Chapter 204: A Visitor from Amegakure

"Please wait a moment, Hokage-sama..."

Fugaku Uchiha frowned and said, "You mean that Obito, after hating the world because of his female teammate's death, not only gained the powerful ocular powers to control the Nine-Tails within a year of his disappearance, but also attacked his innocent sensei and the sensei's wife during childbirth that night?" He paused and then gave a bitter smile, "Although I know that many villagers think that we Uchiha have some screws loose in our heads, isn't Obito's behavior just a bit too crazy?"

No wonder Fugaku couldn't believe it. In his memory, Obito had always been the good kid who helped old ladies cross the street, so warm-hearted that it didn't seem like he was an Uchiha. It was impossible to associate him with the vile person who unleashed the Nine-Tails.

Orochimaru slightly curled his lips into a smile laced with cold sarcasm.

"Clan Leader Fugaku, clinging to stereotypes at this point will lead to significant losses... Four years ago, who would have thought that the mighty 'Hand of the Hokage' would massacre his own clan?"

Fugaku fell silent, and the three people in the large room stopped speaking.

"If it really was Obito, then he must have obtained his time-space ocular power after awakening the Mangekyō..." Fugaku suddenly spoke in a deep voice, "Hokage-sama, could you call Kakashi over?"

"Of course."

Hiruzen gave a slight nod to Orochimaru, who understood the signal. Orochimaru then extended his arm into his mouth, his jaw unhinging wider and wider until it dislocated completely. He reached down his throat and pulled out a blue snake.

The snake, dripping with mucus and a foul odor, slithered across the floor and disappeared in an instant.

"This little baby will bring Kakashi here... Hmm? Sensei, Clan Leader Fugaku, why those expressions?"

"...Forget it, do as you please." Hiruzen sighed as he pulled out his pipe and began to smoke.

He was already picturing his good student opening his mouth wide and a snake darting out its tongue during the Hokage inauguration ceremony.

"By the way, Sensei," Orochimaru wiped the mucus from the corner of his mouth and spoke in front of Fugaku, "I will summon Jiraiya and Tsunade back on behalf of the Hokage."

Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke with a troubled expression, "Those two, leaving the village right after things started getting better... Can they make it back in time before we ambush Obito?"

"They should be able to. Last month, when I communicated with them, Jiraiya was soaking in hot springs in the Land of Hot Water, and Tsunade was losing big at an underground casino in the Land of Waterfalls—both not too far from the village."

"Hmm, then let's call them back. The more shinobis we have to deal with an enemy with time-space ocular power, the better." Hiruzen hesitated for a moment but continued, "I trust that Tsunade will arrive on time, but will Jiraiya return?"

After losing his leg, Jiraiya's career as a shinobi was essentially over. Having lost his ability to move at high speeds, even though his chakra levels were nearly the same as before, his combat strength was less than a tenth of what it used to be. Even a few well-coordinated Chūnin squads could take his life now.

Although after the Crimson Night, Jiraiya stayed in the village for a while and helped Hiruzen a lot, once Konoha was back on track, Jiraiya bid farewell to his friends and sensei, disappearing in a wheelchair at the village gates.

Even though Jiraiya had laughed heartily as he left, saying, "Stability is not something a man should pursue," Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and Tsunade had all seen the loneliness in his eyes.

The Third Hokage felt similarly pained. He had always treated his three students like his own children and couldn't bear to see Jiraiya like that.

The atmosphere grew tense, but fortunately, it didn't last long.

Just as Orochimaru had said, the blue snake did indeed bring Kakashi Hatake over.

This talented shinobi, now the captain of the second Anbu squad, looked exhausted. Half an hour ago, he had heard about his old friend's situation from Hiruzen, and it was still difficult for him to process this terrible reality. He was in a daze, and upon seeing the three people in the room, he barely managed to put on a brave face.

Fugaku spoke softly, "Captain Kakashi, could you please reveal your left eye?"

Kakashi numbly complied.

"Apologies..." Fugaku quickly gathered chakra and made hand signs at an incredible speed, causing the three tomoe in his Sharingan to spin rapidly.

"Ugh!" Kakashi shivered, feeling as though Obito's Sharingan in his left eye had been pricked by needles. He instinctively knelt on one knee, clutching his left eye tightly.

After a while, he finally caught his breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

The Sharingan that had come from Obito had transformed into a strange three-bladed eye.

"Allow me to explain," Fugaku said, still intently watching the Mangekyō in Kakashi's eye, "What I just used was a unique ocular technique of the Uchiha clan, which can stimulate the Sharingan—a power only the clan leader can master... Ah, apologies for rambling, I was just too shocked." His emotions were complicated as he continued, "The Mangekyō Sharingan is a legendary ocular power that only those at the pinnacle of the Uchiha clan can possess. The ocular techniques differ greatly depending on individual talent and willpower. The last recorded Mangekyō users in our clan history were Madara Uchiha and his brother, Izuna Uchiha."

"Kakashi is not an Uchiha and cannot close the Sharingan, so he was not aware that it had already evolved into the Mangekyō."

"If the left eye is a Mangekyō, then the right eye should be the same... Captain Kakashi, if it's convenient, could you try using your ocular technique? Relax and focus on your senses..."

Buzz—!

Before Fugaku had even finished speaking, a spiral-shaped distortion in space appeared on the ceiling, tearing through the specially constructed metal chamber in an instant.

