
"I understand." Obito's eye swirled as he prepared to use Kamui.
"Wait!" the clone stopped him. "Lord Emiya's order is to take the newcomer, Itachi, with you. He wants to observe him."
"Hmph. Unnecessary," Obito sneered, but he couldn't disobey a direct order, not yet. He turned to Itachi. "Emiya Shirou has run into trouble. He wants us to clean up his tail."
"That Lord can run into trouble?" Itachi asked, feigning incomprehension.
"A Konoha team found his tracks," Obito said, watching Itachi's face. "He was followed on his way back and can't shake them. Our job is to help him escape."
Itachi slowly nodded. He didn't want to start killing Konoha shinobi right after defecting, but a simple clean-up mission... that wasn't a problem. It was practically overkill for a former ANBU captain.
"Let's go," Obito said, pulling on a mask. His identity was no secret in the Akatsuki, but he didn't want Kakashi to know. That would bring endless trouble.
-----
Unsurprisingly, his masked appearance drew immediate mockery from Black Zetsu, who had silently appeared as the two newcomers arrived. "Obito, still trying to hide the past from your old friend?"
"It's just to avoid unnecessary trouble," Obito retorted, his eyes cold. "Compared to your rash actions that attract Konoha's attention, isn't that more amateurish?"
"You..." Black Zetsu's non-existent eyes became dangerous.
"Alright," Shirou interrupted their bickering. "The rest is up to you." He tossed two scrolls to them. "Inside are Flying Thunder God markers. If you run into an accident, I will intervene."
"Not needed," Obito snorted, throwing the scroll back.
Just Kakashi? Is he still the same person he was in the past?
A vortex appeared in his eye, and he was gone.
"I'll go monitor him," Zetsu's figure quietly followed.
Itachi, however, accepted the scroll. He didn't dare defy Shirou, not yet.
He planned to "accidentally" destroy it in battle later. He didn't want Shirou popping up next to him at any time.
But his thoughts seemed to have been read.
"You can find an opportunity to destroy that scroll," Shirou said from under the tree, his voice as calm and imperceptible as a falling leaf. "However, I still suggest it's best you look at it first, newcomer..."