"Whooo~~~"
Takuya let out a long sigh as he stepped out of the teahouse.
He swore that unless absolutely necessary, he would never again sit down for a conversation with Hyūga Hiashi. That guy had nearly driven him insane.
"Back so soon? Don't tell me you two had a falling out."
Minato raised an eyebrow, surprised at how quickly Takuya had returned.
When the leader of the Hyūga Clan seeks you out, you'd expect at least a decent-length conversation. But this? It was over just like that?
"Don't even mention it."
Takuya looked pained.
"I sat there watching him make tea for over ten minutes, and he still wasn't done. I was literally nodding off—you have no idea how agonizing it was.
"Every little movement had to be perfect. The Hyūga Clan is full of lunatics, and their leader is the worst of them all."
He used to think Hyūga Suzune was extreme.
Now, compared to Hiashi, Suzune was a mere child—no, a little sister.
Hiashi was the real nightmare.
"Uh…"
Minato blinked, then chuckled awkwardly as he scratched his head.
"Good thing I wasn't there. I probably would've suffered even more than you."
Takuya hated pointless waiting, and so did Minato.
—Meanwhile, deep within a hidden underground lab somewhere in the village, Orochimaru was busy with his experiments.
But today, he had an unexpected guest—one that shocked and infuriated him.
Pausing his work, Orochimaru's golden snake-like pupils narrowed sharply.
That was his instinctive reaction to tension and surprise.
Whenever Orochimaru's eyes took on that shape, there was no doubt—he was prepared to attack at any moment.
"Surprised to see me?"
Perched atop a cabinet, Black Zetsu—controlling Uchiha Obito's body—looked down at Orochimaru with a condescending gaze.
A pale smile crept onto Orochimaru's face.
"I'll admit, I am a little surprised.
"This is Konoha. If a fight breaks out, the village will find this place in no time. Especially Yagami Takuya—if he shows up, I doubt you'll have an easy time escaping."
How had this thing managed to sneak in undetected?
How did it even find his hideout?
Orochimaru had to admit—Black Zetsu's arrival had genuinely unsettled him.
After all, Black Zetsu was the shadow of Uchiha Madara, and Orochimaru still had lingering trauma from dealing with Madara.
But Black Zetsu remained unbothered by Orochimaru's veiled threats.
"As long as I have these eyes, getting in and out of Konoha is nothing more than child's play.
"No one can stop me—not even your so-called Yagami Takuya.
"His Mangekyō Sharingan has no power over me."
Kamui, Uchiha Obito's space-time ability, gave Black Zetsu absolute confidence. Combined with his own stealth skills, he had no fear of being caught.
He could come and go as he pleased.
Even Takuya wouldn't be able to stop him.
"What do you want?"
Orochimaru's smile faded.
Those eerie Mangekyō Sharingan made him uneasy.
After everything that had happened before, he now felt an instinctive dread whenever he saw the Sharingan.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to invite you to join Lord Madara's great plan."
Black Zetsu spread his arms wide, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and resentment.
"This world is shrouded in darkness, plagued by greed, ambition, and endless war. Countless lives are lost in the flames of conflict.
"I believe you should join us."
Join you? Are you insane?
Orochimaru wants one thing—immortality!
He couldn't care less about Infinite Tsukuyomi or any other nonsense. His only goal had remained unchanged from the start.
Life was too fragile, and he refused to succumb to death.
Shaking his head, Orochimaru decisively rejected Black Zetsu's invitation.
"Sorry, but I have no interest in your so-called Infinite Tsukuyomi plan.
"Besides, your plan isn't going to work. Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan has already been taken."
Black Zetsu's expression darkened.
"The one who offered up those eyes, Nagato, has been moved to a secure location. Controlling him now? Nearly impossible."
The Five Kage Summit hadn't been made public, and very few people knew the details. Even with Black Zetsu's vast intelligence network, it would take time to piece everything together.
Damn it!!!
Black Zetsu clenched his fists, his frustration barely contained.
That idiot Nagato had just handed over the Rinnegan?
"I need every bit of information you have."
Right now, retrieving the Rinnegan was the top priority.
If he could steal it back quietly, he would. But if that failed, he'd have to resort to more drastic measures.
Like hell I'm telling you anything.
Now that he finally had the upper hand, Orochimaru smirked confidently.
But just as he was about to revel in his advantage, Black Zetsu's next words doused him in cold water.
"Orochimaru, don't get too comfortable. You should be asking yourself—what changes happened to your body while Madara had control over you?"
"You must be curious about how I found you so easily."
Did you really think Madara let you go without leaving something behind?
That's not how Black Zetsu operated.
No matter where Orochimaru ran, he was still within their grasp.
Even if he returned to Konoha, he wouldn't be safe.
"....."
Orochimaru's face darkened.
He didn't need Black Zetsu to spell it out—he had already suspected as much.
Ever since returning to Konoha, he'd been searching for whatever it was that Madara had left inside him, trying to find a way to remove it.
It was a ticking time bomb.
As long as it remained, Madara and Black Zetsu could come for him anytime and seize control again.
For someone chasing immortality, Orochimaru had no intention of becoming anyone's puppet.
His voice turned cold.
"Konoha held a Five Kage Summit to discuss how to deal with Uchiha Madara.
"But the other villages weren't interested in stopping him. Instead, they focused on the Rinnegan.
"In the end, Iwagakure and Kumogakure took the Rinnegan in exchange for different forms of payment."
MMP!!!
(Motherf—!!!)
If Black Zetsu weren't trying to maintain his image as Madara's shadow, he would've lost it right then and there.
They sold the Rinnegan?
Are you kidding me?!
Who the hell sells something like that?!
"As for anything else, I wouldn't know.
"But if you're planning to make a move, you'd better hurry.
"Wait too long, and who knows if those eyes will even be in one piece."
"I'll be in touch."
Black Zetsu didn't waste another word.
Activating Kamui, he vanished from the lab, leaving Konoha behind.
Now, he needed to infiltrate Iwagakure and Kumogakure, gather intelligence, and find a way to steal the Rinnegan back.
If all else failed, he'd have to go with his backup plan.
"Dammit!!!"
Even after Black Zetsu had left, his presence still lingered like a shadow in Orochimaru's mind.
His suspicions were confirmed.
Something had been left inside his body.
At any moment, Black Zetsu could return and take control again.
Just look at Uchiha Obito—reduced to nothing more than a puppet.
Orochimaru refused to suffer the same fate.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING