Chapter 353: Tobi: Can I Switch to Working for You, Lord Hokage?
"Ahhhh! She's mad, how scary!"
Tobi grabbed the dango he had stolen and bolted, hiding behind Pain in an instant. He peeked his head out from behind Pain, using him as a shield.
Pointing at Izumi, he whispered in a voice just loud enough for her to hear, "Leader! Protect me! That red-eye disease girl has such a terrifying look in her eyes! She's going to kill me!"
As he spoke, Tobi slyly lifted a corner of his mask and devoured the dango in his hand.
The sight made Izumi grit her teeth in fury.
Konan, glancing at Tobi, sighed helplessly. "Stop fooling around, Tobi. This is Konoha."
Tobi shrugged nonchalantly. "What's the big deal? Isn't Konoha on good terms with our Akatsuki? Aren't we brotherly nations?"
Itachi and Shisui quickly saw through Tobi's antics and refrained from giving him any more attention, instead quietly observing him.
As for Tobi's comment about Izumi having a crush on Itachi, Itachi neither confirmed nor denied it—he simply ignored it. Love, after all, was a concept he didn't know how to express.
Suddenly, two familiar figures walked through the shop's entrance.
It was Haneda and Kakashi.
The Fire Nation's transportation system had already flagged Pain and his group's movements. Originally, Haneda had planned to greet them at the train station.
But with the station crowded with people, the plan was shelved, and Haneda intended to welcome them at the reception hall or the Hokage's office instead.
Unexpectedly, Pain had taken an unconventional route, arriving in the Uchiha district via the subway.
"Mr. Pain," Haneda greeted as he walked over, seemingly unintentionally glancing at Tobi.
Kakashi, on the other hand, had no such reservations. His sharp gaze openly scrutinized Tobi—his former comrade, Obito.
Today, Obito wore a hood over his head and a white mask on his face, dressed in Akatsuki's uniform.
His appearance bore some resemblance to his past self, but it was more reminiscent of Zetsu. Even his exaggerated antics seemed like a carbon copy of Zetsu's behavior.
Kakashi's keen eye caught the faint trace of syrup-like liquid on Tobi's uniform, not yet dried. Glancing at the skewer in Tobi's hand, he immediately realized that Obito had just eaten a dango.
"Obito still loves sweets, huh... I remember he especially loved red bean cakes," Kakashi thought silently.
At that moment, Pain noticed Haneda and Kakashi approaching. He immediately stood up and walked over to greet them.
"Haneda, it's been a while!" Pain said warmly.
"We originally intended to head straight to the Hokage's office, but Tobi insisted on stopping here, so we decided to rest for a bit. You're free this morning, right?"
Haneda chuckled as he glanced at Tobi, who, in turn, glared back at him unabashedly.
Smiling, Haneda replied, "Not much going on this morning. I heard from the police force that you'd arrived, so I came to check in."
He turned his attention to Tobi. "So this is Tobi? The new Akatsuki member replacing Sasori?"
Pain nodded. "He was introduced to us by Zetsu about two weeks ago. Apparently, he can use Wood Release."
Pain subtly hinted that Tobi was associated with Madara and likely connected to Zetsu.
Haneda chuckled inwardly, surprised that Obito's current disguise had even fooled Pain.
Using his Kagura Mind's Eye, Haneda examined Obito's chakra, which felt entirely different from before.
Obito's chakra carried a strange, familiar aura—similar to White Zetsu's but not identical.
Haneda surmised that Obito was using White Zetsu to mask his own chakra while creating a secondary "Tobi" persona.
With his "main account" and "alt account" appearing simultaneously—each with a distinct voice and personality—it wasn't surprising that Pain mistook them for two separate individuals.
After all, the "alt account" could be played by White Zetsu whenever needed.
"Wood Release?" Haneda feigned surprise as he glanced at Tobi.
Tobi boldly introduced himself, saying, "Hello! I'm Tobi, a high school girl who secretly admires the Hokage! Would you be interested..."
He shyly placed a finger on the mouth of his mask, as if summoning his courage, before dramatically proclaiming, "Would you be interested in a sweet, sweet love story?"
Haneda's mouth twitched, and he waved dismissively. "Tobi, your Adam's apple is showing. Why don't you try finding a girl you actually like instead?"
"After all, every boy has a girl quietly watching over him."
Embarrassed, Tobi adjusted his Akatsuki uniform to cover his neck and laughed awkwardly. "Ahaha, Lord Hokage, you really understand love~"
Tobi's tone suddenly shifted as he muttered, "Yeah… every boy has a girl watching over him."
Then, as if struck by inspiration, he pointed at Izumi, who stood quietly behind Itachi.
"Just like that red-eye disease girl over there! Hehe! Too bad she's a kunoichi—who knows, she might die on a mission someday!"
Haneda was about to respond when Kakashi, who had been silent until now, interjected:
"That might've been the case ten years ago. But now, Konoha doesn't send ordinary ninja on dangerous missions anymore."
"Uchiha Izumi works in the police force, where she patrols and maintains public order. It's safe and stable."
"Most of Konoha's ninjas now hold similar positions—stable and secure."
"As for dangerous missions, those are all handled by the Anbu now. Anbu members are prepared to face death."
Tobi adjusted his mask, revealing a faintly mocking smile directed at Kakashi.
Pain and Konan quietly observed Tobi, noting that his pale skin closely resembled White Zetsu's. Even his lips were a ghostly white, making it difficult to decipher the intent behind his smile.
But Kakashi saw the ridicule in Obito's expression clearly.
Opening his mouth as if to speak, Kakashi hesitated for a few seconds before closing it again.
No matter how he tried to justify the present, the past was unchangeable.
Haneda broke the silence.
"Konoha's focus is now primarily on civilian welfare—like the police maintaining public order or hospitals saving lives..."
"Police officers, medical ninja, academy teachers, members of the sealing corps—these more administrative roles are all paid directly by Konoha."
"Konoha no longer accepts missions from foreign nations except for allied countries. Domestically, most missions are related to development and infrastructure."
"The Anbu are the only ones who still operate as they always have, walking the razor's edge. But Anbu members make up less than 0.1% of the village's population."
"Wow…" Tobi tilted his head in mock contemplation, then suddenly snapped his fingers, as if realizing something profound.
"Konoha's ninjas are so lucky! They even get paid a salary! That's amazing!"
"Unlike the leader, who's so stingy—we only earn a tiny bit of money from missions…"
He mimicked wiping tears from behind his mask, sobbing dramatically. "Boohoohoo, Tobi's been so exploited!"
Suddenly, Tobi lowered his voice and covered his mouth.
"Can I switch to working for you, Lord Hokage?"