Konoha Drunkard

As soon as the three of them sat down in Orochimaru's super luxurious living room, Maro-kun walked in carrying a small glass bottle. Kakuzu and Hidan's eyes were fixed on the glass bottle, which contained a light red liquid that occasionally bubbled.

"Orochimaru, why isn't it a pill? How did it turn into liquid?" Kakuzu took the small bottle and looked at the liquid inside with curiosity. It wasn't that he was dissatisfied, but taking the liquid to the clinic would be a lot of trouble, and he would be heartbroken if he accidentally broke a bottle.

"Don't worry, this new drug is too potent to be made into pills. If it were made into pills, its effects would be greatly reduced. So for now, it can only be kept in liquid form. However, its effects are more than ten times that of pills, and it's relatively easy to make. Once Kakuzu-kun launches this new drug and sells it in limited quantities to those noble gentlemen, I think the price will be ten or even twenty times that of pills," Orochimaru explained.

"Four Kingdoms! That's amazing? Could this be another one developed from my blood?"

Hidan exaggeratedly said, but when he heard that these things were researched from his blood, Hidan felt a chill run down his spine. Sure enough, no researcher is someone you can mess with. In the past few years, he had given Orochimaru more blood than he had licked the blood of others. The main thing is that he wanted other people's blood to treat them better, while Orochimaru wanted his blood to research him. Moreover, those noble lords might even be eating his blood. Just thinking about it is exciting...

"Hehe, half of it was added after analyzing your genes, and some of it contained growth-enhancing substances to boost your gene activity. However, it's not stable yet, and the effect is very short-lived." Orochimaru didn't mince words. Although he admired Hidan's immortality, it was impossible for him to change his beliefs and superstitions. He was a great scientist!

"Oh right, you weren't back yesterday. Konan asked me to let you know that we have something to discuss this afternoon," Orochimaru suddenly said, remembering something.

"What's going on? Are you planning to attack those ninja villages?" Hidan seemed eager after hearing Orochimaru's words. Ever since receiving Kakuzu's instruction yesterday, Hidan had been thinking about his chance to rise to power. He just didn't know what that chance would be, but as rogue ninja, the opportunity they were waiting for was naturally to fight those ninja villages.

"Hehe, Hidan-kun is certainly eager! But I don't know either, Pain seems to be in a real hurry this time. I guess it's related to the current relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha," Orochimaru said with a shake of his head and a smile.

546. Snake, the Perfect Undercover Agent

"...I received information that the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha has reached its lowest point, and Konoha is the biggest problem in our plan. Therefore, weakening Konoha's strength is very important to us. Orochimaru, you used to be a high-ranking member of Konoha. Tell me, will Konoha take action against the Uchiha?"

It must be said that Orochimaru's acting skills are quite perfect. In addition, he himself gives people a sinister feeling, so even the suspicious Obito and Black Zetsu never suspected that Orochimaru was an undercover agent. After all, this mad scientist who often uses living people for experiments seems out of place with Konoha, which is full of love.

What frustrated Konan and Nagato was that they had recruited these super rogue ninjas to fight in the future, but now, apart from Kakuzu, who was responsible and working with Hidan, everyone else in the organization was doing nothing productive. Orochimaru spent all his time in his research institute conducting scientific experiments, a typical researcher, not a combatant at all. As for Sasori, he was even worse, spending all his time in his toy room and never even stepping out of the door. If it weren't for the knocking sounds coming from inside the toy room every day, they would have suspected that Sasori was hanging inside.

They weren't sure if these two would continue fighting, but there was nothing they could do. There were only a handful of truly powerful rogue ninja left, and without acquiring them, the Akatsuki's strength couldn't be increased. Konan and Nagato could only turn a blind eye and let them be, as long as their strength didn't decline.

"...It's hard to say. My dear teacher, the Third Hokage, has always inherited Hashirama Senju's ideology. He has always advocated for peaceful coexistence between the village and the Uchiha clan. However, the Uchiha's personalities clash greatly with those of the village. Although there is also Danzo, who inherited Tobirama Senju's ideology, Konoha generally won't take action against the Uchiha. If we want Konoha to take action against the Uchiha, the Uchiha would have to do something that Konoha cannot tolerate. In this regard, we can make use of our advisor, Danzo."

