96-100

*Chapter 96: Instantly Defeating Konan*

Shiro let out a sigh of relief.

If his opponent had been Yahiko, he wasn’t sure if he could have avoided being instantly defeated.

But if it’s Konan, then that’s a different story!

At least, for now, the goal was to demonstrate his strength, not to defeat or kill Konan!

Suddenly, Konan transformed into numerous sheets of paper, fluttering around Shiro.

Shiro’s eyes grew serious as he carefully scanned the surroundings.

The paper sheets quickly gathered around him, encasing him in an instant.

“Is this the power that killed the Mizukage?” Yahiko chuckled indifferently and began turning back toward the balcony.

Suddenly, black flames erupted from the sheets of paper, and in no time, the flames consumed them all.

“Oh? Amaterasu? Interesting!”

Konan’s eyes flashed with caution as the paper sheets swiftly scattered. Shiro looked down and noticed that a part of Konan’s robe had been torn.

“You’re good, but if I’m fast enough, your Amaterasu won’t catch me!” Konan scoffed.

The sheets of paper scattered again, forming several paper clones.

“Now, can you still find me?”

Shiro smirked and discreetly activated his Byakugan.

In an instant, the entire room was visible to Shiro, from every angle—even the floors below were clear to him.

Shiro wiped a bit of blood from his nose and slapped his face to force himself to focus.

“Damn, saw something I shouldn’t have!”

Now fully serious, Shiro saw all the paper clones in his field of view.

“There you are!”

With a cold smile, a spinning orb appeared in Shiro’s palm.

“Take this!”

Shiro dashed forward with such speed that Konan couldn’t react.

“No way! How did he find me?!”

Konan’s face paled, and she quickly sent a paper clone to block him.

Boom!

The Rasengan hit the paper clone directly, and its powerful force knocked Konan behind it, sending her flying.

Yahiko frowned but relaxed when he saw that Konan wasn’t badly hurt.

“Kid, I admit, you’ve successfully angered me. Now, I’m going to get serious!”

Countless paper sheets gathered behind Konan, forming a pair of pure white wings.

But there were still many sheets flying around the room, limiting the accuracy of Shiro’s Amaterasu.

Konan raised her hand, and a long spear made of paper began to form.

Shiro smiled confidently, knowing that if he was fast enough, Konan wouldn’t be able to hit him.

Finally, the spear was ready.

The paper sheets gathered rapidly around Shiro, making it difficult for him to move in the small room.

“Not good! My feet are trapped!”

Konan smiled triumphantly as she continued channeling chakra into the spear.

Shiro’s expression darkened.

Though the paper was easy to tear apart, the endless stream of it made it impossible to break free in time.

“It's over, kid. Accept your death!”

The spear flew toward him with devastating force, shaking the room as though it was about to collapse.

Boom!

The spear pierced through the building, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Konan turned to look at Uchiha Obito and frowned.

“You didn’t save him?”

“Are you kidding? There’s no way I could have saved that kid from an attack like that!” Uchiha Obito exclaimed, before suddenly becoming serious. “Besides, Shiro doesn’t need my help!”

Konan’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly began searching the area.

Suddenly, a sense of danger surged from behind her.

Konan whirled around, only to see Shiro crouching, arms spread wide, one hand raised and the other lowered.

“Eight Trigrams, One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!”

Shiro’s hands moved rapidly, striking Konan’s body. With each hit, one of her chakra points was sealed.

In less than three seconds, all 128 of Konan’s chakra points were sealed.

Konan collapsed to the ground, staring at Shiro in disbelief.

With her chakra points sealed, she couldn’t control even a sliver of her chakra, and when she tried to force it, she coughed up blood.

“How is this possible? How did he escape my paper trap? Even if he did, there wasn’t enough distance to dodge the attack!”

“It’s the Flying Thunder God Technique!” Uchiha Obito said seriously, all traces of his earlier exaggerated behavior gone as he exuded a dangerous aura.

“Flying Thunder God Technique? The Fourth Hokage’s signature jutsu?” Yahiko’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“This kid actually knows the Flying Thunder God Technique?”

Konan clutched her chest and began coughing.

Although she hadn’t fought Shiro seriously due to underestimating him, a loss was still a loss.

On the battlefield, no one spares you just because you underestimated them.

