OberonLA

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 189

Chapter 189: Byakuya's Ambition

After listening to how Byakuya seized the position of leader of Amegakure, Shisui fell into deep contemplation.

Previously, he had no idea about Byakuya's rise alongside Yahiko and others where he genuinely believed that Byakuya had been valued by Hanzo of the Salamander and thus chosen as the successor for Amegakure. But unexpectedly, the public narrative of Amegakure was merely a façade—what truly transpired was a rebellion.

However, afte...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 188

Chapter 188: The Method for Uchiha to Become Hokage

The Fourth Raikage’s words greatly boosted the morale of the Kumo ninjas. The Hidden Cloud ninjas could accept dying in battle, but they could not accept compromising with their enemies. Even with heavy casualties, they must extract benefits from the enemy and make them pay an equal price.

With such thoughts and principles, Kumogakure had been able to expand wildly in recent decades, swallowing up the small countries surroundin...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 187

Chapter 187: The Hidden Cloud is No Longer Kumogakure of the Past!

“Oh, my big brother, the jinchuriki has disappeared.”

Upon hearing this, Killer B started rapping to himself. He didn’t care about the news of the jinchuriki’s disappearance; like him, the jinchuriki had also been a perfect vessel who entered the Fountain of Truth.

Although his combat strength was not on par with himself and Brother A, he was still among the top in the village.

In Killer B's eye...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 186

Chapter 186: Lightning Shadow and Killer Bee

After leaving the command room, Byakuya originally planned to depart from the Konoha camp, but at Shisui's enthusiastic invitation, he went to the Uchiha camp with Shisui.

Before reaching the camp, Byakuya saw Fugaku leading a group of Uchiha ninjas to him.

Fugaku Uchiha's appearance fits the standard of "born evil"; his eyes and expression are always cold, as if everyone else owed him a fortune.

Before Byakuya could greet h...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 185

Chapter 185: Jiraiya's Suspicion

“You’ve managed to survive an encounter with a Jinchuriki—that’s already impressive. But…” Jiraiya suddenly stopped mid-sentence, realizing something. His eyes widened in shock. “Wait… did you just say that you ‘killed’ the Two-Tails Jinchuriki?”

Byakuya casually found a place to sit and, without much care, said, “With my strength and Shisui’s, taking down the Two-Tails Jinchuriki wasn’t that hard. Does that sound strang...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 184

Chapter 184: Meeting Jiraiya Again

"What?! Shisui, you actually killed the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii?"

Upon hearing that Shisui and Byakuya had teamed up to kill the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Tekka Uchiha’s eyes widened in disbelief. His face was filled with astonishment.

He had seen Yugito Nii’s strength before which was far beyond what an ordinary jonin could handle.

The fact that Shisui had not only fought against but also defeated and killed Yugito Nii made ...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 183

Chapter 183: I Still Want to Give It a Try

Before Shisui could speak, Byakuya took the initiative to pull out a blood bag and poured it directly into Yakumo's mouth, simultaneously starting to perform medical ninjutsu.

Under the effects of the medical ninjutsu and the Uzumaki blood, the previously barely-breathing Yakumo's face regained some color.

After realigning his internal organs, the ones that had been pierced by a kunai began to rapidly heal. Soon, only a frightening-...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 182

Chapter 182: The Defeat of the Two-Tails

"Wood Style: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"

As Byakuya’s low voice echoed, the once-calm earth split in two. Countless massive vines erupted from the ground, snaking towards the Two-Tails like enormous pythons.

At that moment, the Tailed Beast Bomb, fully formed, exploded in the heart of the canyon. The brilliant light, as radiant as the sun, instantly melted the vines entangling the Two-Tails. The massive shockwave tore thr...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 181

Chapter 181: Arrival of the Tree World

Quickly rising from the ground, Yugito Nii looked warily at the imposing figure of Susanoo. Although she didn’t know exactly what technique Shisui was using, her instincts told her that this green, demon-like entity was connected to the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan. She sensed that this technique had the power to rival a tailed beast.

With this realization, Yugito began drawing a large amount of chakra from the Two-Tails within her. What h...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 180

Chapter 180: Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan

After fleeing for over ten kilometers, Shisui finally found a moment to rest.

An hour of high-intensity combat had drained him of nearly all his stamina and chakra. If he pushed himself any further, he risked passing out before even reaching the Konoha camp.

He ate a few soldier pills, took a sip of water to regain some strength, and then glanced back in the direction he had come from.