Orochimaru chuckled sinisterly, sending chills down Hidan's spine. Intelligent people are indeed terrifying, especially a brilliant scientist like him.

"...It seems Orochimaru really hates Konoha. Hiruzen Sarutobi's judgment isn't all that great after all." Black Zetsu, who was hiding in the shadows, said to Obito after hearing Orochimaru's words.

"Orochimaru was the most promising candidate to become Hokage back then, but he was kicked out by Konoha. No wonder he hates Konoha," Obito said matter-of-factly.

Orochimaru had recited these words countless times in his mind. Shanks always used his White Snake to purchase those pills for Hiruzen Sarutobi, and he had naturally mentioned the situation of the Uchiha and the village to him. Moreover, both he and Shanks believed that the Uchiha were in trouble this time. As for the extent, Shanks thought it would be a total annihilation, while Orochimaru did not think it would be a total annihilation. After all, they were the founding clan of Konoha, and his teacher would not allow the Uchiha to be wiped out. It was true that many people would die. Since the Uchiha were definitely in trouble, Orochimaru's advice was not unreasonable, and he could also gain the trust of Pain and Konan. It would be easier for him to get along in the Akatsuki in the future. To be honest, he had gotten used to enjoying himself in the Akatsuki and really did not want to go back to Konoha. He would rather conduct his experiments freely outside the village and move towards his dream.

Living in the village in secret, having to consider the impact on the village no matter what you do, is nothing compared to the joy of being able to completely let loose now. It's just that it inevitably hurts the feelings of your friends and disciples.

"You think Danzo would cooperate with us? No way! He's a high-ranking official in Konoha."

Kakuzu became curious. Although he knew some of Danzo's dirty secrets, there's a saying in the ninja world: every village has one or two Danzos. However, when it comes to the village's interests, those people are still relatively clear-headed.

"Hehe, I've lived in Konoha for decades and served as Danzo's subordinate in Root for several years. I know Danzo's character well. He's very ambitious. Being just an advisor isn't enough for him. He's willing to ruin his own family for power and turn himself into a monster for strength. Our advisor Danzo has a rose in his heart."

Orochimaru said to Kakuzu with a smile.

"How...how scary."

Hidan was once again frightened by Orochimaru. He could analyze the personalities of even some unimportant people so thoroughly. Smart people are indeed not to be trifled with.

"That's enough for now. I'll handle Danzo's situation. Kakuzu and Hidan, stay behind. That's all for now." After hearing Orochimaru's suggestion, Pain adjourned the meeting. Currently, it seems that only Orochimaru, the scientist, is somewhat reliable in the Akatsuki. Don't let his seemingly irresponsible nature fool you; he's incredibly intelligent. As for Sasori... well, he's a rich kid who ran away from home. Asking him to conquer cities is fine, but asking him for advice... that's really asking too much of him.

"How come we've come up with so much extra money lately? You should take some time to rest; there are important things to do later." After Orochimaru and Sasori left, Pain asked Kakuzu curiously. Ever since he brought Kakuzu in to manage the finances of the Land of Rain, he had never cared about the income. This was mainly because he was poor when he was young and hadn't received much education. Even his literacy was taught by Jiraiya, and Jiraiya, being illiterate, could only teach them to read. How could Jiraiya possibly have any knowledge of economics?

Besides, we're already broke, how can things get any worse?

But ever since Kakuzu took over the management of the Rain Country's finances, the lives of the people in the Rain Country have gradually improved. This made Kakuzu and Konan marvel at their foresight and Kakuzu's abilities. The two giants of the money-making and financial worlds were indeed extraordinary. Moreover, seeing how busy Kakuzu was for their Akatsuki crew, they felt sorry for him. If Kakuzu were to fall ill from overwork one day, they would suffer a great loss. That's why Hidan joined the Akatsuki crew as Kakuzu's assistant. So they usually give Kakuzu a lot of face, after all, the whole country depends on him for support.

Although life had improved considerably, it was still just enough to have enough to eat and wear. Nagato and Konan felt bad thinking about Kakuzu working hard to earn money. They asked him to stay so they could persuade him to rest more, reminding him that money could be earned endlessly, and the Land of Rain still depended on him.

"We understand. We'll keep a low profile for a while. If there's nothing else, we'll be going now. We have a business deal to discuss outside." Kakuzu wasn't sure what the big boss meant—was he implying they had too much spare cash or were they being too high-profile? But that wasn't important. What mattered was that Orochimaru needed him to promote his new drug; he didn't have time to waste on them—that was a lot of money!

