Chapter 247: Obito and Rin Reunite – A Tense Encounter!

Starting from Konoha's 50th year, waves of Grass Ninja began switching to Konoha headbands, officially becoming Konoha shinobi and moving from the Land of Grass to Konoha for training.

At the same time, Konoha dispatched its own ninja to Grass Ninja Village in rotations.

However, the former Grass Ninja Village had since been renamed, dropping the "Ninja" from its name. Now called the Village of Grass, it served as Konoha's stronghold in the Land of Grass.

In line with this change, the border defense forces Konoha once stationed between the Fire Country and the Land of Grass were reassigned to the borders of the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth, with the Village of Grass responsible for logistics and support.

Currently, Iwagakure had shifted its focus away from the Land of Grass after receiving warnings, making the rotation missions in this region relatively relaxed.

That said, Might Guy, just emerging from the restroom, looked utterly drained, devoid of his usual fiery enthusiasm.

Ebisu approached with a smile, offering support. "I told you before, those brightly colored mushrooms are not edible."

The Land of Grass was famous for its various mushrooms, and its largest trade export to the Land of Fire was mushrooms, particularly a type of enoki mushroom highly prized by Fire Country nobles and officials for its exorbitant price.

But while mushrooms were abundant, not all were edible. Many of the most beautiful ones were highly toxic.

Even someone as robust as Guy had been taken down by accidentally eating a poisonous mushroom.

"There are just too many types of mushrooms… I got confused," Guy muttered weakly, utterly exhausted from his bout of food poisoning.

Ebisu helped him back to the medical station, where Rin Nohara, now serving as an ANBU medical ninja, had already prepared an antidote. Seeing Guy return, she approached with a bowl in hand.

"Guy, drink this. It should make you feel better," she said kindly.

"Ah… thank you, Rin!" Guy accepted the pitch-black medicine with visible reluctance, steeling himself as he downed it in one go despite the taste.

Moments after sitting down, a warm sensation surged through his abdomen. His entire body felt comfortably heated, and his eyes lit up. He gave a thumbs-up to Rin, who was wearing a hood and mask.

"Rin, you're amazing! It's already working!"

Beneath her mask, Rin smiled lightly before turning to bring over another large bowl. "Guy, here's some porridge. It'll help you regain your strength."

Excitedly, Guy accepted the bowl, but his expression froze as he glanced inside—it was filled with mushrooms.

Noticing his fear-stricken look, Rin reassured him, "Don't worry. I've carefully inspected these. They're non-toxic and actually beneficial to your recovery."

Ebisu, smirking mischievously, chimed in, "Guy, trust Rin. She's one of Root's elite, after all!"

"F-Fine…"

Reluctantly, Guy brought the bowl to his lips and nervously began eating.

Rin and Ebisu couldn't help but laugh at his cautious demeanor.

Fortunately, Rin's medical expertise was undeniable. After finishing the bowl of porridge, Guy not only felt fine but regained his energy quickly. His pale complexion gradually returned to normal.

Seeing Guy's rapid recovery, Ebisu gave Rin an approving thumbs-up.

Rin silently smiled beneath her mask, accepting Guy's gratitude before turning back to her work.

She wasn't here alone this time; she was supervising students.

Due to Shinnosuke's workload and the lack of reliable medical ninjas, Rin had been temporarily reassigned from Shuichi's team to lead the mission in the Land of Grass.

Borrowing personnel from Shuichi wasn't uncommon for Shinnosuke.

Besides Aburame Ryoma's squad, shinobi like Uchiha Shisui and Yamato were also frequently reassigned.

Soon, Guy was back to his energetic self. Leaving the medical station, he exclaimed, "I've wasted enough time being sick! Today, I'll train twice as hard!"

"Ebisu, let's find Aoba and continue yesterday's mission!"

Currently, Guy, Ebisu, and Aoba made up a chunin squad.

As Rin continued to supervise her students, the day slipped away, and it was evening before she knew it.

After sending her students to rest, she stayed behind to wrap up.

When her tasks were finally done and she was about to leave, a figure suddenly appeared before her.

"Who's there?"

Startled, Rin instinctively leapt back, raising her left hand defensively while her right hand moved toward the hilt of the large sword strapped to her back—a reflex honed through her training in Root.

"Akatsuki?"

Rin immediately recognized the attire of the intruder. Her guard eased slightly as she spoke hesitantly, "You're… Obito…"

The man in the tiger-striped mask—Uchiha Obito—was overjoyed that Rin had recognized him but also felt a bit nervous. "Are… are you okay?" he stammered. "Back then… I…"

Lowering her guard, Rin quickly interjected, "I know."

"How are you doing, Obito? Everyone's been so worried about you!"