“I lost.”

Shiro sniffed his hand and grinned mischievously.

“So, do I qualify to join the Akatsuki now?”

Since the others had misunderstood and thought he was using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Shiro didn’t bother to correct them.

Having that technique associated with him would at least make them more wary of him.

“Your strength has indeed surprised me. You are qualified to join the Akatsuki,” Yahiko said seriously, walking over to help Konan up.

“So, who do you think should team up with him?” Konan asked thoughtfully.

Yahiko fell into deep thought.

It wasn’t because Shiro was too weak or too strong, but because he was now difficult to control.

While many members of the Akatsuki could defeat Shiro, with the Flying Thunder God Technique, it would be nearly impossible to kill him.

At that moment, Yahiko’s gaze shifted to Uchiha Obito, and a smile crossed his lips.

“Ah, Fei! You’ve been wanting to become an official member, right? Since you brought in such a powerful recruit, we’ll make you an official member! He’ll be your teammate!”

“Really?!” Uchiha Obito struck an exaggerated pose, running around the room in excitement.

Shiro’s face instantly grew serious.

The last person he wanted to team up with was Uchiha Obito!

With his Kamui ability, Obito could phase into another dimension and trap others there as well. His strength was undeniably top-tier.

Yahiko’s decision to pair Shiro with Obito was clearly a way to monitor and control him.

“What’s the matter, Shiro? Do you have any objections?”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 97: The First Mission in the Land of Lightning*

Ever since being teamed up with Uchiha Obito, Shiro had been enduring endless mental torment from him. Obito's constant chatter was driving Shiro crazy.

"Ah Fei, I'm warning you, stop making noise, or I’ll rip your mouth off!"

"Aren’t we partners? How can you say such things?"

Shiro glared at Uchiha Obito. If he didn’t know Obito’s true identity, he would’ve already beaten him up.

Just then, Shiro’s ring started flashing.

He looked down at it. The ring, silver in color, had a yellow background with the character for "thunder" in the center.

Shiro didn’t fully understand the meaning but guessed it had something to do with his Flying Thunder Technique.

When the ring flashed, it signified an urgent mission, meaning he had to enter the communication space for a meeting. The ring on his finger acted as the medium for this space.

Shiro and Uchiha Obito quickly found a safe spot, clasped their hands together, and focused all their chakra into the rings.

When they entered the communication space, everyone else had already been waiting for some time.

Shiro’s appearance instantly attracted attention, as he was a new face, and everyone’s eyes were filled with curiosity.

Uchiha Itachi frowned.

"Shiro!"

"I didn’t expect it to be you, kid. Looks like I won’t get the chance to deal with you now," said Hoshigaki Kisame with a dissatisfied grunt.

Shiro scratched his head awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with Uchiha Itachi—not out of guilt, but because Itachi was way too cautious. Every member of the Akatsuki organization knew that Itachi could set up a preset genjutsu just by looking at someone. If anyone made a move against him, the genjutsu would trigger.

Shiro had planned to set one up himself, but before this, the only ones he had encountered were Yahiko, Konan, and Uchiha Obito.

Obito had the Sharingan, and Shiro wasn’t reckless enough to use genjutsu on him. As for Konan, he hadn’t had a chance, and Yahiko was already dead, so setting up a genjutsu on him was pointless.

"Alright, I’ve called you all here today to introduce two new members. Ah Fei, everyone should know, but has anyone heard of Shiro?"

"Of course. This kid was originally worth a hundred million, but now his bounty has gone up to one hundred and fifty million. I’m starting to feel tempted," Kakuzu said with a cold smile, greedily eyeing Shiro.

Kakuzu, known to have fought against the First Hokage and survived, was not to be underestimated. Although he had the strength of an elite Jonin, his unique ability allowed him to hold five hearts in his body, essentially giving him five lives.

In situations with insufficient intelligence, Kakuzu could easily catch his opponents off guard.

"Kakuzu, don’t underestimate Shiro. He defeated Konan and earned his place in the Akatsuki."

"What? He beat Konan?"

Kakuzu looked at Shiro in disbelief.

Kakuzu knew Konan's strength well; if they fought, he wouldn't stand a chance against her. The fact that Konan lost to this kid was hard for him to accept.