547. "One against four" is the motto of the Uchiha clan.

"It seems that bringing Kakuzu in back then was the right thing to do." Nagato said to Konan beside him, looking at Kakuzu and Hidan's backs through Pain's perspective.

Look at him! I just told him to rest more and not overwork himself, but he always remembered the organization's principles, keeping a low profile while working tirelessly to make money for the organization. If Orochimaru and Sasori were this responsible, how could they not accomplish great things?

"...But he seems to have a very good relationship with Shanks from Konoha. What if he reveals our information to others?"

Konan fully acknowledges Kakuzu's abilities and sense of responsibility, but considering that Kakuzu's relationship with Konoha's Shanks is well-known throughout the ninja world, she inevitably has some concerns.

"Hehe, you can rest assured about that. Kakuzu is an old-school ninja. These old-school ninjas always maintain their principles when it comes to important matters, and they will not reveal anything about the organization."

At that moment, Obito, the representative of Madara wearing a spiral mask, appeared in front of the two.

"You heard Orochimaru's suggestion just now. It's up to you to advise Danzo, Lord Uchiha Madara." Nagato deliberately pronounced Madara's name word by word. Although they had been cooperating well over the years, Nagato had always been wary of this man who hid his identity and called himself Uchiha Madara.

Even someone with the immense power of the Circle Eyes couldn't withstand the erosion of time. How could Madara Uchiha have lived so long? Nagato had absolutely no trust in people who used others' names to deceive others. If it weren't for his need for the other party's powerful intelligence-gathering abilities, he would have already blasted his mask off with his Circle Eyes to see who dared to deceive him like that. It's one thing that Konoha's Shanks was too tough to be destroyed, but there's only one person in the ninja world as tough as him.

"Leave it to me. Danzo and I are old partners." After Obito finished speaking, there was a spatial ripple, and his figure disappeared. He didn't take Nagato's tone to heart. A supporting character is a supporting character no matter what. How could he, the protagonist, do something as low-class as arguing with a supporting character?

"Madara, Nagato's tone isn't very nice. I can see he still doesn't believe you're Lord Madara," Black Zetsu said, popping up next to Obito.

"It doesn't matter whether he believes I'm Madara or not, as long as he follows our plan. Danzo's methods surprised me quite a bit. In just a few years, he managed to turn the Uchiha and Konoha into bitter enemies. It's just a pity that his strength is too weak. Even after transplanting Sharingan and Hashirama Senju's cells, he's still so weak," Obito said.

"Are you really planning to go to Konoha again? It's a very dangerous place. Even White Zetsu's clones can only gather information on the outskirts of Konoha." Black Zetsu, when you mention Konoha, you think of that freak, Shanks. He even has a feeling that Shanks is the chosen one. Since his birth, whether it's Madara, Nagato, or Obito, they've all suffered at his hands. Especially Madara, who suffered at his hands more than once. Even he can't figure out if the descendant of the youngest son of the Six Paths, who has his elder brother in his name, has undergone a genetic mutation. Otherwise, he can't figure out the origin of Shanks' strange abilities. The strange aura, the strange taijutsu and swordsmanship, none of these have appeared in Ashura. You know, Senju and Uzumaki both inherited different abilities from Ashura. And now a descendant has appeared with abilities that even their ancestor didn't have. Isn't that a bit too much?

Look at the Uchiha clan, they all inherited Ashura's Sharingan. The Senju and Uzumaki clans also inherited Ashura's life force and chakra reserves. But suddenly, such a mutated descendant appeared, almost shattering all previous understanding. If Ashura had also had the ability of this amazing descendant back then, what would have been the point of Ashura fighting? It would have been the end before it even began.

That taijutsu pattern, so tough that even a fully-formed Susanoo couldn't cut through it, meant that even Ashura could only curse the heavens in despair. If you can't even get a scratch, what's the point of fighting?!

"Don't worry, I've been there twice before, and the Red-Haired Man from Konoha didn't notice either. Maybe he's really getting old and his vigilance has decreased a lot."

