Plans Shatter in the Dark
"You can change size too?" Kamizuki Gen's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
He had almost forgotten that detail.
If Samehada could shrink—
Then it could curl into a small form, rest on his shoulder when idle, and still be easy to draw in combat.
"…Wait."
Gen paused, then took a breath.
"Before I leave, can I call you my second brother?"
Samehada nodded excitedly.
Gen shook his head.
"I'm afraid not."
"?"
Samehada tilted in confusion.
Gen reached out and patted its head.
"My second brother is Orochimaru."
…
Back in reality—
Gen removed the bandages from Samehada.
The blade instantly expanded, its sharp scales unfolding as it returned to its massive, ferocious form.
Who would've thought—
That in its mental world, it was such a ridiculous creature?
For a moment, Gen couldn't help but feel—
He might've picked up a fake Samehada.
"Chak—"
The blade retracted its scales again.
Then, like an oversized, affectionate fish, it nudged against Gen's chest—
Before putting on a show.
Its body visibly compressed—
Shrinking—
Until it became a miniature version no longer than Gen's forearm.
Its hilt wagged like a tiny tail.
"…You're worried you'll look ugly like this?" Gen asked, sensing its emotions.
He shook his head.
"No. Small is cute too."
With that, he casually tossed the overly flamboyant blade onto his shoulder.
Through the Akatsuki cloak—
Samehada clung there like a small purple squirrel.
Only then did Gen refocus and review the rest of his gains.
He tapped the metal cash case from Iwagakure.
Ten million ryō—
Delivered.
A solid reward.
Of course—
Gen himself didn't care much about money.
In the shinobi world, wealth was secondary.
Sooner or later, both Akatsuki and Amegakure would be his.
Whatever he earned—
Would go straight into building and strengthening the village.
Still—
He imagined Konan's reaction.
She'd probably be thrilled.
More money meant more paper bombs.
"…Wait."
Gen shook his head.
"With me around, why would Konan even need to buy explosive tags?"
He made a mental note—
He'd have to talk to her about that.
Too many tags wasn't a good habit.
No future.
No profit.
This amount—
Was already the upper limit of an A-rank mission, even entering S-rank territory.
A generous payout.
Setting money aside, Gen checked his current status and opened his system panel.
[Name: Kamizuki Gen]
[Identity: Akatsuki Rogue Ninja]
[Chakra: B (Average Chunin Level)]
[Chakra Nature: Yin, Yang, Water, Earth, Wind, Fire, Lightning]
[Kekkei Genkai: Wood Release, Explosion Release]
[Ninjutsu:
Chibaku Tensei
Puppet Manipulation — Hiruko
Lightning Release: False Darkness
Shurikenjutsu
Cursed Seal Restraint
Dance of the Shikigami
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands
…]
[Achievement Traits:
"Equality for All"
"Cut"
"Radio"
"BGM"
"Sworn Brotherhood"
"Poison Body"
"Divine Descent"]
"…Still only B-rank chakra?"
Gen fell into thought.
Clearly—
Borrowed chakra didn't count as his own.
He'd have to train.
As for Explosion Release—
That was expected.
When Deidara scattered his explosive clay earlier, Gen had already copied it.
In truth—
Even without using Explosion Release to counter-control Deidara's clay centipede—
Deidara wouldn't have been able to target him effectively anyway.
That covered the visible gains.
There were also hidden ones—
Like Ōnoki's favor.
Gen glanced at Deidara, now fast asleep.
He sealed the Lightning Blades and the cash case back into a scroll.
This trip to Iwagakure—
Was complete.
The next time he returned to that land of stone—
It might be for a tailed beast.
As for now—
After recruiting Deidara—
Gen planned to lie low in Kumogakure.
Rest for a month.
Wait for cooldowns.
Then make his next move.
During that time—
He needed to increase his chakra reserves—
And accumulate toxins for his "Poison Body."
…
Kirigakure.
Mizukage Building.
"Bad news, Obito!" A White Zetsu emerged from the ground.
Obito stepped out from the shadows.
"What is it?"
"The White Zetsu stationed near Iwagakure sent back intel."
"Oh?" Obito's single eye gleamed beneath the mask. "Tell me everything about Jūzō Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki's fight with Kamizuki Gen."
White Zetsu fell silent.
"…Everything?"
How was it supposed to explain this?
There was no fight.
They were instantly killed.
"Speak!" Obito snapped.
White Zetsu sighed.
"They were… eliminated by Ōnoki's Dust Release."
"…What?"
Obito froze.
"I sent them to deal with Kamizuki Gen. Why did they go provoke Ōnoki?!"
White Zetsu quickly recounted the entire sequence of events.
"…Idiots! Absolute idiots!"
Obito gritted his teeth.
"They couldn't take a different route? Hide their identities? They had to stroll into the Land of Earth like that?!"
He had expected them to lose—
But not like this.
Not at Ōnoki's hands.
Obito's expression darkened.
"…Where are the blades? Samehada? The Lightning Blades?"
He had already picked out a suitable candidate within Kirigakure.
His plan—
Use Samehada as leverage to recruit that ninja into Akatsuki.
A valuable asset.
White Zetsu hesitated, then answered:
"When Ōnoki killed them, Kamizuki Gen was present."
"He took both swords."
"Our Zetsu didn't dare get close."
"…Damn it!"
Obito clenched his fists beneath his sleeves.
The men were gone.
The swords were gone.
His recruitment plan—
Ruined.
All because of Kamizuki Gen.
"…I'll kill him sooner or later."
His voice turned cold.
Then—
He fell into thought.
Already plotting his next move.
…
Morning.
The giant serpent crossed the hills, leaving the Land of Earth behind and entering the Land of Rain.
The sky was overcast.
At dawn—
Deidara woke up—
And immediately started chattering like a sparrow beside Gen.
"Big bro! Can you teach me Explosion Release?!"
Gen glanced at him, then beckoned.
"Come here. Let me introduce you to a new companion."
He pointed to his shoulder.
"Call him Fourth Brother."
"…Fourth brother?"
Deidara blinked in confusion.
"He joined at the same time as me—why do I have to call him 'bro'? I got here first!"
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