Even more shocked than Kakuzu was Kisame. He had fought Shiro before, and though Shiro’s techniques were varied, his strength was only that of a Chunin. Any Jonin with the right intel could easily take him down. But in such a short time, Shiro’s strength had skyrocketed to the point where he could defeat Konan!

"Itachi, I believe you now. This kid really is a genius. He’s improved so much in such a short time!" Kisame said.

Itachi didn’t respond but simply stared intently at Shiro with his sharp eyes.

"Sharingan and Byakugan, huh?"

With just one sentence, everyone’s attention returned to Shiro. Due to his bangs, they had only noticed his Sharingan earlier. But now, thanks to Itachi’s remark, they realized he also had the Byakugan.

"A double Kekkei Genkai... This kid is ruthless!" someone muttered.

Typically, a person could only possess one Kekkei Genkai. The only other person known to have two was Mei Terumi. Yet here was Shiro, possessing two of Konoha’s most powerful eye techniques!

Immediately, many assumed that he had taken the Byakugan from the Hyuga clan.

"I’m beginning to understand why Konoha has such a bounty on him, and the Mist Village’s bounty makes sense too. This kid is savage!" Kakuzu’s greedy gaze intensified.

Ever since the kidnapping incident involving the Hyuga princess, all branch family members had been marked with the Caged Bird seal, which destroyed their Byakugan upon death or removal. To obtain a Byakugan, one would now have to kidnap a member of the Hyuga’s main family.

The black market had skyrocketed the value of a Hyuga main family member. And with Shiro’s other eye being a Sharingan, Kakuzu’s greed only grew.

Shiro made no effort to explain. He knew it wouldn’t help, and in this case, he wanted the Akatsuki members to misunderstand.

The Akatsuki members were all rogue ninjas, carrying countless murders on their backs. Only by showing ruthlessness could one gain their respect. Otherwise, they’d sooner or later come after you.

"Alright, stop discussing Shiro. Let’s move on to the second matter," Yahiko interrupted, silencing the group.

"Our target this time is the Land of Lightning. We’ve received intelligence that the Eight-Tails is in the Land of Lightning. I’m assigning Shiro and Ah Fei to go by boat. Anyone nearby can assist."

Shiro was currently in the Land of Rain, having arrived there by crossing the Land of Rivers. The journey to the Land of Lightning would require crossing several countries, making this mission a test of his abilities.

However, upon hearing the word “boat,” Shiro visibly shuddered.

"Can’t we go by land instead?"

"I think it’d be better if Shiro traveled by land," Obito chimed in.

Traveling by land would take much longer, and passing through multiple countries could create additional complications. But with Obito’s input, Yahiko agreed, knowing full well how strong Obito was.

"Is anyone else available?" Yahiko asked.

The group shook their heads, and surprisingly, Kakuzu volunteered.

"How about I go too?"

Shiro frowned. He wasn’t sure about the others, but Kakuzu was definitely eyeing his bounty or his eyes.

If Kakuzu came along, Shiro would have to be wary of both the shinobi from the Land of Lightning and Kakuzu’s flying shuriken from eight hundred miles away.

"Kakuzu, why don’t you keep looking for Orochimaru? I’ll go with Kisame to the Land of Lightning," Itachi said.

"Uchiha Itachi?" Shiro muttered.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 98: Another Battle with Kisame Hoshigaki

Uchiha Itachi suddenly appearing was both within Yahiko’s expectations and outside of them.

Uchiha Itachi had slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan, leaving only Uchiha Sasuke alive.

He was undoubtedly a ruthless and cold-blooded figure.

Now, Yahiko was considering whether Uchiha Itachi might kill Shiro just to obtain those eyes!

Yahiko was just about to speak when he was interrupted by a sudden surge of excitement.

“If Itachi-senpai is here to help, that would be perfect!”

Uchiha Itachi’s eyes were fixed intently on Uchiha Obito, and he said nothing more.

Yahiko knew that Itachi had slaughtered the Uchiha clan, but he didn’t know that Obito had been involved as well.

Now, with Obito overseeing the situation, Yahiko felt a rare sense of security.

“Alright, let’s meet in the Land of Lightning!”

Shiro and Obito made their way to the Land of Lightning.