Kakashi was a true genius in sensing and understanding jutsu. Even though it was his first time using it, he managed to activate Kamui.

The painful sensation of chakra rapidly draining hit him, and Kakashi, panting heavily, covered his left eye as the Mangekyō reverted back to three tomoe.

Just like the one-eyed masked man who attacked Shisui, this was a high-level time-space ninjutsu!

This alone was enough to confirm Obito's identity.

"Kakashi, rest well." After a long silence, Hiruzen finally spoke, "Get plenty of sleep and take care of your health. You'll play a key role in our mission to ambush Obito."

"...Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi stood up, still rubbing his left eye.

Although Obito was his friend, Kakashi placed the safety of the village above all else. Moreover, his current desire was to grab Obito by the collar and punch him squarely in the face—

'You bastard, why did you hurt Sensei and Sensei's wife? Was it because of Rin? But Rin is a hero who died bravely for the village...'

As Kakashi's thoughts churned, Hiruzen maintained a calm expression.

"Fugaku, what do you plan to do?"

"I will follow Hokage-sama's orders," Fugaku replied without hesitation, bowing slightly, "The Uchiha are part of this village."

The leader of Konoha, the head of the Anbu, the crucial bait, and the head of the village's largest clan—all four key figures had reached an agreement.

Although it sounded harsh that "the Uchiha were going to help the village kill off a Mangekyō genius from their own clan," anyone in Fugaku's position would have made the same choice.

Obito's actions had already proven that he was an out-of-control madman. To leave him unchecked or even show mercy would be suicidal. The ruins of the Hyuga clan compound still stood on the west side of the village as a grim reminder; Fugaku couldn't risk the Uchiha following the same fate.

Moreover, after the Crimson Night, the policies of Hiruzen and Orochimaru had been very favorable towards the Uchiha. The Sharingan clan had indeed been living comfortably in recent years, with no conflicts with the village. When Madara had tried to lead the clan out of the village back then, no one had followed him, let alone now.

Thus, a great storm quietly brewed in Konoha.

Orochimaru personally penned letters, summoning his two friends back.

Anbu squad rotations were subtly adjusted, ensuring that an elite team with exceptional combat ability could be assembled at any time.

The strategies and timing for the ambush were discussed countless times, and a preliminary plan had formed. After the failure to ambush the Moon God seven years ago, Konoha had learned a lot from that experience.

Orochimaru remained standing in place.

He seemed to be fulfilling the duty of welcoming guests, smiling at the Ame shinobi, but if one were to stand directly in front of him, they would notice that the golden snake-like pupils held no trace of a smile, only a grave seriousness.

Finally, a shinobi at the very end of the Ame squad came into Orochimaru's line of sight.

He was tall, also wearing a black cloak with red clouds, and a straw hat that hung low to cover his face. Despite entering a village with grudges, he casually walked forward with his hands in his pockets, showing no sign of tension.

'You're being quite unrestrained, Yuto-kun… but at least you're wearing a hat.' Orochimaru sighed inwardly.

In the end, he and the tall man with the straw hat brushed past each other without saying a word.

From a distance, in the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen, who was observing through the Telescope Technique, also quietly let out a breath of relief.

…

"This is the residence assigned to you by the village, Konan-sama. If you have any issues, feel free to contact me. My name is Kurenai Yuhi."

The Ame shinobi entered one by one, leaving only Konan and the man with the straw hat outside.

"Yuto-sama, aren't you going inside?"

"The journey was a bit long, so I feel like having a bowl of ramen," Yuto yawned. "Would you like to join me?"

"If you allow it, I... would certainly like to."

"That tone… are you afraid I might suddenly lose my mind and return to Konoha?" Yuto chuckled. "Don't worry, defecting from the village isn't child's play; there's no going back. A shinobi who can't walk their own path might as well be a pig or a dog. Even if I had the chance, I'd make the same choice again."

The purple-haired woman shrank back apologetically. "I'm sorry, Yuto-sama."

"Don't make that face, or everyone will know I'm Yuto Hyuga… Be more stern and treat me like an insolent subordinate."

"Yes, my lord," Konan softly replied, then immediately lifted her chin and coldly looked at Yuto. "What's the holdup? Hurry up and lead the way!"

"Ah~ That's more like it..." Yuto smiled contentedly. The two removed their black cloaks with red clouds and strolled leisurely around Konoha.

At first, the most notorious S-rank missing-nin was just wandering aimlessly. Slowly, he couldn't help but start muttering.

"Back then, this place was a ridiculously cheap tavern. Boiled peanuts were free, and salt-roasted soybeans too; only the drinks cost money. It's a pity it's now a ninja tools shop."

"The corner of that alley used to be the territory of stray cats. Don't underestimate them; they're quite smart. With a bit of training, they become ninja cats. There's even a dedicated training base in the village, where many retired shinobi work. The pay is good, and they get to pet cats."

"Eel Tavern, below it was the base of the Anbu's First Squad, though it's definitely been moved now. The team used to like gathering under this power pole… Hm? Where's the power pole?" Yuto suddenly stopped in his tracks, then clicked his tongue and sighed. "I remember now, I smashed it to pieces that night… What a waste."

Scratching his head, Yuto led Konan through a few more streets until they reached a bustling area.

"Fortunately, this shop is still here." Yuto grinned. "This is the best ramen shop I've ever been to."

(End of Chapter)