Chapter 198: Obito is Sweating!
The Land of Rain.
Obito was literally sweating now. A layer of cold sweat had seeped into the palms hidden in his sleeves, and he subtly wiped it off.
The only eye visible through his mask maintained a calm expression, but his face underneath had changed drastically, his facial muscles twitching uncontrollably.
Obito Uchiha! That woman actually spoke that name! How did she know that name? What was the purpose of her saying that name to my face?
Has she already uncovered my secret? Does she know that 'Madara Uchiha' isn't Madara Uchiha?
Is she warning me? Is she threatening me?
One incredible thought after another flashed through Obito's mind.
He was screaming in disbelief internally.
The reason Obito had traveled all the way to the Land of Fire to kill Jūzō Biwa was to prevent Konan from finding out his secret.
Even though he didn't manage to kill Jūzō Biwa this time, he should have at least scared him away from returning to the Akatsuki, right?
Under these circumstances, how did this woman know the name Obito Uchiha?
"Obito Uchiha?" Obito tried his best to keep his voice extremely calm. He maintained his raspy voice throughout, staring Konan directly in the eye and saying, "He is indeed a Uchiha junior who left a slight impression on this old man. He was a somewhat talented ninja of the Uchiha clan, and I did follow him for a while."
"Unfortunately, he was a youngster toyed with by fate. He died during the Third Great Shinobi War. Yet, you mention the name of this Uchiha junior in front of me."
Obito narrowed his eye, paused, and then continued: "Someone must be using his identity to deceive you. To try to fool the Akatsuki it seems that person has some courage."
Did Ikeizumi Uchiha not trick me with false information? This thought suddenly popped into Konan's mind.
Because she found the "Madara Uchiha" in front of her to be incredibly composed.
Or was he truly Obito Uchiha, just playing dumb and refusing to admit the truth that had been exposed!
Just then.
Nagato, who hadn't spoken until now, broke the silence. Nagato's voice was slightly weak, indicating his poor physical condition: "Perhaps we need to speed up the recruitment of suitable newcomers and the gathering of funds, because Ikeizumi Uchiha's existence makes the future uncertain. Any further delay might lead to unexpected trouble."
Nagato changed the subject, preventing Konan from dwelling on the issue or pressing the attack further.
Konan's brows slightly furrowed as she looked at the expressionless Nagato.
Obito, however, was immediately relieved. He felt that his calm demeanor had managed to fool them once more.
Whether the woman who looked like Konan believed him or not, Nagato seemed to have accepted his explanation.
"It is indeed time to move things forward," Obito said, crossing his arms and maintaining an expressionless facade. "But it is not because of that junior, Ikeizumi Uchiha. He is not the only unpredictable factor in the ninja world."
A lie!
Obito's thoughts were naturally the same as Nagato's, but he couldn't say it because he felt the persona of Madara Uchiha wouldn't allow it.
After a few more brief exchanges, Obito left, keeping a taut, unflustered expression.
A few minutes later.
Konan asked Nagato, "Why did you stop me from exposing his identity to his face? I only needed to press him a few more times, and he would have cracked. I could tell he couldn't hide it; I'd already found the holes in his story."
Nagato didn't look at her. He kept his gaze on a stalactite and slowly said, "If he wants to be Madara Uchiha so badly, we'll pretend he is Madara Uchiha."
He paused, then continued, "Don't cause internal strife within the Akatsuki before our plan is complete. We only need to know that he can help us achieve our goal."
"Konan, you need to look at the bigger picture. We shouldn't waste too much energy on something this minor."
Konan took a deep breath.
"Understood."
The moment he left the Akatsuki's secret base, Obito Uchiha immediately entered the Kamui dimension.
He ripped the mask from his face and tossed it aside.
His entire face was soaked with sweat.
His eyelid was twitching uncontrollably.
Inside the Kamui dimension, the faint screams of Black Zetsu were still echoing.
This made Obito, already irritated by Konan, even more frantic.
"Obito, did you come in here to take a dump?" Spiral Zetsu was also in the Kamui dimension, looking after Black Zetsu. When he saw Obito, he immediately scurried over and crouched behind Obito.
He looked up, seemingly trying to stare at Obito's rear end.
Obito awkwardly turned away, gritting his teeth with a hideous expression: "That woman knows the name Obito Uchiha! She's even suspicious that I might be Obito Uchiha! She said there was a newcomer named Obito Uchiha joining the Akatsuki recently, but she was really just testing me!"
"I have a feeling Jūzō Biwa wasn't scared off by us, but foolishly came back and reported the information to her!"
Obito's intelligence might be lacking, but he wasn't an idiot.
Konan's sarcasm was so obvious.
How could he not hear it? He was just pretending not to!
"Huh?"
Spiral Zetsu stood up, scratching his head and asking in a strange tone, "What should we do?"
"Hmph! Luckily, I was quick-witted and played along in front of them. They probably mistakenly believe it's false information."
Obito snorted dismissively.
Then, he and Spiral Zetsu stared at each other for several minutes, unable to come up with any sensible plan.
It seemed they had no correct solution for this unexpected situation.
And the smartest one among them was currently screaming in agony!
Obito wondered if Black Zetsu would ever be normal again after the dōjutsu was dispelled and the pain that made even onlookers shudder finally subsided.
Konoha.
Koharu Utatane, with a fire burning inside her and nowhere to vent it, glared at the suddenly appearing ANBU ninja. The ANBU ninja sent by Hiruzen Sarutobi did not shy away from her gaze.
The silent tension lasted a few seconds. Koharu Utatane cast a resentful glance at Anko Mitarashi and Ikeizumi Uchiha.
"Go!"