The Land of Lightning was full of mountain ranges, and the sky was filled with dark clouds constantly rumbling with thunder.

“Shiro-kun, have you been here before?”

Shiro shook his head slightly. Though it was his first time in the Land of Lightning, he was well-informed about it.

He knew about the high-level combat forces, the Cloud Raikage, and their current target—the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee.

However, Shiro didn’t say much.

He planned to stay in the Land of Lightning for a while and secretly learn some ninjutsu.

After all, Lightning Release was Shiro’s primary ninjutsu style, and the Land of Lightning was mostly known for its taijutsu.

Especially the Lightning Armor of Raikage A—if Shiro could learn that, his taijutsu would improve drastically.

But getting close to Raikage A wasn’t going to be easy.

As Shiro and Obito traveled at high speed, a shark suddenly lunged at Shiro.

Shiro frowned and quickly dodged.

But the shark didn’t stop. More and more sharks kept attacking Shiro.

Ding! Ninjutsu identified: Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!

Shiro smirked. He had long wanted to learn this technique—not because it was particularly powerful, but because it allowed the user to fly on a water shark!

Shiro quickly formed hand seals, and a shark made of water leaped out from beside him, swallowing him whole.

The shark, with Shiro inside, twisted and turned in the air, as if the sky had turned into an ocean, swimming freely.

Once Shiro was airborne, he finally saw his enemy.

Kisame Hoshigaki!

Shiro sighed. He had suspected it from the start, and now it was confirmed.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi stood to the side, showing no intention of getting involved.

“Youngster, I didn’t expect you to know this technique too!”

“I think he just learned it, like Kakashi the Copy Ninja!”

“Copy? But he didn’t even see me form the seals. Whatever, let’s just take him down!” Kisame grinned wickedly as he tossed aside his robe and began to form seals seriously.

Shiro smiled.

Kisame was one of the few later-stage ninjas who still took the time to properly form seals, unlike others who just clapped their hands and shouted "Ninjutsu" to make something happen.

A giant shark leaped up from Kisame’s side and charged at Shiro.

Ding! Ninjutsu identified: Water Release: Giant Shark Bullet Technique!

Shiro quickly formed seals again, and another giant shark appeared behind him, rushing forward.

The two sharks collided, and Kisame’s Giant Shark Bullet was overwhelmed, while Shiro’s shark continued its assault on Kisame.

“How is this possible? Why is his Giant Shark Bullet stronger than mine?”

Uchiha Itachi frowned and activated his Sharingan.

“His chakra is different from yours. It seems like Senjutsu, but it’s not.”

“Damn it! If that’s the case, I’ll give it my all!” Kisame growled as a smaller shark appeared at his side.

Kisame stepped onto the shark, drew his sword, Samehada, and rushed toward Shiro.

At that moment, Shiro closed his eyes and stood still, as if he were preparing something.

“Is this brat trying to trick me?”

Kisame laughed, unconcerned, as he circled Shiro on the shark.

After five or six rounds, seeing no reaction from Shiro, Kisame moved behind him and slashed with Samehada.

“I’ve got him!”

“Run, Kisame!”

Kisame wasn’t sure why Itachi was telling him to retreat, but he trusted him without question.

At that moment, Shiro’s eyes suddenly opened, blood trickling down from his eyes.

A black flame ignited on Kisame’s arm.

“Damn it, how did he know I was behind him? And that fire... isn’t that Itachi’s?”

Shiro brushed his hair aside, revealing his Byakugan.

“With the Byakugan, there’s no difference between seeing with open eyes or closed. Kisame-senpai, have you had enough fun?”

As Shiro spoke, the black flames on Kisame’s arm began to flow back into Shiro’s eyes, and soon, the flames were gone.

Kisame relaxed his battle stance.

Shiro knew Kisame was only testing him. Otherwise, Kisame would have merged with Samehada, entering his true form.

Kisame chuckled and rubbed his nose.

“Kid, you’re strong—way stronger than the last time I saw you. I’m curious, though—how did you learn so fast?”

“That’s a secret!” Shiro grinned mischievously as he guided the shark to the ground.

As soon as Shiro landed, Itachi approached him, his expression serious.

Shiro didn’t dare meet Itachi’s gaze, fearing he’d fall under a genjutsu.

