Chapter 160: United as One
Many days later, Uchiha Yasushi finally returned to the Land of Rain once more.
"I'm not going in there!" Shukaku planted its rear firmly outside the Land of Rain's border, refusing to budge no matter what.
"What I hate most is rain. Everything there is wet and damp. I'm not going!"
"Ah, I forgot about that!" Yasushi helplessly scratched his head, only now remembering that Shukaku's true form was sand—it loved dry heat most and hated environments like the Land of Rain!
"Alright then. You wander around this area. I'll come find you when I have business."
"Though the shinobi world is at war everywhere now and no one will come bother you, if you encounter danger, remember to invoke my name."
"If that doesn't work, fire a Tailed Beast Bomb toward the Land of Rain. I'll naturally know you're calling for help and come rescue you."
"Hmph! Who needs you to rescue me? I'm going back to the desert. Come find me there if you need something."
Shukaku raised its head and called out, then vanished in a flash.
After being sealed away for so many years, now that it finally had freedom, it naturally wanted to enjoy itself properly.
After sending off Shukaku, Yasushi swaggered back into Amegakure to see Nagato.
"Leader, I've captured the One-Tail Shukaku. It's wandering freely outside. Whenever you want to capture it for meat, just say the word."
"Mm, understood." Nagato nodded slightly without saying much.
He knew about everything Yasushi did in the Land of Wind and his subsequent trip to the Land of Fire, but he didn't care.
He didn't concern himself with process—only results.
Whether Yasushi brought back the tailed beast or the jinchuriki, as long as it could be used when needed, everything was acceptable.
"What about Orochimaru? Why didn't he return with you? We need his participation to seal a tailed beast."
"Oh, Lord Orochimaru seems to be making a trip to Konoha. He should return soon."
"Fine. Obito and Zetsu haven't captured the Three-Tails yet anyway, and we don't have enough people to perform the Sealing Technique: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals. We'll wait for now."
"They haven't returned yet!" Yasushi nodded thoughtfully.
Obito had originally controlled Yagura with genjutsu long ago, but now his Mangekyo Sharingan had been taken by Yasushi, and he'd suffered significant physical and mental trauma. Before handling business, he'd definitely find a place to heal his injuries first.
Moreover, what he and Zetsu were discussing most now definitely wasn't Yagura's issue—it was Rin's.
He certainly wanted Zetsu to help rescue Rin, though Zetsu might not put his heart into helping.
An Obito who despaired of the world was the useful tool that served Zetsu's interests. What if rescuing Rin suddenly made Obito love the shinobi world again?
After figuring this out, Yasushi took his leave. Walking to a deserted area, he looked around and called out:
"Zetsu, I know you're there. Come out and chat."
Before his words faded, a white grassy head drilled out from underground nearby.
"Yasushi, what do you need?"
"How's Obito doing now? What's he up to?" Yasushi asked with a grin.
"Hmph, Yasushi, you went too far!" White Zetsu complained very unhappily. "Obito is severely injured now. Even with the Hashirama cell body, his injuries can't be easily healed."
"Of course, the worst damage is actually mental."
"His mental state is extremely unstable now. His condition fluctuates constantly. Sometimes he suddenly wails and cries, other times he throws his head back laughing maniacally. He drools from time to time—just like someone with dementia!"
"In this state, there's no way he can continue completing missions."
"He's become senile? Doesn't that mean his intelligence increased?" Yasushi laughed strangely.
Before Zetsu could get angry, Yasushi voiced his idea.
"Zetsu, what do you think about engraving a Caged Bird curse seal on both Obito and Rin's heads?"
"With this curse seal, you won't have to worry about Obito losing control. You can order him around however you want afterward."
"If he dares disobey—well, just use the curse seal to punish Rin."
"Hmm?" Zetsu paused, then immediately became interested. "That method... is good!"
"Obito's always willful and troublesome—quite the headache for me. Having a curse seal would indeed make things much more convenient."
"Excellent!" Yasushi clapped his hands and told Zetsu about Hyuga Neji. "If you don't want others using this curse seal to control Obito too, you'd better kill off all the Hyuga main family members."
"I've incited Hyuga Neji on the branch family side, but whether he can succeed, I'm not confident. So if possible, send some White Zetsu to assist the Hyuga branch family."
"Mm, that's simple. I'll arrange it."
White Zetsu immediately agreed. Its body sank down and vanished from the spot.
Yasushi nodded with satisfaction and headed directly toward Karin and her mother's place.
"Ah, Lord Yasushi is back!"
Before even approaching the courtyard, he heard a joyful cry. A red figure blew out from the yard like wind, diving into Yasushi's embrace and hugging him tightly.
"Haha... Has Karin awakened the Mind's Eye of the Kagura?"
Yasushi picked up Karin, lifting her high to examine her carefully. He saw that Karin was no longer the frail, withered appearance of before. Her whole body radiated youthful, lively energy. She was already developing toward becoming a beautiful young girl.
"Mm-hmm." Light danced in Karin's eyes as her little head nodded vigorously. "I'm really amazing now! I can observe many things from very far away."
"Great! Little Karin is so amazing!" Yasushi gave a thumbs up, offering full emotional value. He coaxed Karin until her little face bloomed like a flower with smiles.
Shinyo and Haku also emerged from the courtyard, standing at the entrance with smiles, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Welcome back, Clan Head."
"Lord Yasushi, welcome back."
Yasushi's gaze swept over them both. Seeing that Kokoro had also become plump and healthy, increasingly resembling a beautiful young wife, and that Haku had grown taller as well, he smiled and nodded.
"Very good. Everyone looks spirited."
"Where's Hiruko? Where did he run off to? Why isn't he out here greeting this clan head?"
"Oh, Lord Hiruko heard there were signs of Uzumaki clan members appearing near Kumogakure, so he went to investigate."
"Ah, he's found another fusion target!" Yasushi nodded, his gaze settling on Shinyo face as he asked in a serious tone: "He's choosing Uzumaki clan members to fuse with. How do you feel about that?"
Shinyo smiled gracefully, speaking lightly:
"What does the Uzumaki clan's business have to do with me, Uchiha Shinyo?"
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