Beneath his mask, Obito smiled, his tone light. "Don't worry about me!"

"I'm doing great. You know, I'm not the same as I used to be."

He could sense his other Sharingan within Rin, which was how he had found her.

Rin had also been implanted with Hashirama's cells, causing her chakra to change subtly. Coupled with her Root attire and the oversized sword on her back, she was nothing like the Rin Obito once knew.

Rin removed her mask, revealing a familiar, reassuring smile. "I know. You're strong now."

"But your situation is very dangerous. Please be careful. I'll always be watching over you." She pointed to her Sharingan, once Obito's.

Obito's heart filled with warmth, and the weight on his soul seemed to vanish. All the suffering he had endured suddenly felt worth it.

After chatting for a while, Obito sighed, "Rin, I have to go."

"Tell Kakashi for me: don't slack off, or he'll lose terribly!"

Rin chuckled. "Don't get too cocky, Obito. Kakashi works hard too, and he's very strong."

"Hmph," Obito scoffed.

He refused to believe Kakashi could match him now. Even with the Flying Thunder God technique, Kakashi couldn't break through the defense of his Susanoo in its fourth stage.

"I'm leaving now, Rin. Take care of yourself, and wait for me to return!"

Sensing something urgent, Obito abruptly disappeared after those parting words.

Rin opened her mouth to reply but could only swallow her words.

Putting her mask back on, she headed back to her quarters.

Not long after she left, White Zetsu emerged from the ground, muttering to himself.

"Unbelievable. That woman didn't die and even has Obito's Sharingan."

"But if the Three-Tails was extracted, how did she survive?"

"Has Konoha developed some kind of resurrection medical technique?"

"This could be troublesome…"

After glancing in Rin's direction, White Zetsu sank back into the earth.

...

Outside the Village of Grass, near Uchiha Obito, White Zetsu emerged from the ground and chuckled, "Obito, how does it feel to reunite with an old friend?"

So, I was noticed after all!

Obito snorted inwardly but maintained a calm demeanor, replying indifferently, "Of course, I'm very happy. You're an artificial being, so I doubt you can understand such emotions."

Then, with a serious tone, he added, "I believe the plan to weaken Kirigakure should be accelerated."

White Zetsu tilted his head, puzzled. "Oh? Why's that?"

Obito responded firmly, "Rin may be alive, but she still lives in this war-torn world. As long as wars persist, she'll always be in danger."

"That's why a peaceful world must be created as soon as possible!"

"I want to ensure that Rin will never face any threats!"

Every word he spoke carried genuine conviction—there wasn't a trace of deceit.

White Zetsu raised an eyebrow in mild surprise but then grinned. "I can understand that sentiment. However, Obito, you should also be aware of how powerful your friend, Shūichi, has become, right?"

"You and Nagato together might not even be able to defeat him."

Obito's voice turned resolute. "Then we'll accelerate the collection of the Tailed Beasts."

"With our combined power, capturing the eight Tailed Beasts aside from the Nine-Tails shouldn't be too difficult, don't you think?"

White Zetsu pondered briefly before nodding. "That's true. You and Nagato together would be unstoppable, except perhaps against Konoha."

"But sealing the Tailed Beasts takes time. If we speed things up, we'll need more help."

Obito remarked, "The Kirigakure ninja, Kisame Hoshigaki, is an excellent candidate."

"And Orochimaru—it's time to recruit him as well."

White Zetsu smirked. "Then let's discuss it with Nagato."

Obito nodded and activated Kamui, vanishing into thin air.

White Zetsu remained, and a dark, shadowy mass emerged from the ground, enveloping half of his body.

"What do you think of his plan?" White Zetsu inquired.

Black Zetsu's tone was grave. "It's reasonable. That Shūichi's power is growing at an alarming rate."

Even Black Zetsu felt unease.

If one day, Shūichi's strength surpassed Nagato's, and he took the Rinnegan, the entire plan would face catastrophic changes.

Accelerating progress could offset potential risks.

White Zetsu grinned slyly. "Do you trust Obito, though?"

Black Zetsu chuckled darkly. "He may not agree with the Eye of the Moon Plan, just like Nagato, but both of them intend to use the Ten-Tails' power for their own purposes."

White Zetsu agreed. "True enough. In that case, we'll move things forward."

"We've already identified the current Jinchūriki for all nine Tailed Beasts. But if we act quickly, it'll surely stir up trouble."

At the moment, all Jinchūriki were under heavy protection.

Even the perfect Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, was no longer active in the shinobi world.

Capturing them would mean direct assaults on the major villages.

Kirigakure was an easy target—Isobu (Three-Tails) and Saiken (Six-Tails) were the simplest to deal with.