Several minutes passed, and he still hadn�...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 179

Chapter 179: The Trail of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki

Within the Land of Fire, Shisui led his team through the forest at high speed, not to pursue enemies but to flee from their pursuers.

Dodging a fireball that brushed past him, Shisui's expression turned grim.

Half an hour earlier, while carrying out their mission to track the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Shisui's team had finally found traces of their target. Just as Shisui was about to report the information to the main force, Uch...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 178

Chapter 178: The Next Target

After hearing Byakuya's reprimand, Sasori, with a deadpan expression, retorted, “I held back as much as I could. Who would have thought that this ninja, who launched an attack against the three of us, would be so weak?”

“I expected him to be at least as strong as Maki,” Sasori continued.

Faced with Sasori's deflection, Byakuya sighed in frustration. He stepped out of the hot spring and began healing the injured Kumogakure Jonin. Under the...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 177

Chapter 177: Konoha’s Bounty List

After assigning Hanzo to the task of escorting the supplies, Byakuya left Amegakure with Kakuzu and Sasori.

Both of them were long used to Byakuya’s unusual behavior, like giving orders to his "teacher." Byakuya had always been eccentric, but he consistently led them in the right direction.

Most importantly, although Byakuya called Hanzo "teacher," the relationship between the two wasn’t necessarily that of a master and disciple.

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 176

Chapter 176: Two Tasks

Byakuya didn't believe the group's excuses and walked over to grab the letter.

After quickly reading its contents, his face immediately twitched as he found himself unsure where to even start criticizing it.

It really was a distress letter from Jiraiya...

The letter was very straightforward, Two days ago, Konoha’s supply line encountered an issue. The military supplies purchased from Amegakure were intercepted by Kumogakure ninjas within the bo...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 175

Chapter 175: Byakuya's Prophecy

Despite harboring doubts about Byakuya's motives, Yahiko took the initiative to ask, “Byakuya, when would be the right time to encourage Konoha and Kumo to hold peace talks?”

Byakuya gently shook his head and said earnestly, “Yahiko, I know you’re anxious, but please be patient. Let me explain the cause and effect of the situation first.”

Yahiko nodded slightly, and Konan and Nagato also displayed eager expressions, eager for knowled...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 174

Chapter 174: Financial Report of Amegakure

Three months had passed since Kumogakure initiated its war.

During these three months, Konoha and Cloud engaged in numerous battles on the front lines.

Thanks to the combined efforts of Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Three Ninjas, and many elite shinobi from various clans, Konoha barely managed to stop the offensive of the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee, preventing the Cloud forces from advancing further into the Land of Fire.

O...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 173

Chapter 173: Logistics

In Shikaku's view, while Fugaku was indeed a capable deputy commander, his responsibilities were limited to overseeing patrols, reconnaissance, and defensive tasks on the front lines.

The authority to assign tasks was significant, but it often involved doing things that would upset others, much like the duties of a security force.

If the Uchiha were to act as arrogantly as they had in the past, deliberately assigning their clan members to safer and eas...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 172

Chapter 172: Uchiha and Hidden Cloud village (Kumogakure)

While Kakashi and Kabuto were chatting idly in the Root, the Uchiha clan district next door was bustling with activity. 

Upon hearing that Fugaku Uchiha had been appointed as the deputy commander of the frontline, the Uchiha clansmen erupted with excitement. A deputy commander was still a commander, and in the past, only core members aligned with the Hokage had ever held such a position. 

The fact that the u...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 171

Chapter 171: Kabuto and Kakashi (Part 2)

After seeing Kabuto approach him, Danzo squinted slightly, examining the young boy before him with interest- and not in a creepy way. But as expected, this boy was likely from the orphanage.

However, unlike other war orphans, this boy appeared much braver, with eyes filled with a maturity uncommon for his age.

A child like this would be well-suited to be trained in the Root and later sent as a spy to enemy ninja villages.

Seeing...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 170

Chapter 170: Kabuto and Kakashi

“Kumogakure has declared war?!”

Upon hearing this news, the Third Hokage’s expression darkened immediately. Both Danzo and Jiraiya stopped their argument and looked at the Hokage assistant who had delivered the information.

After reading through the scroll, the Third Hokage gestured for the assistant to leave and then said to Danzo and Jiraiya, “This report is accurate. Kumogakure is indeed launching an attack against us.”

