Chapter 44: I'm Your Brother!
The night was deep, the sky heavy with secrets. The moon hid among dark clouds, casting fleeting silver threads over the rugged terrain outside the Land of Rain. Amidst the low-lying mountains, Kisame arrived alone at a cliff, his silhouette stark against the jagged horizon.
He carried Samehada on his back, the blade's faint hum blending with the wind as he trudged up the winding mountain path. A pitch-black cave entrance yawned open halfway up the mountain. Kisame reached his destination and stopped, his shark-like eyes scanning the darkness.
The dark clouds parted, and the moon emerged, bathing the cliff in pale light. Kisame stood under its glow, a solitary figure against the vast night. Inside the cave, where moonlight couldn't reach, the darkness seemed to swallow all light—until a blood-red Sharingan gleamed from the void, sharp and unyielding.
"Do you know Renji Mahito?" Kisame's voice sliced through the silent night, steady and direct as he stared at the figure in the cave.
"Renji Mahito?" The figure's voice was hoarse, low, with a slight upward lilt, as if testing the name's weight.
Kisame, unable to read the other's intent, waited in silence, the tension coiling between them like a taut wire.
Unable to hold back, Kisame pressed on. "You don't know him? But he knows you." He let the name drop like a stone into still water. "Uchiha Madara."
The masked man stepped out of the cave, moonlight glinting off his Akatsuki robe. A yellow spiral mask covered his face, revealing only one crimson Sharingan, its gaze piercing through the night.
The masked man stared at Kisame. "Is that so?"
Kisame nodded, a glint of amusement in his eyes, like he was watching a drama unfold. "I thought he was a spy you planted in Konoha."
The masked man snorted coldly. Maybe not a spy he'd planted, but perhaps a piece placed in Konoha by the real Uchiha Madara. Besides Black Zetsu, it seemed the old legend had other hidden pawns moving in the shadows.
"Renji Mahito also has an older brother named Hasumi Maki, who joined the Akatsuki. And he's a…" Kisame paused, recalling the chaos Hasumi had unleashed in the organization, struggling for the right words. "…a complete weirdo."
Akatsuki was no stranger to eccentrics, but Hasumi Maki's brand of weirdness was something else—unpredictable, impossible to pin down. Despite his infuriating personality, his strength was terrifying, a force that left even the hardened members wary. He'd become a tyrant in Akatsuki, his antics grating but untouchable.
Thanks to Hasumi Maki's special healing ability and absurd combat power, the leader tolerated him. In short, Hasumi had become universally disliked within Akatsuki. But since no one could beat him, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure his chaos.
The masked man stayed silent, lost in thought. These two brothers, appearing out of nowhere, were far from simple.
A ripple shimmered in the air before Kisame. 'Uchiha Madara' had vanished. Kisame raised an eyebrow, hoping his next visit would bring more useful intel about the mysterious brothers.
…
It was a dark and windy night. Renji sat by the window in his small Konoha apartment, reviewing his Cursed Energy harvesting work. His Cursed Spirit physique didn't require sleep, leaving him plenty of time to scheme under the cover of night.
The biggest haul so far was the ten million points Naruto had contributed, a jackpot of Malice Value. But pulling that trick again on Naruto wouldn't yield the same results—diminishing returns were a pain. Still, it could work on Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Tsunade. As part of the protagonist group, Sakura and Sasuke were bound to contribute hefty amounts, just like Naruto.
Once that well ran dry, Renji had a few more tricks up his sleeve to harvest another massive wave. As he plotted, a figure appeared out of thin air behind him.
Renji: "…"
Has anyone ever told Uchiha Obito that popping up behind someone like that is peak rudeness? This kind of behavior deserved a public shaming.
"Hasumi Maki." Uchiha Obito's voice was low, his single Sharingan fixed on the top of Renji's head.
Since Obito wanted to play rude, Renji wouldn't bother with pleasantries either. "Uchiha Obito."
How to Break a Sentimental Guy with One Name.
Obito had been coasting on Uchiha Madara's reputation, swindling his way through the ninja world. If someone ripped off his mask and exposed the kid underneath, wouldn't that just shatter the Sentimental Guy's whole vibe?
Obito's hand slashed toward Renji's neck, the attack vicious, leaving no room for survival. But Renji had honed a particularly nasty fighting style.
