Start with a Zanpakuto and build the strongest Mist Village.

This result greatly shocked Hiruzen Sarutobi, and also made the Jonin and higher-ups of Konoha look at Fugaku Uchiha with new respect.

When everyone thought that Fugaku Uchiha would slap Hiruzen Sarutobi to death, he instead gave Hiruzen a chance to clear his mind. This kind of vision and magnanimity is perhaps the real reason why Fugaku Uchiha was able to become the Fifth Hokage!

But only Fugaku Uchiha himself knew just how ruthless the advice that Mizuki Yoru gave him was.

Whether Hiruzen Sarutobi is innocent or not is not important. What is truly important is for the Sarutobi clan to vomit up everything they have consumed, as these are the real benefits.

As for other things like reputation and prestige.

The Hiruzen clan of Sarutobi had long suffered under the oppression of Konoha, and with the news of Hiruzen Sarutobi being taken away by the Anbu, all the heinous things he had done before were exposed.

Compared to those things, even without betraying the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi was already seen as an old dog tainted by filthy desires by the lower-ranking ninjas and commoners of Konoha!

This maneuver not only won over a group of Konoha Jonin, but also demonstrated his magnanimity to the Konoha leadership, while maintaining the resentment and hostility of the lower and middle ranks towards the Sarutobi clan. Furthermore, it completely dethroned Hiruzen Sarutobi, ensuring that he could only become an ordinary Jonin in Konoha in the future.

All of this left Fugaku Uchiha in awe of Yoru's methods.

My fourth Hokage, you could have easily conquered everything with your strength, so why are you so good at political maneuvering too?

Chapter 215 Uchiha Hikari Enters the Akatsuki Organization

Snowflakes are falling, winter has arrived.

With the war between Konoha and Kumogakure coming to an end, the entire ninja world finally entered a long-awaited period of peace. To celebrate this hard-won peace, the Spring Festival that year was exceptionally lively, as if trying to use the festive fireworks to dispel the gloom and sadness brought by the war.

But no matter how much you try to cover it up, the pain inflicted by war will always remain in your body.

Konoha, once the strongest ninja village in the world, has fallen to its lowest point since its founding in terms of both population and ninja reserves. Even compared to the Five Great Nations and the entire ninja world, it is quite weak and has a low level of strength.

Fortunately, his current Hokage, Fugaku Uchiha, had a keen political sense. By clinging to Mizuki Yoru's coattails, Konoha, though in decline, was still able to maintain a place in the ninja world.

Iwagakure is still licking the wounds inflicted by the Box of Paradise, while Sunagakure, under Obito's rule of the Blood Sand, appears to be steadily improving, but the village's foundation is being rapidly depleted...

Kumogakure began to make contact with Shadow Isles and gradually stepped into the world of Quincy, while Mizuki Yoru controlled the overall situation in Kirigakure, feeling the increasing strength of his spiritual power and seeking true evolution within it.

However, in a corner of the ninja world, restless individuals are already stirring.

Rain Hidden Village, Central Tower.

The dim lights couldn't illuminate this eternally rainy world. Uchiha Obito, Zetsu, Pain, Konan, and Uchiha Hikaru each sat on a single sofa, discussing their upcoming earth-shattering plan.

"The Chunin Exams are not a small event, and you can't just invite Mizuki Yoru."

"Now that the Fifth Hokage, Fugaku Uchiha, and the Fourth Raikage, A, are both on Mizuki Yoru's side, if we make a move at the venue, we will inevitably have to face other Kage-level powerhouses besides Mizuki Yoru."

Konan spoke in a low voice, her gaze lingering on the little girl who was engrossed in reading a book on modern ninja history: "That risk is too great. I won't agree unless I'm absolutely certain."

“That’s the simplest way to achieve our dreams and goals.” Obito frowned and said, “If we follow your method, first find enough team members, and then instigate wars between countries to let them understand the cruelty of war, the money required will already be an astronomical figure.”

"Furthermore, after so many years, who knows how much Mizuki Yoru will have grown, or how far his forces will have risen? Now is the best opportunity..."

"Motor!"

Pain spoke coldly, his pale purple Rinnegan revealing an undeniable majesty: "Konan's considerations are not without problems. You plan ahead and act accordingly. What I want to see is the success rate of your plan, not those nonsensical empty promises you make."

"The events in the Land of Iron have happened once, that's enough. You should understand what I mean!"

"But……"

"Madara, I am the leader!"

The words that Obito was about to say were stuck in his throat. The extreme frustration made him feel extremely uncomfortable, but he could only remain silent and think about a more detailed plan. Even Uchiha Hikaru, who was standing next to him, showed a little surprise.

Nagato and he were ultimately not on the same path. Although they were in a deep cooperative relationship, they were fundamentally different.

Nagato's heart still revolves around Yahiko's original ideas; what he wants to do is still to be the savior in his heart, the one who sounds the alarm for the ninja world.

