Starting as the mastermind behind Naruto

Chapter 517 The Price of Saving People, Do You Know It?

The moonlight was bright.

Night fell on the sea.

To celebrate their victory and the acquisition of the Dark-Dark Fruit, the Whitebeard Pirates held a grand banquet that ended hastily late into the night.

The entire Moby Dick was teeming with hungover pirates.

Even Marco and the other captains, who had just returned, were happy to drink a few cups after hearing that they had obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit. Even Whitebeard put down his juice and was allowed to drink a few bowls of wine, which was unprecedented for him.

Unfortunately…

Uchiha Sasuke still refused to drink.

Even though he was over twenty, an age when one could drink alcohol in the ninja world, he still insisted on drinking his own juice.

Uchiha Sasuke stood on the bow of the Moby Dick, slowly sipping his juice, when he heard footsteps.

"Is that Teach?"

Sasuke Uchiha continued gazing at the moonlight reflected on the sea, and said softly, "Go and rest for a while tonight, I'll take your night watch..."

"Hey, hahaha, it's okay..."

Marshall D. Teach walked up to Sasuke, grinning with a憨厚 (honest and simple) smile: "Sasuke had a tough fight today... Anyway, I don't need to sleep tonight. I've been keeping watch on the Moby Dick for over twenty years!"

Marshall D. Teach never needed to sleep.

This was no secret within the entire Whitebeard Pirates.

For over twenty years, Marshall D. Teach has worked diligently and conscientiously as a night watchman on the Moby Dick. He has always been well-liked by the Whitebeard Pirates, and even Whitebeard himself has been generous in praising him.

essentially…

Marshall D. Teach was actually afraid that if he spoke his true feelings in his dreams, it would arouse suspicion from the Whitebeard Pirates.

This guy is extremely cautious.

"Thief, hahaha..."

Marshall D. Teach glanced at Uchiha Sasuke, a hint of curiosity in his eyes, and asked, "Since we found the Dark-Dark Fruit today, Itachi-san will be reunited with us soon, so Sasuke won't be able to sleep tonight?"

"No…"

Sasuke Uchiha shook his head, slowly tightening his grip on the juice glass in his hand, and whispered, "I just still don't quite understand why that person wanted the Dark-Dark Fruit..."

That person never does anything in vain; everything he does is aimed at benefiting himself. Unfortunately, I feel he doesn't seem to need the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. So what could he possibly do with that fruit?

"Who knows..."

Marshall D. Teach scratched his head, took a bite of cherry pie, and chuckled, "Maybe he's just curious!"

"That's certainly possible..."

Sasuke Uchiha nodded, his brow furrowing slightly. "That guy does seem to have a strange collecting habit; he always likes to collect odd and unusual things..."

Uehara Naraku is indeed a big collector.

However, the things he collects are often quite frightening, such as the four previous Kage of Konoha, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the three Admirals of the Marine Headquarters, and members of his own Uchiha clan: Itachi Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, and Madara Uchiha…

Sasuke Uchiha had a vague feeling that if his lifespan were to end, Naraku Uehara would probably resurrect him using the Impure World Reincarnation technique and turn him into a collectible...

The problem is...

Even if Sasuke Uchiha dies and his body is cremated, it won't matter, because Uehara Naraku might have already collected enough materials.

It's a truly incomprehensible quirk.

Marshall D. Teach nodded in agreement with Sasuke Uchiha's words, then said with a grin, "Anyway, no matter what, Thatch will definitely exchange the Dark-Dark Fruit for Itachi. Our 2nd Division will soon have a new member!"

"I will stop him."

Sasuke Uchiha frowned, then sighed and said, "Never mind, I'll go rest now. Thank you for your help, Teach."

"Hey, it's alright!"

Marshall D. Teach shook his head and chuckled, "Sasuke, you should get some rest! Seeing how happy everyone is, maybe the banquet will continue tomorrow!"

"..."

Uchiha Sasuke seemed somewhat speechless.

