Chapter 42: Transaction with Black Zetsu
After everyone left, Danzo said to the Third with satisfaction:
"Hiruzen, you've finally realized Root's importance. Speak—what do you need me to help you do?"
The Third put his pipe back in his mouth, exhaling smoke as he said:
"Contact Itachi privately and see what intelligence he has that can be utilized."
"What?" Danzo immediately exploded again. "Contact that evil Uchiha?"
"He's already betrayed the village and is completely untrustworthy—he must be eliminated!"
"His intelligence must all be false!"
The Third tapped his pipe on the desk without looking up, answering:
"Minato said earlier that he saw two Uchiha Itachis, so one must definitely be an imposter."
"That must be a shadow clone!" Danzo immediately countered without a second thought.
"Why couldn't it be transformation jutsu?"
"Susanoo can't be faked with transformation!"
"ANBU shinobi already reported that Uchiha Yasushi's entire family disappeared. Maybe they didn't die and he awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan!"
"Then both should die! Evil Uchiha—not one can be spared!"
The two went back and forth, speaking faster and louder until they were nearly shouting at each other's throats.
Finally, helpless, the Third had to use his trump card again.
He heavily slammed the desk, shouting: "Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
"Hiruzen, you will regret this!"
Danzo once again huffily stormed out of the Hokage Tower. But after returning to Root, after pondering briefly, he still summoned a shinobi and ordered him to secretly contact Itachi.
After all, whether Itachi was truly a rogue ninja—he actually knew best in his heart.
For intelligence gathering, finding Itachi the internal mole was indeed most useful.
As for whether to discard him after use—that depended on whether this toilet paper called Itachi still had any salvageable value!
---
Hidden Rain Village.
Yasushi woke from sleep, comfortably got up, simply washed up, then left to eat breakfast.
He descended the tower, put on the black robe with red clouds Konan had prepared for him earlier, and strolled leisurely through the streets.
Seeing his attire, Rain Country villagers and merchants all responded with warm smiles.
Clearly, Akatsuki organization clothing wasn't any secret to locals. However, Akatsuki's grassroots foundation was excellent—no one ever leaked intelligence externally.
He randomly found a noodle shop and ate a bowl. Though not as delicious as Teuchi's Ichiraku Ramen, the taste was still quite good.
After eating, he strolled leisurely along the streets.
This Rain Country was governed extremely well by the Akatsuki organization. The populace was far removed from war threats, showing more smiles on their faces.
If asked which country had no bandits within its borders, undoubtedly it would be Rain Country.
Even the Five Great Nations couldn't achieve this.
Shinobi only suppressed bandits when receiving missions—they never proactively maintained public order.
Because that would be overstepping authority.
Maintaining public order was the nobility's power, not something shinobi villages could interfere with.
Otherwise, just with each village's military strength, sending a few jonin-led sweeps—what bandits could survive within national borders?
Only in places like Rain Country had even the daimyo likely experienced pain first and been eliminated by the Akatsuki organization.
Another factor causing public order chaos—bounty stations—also had completely no presence in Rain Country.
Kakuzu hadn't arrived yet, so bounty stations could still exist. Once Kakuzu came, bounty station personnel could starve to death!
Experiencing a governance model completely different from Konoha Village, Yasushi felt no concern whatsoever.
This was something Nagato cared about. He didn't care at all.
While wandering randomly, just after turning into a secluded alley, suddenly the ground ahead writhed as Zetsu emerged from there again.
"Tch, what do you want now?" Yasushi asked impatiently.
Black Zetsu's face was extremely serious as he said very earnestly:
"After chatting with you earlier, I realized a serious problem."
"That is—Otsutsuki Hagoromo won't easily let me rescue Mother."
"So I must now revise my plan to account for those two brothers."
"Well, Yasushi, tell me—where are they hiding now?"
"Hmph!" Yasushi snorted coldly. "Why should I tell you? What benefit do I get?"
"I promised you I'd help destroy Konoha Village!"
"Tch!" Yasushi curled his lip, laughing coldly. "That's the price you paid for me keeping your plan secret. You can't sell the same goods twice!"
"...Then what do you want?"
"What do I want?" Yasushi looked up at the sky, gazing at the endlessly weeping gloomy clouds, just like his current heart.
His eyes were hollow, his voice filled with confusion.
"What do I want?"
"I don't even know what I want!"
After long silence, he finally said slowly:
"I want revenge!"
"But revenge can't be delegated to others—I must do it myself. I can accomplish it. I don't need you."
"But revenge also requires strength. I can provide you with various forbidden techniques, secret jutsu..." Black Zetsu's words were only half-spoken when, remembering Yasushi's Mangekyo Sharingan, he stopped himself.
"Ah, right!" Yasushi suddenly struck fist against palm, abruptly remembering. "I want to resurrect my parents! I want to resurrect the entire Uchiha clan!"
"Well, Zetsu, Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique can resurrect people."
"You're going to resurrect Madara Uchiha in the future anyway. Resurrecting a few more along the way shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"How can it be as easy as you say!" Black Zetsu's black face nearly turned white with anger. "Rinne Rebirth Jutsu first uses Yin Release to summon the deceased's soul from the afterlife, then uses Yang Release to replenish massive life force to resurrect them."
"Using this technique consumes the user's life force!"
"If the resurrected person just died and the body hasn't cooled yet, then naturally they can be mass-resurrected."
"But if someone has been dead a long time and their life force has completely dissipated, then the life force that needs replenishing is extremely great."
"If you want to resurrect the entire Uchiha clan, even draining Nagato dry couldn't accomplish it!"
"Without Nagato, isn't there still Obito?" Yasushi glared, saying viciously. "Just squeeze a bit more and won't you have everything?"
"They're just your tools anyway. Don't tell me you're reluctant."
"Adding Obito still isn't enough!" Black Zetsu was also annoyed. "You think resurrection is cabbage? Something you can just do whenever you want?"
"Hmph!" Yasushi actually knew this matter was unreliable. After grunting twice, he lowered his demands. "Then just resurrect my parents and younger brother. That should be enough, right?"
"I brought out my family's remains. The resurrection vessels don't need White Zetsu!"
"Mm... Your parents and brother are all ordinary people. The consumption is indeed not high." Black Zetsu lowered his head, frowning in careful thought. After carefully weighing pros and cons, he finally nodded in agreement.
"Fine, deal. After the Ten-Tails is resurrected, when resurrecting Madara, I'll resurrect your parents and brother along with him."
"Too long. Right after destroying Konoha, I want to see them resurrected!"
"That's impossible! Nagato and Obito are still useful!"
"What does that have to do with me? Don't think I don't know—once Madara is resurrected, you'll implement your plan and release Kaguya Otsutsuki!"
"I'm revising my plan! Before dealing with those two bastards Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura, I won't begin the rescue operation!"
"Hmph, you'd better not play tricks! Otherwise watch out—I'll ruin your plans!"
"Only you know where Otsutsuki Hagoromo and the others are hiding. I won't break the agreement!"
"That better be the case."
After arguing back and forth, the two finally reached an agreement.
After Konoha's destruction, they'd first jointly "persuade" Nagato to resurrect Yasushi's younger brother, Uchiha Sachi.
An ordinary small child didn't consume much. The lost life force would be replenished by Yasushi's ocular power to Nagato.
In return, Yasushi would tell Black Zetsu Otsutsuki Hamura's location, letting Black Zetsu silence him.
When Madara Uchiha was resurrected, Yasushi's parents would be resurrected along with him.
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