Beneath the body of the God of Pain, even though his severed legs have been repaired, his heart remains weak, still that of the pitiful boy who once wandered the Land of Rain.

But Obito is different.

His idea was to completely destroy this dark and desolate world filled with killing and despair!

"I have severed the ridiculous ties of this sorrowful world. I have now truly earned the right to become a Kami, someone who can see this world with a perspective that surpasses even Madara Uchiha's!"

“Sunagakure and Kumogakure clashed during the Third Shinobi World War, so I won’t invite the Raikage. Besides, the Land of Lightning is too far from Sunagakure, so they won’t act rashly. As for Fugaku Uchiha…” Obito said in a deep voice, “Hikari is very strong. With her around, Fugaku Uchiha’s Mangekyou Sharingan will be completely suppressed, and he won’t be a threat at all.”

Pain glanced at the light with an indifferent expression, without much suspicion in his heart.

His Rinnegan could sense the power contained in the girl's eyes; with her joining the attack, the success rate would surely increase significantly.

But it's not enough!

The Akatsuki organization is currently short of members and lacks resources. Let alone implementing grand future plans, even maintaining the development of Amegakure at this stage is extremely difficult.

Obito, being such a shrewd person, surely understood Nagato's meaning.

"I will take care of the start-up capital for the organization's future plans. Ten million taels will be delivered tomorrow."

After a moment of thought, Obito spoke in a deep voice, but Nagato remained unmoved, merely giving a soft "hmm" before falling silent.

Clearly, Nagato had a firm grasp on Obito's current control over Sunagakure.

Although Amegakure is poor right now, Sunagakure is rich!

Yes, that village, which appears to be located in a desolate desert, is actually the richest in the ninja world, mainly because of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, who is currently controlled by Obito!

The title of "Gold Miner of the Shinobi World" was already evident during the battle between Sunagakure and Kumogakure in the Third Shinobi World War.

In the subsequent war, after succeeding as the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa used his Gold Sand Technique to forcefully bring about an economic recovery for the defeated Sand Village, even causing the price of gold in the ninja world to drop by thirty points, resulting in a financial crisis.

He single-handedly restored a ninja village that had just been defeated and was almost destroyed. His gold mining skills made him famous throughout the ninja world!

A mere ten million taels is nothing to him; therefore, what Nagato truly desired was never a sum of money.

What he wants is people!

"Besides myself and Konan, the only other members in the organization are Hiruzen and Sasori. Even if you include Zetsu, there are only five of us." Nagato looked at Obito calmly, his meaning clear.

Obito was also feeling a bit of a headache. Although the various White Zetsu were very useful, he was short of people.

but now……

“I have a very good guy here, but he’s not good at fighting.” Obito remained silent for a long time before slowly taking out a scroll from his Kamui dimension and handing it to Nagato.

Nagato opened the scroll and raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at the information on it.

"Shennong, a former member of the Sky Country, yearned to revive the Sky Ninja and destroy Konoha. He was also a pitiful person who suffered from the trauma of the Konoha War."

Obito introduced Shennong's origins, emphasizing his identity as the person whose country was destroyed by Konoha.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Konan's expression clearly changed, and even Pain couldn't help but glance at her.

"Shennong's combat strength is not strong, only at the level of an ordinary Jonin, but his medical ninjutsu and scientific technology are extremely outstanding. If we can recruit him into the village, not only can we fill the gap left by Orochimaru, but we can also greatly help the technological development of Amegakure."

"Where is he now?"

"This……"

“He is currently within the territory of the Grass Country.” Zetsu suddenly spoke up: “If the leader needs it, I can issue a recruitment notice for him, but if you really want to recruit him into the organization, you may need to make a trip in person.”

“I can bring it over directly,” Obito added.

Payne and Konan exchanged a glance, both somewhat tempted.

The Akatsuki organization is currently in dire need of personnel, especially a medical researcher. If they could recruit him into the organization, it would indeed play a crucial role in the organization's future development.

Moreover, Nagato did indeed need the Shikotsumyaku (Corpse Bone Pulse) to carry out Obito's plan and complete his Six Paths level transformation.

"In that case, let's go and make some preparations." Then, Pain glanced at Uchiha Hikaru, who remained silent and still engrossed in the history books: "Suzaku of Akatsuki, are you interested?"

"..."

Uchiha Hikaru looked up at Nagato, his expression calm.

She didn't like being ordered around or treated as a weapon, but the Nagato organization's philosophy did have some merit.

The girl looked at Obito beside her. Obito frowned slightly and nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Guang nodded calmly without hesitation.

"Very good. From now on, you are a member of Akatsuki, Suzaku of Akatsuki!"

Payne tossed the ring symbolizing Suzaku from his pocket to Hikaru, while Konan also took out a purple nail polish and a piece of clothing from her pocket.

"Xiao will not restrict what its members can do. As long as they do not betray you, you can do whatever you want on a daily basis."

