Chapter 177: Yakushi Kabuto, Sasori Of The Red Sand! The Hokage’s Choice
At night, Homura Mitokado discovered that the Hokage’s Office was still brightly lit, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had not left the Hokage’s Office Building.
After knocking and entering, he curiously asked Sarutobi Hiruzen.
But unexpectedly, he learned shocking information from the other party’s mouth.
Homura Mitokado also fell into a brief silence.
After a long time, with a somewhat complex expression, he said to Sarutobi Hiruzen in front of him, “Hiruzen, since you’ve figured out what’s going on, have you decided to make the truth public? I’m afraid you were stimulated today and might not be entirely clear-headed, so I have to remind you.”
“If made public, Sarutobi Fujiko and the other two Sarutobi Clan members’ reputations will definitely plummet, and even the entire Sarutobi Clan’s reputation will be damaged. After all, their behavior is no different from that of rogue ninjas.”
“But if not made public, how will you suppress the Sarutobi Clan’s anger, as well as the current opposition between the Sarutobi Clan and Absolute Justice, Hiruzen? This opposition will give rise to more young people committing impulsive acts.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath and said with an equally complex expression, “I know I have to make a choice…”
Both choices proposed by Homura Mitokado had pros and cons.
It all depended on how he, the Konoha Hokage, would weigh them.
Choosing the former would likely make him, Sarutobi Hiruzen, a lapdog of Absolute Justice within the Sarutobi Clan. Perhaps his status in the Sarutobi Clan would be no different from Fugaku’s.
Although he had greater authority than Fugaku and greater prestige than Fugaku, isolation and alienation from the clan members was certain.
Choosing the latter, when Uchiha Ikeizumi returned, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn’t even dare to imagine how much of a commotion that young man would cause.
Once this thought flashed through his mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately knew how he should choose.
“Make it public!”
He sighed.
Homura Mitokado nodded, “Hiruzen, you should rest for the next couple of days. Your state looks very off, and you need to give yourself a few days off. I will handle this matter for you.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Homura. At a time like this, someone who proactively shares the pressure for me without causing me trouble is probably only you in the entire Konoha.”
Homura Mitokado detected a hint of dissatisfaction in Sarutobi Hiruzen’s tone toward Koharu Utatane’s ability to handle affairs.
Indeed.
Ever since Koharu Utatane took over Shimura Danzo’s Root Organization, she hadn’t handled many things well.
Especially when it involved Absolute Justice.
Koharu Utatane messed up every time, her ability not even matching Danzo’s.
……
Not long after, somewhere in the Ninja World.
“This should be the location where Ikeizumi and Orochimaru fought, right? Even after a day and a night, the air in this area still carries a very strong sulfur smell.”
Three Uchiha Ninjas arrived at the devastated battlefield.
Looking ahead, the front was covered in traces of solidified lava, everywhere filled with volcanic rock and scorched ground.
The area visible ahead had become a barren wasteland, with not a single plant growing here. Even if there had been plants before, they had probably long been incinerated to ashes by the lava.
“The battle’s area of effect is extremely exaggerated.”
A Uchiha Jonin said expressionlessly with one hand in his pocket, “If this area of effect were applied to Konoha, the entire Konoha would likely be reduced to nothing in this great battle. Adding civilians and ninjas together, who knows how many tens of thousands would die or be injured.”
Another Uchiha Ninja carrying a cloth bag emitting a faint lime smell asked in doubt, “So, where is Ikeizumi now? Has he already killed Orochimaru?”
Just as his voice fell, the three of them suddenly had their pupils contract.
They quickly became alert, all looking in the same direction.
In their line of sight, a figure was approaching unhurriedly.
This was none other than the Uchiha Ikeizumi they three had been waiting for!
“It took some time to return here from Ryuchi Cave.” Before the three could ask their questions, Uchiha Ikeizumi said straightforwardly, “Orochimaru is already dead, and along with that, the entire Ryuchi Cave has been cleansed by me. So, what about the task I gave you? Have you dealt with the great merchant Kato?”
The three Uchiha Ninjas: “!!!”
Ikeizumi’s results in executing justice far exceeded their expectations.
They had thought killing just one Orochimaru would be it, but unexpectedly, he had massacred one of the three great sacred sites, Ryuchi Cave. Was this not offending that White Snake Sage?