However, Sasuke Uchiha didn't curse or say anything like "idiot" as he usually did; instead, he went back to his room to rest.

After Uchiha Sasuke left.

Marshall D. Teach clenched his fist, a fierce glint in his eyes, his smile almost barely suppressed: "The Dark-Dark Fruit... The Akatsuki leader wants the Dark-Dark Fruit, of course, for its power!"

That's only natural!

The Dark-Dark Fruit is the most vicious fruit in the world!

Marshall D. Teach hid in the Whitebeard Pirates for so many years for the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. He had an unimaginable admiration and obsession with the Dark-Dark Fruit!

Marshall D. Teach fully understood the Akatsuki leader's desire to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit, because he felt the same way!

It was getting later and later.

The moonlight still fell on the Moby Dick.

Marshall D. Teach appeared at the doorway of Satch's room, a sinister smile on his face, a dark shadow at his feet.

Teach cautiously entered and immediately spotted the Dark-Dark Fruit that Sachi had placed on the table. Clearly, the captain of the 4th Division trusted his comrade implicitly.

pity…

There is an ambitious man on this ship.

Marshall D. Teach almost impatiently grabbed the box, his face showing a chilling greed and madness!

Just as Teach grabbed the box and was about to leave, a voice startled him: "What's up? If you're hungry, there's a midnight snack prepared in the kitchen..."

Sachi, who was lying on the bed, opened his eyes at some point.

The captain of the 4th Division couldn't help but rub his eyes, looking at the figure that had suddenly appeared in his room, a look of surprise flashing across his face: "Hmm? Teach?"

Isn't that the honest guy from the 2nd Division?

The next moment, Satchi saw the box containing the Dark Fruit that Marshall D. Teach was holding, and a look of astonishment flashed across his face.

"Wait... Teach, what are you doing!"

"..."

Teach's expression froze.

This man, who had been hiding for over twenty years, knew very well that he absolutely could not alert anyone on the ship at this moment, otherwise he would not escape the pursuit of the Whitebeard Pirates!

Especially Uchiha Sasuke!

What awaits Sachi...

It was a sharp flash of light!

Marshall D. Teach suddenly covered Satch's mouth with his hand, grabbed a knife and plunged it into Satch's chest, his arm trembling slightly!

"Thief, hahaha... hahaha..."

Marshall D. Teach himself could hardly believe what he had done. A flicker of fear and unease crossed his face as he forced a smile to mask his shock: "Zehahaha...hahaha...Sachi...I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to..."

The Whitebeard Pirates' Ironclad Rules...

You absolutely cannot hurt your fellow crew members on your own ship!

Even defecting from the Whitebeard Pirates is fine, but the ironclad rule of harming one's comrades must never be broken!

Marshall D. Teach gritted his teeth, released Satch's throat, and left with the box containing the Dark-Dark Fruit in his hand.

Teach could hardly believe it…

The person who hurt Sachi was actually him!

Take advantage of the night.

Marshall D. Teach launched a small boat and hastily fled the scene, as the entire Moby Dick was hosting a grand banquet, and many pirates were drunk and no one had yet noticed his escape.

There was one person who was different.

Uchiha Sasuke wasn't sleeping very soundly.

Sasuke Uchiha's eyes involuntarily opened, and his chakra perception and Observation Haki silently spread out, quickly enveloping the entire Moby Dick.

The next moment, Uchiha Sasuke sped off the ship!

Sasuke Uchiha quickly appeared in Sachi's room. He saw Sachi covered in blood and on the verge of death, and a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes...

"Marco!"

A sharp shout echoed throughout the entire Moby Dick!

Everyone on the Moby Dick was instantly awakened, and a group of pirates who heard the noise rushed towards Thatch's room.

It was late at night.

The ship's doctor, Marco, applied some medicine to Sachi's wounds and slowly rubbed his forehead. "Sachi's injuries are too severe; there's not much we can do... Sasuke, what happened?"