“Kid, come with me for a moment.”

“Alright.”

Shiro nodded, but just as he was about to follow, Obito appeared.

“Ah, Itachi-senpai, it’s great to see you! I wonder what you’re planning to discuss with Shiro-kun? Mind if I listen in?”

Itachi’s eyebrows furrowed, and he glared warily at Obito.

“This is between me and Shiro. Do you really need to interfere?”

“Alright, alright, I won’t listen!” Obito waved his hands dismissively and backed away.

Obito left, but Itachi’s frown didn’t relax.

“Kid, use your Byakugan. Is anyone nearby?”

Shiro nodded and immediately activated his Byakugan.

“There’s someone under that rock over there.”

Itachi nodded and instantly appeared next to the rock.

“Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!”

“Ah! It’s me, Itachi! Stop burning me!”

“Zetsu, if you spy on me again, it won’t be so simple next time!”

“Alright, alright, I’m leaving…”

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 99: Infiltrating the Hidden Cloud Village*

After White Zetsu left, Uchiha Itachi finally let his guard down.

“Why did you leave the Hidden Leaf?” Itachi asked.

“Why? The world is vast, and I wanted to see it,” Shiro replied casually.

Itachi's eyebrows furrowed immediately, and a surge of killing intent enveloped Shiro. While others might not know, Shiro understood very well: Itachi, having witnessed the horrors of the Third Great Ninja War, had always held a deep desire for peace in his heart.

Although he had wiped out the entire Uchiha clan, it was out of necessity. Even if he hadn’t done it, the Hidden Leaf would not have spared the Uchiha. However, when it came to killing his own parents, Itachi couldn’t bring himself to do it and shed tears as he carried out the act. Fortunately, Fugaku Uchiha, Itachi’s father, understood the situation and chose to end his own life.

Itachi’s lover had also been killed in that massacre, but by Uchiha Obito—another casualty of the need to prevent further war.

Feeling the danger in the air, Shiro quickly waved his hands. "Wait, Itachi! I was just joking! The real reason I left the Hidden Leaf is simple—this world is about to fall into chaos, and I need to do something to prepare for it."

Shiro didn’t dare hide anything else, though he still intended to keep some secrets.

“It’s not going to stay peaceful? Are you talking about the Akatsuki?” Itachi, though part of the Akatsuki, still kept a close eye on matters in the Hidden Leaf. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shown up immediately when the Third Hokage died.

"Exactly. The Akatsuki has big plans, and we can't handle it alone. That’s why I went to the Hidden Mist Village, to bring a powerful ally for the Leaf."

Itachi pondered this, and the killing intent slowly dissipated.

“The Akatsuki has been collecting information on the Tailed Beasts. If they really manage to gather all nine, it’ll be difficult to handle,” Itachi remarked cautiously. He was always meticulous, like how he cast subtle genjutsu on every member of the Akatsuki when he joined, ensuring that if anyone attacked him, the genjutsu would automatically activate. Now that he was openly discussing these matters with Shiro, it was clear that Itachi had started to trust him.

“Right. I had intended to seal the Three-Tails in the Land of Water, but that guy showed up.” Shiro glanced at Uchiha Obito, also known as “Tobi.”

“Ah, Tobi is indeed dangerous. Best to keep your distance from him. But it’s clear that even Pain fears you, which is why he teamed you up with him,” Itachi said.

Shiro gave a bitter smile. Obito had killed Itachi’s lover, Uchiha Izumi. It was hard to believe Itachi harbored no resentment at all. And as for Shiro, he had injured Konan, so it was doubtful that Nagato wouldn’t seek revenge.

“All right, we should head back before Tobi gets suspicious. Let’s act like nothing happened.”

Shiro nodded slightly. He knew Obito’s abilities better than Itachi did, and provoking him now would be a death sentence. Adjusting his expression, he followed Itachi back.

“Hey, hey, Shiro-kun! What were you guys talking about? Tell me, I’m curious!” Obito circled around Shiro, trying to eavesdrop.

“We were discussing how to shut your mouth. If that doesn't work, we’ll have to kill you,” Shiro said with a grin.

Obito jumped back, startled, and retreated a few steps. “But we’re comrades! How could you even think of something so dangerous?”