As Obito's palm came down, a row of ten-centimeter sharp spikes sprouted from Renji's neck. Go ahead and chop, buddy. If Obito didn't want his hand turned into a pincushion, he'd back off. Renji wasn't called Hasumi Maki for nothing.
"Why are you in such a hurry to kill me?" Renji asked calmly, unfazed after throwing Obito off. He watched Obito retract his hand and let the spikes on his neck vanish.
"We're not enemies. Unless you want to betray Madara?" Hasumi Maki's greatest talent was dragging dead people into his nonsense, spinning tales with reckless abandon. They were dead anyway—what was wrong with milking some value from their names?
Uchiha Madara crawling out of his coffin was a Fourth Great Ninja War problem. By then, it'd be a toss-up who was calling who "grandpa" between him and Madara. Renji wasn't scared of anything.
And Black Zetsu? He'd deal with that when it came knocking. Renji controlled the plotline; he was the mastermind. With a real human body, what was there to fear? Just go as wild as possible!
He'd bet anything that Obito was already 60% convinced Renji was a chess piece left by Uchiha Madara to infiltrate Konoha and keep tabs on him.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +5,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +5,000!]
[Chakra (10,385,800 / 100,000,000)]
"When Uchiha Madara died, you shouldn't have been born yet." Obito wasn't about to trust some kid based on a single sentence. Trust? He and Madara were just partners. What trust?
"What the eyes see isn't always real." Renji's body stretched, morphing into a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy. Under Obito's single-eyed stare, he shrank rapidly, turning into a three-year-old child.
The tiny Renji climbed onto the table, sat cross-legged, dangled his feet, and stuck out his tongue at Obito. "Blech~"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100!]
[Chakra (10,385,900 / 100,000,000)]
It was obvious Obito was thoroughly grossed out by the transformation.
"Eye of the Moon Plan is too big for you to handle alone," Renji said, returning to his original form. He gazed at Obito with eyes full of fake concern, dripping with sympathy. "That's why Madara sent me to help you."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +500!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +500!]
[Chakra (10,386,400 / 100,000,000)]
Help? More like surveillance. Obito's cold stare bore into Hasumi Maki, whose smile made his skin crawl.
"I heard some things about you from Madara. Orphaned, raised by your grandma, terrible grades, dead last in your class, and the girl you loved was killed by your best friend…" Renji sighed, piling on the sob story with theatrical flair.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100!]
[Chakra (10,386,500 / 100,000,000)]
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +500!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +500!]
[Chakra (10,387,000 / 100,000,000)]
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +3,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +3,000!]
[Chakra (10,390,000 / 100,000,000)]
Listen to the sound of the Sentimental Guy's heart cracking.
"Don't worry, our goals align. We're all working toward the smooth execution of Eye of the Moon Plan." Renji looked at Obito with pity, like he was staring at some abandoned puppy or a lovesick fool.
While eyeing Obito, a wild idea sparked in Renji's mind. Obito's presence was like a muse for chaos. How to enrage Uchiha Obito? Wear Rin Nohara's face and stir up trouble across the ninja world. How to infuriate Uchiha Madara in the Fourth Great Ninja War? Pop up wearing Uchiha Izuna's face. How to mess with Kakashi? Strut around with Obito's face.
So many people to fleece! Renji could form a Revivalist Alliance just to farm Malice Value. How was he this brilliant?
But before launching the Revivalist Alliance, he needed to seriously boost his strength. Otherwise, he'd be a sitting duck for all the hate he'd attract. Renji sighed; he'd been too cautious before.
As Renji schemed, Uchiha Obito vanished. Clearly, the Sentimental Guy's fragile heart and sensitive nerves had been poked too hard. He needed a corner to lick his wounds.
Obito's visit, though, had gifted Hasumi Maki a golden idea. Props to the Sentimental Guy for the inspiration.
...
When Renji finished washing up and was about to head to bed, he noticed a giant green plant in his single apartment. He yanked it out, revealing the ninja world's first pitcher plant, the ultimate filial son—Black Zetsu.
Renji blinked, stunned for a split second. Then he gently caressed the pitcher plant's head. "Brother, I finally found you."
The pitcher plant split open, revealing Black Zetsu's bewildered face.
[Ding!]
