Son Goku's Disciple Naruto

Chapter 203 - 203

Having done all this, Naruto intended to leave. This wasn't his final destination. Before leaving, he turned back to the couple. "By the way, whether you believe it or not, what happened today has nothing to do with the Uchiha clan. They desire peace, too, and they desire to be acknowledged."

"They are also members of Konoha, the elders who founded the village. You cannot let them suffer unfair treatment just because of someone's hidden agenda."

"Treat them with honesty, and you will gain far more in return."

If Minato could resolve the issue with the Uchiha, he would gain four immense allies in the future: Shisui, Itachi, Fugaku, and Sasuke. With the full assistance of those four, let alone Konoha, it would be enough to solve the vast majority of problems in the entire Shinobi World.

"Well then, goodbye."

Naruto bowed to the two of them, and the next second, he vanished from the spot.

Starting tomorrow, no more tricks. Just getting back to normal.

"So, everyone, how does it feel to visit another world for the first time?" Naruto asked the members of Akatsuki as they returned to the Daimyo's Residence in the Land of Fire.

"Doesn't feel like much," Deidara said, yawning. "It's like we just watched a movie about the Nine-Tails Attack, that's all."

"After all, it was just a test, in the world we know best, too." Kisame spoke slowly. "But the fact that we can actually travel to other worlds is truly amazing."

"I even saw the younger Third Hokage. It's incredible." Kakuzu rarely offered such praise.

"In that case, everyone should make preparations. Wait for my message, and we'll head to a new world together."

"Hey, hey, hey, Naruto! Why do we have to wait until next time?" Deidara perked up immediately, shouting in protest. "Who knows when 'next time' will be? No, no, we have to go today. If not, I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving! Hmph!"

"I'd like to say the same," Naruto said, his tone coaxing. "But if we really go to another world, we won't be able to return in just a day or two."

The next world might be the New World. Naruto didn't have much confidence in himself yet, let alone taking Akatsuki along. Given this group's tendency to sow chaos, he worried he wouldn't be able to control them. So he needed to scout ahead first.

"It's not just me. I assume the rest of you have things to do as well."

"Deidara, my new-style puppet still needs perfecting. You'll just have to wait a while." Sasori spoke calmly. He wasn't entirely trying to stop Deidara, he genuinely had new ideas to test.

"I didn't have much motivation before, but now I have some ideas, too," Hidan chimed in. "I can't make a fool of myself in the new world."

Deidara looked at Naruto, then at the others. He pouted, turned away in a huff, and muttered, "Hmph. Boring!"

"This Akatsuki gathering is concluded. Until next time, everyone."

With Nagato's dismissal, the members dispersed, leaving only Naruto and his two companions. Wait, no, this time there was one extra person. Kisame.

He walked up to Naruto and the others, a strange light flickering in his small, bead-like pupils.

"Is something the matter, Kisame?"

Kisame thought for a moment, then began to speak slowly in his hoarse voice. A moment later, Kisame left alone.

Land of Water, Kirigakure.

Since the meeting ended, Kisame had returned to his homeland. To be precise, this was where he had originally come from. He had only gone to the Land of Fire because he had received Naruto's summons.

Underground Reservoir. Complex pipes and flowing water surrounded him on all sides.

"Kisame, long time no see."

From the shadows in the corner, accompanied by a distortion in the surrounding space, a figure appeared. He spoke to Kisame in a very deep voice.

"You are late."

"My lord, long time no see." Kisame grinned, revealing a smile uglier than crying, then said respectfully, "There was a slight accident along the way, so I arrived a little late."

"Is that so? I thought you had betrayed me." Whether intentional or not, the person in the shadows let the accusation hang in the air.

"How could that be?" Kisame's face revealed no flaw as he replied respectfully. "I have been lurking within Akatsuki according to your orders, quietly awaiting your return. I am very much looking forward to your plan."

Hearing Kisame say this, the figure in the shadows finally revealed his true form. That familiar spiral mask belonged to Obito Uchiha, unseen for a long while.

In the original story, Kisame had been recruited by Obito posing as Madara. Within Akatsuki, using the Eye of the Moon Plan, Kisame was the only honest man he had successfully fooled. In just a few words, Kisame had regained Obito's trust.