Shiro smiled slightly. As long as Obito kept using the “Tobi” persona, everything would be fine. If his tone suddenly turned cold, that would mean he was ready to kill, and Shiro would have to be prepared to flee at a moment’s notice.

“All right, enough with the nonsense. Let’s talk about the plan,” Obito said, still uneasy as he handed Shiro a scroll.

“We have information that the Eight-Tails is within Killer Bee, the Raikage’s brother. We need to lure him out of the Hidden Cloud Village and capture him.”

Shiro nodded. Killer Bee wasn’t actually the Raikage’s biological brother, but their bond was stronger than that of blood relatives. If they attempted to capture him inside the Hidden Cloud, the Raikage would definitely get involved. Even with their strength, it would be hard to escape if surrounded by an entire village of ninjas. Only someone like Nagato, with his destructive powers, could level the village with a single technique.

“So, who’s going to lure Killer Bee out?” Obito asked, then turned his gaze toward Shiro.

Shiro was taken aback for a moment but then smiled wryly. Logically, Obito was the best candidate. Even if discovered, his ability to warp space would allow him to escape. But it was clear that Obito wasn’t about to volunteer. So, the second-best choice was Shiro, who could use the Flying Thunder God Technique to flee if necessary.

Shiro didn’t refuse. He had been planning to shake them off and sneak into the Hidden Cloud Village alone to steal some of their jutsu anyway. Now that the suggestion had come up, he naturally accepted.

“I’ll go, but what’s in it for me? What kind of support will I get? After all, the Raikage has had his eyes on my Byakugan for a while now,” Shiro said. No one works for free, after all.

"Well... we can’t make any promises, but if the plan succeeds, you’ll be the first to absorb the Eight-Tails’ chakra!” Obito offered.

Shiro rolled his eyes but still smiled. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

“It’ll be all right. If something happens, we’ll come to your aid,” Itachi said seriously.

Shiro nodded and swiftly formed a series of hand seals. The kunai in his mouth glowed with golden light, and he threw it to the ground.

“Give me a few days, and I’ll lure Killer Bee out here.”

“I knew it! Shiro-kun would definitely agree!” Obito laughed.

Shiro shot him a glare before turning and running toward the Hidden Cloud Village. The Hidden Cloud wasn’t exactly friendly. After all, it was their ninjas who had kidnapped Hinata Hyuga, leading to her uncle’s death and further cementing the fate of the Hyuga Clan’s branch families.

Shiro smirked coldly. To think they once tried to kidnap someone as adorable as Hinata and steal her Byakugan. It seems they need to be taught a lesson.

“Hidden Cloud, here I come!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 100: The Cloud Village Bombing Plan

The Hidden Cloud Village wasn’t as heavily guarded as expected. Aside from a few patrolling ninjas at the village gate, the rest of the place was practically empty.

Using the Water Shark Bullet Technique, Shiro swam over the walls effortlessly. The moment he landed, he immediately used the Transformation Jutsu.

His eyes were too noticeable; even though his bangs covered them, being seen would certainly lead to endless pursuit. Plus, the Akatsuki’s raincoat was equally conspicuous, making him easy to spot while walking around.

After using the Transformation Jutsu, Shiro felt more at ease. As long as he didn’t run into specialized tracking units from the ANBU, he shouldn’t face any major problems.

Next on his list was finding Killer Bee. Even though he had seen "Naruto" and knew the characters well, locating a specific person in a village was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, Killer Bee was quite well-known.

“Hey, bro, do you know where Lord Killer Bee is?”

Since he couldn’t find him on his own, Shiro decided to ask a passerby.

The villager gave Shiro a confused look, sizing him up before frowning. "How long have you been out on missions? You don’t even know where Lord Killer Bee is?"

Shiro coughed awkwardly. From the tone of the villager, it seemed Killer Bee was pretty famous.

“Yo, yo, seems like this young guy’s looking for me?”

Shiro nearly jumped in surprise. Just as he was wondering why the villager looked at him so suspiciously, it turned out Killer Bee was standing nearby. Well, no wonder he got that look.

Killer Bee’s sudden appearance threw Shiro’s plan into disarray, causing him to forget everything he’d prepared to say.

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“Yo, yo, the way you talk is kinda weird, young fella!” Killer Bee replied in his usual rapping style, which was even more annoying than Deidara's constant "yeah" ticks.

