Obito was plotting within the Mountain Graveyard.
The lone White Zetsu, now independent, was eating nonstop. It discovered that the more it ate, the more it felt the urge to relieve itself. And so, its appetite grew even more voracious.
A scouting White Zetsu emerged from the ground. "Traces of a Nine-Tails chakra eruption were detected at the Fire Temple in the Land of Fire. The source is not Naruto Uzumaki."
Hmm?
Obito stood up. He hadn't expected to find a clue about the Nine-Tails while he was still searching for the Rinnegan. Naruto had not left the village, yet there were signs of another Nine-Tails chakra outbreak outside of it. This was deeply intriguing.
From what Obito knew, such a thing was rare, but not impossible. The Gold and Silver Brothers of Kumogakure, for instance, had once been devoured by the Nine-Tails. By chewing on the beast's flesh, they had managed to acquire its chakra. However, Kinkaku and Ginkaku had been dead for many years. What other secret could be hidden within the Fire Temple?
Black Zetsu, feeling a little strange now that his other half was so quiet, fell into contemplation. He turned to Obito. "No matter who it is, we should secure them as soon as possible. It is not easy to get into Konoha these days."
Obito agreed. "I'll go to the Fire Temple and wait for you. You should come see for yourself."
A vortex swirled in the air, and Obito vanished into it. It had been a long time since he had taken Black Zetsu with him into the Kamui dimension.
Black Zetsu's eyes flickered as he slowly sank back into the earth.
[Ding! Yahiko has been successfully recruited.]
[Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Trait: Leadership Charisma. (Can replace an existing talent).]
Kawasaki had spent the entire journey from the Land of Fire to the outskirts of Konoha convincing Yahiko, and he had finally won him over. After hearing about Kawasaki's plan to form the strongest force, Yahiko had joined his team. This was the first person Kawasaki had recruited since his system had been upgraded.
'What the heck is Leadership Charisma?' Kawasaki wondered as he examined it.
[Leadership Charisma: As a leader, your words and actions will be more persuasive...]
Kawasaki was speechless. So this was how the original Akatsuki got its start. Fortunately, he didn't need something like this, and he was glad he could swap out one of his existing talents. He could finally get rid of that useless one he had acquired before.
Kawasaki tapped on "Music Master" in his talent list, and a menu of swappable talents popped up. Most of them were grayed out, with only his own "Lightning Affinity" and "Genjutsu Master" lit up. A few others, like "Archery Expert," were also available. Talents like "Ultra-Fast Reflexes" and "Nature Affinity" were completely gray and unselectable.
'Looks like these talents are ranked,' he sighed. 'Who can figure this out?' His two available options were likely lit up because he already had some foundation in them. Otherwise, he would probably be stuck swapping for another trash-tier talent.
Kawasaki had no plans to incorporate genjutsu into his fighting style for the time being, so he directly swapped for Lightning Affinity. Whether he would learn any Lightning Release ninjutsu in the future remained to be seen. Still, he was one step closer to mastering all elemental releases.
As Kawasaki was looking over his system rewards, they were approaching Konoha—or more specifically, the outer edge of the Uchiha clan's territory.
After learning how powerful their enemies were, Yahiko began to strategize. He needed to find a way to rapidly increase his strength. He had no desire to relive the tragedy that had befallen him due to his weakness and naivety. After talking with Kawasaki, Yahiko realized just how idealistic his old dream had been. Compared to Kawasaki's down-to-earth approach, his own dream was like a castle in the sky, ready to collapse at any moment. The only reason they had been able to hold on for so long back then was due to the raw power of their core members. If Nagato hadn't possessed the Rinnegan, he would have died several times over. And even then, he ultimately fell to schemes and manipulation.
In this new life, Yahiko had sided with Kawasaki not only out of gratitude but also because he genuinely believed in his plan. He was also impressed by Kawasaki's mind—it was definitely sharper than his own.
As they neared the clan compound, Kawasaki raised a hand. "Stay here and don't move. Wait for me to come back."