However…
This was exactly the reason they willingly followed Uchiha Ikeizumi!
Daring to challenge any powerful existence for the sake of justice!
“Dealt with.” The Uchiha Ninja carrying the cloth bag opened the bag in his hand, revealing Kato’s head inside with a solidified expression of fear. The head had been specially treated for easier preservation, at least ten days or half a month without issue.
Uchiha Ikeizumi glanced at it lightly.
“Back to the village.”
He added one last sentence, “You three have passed the test. The Ninja World needs you to execute Absolute Justice.”
……
Land of Rain.
Juzo Biwa felt his situation was somewhat dangerous.
That woman Konan, who had bullied him in the workplace, seemed not to mind on the surface that he was too close to Uchiha Ikeizumi, but who knew what that deep-scheming woman was really thinking?
Especially when he realized that Uchiha Ikeizumi had been wanted by the Akatsuki organization, while he had been kept in the dark by that group.
Juzo Biwa knew he could become a discarded pawn at any time.
He could be added to the Akatsuki’s assassination list at any moment.
They could abandon him at any time, or rather, clean house.
As for the reason to kill him, Juzo Biwa?
Did such an extreme organization need a reason to clean house?
“Uchiha Ikeizumi, we can’t stay in the Land of Rain any longer!” Juzo Biwa decisively said to Uchiha Ikeizumi’s Wood Style Clone, “I can’t guarantee when they will classify me as an enemy too. Moreover, I’m out in the open, while they’re in the shadows. If they want to kill me, it would be effortless.”
The Wood Style Clone glanced at him and said flatly, “Wherever you go has nothing to do with the original body. The original body hasn’t restricted your freedom. Why do you have the illusion that you need to report wherever you’re going to the original body?”
This statement from the Wood Style Clone stunned even Juzo Biwa himself.
He was silent for a full ten seconds, then stood up expressionlessly, slinging the Executioner’s Blade over his shoulder.
Juzo Biwa seemed somewhat embarrassed.
He turned and left without a word.
However, before he could take a few steps, a voice suddenly came, “Scorpion, the target has been found. But are you sure you don’t need support from the other adults in the organization?”
Immediately after, another voice rang out, “Dealing with one Konoha Ninja doesn’t require such a big fuss. Moreover, we’ve already gathered most of the intelligence on him. His dojutsu is useless against my puppets.”
“Besides, I don’t like waiting for people.”
When Juzo Biwa and Uchiha Ikeizumi’s Wood Style Clone both looked toward the direction of the voice.
They saw two figures standing not far in that direction.
The opponents’ gazes were firmly locked on Juzo Biwa and the Wood Style Clone.
“…This guy!”
Juzo Biwa’s pupils contracted slightly. He recognized one of them, immediately gripping the Executioner’s Blade tightly, assuming a battle-ready stance, his gaze filled with vigilance and wariness.
“This guy is one of the core cadres in the Akatsuki organization! He usually wraps himself in very thick clothes, so I’m not clear on his true identity, only knowing his code name is Jade!”
Juzo Biwa immediately shared the intelligence he knew with the Wood Style Clone.
No choice.
Aside from Uchiha Ikeizumi’s Wood Style Clone, he was practically alone and without support! Now, he could only rely on the Wood Style Clone.
“The other guy isn’t a core cadre of the Akatsuki organization, but a subordinate of ‘Jade’. I remember when I first joined Akatsuki, this guy came to talk to me, clearly trying to probe me. He said his name is Kabuto, but he didn’t say his surname.”
Juzo Biwa said warily, “This kind of guy is clearly very deep-scheming. On the surface, he appears very amiable and somewhat clumsy. But how many people in this organization are amiable? The clumsy ones died long ago!”
At that moment, the Wood Style Clone beside him slowly spoke up, “One is Sasori of the Red Sand, the other is Yakushi Kabuto.”
Juzo Biwa was stunned.
Huh?
How did he know?
But he quickly realized—right! Uchiha Ikeizumi knew more about the Akatsuki organization than he, a real Akatsuki member, did!
The Wood Style Clone continued calmly, even directly revealing the hidden secret intelligence on the two ahead, “The Sasori of the Red Sand on the left is from Sunagakure, a genius puppet master. His appearance is just a puppet; his real body is inside this puppet.”
