Hokage Building.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A series of knocks echoed through the Hokage's office. Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly stuffed the sunflower seeds he had been eating and the Crystal Ball he had been using for the Telescope Technique into a desk drawer. He then quickly arranged both the completed and unfinished documents into several towering stacks, creating the illusion that the Hokage's office was drowning in work. Only then did he clear his throat and calmly say,
"Come in."
The two Yugitos stepped inside. Seeing the mountain of paperwork covering the Hokage's desk, they instinctively thought of their own Raikage.
The amount of paperwork wasn't actually that excessive, yet the Raikage still relied heavily on his secretary, Mabui, to handle most of it. In fact, she was the one doing the overwhelming majority of the administrative work.
How could the difference between Kage be so enormous?
Far away in Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage suddenly sneezed violently, sending the piles of documents on his desk flying in every direction. Standing nearby, Mabui wore an expression filled with despair.
Mabui: "Can I transfer to another department?"
Fourth Raikage: "No."
Back inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was momentarily surprised when he saw the two Yugitos arrive so quickly. However, he immediately composed himself.
After all, Chinatsu had shocked him so many times over the years that he had developed an exceptionally resilient heart. Very little could truly startle him anymore…except Chinatsu herself. Even while thinking that, she still managed to surprise him every single time.
"You two Yugitos, I only approved Kumogakure's diplomatic request a few hours ago. I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. Still, that's perfectly fine. I hope you enjoy your stay in Konoha. We always welcome guests who come to strengthen relations between our villages."
As always, Hiruzen spoke with the gentle and approachable demeanor of a kindly old man, slightly surprising the two Yugitos.
Before coming to Konoha, they had imagined the Third Hokage to be a ruthless and terrifying figure.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi had survived every Shinobi World War and had fought directly against countless elite shinobi from the Five Great Nations. Before leaving Kumogakure, the two Yugitos had specifically asked the older generation of Cloud shinobi about him.
However, every veteran gave almost the same vague answer.
Only four words were consistently mentioned:
"Professor and Fire."
The two Yugitos had never understood what those four words truly meant. Whenever they asked for an explanation, the older shinobi would simply shake their heads and advise them not to ask further. Seeing the lingering fear in those veterans' expressions, the two Yugitos naturally assumed that Hiruzen Sarutobi was an extremely ruthless and fearsome man.
But now, after meeting him in person…
Looks like we misunderstood.
"Professor and Fire"…perhaps it's simply a title of respect passed down among the older generation.
The two Yugitos didn't understand the meaning of those four words either. The older generation only warned them never to ask about it again. Seeing the fear lingering in the eyes of those veteran Kumogakure shinobi, the two Yugitos had naturally concluded that Hiruzen Sarutobi was a ruthless and terrifying man whose reputation had been forged during the First, Second, and Third Great Ninja Wars. But now, seeing him in person…
It seems I misunderstood. "Cage and Fire" must be some kind of code used by the older generation.
Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared easy to approach, the two Yugitos hesitated for a moment before clasping their hands together and speaking.
"Um, Hokage-sama, I have a small request."
"A request? No problem, no problem. You said it yourself—you've come as guests. How could I refuse a reasonable request?" Hiruzen Sarutobi replied with his usual warm smile.
The two Yugitos immediately brightened and said happily,
"I want to live next to the Uchiha Clan's compound!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face twitched slightly.
At that instant, he finally understood why Kumogakure had sent its official diplomatic representative to Konoha.
The target is Chinatsu ? Are they actually trying to use a beauty trap?!
Wait…
A beauty trap?
Hiruzen quietly sized up the two Yugitos again.
Were the two Yugitos beautiful?
Naturally, they were. Yugito Nii was an elite kunoichi, the jinchūriki of the Two-Tails Matatabi, possessing an athletic figure, mature temperament, and outstanding appearance. However, her beauty belonged to the cool and capable type rather than the seductive, enchanting type that immediately captivated people.
If Kumogakure truly intended to use a beauty trap, shouldn't they have sent someone with a more alluring personality?
More importantly…
Chinatsu was a woman.
Even if Kumogakure wanted to use that strategy, shouldn't they have sent an exceptionally handsome male shinobi instead?
A handsome man…
Hiruzen suddenly paused.
…Come to think of it, Kumogakure really didn't have anyone famous for that.
After thinking it over, Hiruzen Sarutobi simply waved his hand in agreement with the two Yugitos' request.
He had no reason to refuse.