Though confused, Yahiko stopped as instructed.
Kawasaki darted into the woods and immediately dispelled his Shadow Clone Jutsu. In an instant, all of the clone's memories flooded back to his main body in the clan compound.
Kawasaki rubbed his forehead. He had sent the Shadow Clone with the intention of having Nagato use the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu to resurrect Yahiko, thereby transferring Nagato's life force to him. However, the life force transfer from the technique was so potent that the Shadow Clone had reversed the process. Now Nagato was in perfect health; the black receivers were gone, and his legs were no longer crippled. Unexpectedly, removing the receivers had triggered a resonance with the Gedo Statue, and Nagato had decided to proceed with infusing himself with Hashirama Cells ahead of schedule. If Nagato could successfully integrate the Hashirama Cells, he should have no problem surviving an encounter with Obito.
With these thoughts, Kawasaki took a sword from the wall and strapped it to his waist. His figure flickered, and he headed back out to retrieve Yahiko.
A short while later, Kawasaki returned to where he had left Yahiko.
"You didn't go back just to change your clothes, did you?" Yahiko asked in surprise.
"Hmm..." Kawasaki couldn't very well tell him he'd been talking to a Shadow Clone all this time. "I went back to get my weapon. And to give you a haircut." He patted the weapon at his waist.
Yahiko's face paled slightly as he saw the extra-long sword. "Can't we use a more conventional tool for a haircut?"
"No one recognized us after the last time I cut your hair." Kawasaki unsheathed the weapon and gave it a flashy twirl. "But it's better to be safe than sorry. Don't worry, this will be quick!"
Suddenly, Kawasaki froze. "Nagato, what are you guys doing here?"
Yahiko instinctively spun around. "Nagato! Where?!"
He looked back to find nothing but empty space.
A flash of light glinted off Kawasaki's blade as it zipped over Yahiko's head with a whoosh. Yahiko felt his scalp grow cold as his sideburns were cleanly shaven off.
"Kawasaki! You scared the life out of me!" Yahiko yelled, infuriated. "Stop cutting!"
But Kawasaki just sheathed his sword with a grin. "Relax, I'm already done."
Yahiko touched his head. It was now a buzz cut. "This is so ugly," he grumbled, his face a mask of misery.
Kawasaki enjoyed watching his rich display of emotions. Yes, this was the effect he wanted. He was a completely different person from the cold, emotionless Deva Path.
"Alright, let's go! You'll be staying here for a while," Kawasaki said. "First, pick a room. Then we'll go grab something to eat at the Uchiha district's eateries."
...
Outside the Fire Temple.
A vortex appeared in midair, and Obito emerged. He coolly surveyed the temple before him. While it was well-known in the Land of Fire, it was still an unfamiliar place to him. The reason Obito took a moment to observe it was because the Fire Temple employed unique barrier ninjutsu and sealing jutsu. The two large stone statues guarding the massive iron gate formed a powerful barrier. To enter, one needed a specific chakra signature or would have to destroy the statues to clear a path.
However, Obito had no need to use the main entrance. Too lazy to wait for Black Zetsu, he simply rounded a corner and phased directly through the temple wall.
Once inside, Obito concealed his presence and began to look around. He found himself in a spacious courtyard, its ground pockmarked with signs of destruction. Large craters dented the earth in many places, looking like the aftermath of a recent battle. The main gate, which had appeared undamaged from the outside, was now visibly bent inward. The faint scent of blood lingered in the air.
But what caught Obito's attention most was the lingering chakra of the Nine-Tails. As someone who had once forcibly summoned the beast, he knew with absolute certainty that this was its energy.
Numerous monks, most of them injured, were scattered across the courtyard, repairing the damaged buildings. Not far away, on a set of steps, sat a boy of about ten. He was dressed in a small monk's robe, sitting all alone, watching the other monks work. Occasionally, one of the monks would glance his way, their eyes filled with an undisguised look of disdain.
The boy seemed utterly dejected. He couldn't understand why he had fainted, only to wake up and find his entire world had changed...