Chapter 108: Hidden Turmoil
Land of Rain,
Inside a dark, cold cave...
"Nagato couldn't hold back anymore and made a move on Konoha Village..."
Black and White Zetsu emerged from the ground, one of them muttering softly.
"So, he's finally acted?"
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Obito, who had been quietly recuperating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and sneered,
"After defeating the reanimated First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Yuta is now rightfully the god of the ninja world. His ever-growing power is driving Nagato into a corner..."
"Exactly!"
Black Zetsu replied coldly,
"The Fifth Hokage—Uchiha Yuta—is getting stronger and stronger, and the pressure on the Akatsuki organization is becoming unbearable."
Obito frowned slightly.
"The one thing I didn't expect was that the Great Toad Sage actually resurrected the First, Second, and Third Tsuchikage... Aren't the Three Great Holy Lands supposed to stay out of shinobi affairs?"
Black Zetsu growled in disdain,
"That old, wrinkled toad is full of crap."
He added bitterly,
"If it weren't for that blasted Great Toad Sage,
After teaching the Sage of Six Paths and reviving Otsutsuki Hagoromo with 25 Immortal Talismans, his mother—Otsutsuki Kaguya—would never have been sealed. I despise that toad!"
Obito raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
This was the first time he had seen such emotional outburst from Black Zetsu.
"I just can't stand the Three Great Holy Lands,"
Black Zetsu explained with a slight shake of his head,
"They're far from being innocent observers."
"Fair enough."
Obito didn't question further.
"If Nagato wants to attack Konoha, let him. We just need to ensure the Rinnegan isn't lost."
"He never trusted us to begin with."
"Exactly..."
Both Zetsu halves agreed.
To them, Nagato and Akatsuki were nothing more than pawns. If they perished, so be it.
---
"By the way..."
Obito suddenly remembered something.
"We must obtain the forbidden technique of Edo Tensei."
"I know who has it..."
Black Zetsu's eyes gleamed,
"And I'm also interested in studying Edo Tensei in detail."
"Who?"
"Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin,"
White Zetsu replied after thinking for a moment.
"He's deeply researched Edo Tensei. And recently, he left the Akatsuki."
"Perfect."
A cold glint flashed under Obito's spiral mask.
---
Meanwhile, in Otogakure,
deep beneath the village in a chilling underground laboratory...
"Lord Orochimaru, is this body suitable?"
Yakushi Kabuto asked cautiously, watching as the newly female-bodied Orochimaru stepped out of a cylindrical container.
"It's perfect..."
Orochimaru licked her lips, stretching her limbs slightly.
"This vessel resonates well with my soul—it'll let me use my full power."
"That's excellent,"
Kabuto handed over freshly prepared robes with a smile.
"Looks like the operation was a success."
"Hehe... this is just the beginning,"
Orochimaru said coldly as she casually slipped into the robe.
"Though the technique of Living Corpse Reincarnation works, its side effects are enormous—it strains the user's soul."
Thinking back to the time she was killed by Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan, Orochimaru muttered,
"The ideal vessel... was always Itachi."
Kabuto wisely remained silent.
"Enough of that,"
Orochimaru continued,
"I've left the Akatsuki. Now let's shift focus to Edo Tensei!"
She smirked wickedly.
"The Great Toad Sage's version of Edo Tensei was exceptionally refined. Those reanimated Kage-level shinobi—especially the First through Third Tsuchikage—were frighteningly strong. I must dig deeper into this art."
---
Whoosh!
Space warped with a ripple.
A masked figure wearing an orange spiral mask—Uchiha Obito—suddenly appeared in the laboratory.
"Who?!"
Kabuto instantly snapped into combat mode, kunai in hand.
"Interesting..."
Orochimaru narrowed her eyes but remained calm.
"I came to propose a partnership,"
Obito said indifferently.
"Now that you've left Akatsuki, I assume you're in need of new allies?"
"A partnership?"
An amused smirk spread across Orochimaru's face.
"Indeed."
Obito's voice was flat, almost casual.
"You seek immortality, don't you? I can help you achieve it. Not like this half-baked existence—neither man nor woman..."
"Really?"
Instead of getting angry, Orochimaru looked intrigued.
"If you can truly grant me immortality... I'd be more than willing to work together."
"Good."
Without another word, Obito tossed a sealing scroll onto the ground.
"This is a gift. In exchange, I need you to study and perfect Edo Tensei."
Whoosh!
With that, space distorted again—and Obito vanished.
---
"Go. Open the scroll,"
Orochimaru ordered Kabuto, her voice calm but expectant.
Puff...
Seconds later, the scroll unfurled.
Inside—was a pristine white corpse.
---