Obito spoke confidently, then started eyeing those indecent photos of him again. After all, they were the only stain on his perfect life, and he was determined to get them back. He was beaten up a few years ago because he had just received Hashirama Senju's cells and hadn't yet become familiar with the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Things are different now. He's grown up, while the Konoha Red-Haired Man is much older. He doesn't believe he can't beat that vice-principal. Thinking of those dirty photos he took of him when he was confused back then, Obito clenched his fists tightly. How could there be such a boring person in the world! This time, he'll beat him to a pulp!

"Hey!"

Black Zetsu sighed inwardly as he looked at the confident Obito. This situation was exactly the same as when Madara led the Uchiha clan to fight the Senju clan. They were always full of confidence before each battle, but the result was always the same... Ever since Hashirama Senju awakened Wood Release, they had never won.

It'll be the same when they encounter Shanks from Konoha. Several times they've vowed to beat the Shanks kid to a pulp, but they're too old to do it anymore. Every time they come back, they're half-dead. It's because of Shanks that Madara lost a few years of his life, and now Obito is doing the same thing. The Uchiha clan really does have a family tradition of stubbornness.

After arriving in Konoha, Obito didn't immediately go looking for the indecent photos. Instead, he planned to focus on finding Danzo. While the photos were important, weakening Konoha was the top priority. Finding Danzo was just a matter of talking; a major battle might follow. Therefore, completing the simplest task first would allow him to maintain peak condition and thoroughly defeat that vice-principal...

"Advisor Danzo, it's been a long time. You're still as healthy as ever." When Obito arrived at Root, it was still late at night. He wasn't afraid of the vice-principal, but Konoha wasn't just about him. There was also his former teacher, the current Hokage, "The Yellow Flash." Add to that his nemesis, Tsunade, whose sixth sense was inexplicably accurate, always managing to find his opening and strike him. And then there was Konoha's White Fang, whom he hadn't fought and didn't know how well he'd maintained his strength. He might be stubborn, but he wasn't stupid enough to be so reckless as to throw his life away.

He might be able to hold his own against a vice-principal, but taking on four at once is just a slogan of the Uchiha clan. He's no longer a member of the Uchiha clan, so there's no need for him to be so supportive of the Uchiha legacy. He still needs to keep his body useful to accomplish great things.

548. Danzo's volatile temper

"...Could we reschedule for next time?"

Danzo looked at his own brother and hesitated for a while before finally managing to utter those words.

"Damn it, thank goodness I'm past the age of fantasizing at night, otherwise he'd be impotent sooner or later. Who the hell went to someone else's room in the middle of the night instead of sleeping...?"

"ran into someone else's room..."

"That's a great skill! I have this skill..."

Danzo suddenly thought of something, and his gaze toward Obito grew increasingly fervent.

"Advisor Danzo, you'd better not harbor any ill intentions..."

Obito's rear end tightened in fear at Danzo's gaze. He'd heard that the old man was still unmarried and had an ambiguous relationship with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Could it be... that he likes young, handsome men?

"Hey! What brings you here so late? Tell me and leave quickly."

Danzo coughed awkwardly; the older he got, the less he could control himself.

"I just heard that the Uchiha are having quite a bit of a fight with your Konoha, so I thought of the terms of our cooperation back then. It's been several years, and Danzo's efficiency is a bit low!"

Brother Obito looked at me with an expression that said, "You've disappointed me. You're incompetent."

Actually, he was quite satisfied with Danzo's efficiency. Although it did take a long time, the results exceeded his expectations. He had only wanted Danzo to get the Uchiha out of the village center so he could slowly finish this task later. Danzo hadn't accomplished the task, but the time spent inside had actually allowed Konoha and the Uchiha to turn against each other, almost to the point of a full-blown battle. Danzo was truly impressive! However, to prevent him from becoming arrogant and complacent, he still pretended to be very dissatisfied.

"...Hmph! You're an outsider and don't understand the situation in Konoha. Getting involved with the Uchiha clan in Konoha has always been troublesome."

Danzo was also very unhappy. He had gone to great lengths to make things so perfect, only to be disliked by his own brother. If it weren't for his brother's bizarre kaleidoscope ability, given his temper, he wouldn't have given his brother any face.

"Well! Well! Don't get so excited. Right now, our goal is the same: the Uchiha. But Danzo, judging from Konoha's current posture, it doesn't seem like they're going to take action against the Uchiha. If the Uchiha get through this time, it will be even more difficult to eliminate them in the future."