“The Yakushi Kabuto on the right is a spy Orochimaru planted in the Akatsuki organization. Orochimaru had him stay under Sasori of the Red Sand to probe for more intelligence within the Akatsuki.”
“Evidently, Sasori of the Red Sand doesn’t know this. He truly sees Yakushi Kabuto as his capable subordinate.”
Juzo Biwa: “???”
Wait…
Isn’t this intelligence a bit too detailed? Isn’t this basically exposing the two opponents’ backgrounds? If he went into even more detail, revealing all their abilities and weaknesses, Juzo Biwa felt he might even have a chance to assassinate them, and pretty high odds of success at that.
Juzo Biwa took a deep breath, ignoring the jumbled thoughts in his mind, and said, “So they’re hunting you?”
The Wood Style Clone said, “Maybe including you too. Otherwise, why not notify you in advance for an inside-outside pincer attack on me?”
Juzo Biwa: “…Could you be a bit more tactful next time? Saying it like this makes me seem stupid. I was just a bit flustered; otherwise, I could’ve figured it out myself.”
……
At the same time, inside the Kamui Space.
“Obito! Obito!” The vortex-faced White Zetsu shouted loudly as soon as Obito entered the Kamui Space, “Black Zetsu is done for!”
Uchiha Obito was slightly stunned, then his expression darkened, a trace of gloom in his eyes, “He didn’t make it after all? It seems Uchiha Ikeizumi’s eye’s dojutsu not only inflicts endless pain but can also be lethal. We need to be even more wary of his Mangekyo Sharingan in the future.”
“Huh?”
The vortex-faced White Zetsu was stunned, scratching at its non-existent hair, and said, “That’s not what I meant!”
A sudden voice slowly rose behind Obito.
The voice carried unprecedented fatigue and weakness.
“The effect of Uchiha Ikeizumi’s left eye Mangekyo dojutsu has ended. I didn’t die, but I was nearly tortured to death… That kind of pain is hard to describe with any words at this stage. In short… I never want to endure his dojutsu a second time…”
Obito immediately turned his head and saw a puddle of black liquid weakly sprawled on the ground, only a pair of eyes and a mouth visible.
Obito also saw Black Zetsu sticking out its tongue and rolling its eyes.
This was the first time he had seen Black Zetsu with such a broken expression.
If it added two peace sign gestures, it would be even more fitting.
Obito immediately shook his head at the sudden strange thought, inwardly cursing the strange manga books he had curiously read when young and immature for their deep influence on him.
After Black Zetsu said that, it was unclear how long it took to recover before continuing, “Obito… Uchiha Ikeizumi must be eliminated somehow. He will be the greatest obstacle to our plan.”
Obito gave a light cold snort and said, “No need for your reminder; I’ve already done so. The Akatsuki organization now regards Uchiha Ikeizumi as their top hunting target!”
Black Zetsu paused and said, “You’ve made the right decision.”
Its subtext was—you’ve finally grown a brain, not easy!
But evidently, Obito didn’t pick up on it, even raising the corners of his mouth confidently at Black Zetsu’s “praise.”
……
On the other side.
“Scorpion, what about him?”
Yakushi Kabuto adjusted the round-framed glasses on his nose bridge, the reflected light from the lenses obscuring the expression in his eyes from Scorpion.
Scorpion said coldly, “If he’s no trouble, ignore him; if he is, deal with him together.”
As soon as the words fell.
Scorpion controlled Hiruko to pull out two scrolls, threw them forward after opening them, and after two puffs of white smoke flashed. Two oddly shaped puppets suddenly appeared before everyone.
Scorpion’s voice followed, “That slimy disgusting stinking snake dreaming of getting Uchiha Ikeizumi’s body is pure folly. A ninja body with multiple bloodline limits—who would hand it over to a guy without any artistic talent for research?”
“After killing Uchiha Ikeizumi, I will use his body to craft an even more perfect puppet. Heh, let’s use these two puppets to test his moves.”
Hearing Scorpion’s complaints and disdain for Orochimaru, a barely noticeable flicker crossed Yakushi Kabuto’s face.
‘Tch… The one truly not taken seriously by Lord Orochimaru is you, Sasori of the Red Sand!’
‘You’ve been completely played by that lord, yet you’re utterly unaware.’
‘You’re still too young.’
……
……
