The power of this Divine Tree remnant was proving to be such a hassle?
Roy's mind was filled with doubt and uncertainty. If it only required absorbing chakra, then it would naturally be simple for him.
After all, he could not only supply a massive amount of chakra himself, but he could also capture tailed beasts to provide a continuous source of the chakra energy it needed.
However, the crux of the issue was that it required a life force—and that was not something easily resolved.
Moreover, based on the feeling emanating from the Divine Tree remnant, its demand for life force was immense, leaving Roy deep in thought, finding it quite troublesome.
Would he really have to capture a large number of people to satisfy its needs?
At the thought, Roy couldn't help but shake his head. Such an approach clearly violated the Lawful Neutral stance he had always adhered to.
For the moment, Roy hadn't come up with any particularly good countermeasures and could only reluctantly set the issue aside for now, hoping to find a solution later.
Subsequently, he moved his body, transforming into a brilliant streak of light, flying swiftly through the high sky, and soon arrived at the outskirts of Konoha Village.
By now, the night was deep, yet Konoha Village within remained peaceful and serene.
Roy hovered lightly in mid-air, his eyes slightly downcast as he swept his gaze over Konoha Village, seemingly pondering something.
A moment later, the corners of his mouth suddenly curled into a mysterious, unfathomable smile. Then, his form flickered slightly, and in an instant, he had conjured a uniform identical to that of the Akatsuki.
Chakra surged within Roy's body as he performed the Clone Technique. As the smoke cleared, it revealed the appearance of a young man.
His expression was cold and profound, the finely drawn tear troughs on his face particularly striking under the moonlight. It was unmistakably the appearance of the genius of the Uchiha clan—Uchiha Itachi.
Roy's true body remained hidden in the shadows, controlling this clone through a mental link, meticulously mimicking every move and gesture of Uchiha Itachi as he remembered them.
Then, a smile tugged at Roy's lips. With a light wave of his hand, he manipulated the clone to silently infiltrate deep underground.
Since merging with the Divine Tree remnant, Roy found he seemed to have gained a closer connection with nature, especially with the earth.
He could establish a mysterious resonance between his physical body and the earth, the trees, and the grass, as if becoming part of the ground itself.
By merging into the vast subterranean network, he could travel long distances, and during this process, his presence would be completely concealed.
Of course, compared to Black Zetsu's near-teleportation ultra-high-speed movement, this method was as slow as a crawl.
But for Roy, it was sufficient—enough to let him approach his target silently and execute his plan.
Meanwhile, in the heart of Konoha Village, at the Hokage's residence, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat at his desk, one hand reviewing the mountain of documents while the other slowly drew on his pipe. In recent days, his heart had been shrouded in a lingering gloom, an indescribable sense of unease troubling him.
Suddenly, his brow furrowed deeply. Almost simultaneously, several dark figures flickered around him like phantoms, precisely catching a kunai that came flying in from the air.
The ANBU members who landed quickly took the kunai. Upon closer inspection, they found a secret letter attached to it.
"Lord Third Hokage," one ANBU reported in a low voice, presenting the kunai along with the secret letter.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took the kunai, his sharp eyes scanning the secret letter, a cold sneer in his heart.
Here in the Hokage's residence, as the strongest Hokage of Konoha, he was confident no one could pose a threat to him.
Yet, as he carefully read the contents of the secret letter, his frown deepened.
"You are dismissed," Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.
Hearing this, the few ANBU members vanished instantly, leaving no trace behind.
As confidants of the Hokage, maintaining absolute secrecy was the most fundamental professional conduct.
Hiruzen Sarutobi reviewed documents restlessly. Only when the night was deep and quiet did he finally stroll alone to a grove on the village's edge.
"Come out," Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly spoke.
As his words fell, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows, the moonlight outlining a tall and upright silhouette. It was Roy, disguised as Uchiha Itachi.
His gaze was deep and complex, as if harboring countless unspoken words. The corners of his mouth lifted in a faint curve, perhaps a sign of nostalgia for his former village.
"Long time no see, Lord Third Hokage," Uchiha Itachi said, his voice calm and gentle, yet carrying an indescribable sorrow.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, let his gaze linger on Itachi's face for a moment. Though doubt lingered in his mind, Itachi's next words quickly dispelled his suspicions.
"I already know about Sasuke's performance in the Chunin Exams. I am truly grateful to you, Lord Third Hokage, for allowing him to grow like this."
Itachi's words were filled with relief at Sasuke's growth and gratitude toward the Third Hokage.
At the mention of Sasuke, the doubts in the Third Hokage's mind vanished instantly.
After all, aside from Uchiha Itachi himself, who else would know that the one who annihilated the Uchiha clan was, in fact, doting on his younger brother?
Itachi's words also made the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, feel somewhat ashamed.
After the Uchiha clan was wiped out, most of the property they left behind was divided among the powerful families within the village, and he himself had tacitly approved of it, leaving only relatively ordinary heirlooms for Sasuke.
He hadn't invested much effort in Sasuke's growth either, simply entrusting him to Kakashi's guidance.
"Sasuke's performance in the Chunin Exams truly surprised me," the Third Hokage remarked, his mind stirring with curiosity about Kakashi's teaching methods or perhaps the genius of the Uchiha clan.
However, the Third Hokage did not linger on these topics and quickly changed the subject.
"Itachi, why have you suddenly appeared here?"
His eyes held a hint of wariness and curiosity, for he could recognize that what stood before him was merely a clone.
Although Itachi's presence felt somewhat peculiar, he didn't dwell on it. After all, Uchiha Itachi was a genius; some variation in his ninjutsu was only natural.
Upon hearing this, Itachi's expression grew serious.
"I have important intelligence regarding the 'Akatsuki,'" his words were concise, conveying the urgency of the situation.
"Given the gravity of the matter, I had no choice but to resort to this method."
Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage's expression became solemn, his certainty about Itachi's identity deepening. After all, no one else in the world besides Uchiha Itachi himself knew about the secret arrangement between them, or his connection to the "Akatsuki."
"Tell me, Itachi!" the Third Hokage's voice was low.
"The leader of the Akatsuki possesses the eyes of the legendary Sage of Six Paths—the Rinnegan."
"Furthermore, many years ago, Danzo attempted to steal those eyes!"
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