Chapter 36: New Alliances and Old Enemies
"But the boy is no fool. Why would he ever leave the safety of the Akatsuki organization?"
For no discernible reason, Shimura Danzo felt a spike of irritation. The knowledge of a clear and present danger that he could not eliminate was profoundly frustrating.
Achoo!
Far away, in the coastal Land of Waves, Uchiha Naoki shuddered and sneezed.
"Why does it feel like someone's watching me?" he muttered, rubbing his nose with a vague sense of unease.
Three Days Later...
The group returned to Amegakure.
"Welcome, Momochi Zabuza," intoned the Deva Path, Pain, addressing the full membership gathered to welcome the new recruit.
On the journey, Uchiha Naoki had fully briefed Zabuza on the Akatsuki organization's operations. Therefore, faced with the collective gaze of its members, Zabuza showed neither panic nor timidity.
"Hey, Zabuza. Never thought we'd meet again here," said Juzo Biwa, who seldom spoke, offering a rare,主动 greeting.
"It has been a long time, Senior Juzo."
Both had defected from Kiri over the Mizukage's policies. To meet again here, under these circumstances, was a twist of fate that was difficult to put into words.
Momochi Zabuza was subsequently assigned the codename 'Genbu', finally filling the organization's roster.
"Now that 'Genbu' has joined, there is a task for you and 'Seiryū' (Deidara) to complete," the Deva Path announced, as if testing the new member's mettle. "A certain noble in the Land of Woods has grown fearful, hearing rumors that his rival has hired the Prajna Sect of that country to assassinate him. He has hired us for his protection and to eliminate this Prajna Sect."
It was a straightforward assignment. Zabuza had prior experience dealing with the Prajna Sect and saw no issue with it. Deidara was even more unconcerned.
"Just the chance to test my new art, yeah!" declared the twelve-year-old Deidara, his fearlessness making him dismissive of the target.
Of course, the incident concerning the Kiba blades was not hidden from the others. Firstly, it was impossible to conceal. Secondly, Uchiha Naoki was confident that Pain would not disrupt the members' dynamics over a single sword. He formally presented the Lightning Blades to the leadership.
His reasoning was sound: a ninja sword was not akin to a forbidden jutsu like the Impure World Reincarnation. Furthermore, Naoki argued that wielding the blades would enhance his strength, allowing him to complete missions more effectively. The Deva Path acknowledged this logic. There was no fault in Naoki's statement.
Still, Uchiha Obito mused, suspicion nagging at him. He possesses the power of Lava Release. Does he truly need the Kiba blades to enhance his strength? The justification felt flimsy, but he couldn't immediately pinpoint an alternative motive.
...
"In this way, my future village has its first Lightning Release specialist secured," Naoki thought to himself. His purpose for acquiring the blades was simple: preparation. He was planning for the establishment of his own ninja village and the cultivation of its powerful defenders. It was only prudent to plan ahead.
"But..." he murmured, his attention shifting to the scrolls on his desk. A look of deep admiration crossed his face. "This is Orochimaru's research, indeed. Profoundly obscure, yet utterly captivating."
He had created a shadow clone to handle routine training, allowing his true self to rest and delve into Orochimaru's research notes. He had quickly become engrossed.
However, his steady progress was soon interrupted.
Three Days Later...
'White Tiger' Konan arrived in person, bearing a new assignment from Leader-sama.
"The Land of Cedars..." Naoki took the mission scroll from Konan. After reading it, he raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. For their secret technique to be coveted by Kumogakure... it must be quite something."
The mission was straightforward. The Land of Cedars' secret jutsu had drawn the attention of Kumogakure, which was aggressively collecting ninjutsu. To prevent their ancestral art from being stolen, they hired the increasingly notorious Akatsuki to protect their secret and repel the Cloud ninjas.
"Confronting Kumogakure directly? Hmph. Now that is exciting," the Scarlet Sand Scorpion rasped, his interest less in the mission itself and more in the quality of the potential opponents. This was entirely in character; he was always on the lookout for high-quality materials for his human puppet collection.
"Another deviation from the original timeline," Naoki noted internally. If his memory served, the Land of Cedars in the original story had hired an organization called 'Gen'yū' to face this threat, an event that occurred years later and involved the Raikage himself. "The plot is diverging more and more from its original track."
This meant the prophetic advantage he held was steadily eroding. He needed to amass as much power as possible before that advantage vanished completely. In the end, the only reliable intelligence he would have left would be that of the various characters themselves.
...
The Land of Cedars, an island nation southeast of the Land of Lightning.
According to the mission parameters, the two Akatsuki members were to intercept the Kumo ninjas in the forest outside the Daimyō's city.
"Who will they send?" Uchiha Naoki wondered, meditating with his eyes closed on a high tree branch. "I hope it's someone interesting."
Below him, the Scarlet Sand Scorpion meticulously maintained his puppet, seemingly unconcerned about a potential ambush.
"I hope the ones who come are not all trash," Sasori muttered, hiding himself within the forest's shadows. "I could use a few new subjects to perfect my puppet army."
They did not have to wait long. Roughly two hours later, movement stirred in the forest.
"I heard the Land of Cedars hired outside help. Will this mission be difficult?" It was the voice of a man who sounded young and timid.
"Hmph! Omoi, you worry too much. So what if they hired help? Could they possibly stand against us, the Cloud Ninja?" This voice belonged to an older-sounding woman.
"She's right, Omoi. You're too cautious. Don't forget, Lord Yugito is with us. What existence in this pitiful Land of Cedars could possibly stop three of our Jonin?" declared another, more brash male voice. As they drew closer, their words became clearer.
"Yugito?" Upon hearing the name, Uchiha Naoki's eyes grew intensely focused. "The Two-Tails' Jinchuriki. It seems a noteworthy opponent has arrived."
Just as this thought crossed his mind, the three Cloud ninjas, who had been advancing, suddenly halted.
The lead kunoichi's gaze snapped toward the Scarlet Sand Scorpion's position. "Who's there? Show yourself!" she barked, her posture shifting to high alert.
In the next moment, the Scarlet Sand Scorpion emerged slowly from the shadows. Hiruko's lifeless eyes scanned the trio, and a note of satisfaction entered Sasori's raspy voice. "Good puppet material."
He had been discovered not because the Cloud ninjas were exceptionally powerful, but because the Scarlet Sand Scorpion had never bothered to conceal his presence in the first place.