Besides, he had a feeling Kumogakure wasn't truly trying to lure Uchiha Chinatsu away. Even if that was their intention, their future Raikage candidate probably wouldn't be returning to the Hidden Cloud anytime soon.
Was Hiruzen Sarutobi really that confident?
Yes, he truly was.
Part of that confidence came from Uchiha Chinatsu herself, and the other part came from Konoha's own foundation. Besides, having another future Kage candidate staying in the village wasn't anything unprecedented. Gaara, the future Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure, was also currently living in Konoha because of Chinatsu's earlier intervention, so one more future Raikage candidate wasn't exactly a problem.
Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's approval, the two Yugitos happily bowed before turning around and rushing out of the Hokage's office.
Everything seemed to be developing in an increasingly bizarre direction.
Meanwhile, far away, Uchiha Obito clenched his fists.
"I don't care… the Eye of the Moon Plan must succeed."
Using Kamui, Obito returned to the now-deserted Akatsuki hideout.
Everything he had painstakingly built over the years had collapsed overnight. Nagato and Konan had abandoned him, the Akatsuki had been completely absorbed by Chinatsu, and even the Rinnegan—Madara's greatest legacy—was no longer under his control.
Standing alone inside the silent hideout, Uchiha Obito slowly covered his face with one hand.
After remaining motionless for a long time, he finally lowered his hand, his expression darker than ever.
"There's only one option left… I hope you can turn this situation around."
With those words, Obito disappeared into a swirling Kamui vortex once more.
What was he planning to do?
He intended to pursue one final gamble.
Although Obito himself did not possess the Impure World Reincarnation technique created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, there were people in the shinobi world capable of performing that forbidden jutsu.
And the person he wanted to bring back…
…was Uchiha Madara.
Obito understood that, with the Akatsuki gone and Nagato no longer under his control, he alone could no longer push the Eye of the Moon Plan forward.
But if Madara returned…
Perhaps everything could still be salvaged.
Perhaps the Rinnegan could be reclaimed.
Perhaps the plan could return to its original course.
Hidden beneath the earth, Black Zetsu silently watched Obito's departure.
Was Obito suffering?
Black Zetsu believed he was suffering even more.
Nagato had been manipulated by Obito Uchiha.
Obito Uchiha had been manipulated by Uchiha Madara.
And throughout all of history…
Black Zetsu had been manipulating every single one of them.
Now that the plan had completely derailed, the one who suffered the greatest loss was actually himself.
"This won't do…"
"They're all unreliable."
"I'll have to act personally."
"No matter what happens to this world…"
"My only goal is Mother's resurrection."
Black Zetsu quietly disappeared into the darkness, beginning to adjust his plans.
Because of Chinatsu's intervention, Obito had already deviated from the original timeline.
Would these villains, who now seemed cornered on every side, still manage to grasp a sliver of hope?
Chinatsu: "Why do I suddenly feel like I'm the villain here? Come on, shouldn't everyone be celebrating after driving the real villains into this miserable state?"
Meanwhile, inside the spacious courtyard of the Uchiha Clan compound, Chinatsu and the newly reorganized Akatsuki were holding a lively barbecue party as a team-building celebration.
Although everyone had only recently finished eating at Ichiraku Ramen, that didn't stop them from enthusiastically enjoying another free meal.
After all…
The young lady was paying.
Laughter, conversation, and the aroma of grilled meat filled the courtyard.
The former Akatsuki, once feared throughout the Five Great Nations as a gathering of S-rank missing-nin, had completely changed under Chinatsu's leadership.
A brand-new Akatsuki had been born.
Chinatsu herself happily grabbed one piece of grilled beef after another.
Unlike everyone else, she had missed the ramen feast because she had spent the entire night dealing with Nagato and Konan. Right now, she was absolutely starving.
However…
Just as she reached for another slice of sizzling beef, her expression suddenly changed.
She slowly lowered the meat in her chopsticks and lifted her head toward the twilight sky.
A faint but unmistakable sense of foreboding suddenly welled up inside her heart.
She sincerely hoped it was merely her imagination…
Unfortunately…
Whenever she had that exact thought, it usually meant something troublesome really was about to happen.
"…Forget it."
"Whatever comes, comes."
"I'll deal with them one by one."
"No one is going to stop me from living a peaceful life after the original story ends."
With that, Chinatsu stuffed the grilled beef back into her mouth.
"Hoo… hoo… It's so hot… but it tastes amazing!"
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