"However, Xiao is paired up in teams of two, but due to some special circumstances, the other two members in the organization happen to be single. You can choose one of them to become your partner."

"Partner?" This title made Uchiha Hikaru frown, but since he had already joined Akatsuki, he would naturally follow Akatsuki's rules.

Obito didn't say much. As long as he could get Nagato to willingly become an enemy of Minazuki Yoru and help him hold him back, then everything would be worth it.

Inside the Akatsuki's underground base.

Two figures slowly emerged from the dark underground passage.

"I heard there are new members joining today," Hiruko said with a hint of excitement. "Could they carry a special bloodline limit? If so, they could become part of my masterpiece!"

"Heh, put away your petty thoughts. Your little tricks don't even deserve to be called 'supreme'!" Scorpion sneered, his disdain and mockery undisguised. "Only eternal art is true art. Your clumsy fusion techniques are nothing but laughable clown tricks."

"you!"

Hiruko's face stiffened, and he subconsciously wanted to shout back angrily, but Sasori drove Hiruko on his own and continued to walk deeper into the base.

This dismissive attitude caused the veins on Beiruk's forehead to bulge and his fists to clench tightly.

Orochimaru was like that back then, and Sasori is like that now!

These so-called geniuses didn't take him seriously at all!

"If the leader hadn't taken back your core, what kind of bullshit eternal art would you be researching here?!" Hiruko roared inwardly, his eyes bloodshot. "Just wait, when I've gathered all the materials and ascended to the Mirror of Perfect Ninja with the power of heaven and earth, I will crush your so-called eternal art to pieces!"

Those resentful eyes were staring intently at him from behind, but Scorpion didn't care and didn't bother to respond.

This is how the weak look at the strong. If the strong had to respond to every weak person, wouldn't that exhaust them?

Sasori calmly guided Hiruko forward, and soon the two arrived at the Akatsuki base, one after the other, at the hideous Gedo Mazo.

Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki Zero Burial, Konan, the Akatsuki White Tiger Angel, and Zetsu, the Akatsuki Black and White Tortoise, were already positioned on their respective golem fingers. Together with Hiruko and Sasori, these were the Akatsuki members currently on the public side.

Although Obito cooperated with Nagato, he did not join the Akatsuki organization.

"There are two things I've called you all here for today!"

Standing atop the Gedo Mazo's thumb, Pain called out to Hiruko and Sasori, "Firstly, Akatsuki has gained a new official member."

In the darkness, Uchiha Hikaru stepped out indifferently, his crimson three-tomoe Sharingan landing directly on Hiruko and Sasori, his expression detached.

She had learned about Hiruko and Sasori from recent books and the information Obito had given her. One was an A-rank rogue ninja from Konoha who mastered the Kigahara Jutsu, a fusion bloodline technique, while the other was an S-rank rogue ninja from Sunagakure, a genius puppeteer.

Well, those two guys pose no threat to me.

With just one glance, Hikari judged the two of them, and as Hikari looked at them, their gazes also fell on Hikari.

The petite figure of the girl surprised both of them, but what shocked them the most were her blood-red eyes!

"Sharingan..."

Hiruko, a former Konoha traitor, looked at Hikaru with some shock. To awaken the three-tomoe Sharingan at such a young age was definitely the mark of a genius. During the time he was away from the village, the Uchiha clan had produced such a top genius.

Moreover, given the current state of the Uchiha clan in Konoha, it's astonishing that there are still Uchiha members willing to give up promising futures to become rogue ninjas.

"Uchiha Hikaru, Akatsuki's Suzaku," Pain said calmly, looking at the two silent men. "Hikaru, choose one of them as your teammate. It's Akatsuki's rule that everyone should act in pairs, helping and monitoring each other!"

"I have no intention of bringing a child along," Sasori of the Red Sand said in a deep voice. "Since he's an Uchiha, let's team up with him."

"whispering sound."

Hiruko snorted coldly, but did not object. Instead, he looked at Uchiha Hikaru with some excitement.

To be so young and yet still be valued by the leader and recruited into the organization, this guy is definitely a super genius of the Uchiha clan.

If I could use her as my fusion material...

Chapter 216 Hiruzen Sarutobi, Are You Willing to Accept This?

After persuading Nagato and ensuring he had enough fighting power to hold off Mizuki Yoru, Obito rushed to the Land of Grass. Relying on the location of Shinno, which he had pinpointed with his ultimate ability, he sought out this former Sky Ninja.

At this moment, Shennong is far from the villainous BOSS who will wield the Zero-Tail and ride a flying fortress in the future. He is merely a remnant of the Sky Ninja disguised as a doctor, traveling around the world to gain prestige while secretly stealing the secret forbidden techniques of various ninja villages as capital for his future restoration.

Yes, ever since the destruction of the Sora Ninja Village decades ago, Shennong has been determined to restore his country and avenge his family, destroying Konoha. He can be called the Murong Fu of the ninja world.

"Shennong".