[Non-Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (10,391,000 / 100,000,000)]
"Where have you been all these years? Do you still remember saving Mother?" Renji struck fast, catching Black Zetsu off guard with a combo that left it speechless.
"Who… are you?" After a long pause, Black Zetsu recovered from the mental whirlwind, stuttering its question.
Renji's eyes welled with crocodile tears. He cupped Black Zetsu's grassy face. "I'm your brother! Hasumi Maki. No, wait, my real name is Ōtsutsuki Mahito. Have you forgotten your brother?"
Renji sniffled, letting tears and snot drip onto Black Zetsu's grassy head. He seemed to recall something and added, "No, I was born before you, so it's normal you don't know me. I've been searching for you for so long, and I thought…" He trailed off, the unspoken words heavy with drama.
Mother, brother, Ōtsutsuki… Black Zetsu stared at Renji, its mind a tangled mess. Who was this guy? How did he know about Mother? And Ōtsutsuki? Its thoughts were in chaos.
Renji kindly pulled Black Zetsu to sit at the desk, looking ready for an all-night heart-to-heart. Black Zetsu had completely forgotten why it came to find Hasumi Maki. For the first time, the concepts of "family" and "brother" invaded its scheming mind, frying its circuits into mush.
Renji sat across from Black Zetsu, lying as easily as breathing. "You were born when Mother was sealed in the ninja world, but I was born a year earlier. When Mother was sealed, I was no match for Hagoromo and Hamura, so I had to hide."
"I saw Mother give birth to you, but before I could reach you, you were gone. I was terrified of Hagoromo and Hamura finding me, so I hid, never getting the chance to track you down. All this time, I've been searching for a way to break the seal."
"Now I have a plan: use Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito, collect the Tailed Beasts and Rinnegan, and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi." Renji's eyes gleamed with fierce determination.
Black Zetsu: "…"
Ōtsutsuki Mahito's story was eerily identical to its own.
Renji glanced at Black Zetsu, his body shifting. His blue hair morphed into silver-white locks cascading to his ankles. Two horns sprouted on his head, familiar to Black Zetsu, and his heterochromatic pupils shone under a face eerily similar to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
"Though we look human, we know better than anyone—we're not human," Renji said to the pitcher plant. "No gender, no physical needs; like Mother, we're a higher existence, beyond humanity."
Black Zetsu found no reason to doubt the "brother" before it. No one else in this world could know about the sealed Mother and the tale from a thousand years ago. And as "brother" said, they weren't human; they had no gender.
"The plan is moving forward steadily, and Mother will soon be reunited with us." Renji gazed at the moon, his eyes sparkling with an unsettling light. He turned to Black Zetsu, voice thick with emotion. "It's so good to see you, brother."
Black Zetsu stared deeply at the brother before it.
"Not good!" Renji suddenly grabbed Black Zetsu's grassy head, a grave look flashing across his face.
Black Zetsu instinctively asked, "What's wrong?"
Renji clutched the grassy head like a maniac. "Hasumi Maki! And Renji Mahito! No!" He shook his head wildly, fingers digging into Black Zetsu's head.
The Malice Value didn't spike. Black Zetsu's tolerance for its "brother" was annoyingly high.
"He's not Renji Mahito! He's Ōtsutsuki Mahito! No, that's not right either! He's not Ōtsutsuki Mahito! He is Ōtsutsuki Renji Mahito!"
Black Zetsu finally remembered why it came. Hasumi Maki's sudden addition to Akatsuki had sparked its curiosity. After overhearing Kisame and Obito, it sensed something was off and followed Obito here.
After Obito left, Black Zetsu appeared, but this was nothing like what it expected.
"Brother, Renji Mahito is a split consciousness of mine! Over a thousand years, my will fractured, creating Renji Mahito! He exists to kill me and stop the Moon Eye Plan! We must kill Renji Mahito!"
Mahito's pupils dilated, bloodshot veins creeping across his eyes. He gripped Black Zetsu's head like he'd crush it if refused.
"I will, brother."
[Ding!]
[Half-Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (11,391,000 / 100,000,000)]
Hasumi Maki absorbed Black Zetsu's malice toward Renji Mahito. He released its head, a sly smile curling his lips. His whisper dripped with obsession: "Remember, brother, anyone who stands in the way of breaking Mother's seal must die."
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