With...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 169

Chapter 169: The Cloud of War

The more Shisui thought about it, the more ominous Byakuya's words seemed. The phrase, "If a Uchiha's dream is to become Hokage, then destruction is only a matter of time," weighed on his heart like some kind of fate, making it hard to breathe.

Reflecting on the clan's history of striving for power, he realized the tragic pattern. Madara once desired the position of Hokage but ended up as a rogue ninja, dying at the hands of the First Hokage. Shisui's...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 168

Chapter 168: The Unfair Treatment of the Uchiha

Konohagakure

Two weeks had passed since the Nine-Tails attack. Although this short time wasn’t enough for the villagers and shinobi to fully recover from the trauma, life in the village seemed to have returned to its usual hustle and bustle as if the chaos had never happened.

But the cold, engraved names on the memorial stone and the newly reconstructed streets reminded everyone that the era of the Fourth Hokage had come to a...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 167

Chapter 167: The Future of Puppet Jutsu

"Sasori came looking for me earlier?"

Byakuya was a bit surprised upon hearing this. Ever since he recruited Sasori into the Akatsuki, Sasori had spent all his time holed up in the organization's lab, devoting himself to the study of puppet jutsu. He had essentially become a shut-in, never leaving the lab, except for requesting meals to be delivered and occasionally applying for more research funds.

If not for Byakuya’s extensive fin...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 166

Chapter 166: Scorpion's New Technique

From Yahiko's perspective, if Konoha were indeed attacked by Kumogakure Village, he would certainly provide assistance and help Konoha with its defense and counterattack.

Firstly, this was because one of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, was their teacher.

Secondly, the late Minato Namikaze was his close friend, and they shared many common ideals regarding governance. Additionally, Amegakure needed a strong ally like Konoha to co...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 165

Chapter 165: The Land of Rain

Inside Amegakure headquarters, the higher-ups gathered.

As they looked at Yahiko's serious expression, Konan and Nagato felt an ominous premonition. They sensed that Yahiko had some bad news to share.

After a moment of silence, Yahiko turned toward the door and said, “It’s been a while. Why hasn’t Byakuya come yet?”

Nagato glanced at Yahiko and replied, “Byakuya has been at the base outside the village lately. He might still need...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 164

Chapter 164: Behind the Scenes and On Stage

Half an hour later, Obito dragged Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, out of the Kamui space.

During the past half-hour, Obito had assaulted Yagura multiple times using his Mangekyō Sharingan’s Kamui. After exhausting Yagura’s chakra, he finally cast a genjutsu with his Sharingan. Though Obito would have preferred to win without such methods, after losing to Byakuya and Minato, he had become far more cautious. There was no need for reckles...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 163

Chapter 163: Reactions from Other Villages

Once the seed of doubt was planted, Orochimaru's thoughts grew like wild grass.

The first suspicion he had was regarding the connection between the Akatsuki organization and Amegakure.

According to Yahiko, the current leader of Amegakure, their village had received the approval of Hanzō of the Salamander, and thus, the high-ranking members of the Akatsuki were being cultivated as his successors.

But if this were true, why had...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 162

Chapter 162: Orochimaru’s Suspicions

After Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado both recommended Hiruzen Sarutobi as the acting Hokage, Danzo Shimura’s expression turned extremely grim.

In Danzo's mind, even if he couldn't become the acting Hokage, he had planned to push Orochimaru into the position. That way, even if he lost the race for the Fifth Hokage, he could still act as the shadow behind Orochimaru.

But to his surprise, Koharu and Homura had instead nominated Hiruz...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 161

Chapter 161: Acting Hokage

The next morning, inside the Third Hokage's office.

Having not slept all night, the Third Hokage took a sip of coffee and then lit the pipe to puff out of stress, barely managing to lift his spirits under the effects of nicotine.

As a ninja, the Third Hokage knew the harmful effects of smoking. Smoking dulls the nerves, slows a ninja's reflexes, and can lead to unpredictable consequences.

However, after the chaos of the previous night, all he...

Mastermind of the Akatsuki 160

Chapter 160: The Spoils of the Night

After controlling the Uchiha clan members with his Sharingan and identifying Itachi, Obito intended to continue scouting other potential Uchiha candidates for cultivation. However, his body could no longer sustain his prolonged presence and infiltration. He had to temporarily withdraw from the Uchiha clan grounds.

The reason was quite simple. Although Obito could recover his injuries quickly by using White Zetsu’s body, the transplantation of...