Read 30 chapters ahead in Pateron
"It seems that this guy is quite wary of Kirito," Konan said as she approached Pain.
"To be able to wipe out the Sarutobi clan, which had thousands of members, in such a short time speaks volumes about his capabilities," Pain responded calmly.
"So, what's our next move? Should we continue to follow his orders and have zetsu work with Kirito?" Konan asked.
"At this point, there are no better options." Pain turned to Konan. "Any clues about the woman Kirito asked us to protect?"
"Yes." Konan nodded.
"So quickly?" Pain was a little surprised.
Most of Akatsuki's intelligence came from Zetsu, who was aligned with the masked man. Investigating Mikoto's identity without relying on Zetsu was difficult, especially with Konoha strictly controlling any news about the Uchiha clan.
"I didn't have to dig too deep. I just asked for her name and did a quick check. Her name is Uchiha Mikoto, and interestingly, she appears to be Uchiha Itachi's mother," Konan explained.
"Well, that's interesting. There were rumors that only Itachi's brother survived the Uchiha clan massacre. I didn't expect there was someone else, apart from Uchiha Izumi. It seems the annihilation of the Uchiha clan wasn't as straightforward as we thought."
Pain muttered to himself, "Still, this has nothing to do with us. We just need to ensure the plan goes smoothly."
With that, Pain's body floated into the air and drifted toward the Rain Village. Konan followed, her body dissolving into countless paper sheets as she performed her Paper Dance.
At the foot of the mountain, Kirito looked at Zetsu with a bored expression. "You two are so slow."
"You're just too fast," White Zetsu complained, handing him several scrolls. "Here's your next mission."
Kirito flipped through the scrolls, rolling his eyes. "Assassination, bridge demolition, bandit extermination—you really take any job, huh?"
"We don't have a choice. The organization is still new, and we need funds," Black Zetsu replied.
"If you're low on money, why not do what I did? Rob a wealthy merchant. This world has no shortage of profiteers and landlords. Kill them afterward if needed. Why waste time on these trivial tasks?" Kirito asked as he continued browsing the scrolls.
"There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. The rule of the ninja world is that you get paid by accepting missions. Even the Five Great Nations adhere to this, and Akatsuki is no exception. If we break this rule, we risk being targeted by those nations," Black Zetsu explained patiently.
"The fall of the Land of Whirlpools is a cautionary tale. They tried to merge the ninja village with the country, which wasn't tolerated by other nations and led to their downfall."
"That's disgusting. People with immense power bending to the whims of weaklings who do nothing. This world is truly pitiful," Kirito remarked, forming a quick hand seal. With a puff of smoke, several shadow clones appeared around him.
He handed the scrolls to the clones and turned to Zetsu. "You guide them to the mission locations. Leave the fighting to the clones. Unless they run into a shadow-level ninja or a powerful Jinchūriki, there shouldn't be any problems."
"Isn't that a bit careless? I can sense that your clones have substantial chakra reserves, but shadow clones can't replenish their chakra. If the missions get delayed because of chakra depletion, the leader might blame us," Black Zetsu cautioned, trying to keep Kirito under surveillance.
"Don't worry about that. These aren't ordinary shadow clones—they can restore their chakra. If something goes wrong and the leader gets upset, I'll take full responsibility."
With that, Kirito vanished, leaving his words hanging in the air. "If there's another mission, just give it to this shadow clone. If anything's beyond their capacity, they'll inform me."
"What now?" White Zetsu asked, speaking quietly to Black Zetsu.
"He's such a troublesome guy. Let's lead his clones to the mission locations first, and then report to the leader and Afei," Black Zetsu replied, sinking into the ground.
Meanwhile, Kirito paused and glanced back toward Konoha, silently calculating. "By now, Danzo and Asuma Sarutobi's child should be born."
At the same time, in the Land of Fire, Konoha Village...
In a secret underground base, a dim candle flickered as a breeze drifted through the room.
"You're awake. How do you feel? I've made sure the news is blocked—no one will know your condition. Just focus on recovering," Sarutobi Hiruzen said as he sat beside his son's hospital bed, his heart heavy as he looked at Asuma Sarutobi, who lay there with a broken spirit.
It had been almost seven days since the Sarutobi, Shimura, and Uchiha clans were wiped out.
Konohamaru had already been discharged from the hospital and was now back at the Hokage office, under the care of Konoha's special jonin, Ebisu. Sarutobi Hiruzen had taken swift measures to shield Konohamaru's fragile young mind from further trauma after the loss of his family.
To protect his son Asuma's dignity, Sarutobi Hiruzen had ensured that the truth about his son's injuries remained hidden. No one outside of a few medical ninjas knew that Asuma Sarutobi had not just suffered broken ribs but had also been physically transformed.
During treatment, the medical team had discovered something astonishing: Asuma's body harbored a unique organ, one typically found only in females. What's more, this organ housed a growing life. The discovery shocked the medics and was immediately reported to the hospital director, who then informed the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was equally stunned, experiencing a mixture of emotions—relief that the Sarutobi clan would not go extinct after all, and dismay that the child's father was his own son.
To protect the Sarutobi family's only potential heir, Hiruzen Sarutobi made the decision to keep the child, even if it meant hiding his son's condition from the world. To preserve the family's reputation, he took Asuma to a secret underground base, where only trusted medical ninjas would continue to monitor the pregnancy.
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that if word got out, not only would it damage the Sarutobi name, but it would also tarnish his own legacy as the strongest Hokage in Konoha's history.
Yet, for the sake of the family's survival, he had no choice but to endure the humiliation.
(End of chapter).
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