Chapter 148: Black Zetsu's Headache

After being firmly rejected by Nonō, the Root ninjas left the orphanage with some grunting noises. They hadn't expected Nonō to have the courage to refuse Danzo's invitation, and on top of that, she threatened them with both the Fourth Hokage and the Uchiha police force, leaving them speechless.

Watching the Root ninjas' retreating figures, Nonō's feelings were a bit complex. She knew that her words would inevitably reach Danzo's ears, which would certainly anger the advisor lurking in the shadows. However, she had no other choice but to stand up for herself and the children in the orphanage.

There was no way she could just watch as the children were forced into the Root organization, subjected to its brutal training, and ultimately transformed into Danzo's cold, obedient killing machines.

Luckily, the newly appointed Fourth Hokage had been curbing Danzo's power recently, leaving him unable to directly interfere with the orphanage. Otherwise, it would have been Danzo himself who would have come today. Nonō could only hope that this fragile peace would last long enough for the children to develop their own ability to defend themselves.

With a sigh, Nonō composed herself and left the room, determined to put on a warm smile for the children who had suffered so much injustice.

As she left, Kabuto emerged from the shadows, his expression unreadable. After overhearing the conversation between the Root ninjas and Nonō, he had dispelled his doubts about her. He now understood her much better but also became increasingly concerned for the future of the orphanage.

It turned out that Nonō was indeed a ninja, known by the codename 'Walking Priestess'. And as he had feared, the orphanage had originally been established by Root to gather children. The previous generations of orphans had all been forced to join Root.

However, in Kabuto's generation, Nonō had defied her orders and refused to hand them over. But in doing so, she must have been under tremendous pressure. The smiles she gave them every day were just her way of shielding them from her own burdens.

Taking a deep breath, Kabuto tried to steady his thoughts. His mind raced, searching for ways to protect Nonō and his fellow orphans. Eventually, he turned his gaze toward the dark corners of the room and asked slowly, "Senpai, is there anything you can do to save the orphanage?"

Byakuya stepped out from the shadows and looked at Kabuto. "Your headmistress is here to protect the orphanage. It's not your place to worry. Instead of concerning yourself with things you can't control, you should focus on completing the tasks I've given you."

Kabuto shook his head, insisting, "If you don't step in, the headmistress won't be able to hold out for long. Besides, didn't you approach me precisely because you already knew about the orphanage's situation?"

Hearing this, Byakuya looked surprised.

Kabuto, destined to become a future scientific genius, was already showing his sharp observation skills. He had realized that Byakuya had sought him out intentionally, and now Kabuto was starting to bargain with him.

But, if Kabuto weren't this smart, Byakuya wouldn't have picked him in the first place.

After a moment of silence, Byakuya gazed at Kabuto and chuckled, "I'm not a Konoha ninja. I can't help your headmistress or your orphanage but, oh dear me, I can give you the power to change your situation. The question is, how can I trust you not to betray me?"

Kabuto hesitated, unable to offer any guarantee.

Seeing the uncertainty in Kabuto's expression, Byakuya chuckled and said, "I'm just messing with you. I already planned to help you become a Konoha ninja... but your current strength is far too weak. You're not capable of doing anything yet."

With that, Byakuya tossed a few scrolls to Kabuto and disappeared back into the shadows. "These are some basic ninjutsu. Practice them when you get the chance. I'll check on your progress in a few days."

Kabuto accepted the scrolls, casting a glance at Byakuya's retreating figure. No matter what Byakuya might ask of him in the future, Kabuto was determined to train diligently and become a valuable ninja.

After leaving Kabuto's side, Byakuya closed his eyes. Although his main body had left him with a significant amount of chakra, it wasn't enough to keep him active for long periods. Most of the day, he had to remain in a dormant state, only waking when necessary.

Just as he was about to slip back into dormancy, he heard a familiar sound and quickly opened his eyes. A few seconds later, Black Zetsu appeared before Byakuya's clone, his gaze fixed on him. "Byakuya, I didn't expect you to leave a clone in Konoha and start mingling with the orphans in the orphanage."

Byakuya's expression remained unchanged. "I'm merely using the necessary means to gather intelligence on Konoha, Black Zetsu-senpai. But what about you and the masked man? How are your preparations coming along? Last time we met, he was planning to target the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."

At the mention of this, Black Zetsu's face darkened. He had never wanted to go after the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki at this time. Success or failure would only alert the other major villages, and Konoha would surely retaliate with its full force. But Obito had stubbornly stayed in Konoha, determined to capture the Nine-Tails.

Seeing Black Zetsu fall silent, Byakuya pressed further. "Black Zetsu-senpai, has there been an issue with the masked man? Isn't he supposed to be under your command? Why not give him an order?"

Black Zetsu's expression grew even more unpleasant. He had no real control over Obito. With Obito's mastery of the space-time technique 'Kamui', it was nearly impossible for Black Zetsu to track or restrain him, even with his own abilities. But unwilling to show weakness in front of Byakuya, he replied stiffly, "The matter of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is already in motion. If the masked man wants to steal the spotlight, so be it. It'll be a good test to see how much his strength has improved over the past few months."

Byakuya feigned surprise. "So that's how you see it, Black Zetsu-senpai. The masked man may be reckless, but he hasn't faced any real challenges. After this failure, he'll start showing proper respect to veterans like us. But if the masked man does finalize a time to attack the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, I would appreciate it if you let me know. There are some things I'd like to do in Konoha during that time."

Black Zetsu's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What do you plan to do?"

Obito's insistence on attacking the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was already giving Black Zetsu enough of a headache. If Byakuya used the chaos to act in a way that jeopardized their long-term plans, Black Zetsu's goal of reviving his mother could be delayed for decades.

Byakuya chuckled softly. "Oh, nothing much. Didn't I tell you before that I once robbed the Kusa village offices? I'm just thinking of seeing if there's an opportunity to rob the Hokage's office this time. But worry not, Black Zetsu-senpai. As long as the masked man makes enough of a scene, I'll be just fine. And even if something goes wrong, I'll only lose a clone at most. No big deal."

Hearing this, Black Zetsu's imaginary forehead marks deepened, but he said nothing more other than cursing his luck for unable to control these children.