“I want to challenge Lord Killer Bee, who fights with seven swords at once!”

Having forgotten his prepared excuse, Shiro decided to cut straight to the challenge. After all, these Cloud Village folks were basically all muscle, and they were unlikely to turn down a fight.

“Yo, yo, if you wanna challenge me, you gotta match my rhythm first!”

Shiro twitched in frustration. Not only did he want to challenge Killer Bee, but now he had to rap too? This was getting ridiculous.

Letting out a cold snort, Shiro took out a kunai, his body flickering with lightning.

Killer Bee’s expression turned serious for a moment, but only briefly before he returned to his usual carefree style.

“I’m not accepting any challenges today. If you want to fight, meet me here in three days at the same time.”

“Deal!”

Shiro breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, he wasn’t ready to fight yet. To avoid blowing his cover, he’d have to rely on various Lightning Release techniques, but he hadn’t stolen any ninjutsu since arriving in the Cloud Village. Fighting a skilled ninja like Killer Bee without a versatile move set would mean certain defeat—after all, this was the man who single-handedly defeated Sasuke's Hawk Team.

“Alright then, see you in three days,” Killer Bee said as he left.

Watching him go, Shiro felt a weight lift from his shoulders. With their fight scheduled for three days later, he had no intention of continuing to track Killer Bee. That would only increase the chances of getting caught by the ANBU.

As for Uchiha Obito and the others, they could wait for now.

Shiro headed to a nearby inn, marveling at how wonderful it was to have money. He slapped some cash on the counter and reserved the best room they had. In that moment, he finally understood the joy of being wealthy.

The room was like a presidential suite in a five-star hotel, and lying on the bed made Shiro feel completely relaxed. However, as soon as he lay down, he felt several pairs of eyes watching him.

He let out a bitter laugh. His encounter with Killer Bee had been too direct, and now the ANBU had taken notice. Still, Shiro wasn’t too worried since no real conflict had occurred yet.

He lay on the bed, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but secretly used his Byakugan to keep track of the ANBU around him. "Three of them, huh? Didn’t expect them to take me this seriously. Well, keep watching, I’m going to sleep!"

For now, Shiro wasn’t eager to confront the Cloud Village’s ANBU, so he decided to enjoy some peace and quiet instead.

The next morning, he stretched lazily and crawled out of bed. Ever since coming to the ninja world, he hadn’t had a proper night’s rest. Surprisingly, he managed to sleep soundly in the Land of Lightning.

Activating his Byakugan again, Shiro saw that only one ANBU member remained outside, and even they seemed to be slacking off. He quickly deactivated his Byakugan and left a shadow clone in the room. Then, using the Transformation Jutsu, he disguised himself as Suigetsu.

“Suigetsu’s build should be about right... Man, this Transformation Jutsu is impressive—it even replicates the elasticity. Wait, what am I thinking?” Shiro shook his head quickly, realizing that if he opened the door to these thoughts, he’d end up falling down a slippery slope.

“Focus on the mission, the mission!”

Shiro’s task today wasn’t about the Akatsuki’s mission—it was about revenge on the Cloud Village. After all, the Akatsuki's mission wasn’t his top priority. What mattered more was avenging Hinata.

And Shiro’s method of revenge was simple: blow things up.

To do that, he needed a lot of explosive tags. So, he headed to the shops to buy as many as he could. He split the money between his shadow clones and sent them to different shops at different times. He was careful not to buy from the same store twice to avoid drawing attention. Despite taking these precautions, Shiro was still worried he’d get caught since the amount of explosive tags he needed was massive.

By the end of the day, Shiro had bought nearly 10,000 explosive tags. Each tag cost over a thousand ryo, meaning he’d spent more than ten million ryo in one day! His massive savings had shrunk by more than half in the blink of an eye.

But looking at the huge pile of explosive tags, Shiro felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

With the tags in hand, the next step was to plant them, which was much harder than buying them. Shiro had already planned where to place the explosives: the school, hospital, major clan compounds, and the mission hall.

As for the Raikage’s office and the ANBU bases, Shiro didn’t dare target those. If he got caught, everything would be for nothing.

“What are you doing over there, young lady?” someone called out from nearby.

(End of Chapter)