Chapter 223: Akira Knows the Masked Man’s Identity

The one who intervened was Kakuzu!

Though Kakuzu had submitted to Akira, he understood that at times it was necessary to play his part without revealing too much. Watching his comrade being beaten by a seemingly weak girl while doing nothing would have been out of character, so he decided to step in.

"Stop!" Obito suddenly shouted, his voice filled with urgency when he saw Kakuzu attacking Rin.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand, and a wooden branch shot out, aimed directly at Kakuzu. The branch pierced one of Kakuzu's hearts, a masked one from his Earth Grudge Fear technique. The branch then exploded like a peacock spreading its feathers—the signature of the Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs technique. The heart and its mask were destroyed in an instant!

Everyone froze in disbelief, staring at Obito.

Even Rin stopped her attack and looked toward Akira, her eyes filled with confusion.

She had been fighting an enemy, but not only did this man not strike back, he even saved her from an attack by his own ally. Why would he help her? Rin was utterly bewildered. She glanced at Akira as if seeking guidance.

At that moment, Rin's autonomy took over. She genuinely didn't want to fight Obito anymore.

"Who are you?" Rin asked, shifting her attention back to Obito. She was certain now—something between them was different. Even a fool could see that there was more to their connection.

Rin was deeply curious about his identity.

"Are you insane, Tobi!?" Kakuzu yelled, furious and shocked. He had just lost one of his hearts to someone on his own side.

"Tobi?" Rin repeated the name internally, rolling it around in her thoughts. The name was unfamiliar—she had never heard of it before.

Looking directly at Obito, she pressed him further. "Who are you? We must have known each other, right?"

Obito hesitated, locking eyes with Rin. He knew if he didn't leave now, he wouldn't be able to escape. He simply couldn't bring himself to harm Rin. Shouting, he turned to Kakuzu, "We're leaving!"

Without another word, Obito turned and bolted.

Kakuzu glanced at Akira, who didn't seem to be following them. Reluctantly, Kakuzu followed Obito, and just as Obito grabbed him, his right eye activated the Kamui. In an instant, they both vanished into the swirling space of the Kamui dimension.

Akira didn't bother chasing them. Obito's Kamui was too fast. If he decided to use it to escape, there was little Akira could do to stop him. Interrupting Kamui required speeds that Akira hadn't yet reached—like the original Madara Uchiha.

Of course, there was another method—Akira could steal Obito's Kamui ability and chase him into the dimension. But that came with risks. What if the time limit ran out while he was still in the Kamui dimension? He could be trapped forever.

"Who is he?" Rin asked softly, watching as Obito disappeared into the swirling vortex of space-time. She wondered if, in life, she had known him well.

Akira stepped forward and spoke gently, "Thank you for your help. I'm sorry for any trouble."

With that, Akira released the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu.

Rin's eyes closed, her consciousness fading as the coffin appeared once more, sealing her inside. Slowly, the coffin sank into the ground, disappearing from sight.

"Who was that girl just now?" Mei Terumi, the Mizukage, approached Akira, curiosity evident in her eyes.

But Akira didn't answer. Revealing Rin's identity would be like revealing Obito's true identity.

Instead, he smoothly shifted the conversation. "So, about the Three-Tails… I believe this is my reward now?"

"Akira, thank you for helping us capture the Three-Tails," Mei said playfully, smiling at him. "How about I repay you by offering myself in marriage?"

With that statement, she cheekily redefined the situation, implying that Akira had been helping her and the Mist Village all along.

"Are you kidding me?" Akira rolled his eyes at her. It wasn't just the Three-Tails she wanted—she clearly wanted him too! All this talk of repaying him with her hand in marriage was just an excuse.

"Mizukage, don't misunderstand. I came to the Land of Water for the Three-Tails from the start. Plus, it was mainly me who drove off those Akatsuki members, wasn't it?" Akira's tone became serious.

"So, logically, the Three-Tails should be my reward," he added firmly.

Though he wasn't all that impressed by the strength of the Three-Tails, it was still a tailed beast. It wasn't something he would give away so easily.

Akira wasn't the type to make the same mistakes as Hashirama Senju, who divided up the tailed beasts for the sake of peace. That generosity had ultimately proven futile—war erupted soon after Hashirama's death. Clearly, giving away tailed beasts hadn't done much to secure peace.

"This fight involved both of us, so you can't claim the reward all for yourself," Mei argued.

"So what? Do we split the Three-Tails in half?" Akira shot back sarcastically.

"Here's what I'll do," Mei offered after a moment of thought. "I can't let you go unrewarded for your efforts. How about I give you thirty million ryō as compensation?"

"Thirty million?" Akira looked unimpressed. "That's way too low, even for just half the credit."

"Well, our village isn't exactly rich right now," Mei admitted, clearly embarrassed. "The Bloody Mist policy almost ruined us. I inherited a disaster when I became Mizukage."

Thirty million ryō was already scraping the bottom of the barrel for the village.

"Thirty million is a joke. I want 300 million—no less. You can pay it in installments if you like. Let's say… twenty million a month?" Akira countered, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Mei sighed dramatically. "You really have no pity for a lady, do you? You're a ruthless man!"

Akira ignored her playful complaint, taking it as her acceptance of his terms.

The Three-Tails was the Mist Village's tailed beast—that much was recognized across the ninja world. Akira knew that even though Mei understood this, she couldn't let him take the Three-Tails away. It would be like someone trying to take the Nine-Tails from the Leaf or the One-Tail from the Sand Village—it simply wouldn't happen.

So getting 300 million in exchange was something Akira was quite pleased with.

After they settled the terms, Akira extracted a portion of the Three-Tails' chakra and sealed it into a scroll.

Now, Akira had gathered parts of the One-Tail, Three-Tails, and Nine-Tails' chakra. He was curious—what would happen if he managed to collect the chakra of all nine-tailed beasts?

Mei, along with her two bodyguards, took the unconscious Three-Tails back to the Mist Village. Despite the agreement for installment payments, she made good on her promise and gave Akira the first thirty million upfront.

With his bank account swollen by another thirty million ryō, Akira's funds had increased significantly.

After finishing their business in the Mist Village, Akira refused Mei's attempts to make him stay longer. He and Konan left the Land of Water.

On their way out, the Mist Village gifted Akira a small boat, saving him the trouble of using Rasengan to propel himself across the water.

This mission had been a success for Akira. He'd earned thirty million ryō, secured part of the Three-Tails' chakra, and, perhaps most importantly, witnessed firsthand Obito's reaction to seeing Rin again.

With Rin as a trump card, Akira now had a powerful tool against Obito.

Konan, meanwhile, had been quiet the entire time. But inside, she was deeply shaken.

By now, she had come to fully respect Akira's intelligence. Every time the Akatsuki made a move, Akira was already one step ahead. His ability to gather intel was terrifying.

And now, after watching Akira use Rin to manipulate Obito, Konan was sure of one thing—Akira knew the masked man's true identity.

Once again, Akira's claims had proven true. The masked man wasn't Madara Uchiha. Akira had known the truth all along.

The Akatsuki had been fooled from the start, hadn't they?

It was frightening. The whole ninja world feared the Akatsuki for their overwhelming strength.

But Konan now realized that the Akatsuki had been manipulated this entire time.

She couldn't help but feel that staying by Akira's side was the right choice after all.

_________________

Next bonus chapter if we reach 400 Powerstone

____________

Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 285+ at patreon.com/Emik01.