After all, people generally find it easy to trust an honest man. When an honest man lies, he hits the mark every single time.

"My lord." Kisame hesitated for a moment. "But Pain has already abandoned the mission to capture the Tailed Beasts. Will our plan be affected?"

"He calls himself a god now. The Great Nations have all been forced to submit, bowing before his power."

"It will be difficult for us to sway his decision."

'I knew Nagato couldn't be trusted.'

'It's all just because of those Rinnegan, isn't it?'

Black Zetsu had fled the moment he saw Isshiki, so he was unaware that Nagato had obtained Isshiki's power. Given this intelligence gap, Obito naturally assumed Nagato's power stemmed entirely from Madara's Rinnegan.

Obito scoffed. A craving for the Rinnegan rose within him. He mimicked Madara's tone, his voice leaving no room for doubt.

"Rest assured. Even without Nagato's help, the plan can proceed smoothly."

"If you say so, I am relieved." Kisame nodded and turned to Obito. "Then I will leave Akatsuki now."

"And follow your lead to execute the Great Plan."

Hearing Kisame's unwavering decision, Obito nodded with satisfaction. He stopped him.

"No. I need you to remain undercover. Stay within Akatsuki."

"But..." Kisame frowned. "There is no meaning in staying there any longer."

How could there be no meaning? Those were the Rinnegan. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was there, too.

"We must have our man inside Akatsuki."

"As you wish." Kisame bowed respectfully. "I will take my leave, then."

"Not so fast." Obito halted Kisame. "There are some things you need to know."

"Let me introduce you. This is someone who shares our ideals and wishes, a like-minded partner." Obito stepped to the side, revealing the figure behind him.

"You should know him well enough. After all, you were once from the same ninja village."

"Hm?" Kisame froze at the sight of the newcomer's face but quickly recovered. He grinned at the man, his mouth stretching nearly ear to ear.

"No wonder we're meeting here. I never expected you to become our 'partner' too."

Kisame placed heavy emphasis on the word "partner."

"Hmph." The man answered with a scoff, then fell silent.

Some time later, Kisame walked out of the Underground Reservoir alone. After drying off, he silently pulled out the ring unique to Akatsuki. It was used for members to attend remote meetings, but also to transmit information.

"Hello. Naruto? I have a report to make."

The rat lurking in the shadows was finally making its move.

After Kisame left, a pitch-black figure appeared beside Obito.

"Obito, do you think he is trustworthy?"

It was Black Zetsu, who had fled the moment he encountered Isshiki. Panic had overtaken him at the sight of the man, and while running, he had split off a sliver of his will to lurk nearby.

Initially, he had just wanted to gather intelligence on Isshiki for future, but he hadn't expected to gain much. Because the information he obtained was incredibly vague. For instance, he knew the Uzumaki Clan's Elder had perished alongside Isshiki, but he didn't know Nagato had obtained Isshiki's power. He couldn't tell if the boy had discovered this himself or if someone else had orchestrated it.

"Rest assured, Kisame agrees with our Eye of the Moon Plan from the bottom of his heart," Obito said. After all, this was a subordinate he had recruited personally.

"I hope so." Black Zetsu nodded and said no more.

"Don't worry. Although we lack the advantage right now, we are in the shadows," Obito continued. "Nagato's so-called peace is a fleeting illusion. The moment he falls from the altar, a truly tragic war will erupt. The Shinobi World will tear itself apart once his control slips."

"None of the Five Great Nations or the Great Shinobi Villages are kind-hearted. They certainly won't accept the leader of a small village pressing down on them from above."

"Isn't that exactly why those leaders contacted us? Let us just quietly wait for the good news to arrive."

The conversation sparked again as Obito spoke through gritted teeth. "That damned Uzumaki Clan's Elder actually played us for fools. His sheer arrogance was unbelievable."

"Otherwise, we wouldn't have wasted so much time. If we had gone all out, we would have captured almost all the Tailed Beasts by now."

Recently, the two hadn't been idle. They had investigated his true identity through various clues. They cleared up their misunderstandings and joined forces again. The Naruto's Deceived Victims Association had finally reached a consensus.

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