Chōmei (Seven-Tails) wasn't much harder; Takigakure lacked the power to resist, and Kakuzu with Kohai could handle it.

But the other three villages would be a different story.

Still, with Nagato's power and Obito's Kamui, the odds were in their favor.

Black Zetsu concluded, "We'll proceed with Obito's plan: weaken Kirigakure further and recruit Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru is one of my contingencies!"

---

Amegakure, Konan's private quarters.

After another night of closeness, just as Shūichi was about to leave, Konan spoke up, "Nagato asked me to inform you that the plan is being expedited."

"They will first weaken Kirigakure, drive a wedge between Orochimaru and Konoha to incite his defection, and then recruit him."

"Afterward, they'll begin capturing the Tailed Beasts."

Shūichi raised an eyebrow. "They're rushing things, huh?"

Konan nodded. "The acceleration was Obito's suggestion."

"It seems he has his own agenda—he might not be fully under control."

Her words carried a subtle warning.

Shūichi chuckled. "You're worried about me?"

Konan turned away. "It's just that someone like you, who will eventually serve Nagato, would be a shame to lose."

What a stubborn woman!

Shūichi smirked internally but maintained a serious expression. "Got it. Don't worry about me."

"Also, warn Nagato to keep an eye on Zetsu."

With that, Shūichi's figure vanished.

---

Konoha Village

Upon returning to the village, Shūichi immediately reported his findings to his teacher, Namikaze Minato.

Minato listened with a concerned expression. "It seems that something is indeed happening with Obito."

Shūichi nodded. "The activation method for the Mangekyō Sharingan inevitably affects one's mind. Rin nearly dying at Obito's hands, combined with Uchiha Madara's manipulation, makes these changes unsurprising."

"But the good news is, Obito has his own agenda, which doesn't completely conflict with ours."

Minato nodded in agreement, then said, "In that case, I'll notify Jiraiya-sensei to return. Orochimaru is best left to him."

Using this opportunity to orchestrate Orochimaru's departure from Konoha as a spy required thorough execution, and Jiraiya was perfect for the role.

This way, neither side would suffer losses.

And given Jiraiya's personality and his long-standing relationship with Orochimaru, suspicion from others was unlikely.

---

Leaving the Hokage's office, Shūichi glanced up at the blazing sun and couldn't help but mutter to himself,

"So, they can't even wait for Naruto and the others to grow up before dealing with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya?"

"Damn sense of urgency!"

He had just enjoyed a few days of relaxation, indulging in love and romance, and now the intensity was ramping up again. Overwhelming!

Sending a clone to Kirigakure to handle matters there, Shūichi headed straight to his lab.

---

Kirigakure (Hidden Mist Village)

Terumi Mei exited the Mizukage's office after submitting a mission report, her thoughts heavy with a sigh.

The village's atmosphere had grown increasingly oppressive lately.

On top of that, hostility toward shinobi with Kekkei Genkai was intensifying.

She had hoped the Fourth Mizukage's leadership would change the policies of the Third Mizukage, but instead, things were only getting worse.

The "Bloody Mist" felt like an inescapable nightmare.

Returning home, she drew herself a bath to relax. However, as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, her face darkened as she noticed someone sitting on her couch.

"It's you!" she exclaimed.

Shūichi waved casually at the bathrobe-clad beauty. "Hello, Mei!"

Her gaze was wary as she regarded him. "Why are you here? What's your purpose?"

Instead of answering, Shūichi asked, "The oppressive policies of the Bloody Mist... it's been tough, hasn't it?"

Mei's expression turned icy. "That's none of your concern."

Unbothered by her attitude, Shūichi pressed further. "Don't you want to become the Fifth Mizukage?"

Mei's expression shifted again. "You're suggesting I betray my village? Does Konoha intend to take over Kirigakure?"

As expected of the future Fifth Mizukage!

Shūichi inwardly praised her sharpness, then smiled. "Marry me, become the Fifth Mizukage, and Kirigakure and Konoha will be family."

Mei's eyes widened, her face reddening slightly.

Although she preferred strong and handsome men, and Shūichi fit both criteria, she was no starry-eyed girl.

"Leave now," she said coldly. "I'll pretend you were never here."

"I will never betray my village!"

Shūichi stood, looking down at Mei with a confident smile. "Believe me, you'll change your mind."

With that, he vanished without a sound.

Mei's frosty expression turned stormy. "That damn man!"

"He even left a teleportation marker on me…"

Her indignation was mixed with deep unease.

Grass Village had already disappeared, becoming part of Konoha.

Would Kirigakure be next?

Given the current state of the village, it was impossible to resist someone like Shūichi—a new God of Shinobi.

(End of Chapter)

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