"I don't know yet."

Sasuke Uchiha frowned, then suddenly turned to look at the others: "Hmm? Where's Teach? Wasn't he on night watch tonight?"

"Teach...is gone..."

A pirate with a grim expression squeezed in and whispered, "Marco, Sasuke, we're missing one of our lifeboats too..."

"It's Teach!"

Sachi weakly opened his eyes, a bitter smile spreading across his face, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth: "Teach... he stole the Dark-Dark Fruit... Sasuke, we must get it back! That Dark-Dark Fruit is to buy Itachi's freedom!"

"Are you kidding me!"

Ace couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.

Even Sasuke Uchiha was somewhat incredulous, and a hint of doubt flashed across the faces of all the pirates present. They also did not believe that Teach would do such a thing.

How could Marshall D. Teach, that honest and unassuming guy in the 2nd Division, possibly steal the Dark-Dark Fruit, or even have the audacity to harm Thatch?

That's an old member of the Whitebeard Pirates!

Moreover, Marshall D. Teach even gave up the chance to become a captain, so how could he possibly hurt Thatch and steal the Dark-Dark Fruit!

"That guy..."

Sasuke Uchiha felt a chill run down his spine. The fact that Marshall D. Teach had escaped with the Dark-Dark Fruit gave him a vague sense of unease.

If it weren't for the Dark-Dark Fruit...

Sasuke Uchiha thought that Teach would want to find another way out.

Edward Newgate, the white-bearded man, soon learned what had happened on the ship. After looking at Satch's injuries, the elderly man finally showed a pained expression on his face.

I really didn't expect this...

After all these years, the Whitebeard Pirates still have a traitor who broke the ship's ironclad rules, which makes Whitebeard somewhat sad.

What saddened the old man even more was…

Sachi, the child who had followed him for so many years, would die tonight at the hands of a traitor.

"Marco, stabilize Sachi's injury first..."

Sasuke Uchiha glanced at the pained white-bearded man and the increasingly somber atmosphere around him, and said in a deep voice, "Let's think of a way, at least to rescue Thatch first!"

"Sasuke..."

Marco's eyes showed a hint of doubt.

Everyone looked at Sasuke with a puzzled expression.

"Marco, how much longer can Sachi hold out...?"

Sasuke Uchiha gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "We need to head to Wano Country immediately. The Akatsuki's medical ninjas will definitely be able to save Sachi!"

Even if the medical ninjas can't save him...

Uehara Naraku will definitely be saved!

In Uehara Naraku's hands, life and death have long become his toys. If Uehara Naraku is willing to take action, he can definitely save Sachi.

"..."

A look of confusion and surprise appeared on everyone's face.

Wano Country is located in the sea controlled by Kaido of the Beasts. If they were to go there, it would definitely cause a war with the Beasts Pirates. Moreover, the relationship between the Akatsuki organization, which is based in Wano Country, and the Whitebeard Pirates is very delicate...

However, Sasuke Uchiha called his brother Itachi Uchiha's Den Den Mushi that very night, telling him that someone there was seriously injured and needed the help of a medical ninja.

"Who's injured?"

Itachi Uchiha couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.

Suppressing the emotions in his voice, Sasuke Uchiha said in a low voice, "It's our ship's cook, Sachi. I think only a medical ninja can save him, preferably Tsunade or that person..."

"Is that so..."

A hint of hesitation crept into Itachi's voice as he calmly asked, "Sasuke, shouldn't you pay the price for saving him?"

"Nisan."

Sasuke Uchiha gripped his Den Den Mushi tightly and said in a deep voice, "Please tell him that if Thatch's injuries become too severe and he dies, I can use Rinne Rebirth to revive him!"

"Sasuke, don't do anything foolish."

After a moment of silence, Itachi Uchiha spoke up: "That person can save Sachi's life, but you must give him the Dark-Dark Fruit..."

"We agreed."

Uchiha Sasuke slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

First update!

(End of this chapter)