At her command, the Root ninja she brought retreated, not prolonging the confrontation.
This caused the somewhat vigilant Ikeizumi Uchiha to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Although she was prepared for a conflict with Root, there were too many of them, and Anko Mitarashi was injured.
If she had clashed with them, defeat was almost certain.
However, the anger in Ikeizumi Uchiha's heart did not subside.
She helped Anko Mitarashi up, then looked at Koharu Utatane's retreating back, and spoke directly: "Advisor Koharu, for sending Root ninja to injure a fellow Konoha villager under the absurd pretense of 'not sharing information with Konoha,' you have committed an evil act that warrants judgment in the eyes of [Absolute Justice]! Can you not even offer an apology to the victim?"
Apology?
Koharu Utatane nearly laughed from anger at the word.
She turned around, facing Ikeizumi Uchiha. With a gloomy, aged face, she said to the girl, "You've spent too much time with Ikeizumi Uchiha; you seem to have forgotten where this is. You also seem to have forgotten that the Will of Fire governs Konoha, not [Absolute Justice]."
"As a ninja, knowing information about a rogue ninja and failing to inform the village is a fundamental mistake according to Konoha's rules!"
Ikeizumi immediately interrupted and challenged, "Since you claim to be operating according to Konoha's rules, I ask you: Which rule stipulates that a ninja must share every piece of information she knows with you, Koharu Utatane? Please, Advisor Koharu, detail the relevant articles and their source."
"If the Third Hokage were to ask Anko Mitarashi for information about Orochimaru, and she refused to tell him, many in Konoha would indeed consider it a breach of Konoha's rules. However..."
"You, Koharu Utatane, are merely a Senior Advisor. You only have the right to advise the Hokage. You are not the Hokage!"
Koharu Utatane nearly clenched her fists until they broke. She felt that talking to someone brainwashed by [Absolute Justice] would surely lead to her demise from sheer anger!
But she couldn't answer Ikeizumi's point because the "rules" she spoke of were merely her own fabrication.
She had hoped to intimidate these two juniors, but she had failed.
"Then you are absolutely insisting that this old woman apologize to her?"
The muscles around Koharu Utatane's mouth twitched. Ikeizumi was deadly serious: "Not only that! Not only do you need to apologize to Anko, but you also need to be sentenced by Justice! For deploying Root ninja to secretly injure a fellow villager without proper justification, you must be sentenced to at least five years in prison!"
Koharu Utatane: "???"
Five years?!
Regarding the supposed "injuries" on Anko Mitarashi, the most serious was the dislocated left shoulder. All it would take is simply pressing the shoulder back into place, and her most serious injury would be healed.
As for the rest of Anko Mitarashi's scrapes and bruises, a little medicinal ointment would have her recovered in a few days.
The main reason she looked so battered was probably exhaustion.
This probably doesn't even qualify as a minor injury!
What kind of harsh law sentences someone to five years!?
Is this Absolute Justice?
They're all insane!
Koharu Utatane took several deep, ragged breaths, her chest heaving. She was so angry at Ikeizumi Uchiha that her lungs were about to burst. She said through gritted teeth, "I already told you, Konoha is not the Konoha of [Absolute Justice]; Konoha is the Konoha of the Will of Fire! Do not try to impose your so-called [Absolute Justice] rules on Konoha! Your so-called [Absolute Justice] has no right to arrest this old woman!"
With that.
Koharu Utatane couldn't be bothered with Ikeizumi any longer. She turned her head and stormed off in a rage, the Root ninja following closely behind.
Looking at their retreating figures, Anko Mitarashi let out a shaky breath. She gave a wry smile to Ikeizumi Uchiha and asked, "Aren't you afraid you'll push her too far, make her lose her mind, and try to kill us?"
"She has taken over Root. Root is the darkness of Konoha. A person like that is capable of anything when their emotions are volatile."
Ikeizumi nodded candidly: "I am afraid."
"But if you're too afraid to stand up for others, then what good is believing in Justice? Kitsujirō-senpai also said that when Senior Ikeizumi was young and weak, even if he couldn't directly deal with some of the ninja world's evil, he found ways to make those villains suffer."
Ikeizumi reached for a scroll at her waist: "Besides, if she breaks the pretense, I'm not without means to retaliate."
This was a Sealing Fire Suppression Scroll, and sealed within it was a ball of Itachi Uchiha's Amaterasu flames!
Itachi Uchiha was being put to practical use.
"Don't question this old man."
Inside the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out at the night.
When he heard the loud sound of the door being pushed open, he interrupted Koharu Utatane before she could even speak.
This caused the words Koharu Utatane was about to blurt out to be forcibly held back.
Hiruzen Sarutobi then turned around, took a deep breath, and spoke with an air of disappointment: "Did this old man not already warn you to avoid taking extreme measures? Especially taking extreme measures against Ikeizumi's subordinates will only bring trouble upon yourself."
Koharu Utatane's teeth were practically grinding: "The fact that you knew I was attempting extreme measures means that your people were watching my every move all along, doesn't it?"
"You also wanted to extract information about Orochimaru from Anko Mitarashi, but you were afraid, weren't you? Ikeizumi Uchiha has already made you afraid!"
"Hiruzen, don't forget you are the Hokage of Konoha. Ikeizumi Uchiha is only a Military Police Force ninja; he's not even the commander of the Military Police Force!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and retorted, "This old man is not afraid of Ikeizumi; this old man is worried that something will happen to you."
Koharu Utatane said coldly, "If something happens to me for the sake of Konoha's interests, even if it costs my life, this old woman will have no regrets."
"Hiruzen, you are truly too indecisive. You disappoint me. Perhaps some of Danzō's past criticisms of you were correct."
.............
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