Chapter 38: Orochimaru Defects from the Akatsuki!
"Sigh..."
A single sigh escaped from Genshin's lips, saying more than a thousand words. It revealed his deeply conflicted emotions and his stance on the matter.
The facts were laid bare before everyone. How could he defend Kaguya Shika? By making baseless arguments? That would only invite ridicule.
Though the situation was riddled with suspicious details, none of them could withstand scrutiny. At the moment, Genshin had no evidence to prove that Kaguya Shika was being framed.
In the end, Genshin was nothing more than an old man.
The situation clearly showed that the Fourth Mizukage was determined to deal with Kaguya Shika. What could Genshin do? Without concrete justification, speaking out would only bring trouble upon himself.
"Fourth Mizukage, I am feeling unwell. Please excuse me from this matter."
Ignoring Kaguya Shika's pleading gaze, Genshin stood up and addressed the Fourth Mizukage calmly.
"Very well," the Mizukage replied with an expressionless face, barely looking at him. His reply was short and devoid of emotion.
However, as Genshin bowed slightly and turned to leave, his squinting eyes remained fixed on the Mizukage, as though trying to discern something from his behavior.
Unable to find anything suspicious, he left without another word.
Watching Genshin walk away, Kaguya Shika felt despair seep into his heart. If even Genshin had given up on him, who else would stand by his side?
Left with no options, he turned his final hopes toward the Mizukage, wishing he would prove to be a fair and just leader.
However, Yagura Karatachi didn't even spare him a glance. His next words extinguished any remaining hope.
"This matter is concluded.
"Kaguya Shika is guilty of colluding with Konoha. Furthermore, the Kaguya clan is suspected of harboring traitorous intentions.
"According to the village's ninja regulations:
"Kaguya Shika will be imprisoned in the maximum-security detention facility and subjected to interrogation.
"The Kaguya clan will be placed under surveillance.
"If any suspicious behavior is detected—execute them without mercy!"
As soon as the Mizukage finished speaking, the surrounding Mist Jonin readied themselves to act at the slightest hint of resistance from Kaguya Shika.
Understanding this, Kaguya Shika knew escape was impossible. Even if he fled, what would happen to his clan? His family?
Resigned to his fate, he allowed the Anbu to restrain him and escort him out of the Mizukage's office.
At that moment, his world turned gray, as though he had fallen into the abyss of despair.
"Meeting adjourned."
With his objective achieved, Uchiha Obito, who was controlling the Mizukage, swiftly dismissed everyone.
---
"Impressive!"
"I didn't expect Obito to have such cunning tactics!"
"This was the same guy who was once considered the dead-last with poor intellect?"
"Looks like I'll need to reevaluate him in the future."
Having witnessed the entire drama unfold, Uchiha Yi's opinion of Uchiha Obito shifted significantly. He had always thought of Obito as a straightforward and somewhat dim-witted individual.
But reality had proven him wrong. Perhaps the saying was true—when someone turns to darkness, their strength increases threefold.
With this in mind, Uchiha Yi intended to probe Obito further to understand his plans. However, before he could do so, the "Fire" Ring he wore began to emit a faint vibration.
It was a signal from Pain, summoning all Akatsuki members to a meeting.
Reluctantly, Uchiha Yi set aside his curiosity and found a secure, hidden location to accept Pain's video call request.
---
The scene shifted. Uchiha Yi found himself in a dark, eerie space. His ghostly image took form on one of the massive fingers of a towering statue.
Simultaneously, other members of the Akatsuki began to materialize on the statue's fingers as phantom projections.
"Tsk. I was this close to killing that guy and claiming a 10 million ryo bounty!" Kakuzu's grumbling voice broke the silence.
"Hahaha! With so many people gathered here, is anyone interested in joining the Way of Jashin?" Hidan chimed in, completely ignoring the atmosphere.
The rest of the members remained quiet, waiting patiently.
---
"Silence!"
Pain's commanding voice cut through the chatter.
"I have an announcement.
"Orochimaru has defected from the Akatsuki. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
"If you encounter him, eliminate him on sight."
---
"Don't worry, Pain-sama! I will offer Orochimaru as a sacrifice to Lord Jashin!" Hidan declared, pounding his chest with confidence.
"That guy's bounty is sky-high..." Kakuzu muttered, his eyes gleaming as he calculated the profit.
"Heh," Sasori chuckled coldly.
Those familiar with Sasori and Orochimaru's history understood the meaning behind his sinister laugh.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi, the one responsible for Orochimaru's defection, remained unfazed. Calm and composed, he even took the opportunity to discreetly observe Uchiha Yi.
---
"Now, on to the second matter.
"With Orochimaru's defection and Zabuza Momochi's death, the Akatsuki is short on manpower.
"Tobi, how is your progress with recruiting Kisame Hoshigaki?"
Caught off guard, Tobi hesitated for a moment before responding nervously, "Uh… almost there!"
Having been preoccupied with manipulating Kirigakure, Tobi had nearly forgotten about the recruitment task.
"Too slow!"
Pain's dissatisfaction was evident.
"The task will now be reassigned. Ah Huo, you will take over, with Tobi assisting you."
Though Tobi silently accepted the decision, his failure to complete the mission had clearly drawn Pain's ire.
---
"Fine, I'll handle it," Uchiha Yi replied nonchalantly.
Initially, this mission was assigned to Zabuza, but after his death, Itachi took over. When his efforts proved unsuccessful, Tobi was assigned the task.
However, months of delay without progress had led Pain to suspect Tobi of slacking off.
Given the Akatsuki's current shortage of members, it made sense to reassign the mission.
---
"Third matter.
"Zetsu has identified a promising recruit—Deidara, a genius ninja from Iwagakure. His abilities meet the Akatsuki's standards, but as he has not yet defected from his village, recruitment will be challenging.
"Sasori and Itachi, this task is yours.
"Kakuzu and Hidan, continue with your bounty missions."
After assigning tasks to Uchiha Yi, Pain distributed the remaining missions to the other members.
"Yes," the members responded in unison.
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