Obito was prepared to confront Danzo's stubborn temper, but he didn't expect the Root of Konoha to be so hot-tempered. His tone softened, after all, he wanted to cooperate with Danzo more in the future! If he angered this old guy, it would affect his grand plan.

"...You don't need to worry about the Uchiha's affairs. I know what to do. You should be more concerned about whether you'll be discovered for coming to Konoha in the middle of the night."

Danzo wasn't worried about Obito, but rather that if Obito were killed, his Mangekyou Sharingan would be gone, and his friends didn't want it to fall into Obito's hands.

"Haha! The ninja world is so vast, is there any place I can't go? Since you already have a plan, then I'll wait for good news. Don't disappoint me."

After Obito finished speaking, the space around him began to distort, and then he disappeared from Danzo's room.

"What a convenient ability!"

Danzo looked at the spot where Obito had disappeared and sighed enviously, "This is much more convenient than the Flying Thunder God Technique. At least the Flying Thunder God Technique requires a medium, but this ninjutsu of my brother seems to require none at all. He can disappear anytime, anywhere. If he had this ability..."

After leaving Root, Obito immediately headed to the Senju clan's territory without a word. This time, his target was still the house of that unscrupulous vice-principal. Last time, when he went back, he carefully recalled the whole process, trying to see if he had missed anything. The Senju clan's warehouse was too unlikely; he had only gone there in his haste last time. After thinking about it, he realized that the unscrupulous vice-principal would never put his indecent photos in the warehouse. Wouldn't that let everyone know about his despicable hobby? So they should still be in his house. He might not have searched as thoroughly last time as he had, but this time he had to search carefully!

In the dead of night, the Senju clan's territory was quiet. Apart from a simple barrier at the entrance, there wasn't even a gatekeeper. It wasn't that the Uzumaki clan was lazy, but rather that the Uzumaki clan was truly poor. Although they had become independent, they were still as penniless as ever. Apart from the somewhat impressive barrier around the warehouse, they didn't guard any other places, unlike the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, which had guards at their gates 24 hours a day.

Obito arrived at Shanks' house and looked at the two-story villa. Its design was out of place in Konoha. There was also a rooftop garden on the second floor. He couldn't help but despise the unscrupulous vice principal. He really knew how to enjoy life. He must have made money from selling porn over the years. After all, if the unscrupulous vice principal had this hobby, then he was definitely not the only one who had been photographed indecently.

It has to be said, Obito's ability is incredibly convenient. He doesn't even need to knock to enter a room; he just walks through walls like he has a wall-passing technique. If any Uzumaki clan child saw this, they would definitely be terrified. "Mom's lying! There really are ghosts in this world!"

"Glug! Glug!"

As soon as he entered the house, a deafening snoring sound came from upstairs, startling Obito. The soundproofing was too good; there was no sound outside, but once inside, it was deafening.

Looking at the completely different decor and furniture compared to his last visit, Obito was at a loss. Last time, before the Nine-Tails attacked the village, the Senju territory hadn't been rebuilt, and the old-fashioned style made finding things easy; you could tell at a glance where to hide and where not to. But now it was different. He wondered which idiot had come up with this design. Looking at the various cabinets, drawers, and decorations, finding even ten or so photos was incredibly difficult.

But no matter how difficult it is, we have to find them. Those photos are crucial to his reputation. If that unscrupulous vice-principal leaks them out, or if he thinks he's already dead and doesn't care, and some brat from the Uzumaki clan accidentally takes them out and posts them everywhere, how will he face his world after he completes his great undertaking...?

Because both White Zetsu and Black Zetsu were wary of Shanks, neither of them came with Obito, so Obito had to search this large two-story house by himself.

..........

"Damn it! Where did that bastard hide the photos?!" An hour passed, and except for the master bedroom where someone was, Obito carefully searched the entire house, but he couldn't find a single piece of paper, let alone the photos.

549. Brother Obito is too easy to fool.

"Hey, what are you looking for? Tell me, and I'll help you find it."

"Find the photos that bastard with the red hair in Konoha took...!"

Frustrated by not being able to find something, Obito heard a voice asking him a question. Without thinking, he blurted it out, but then realized something was wrong. He was the only one there, so where did the voice come from? He turned to look at the stairs.

Shanks, dressed in pajamas, looked at him with a vacant stare, clearly still half asleep.