Chapter 148 (Patreon)

Konoha, inside the Hokage’s office.

The Hokage’s office had never been particularly large, but it had undergone extensive renovations over the past few years. It was now nearly ten times its original size.

The members of the Akatsuki currently in Konoha stood inside, silently awaiting Yujiro’s instructions.

“Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara, Hidan, and Sasori of the Red Sand—you four will join the ANBU patrol units.”

“You’ll be responsible for patrolling the different areas of Konoha each day.”

“Of course, if you accumulate enough merit, you may even rise to the position of an ANBU squad captain.”

Kisame and the others nodded together.

They had spent the past month living at the ANBU headquarters.

At first, they had assumed Konoha’s ANBU would be a cold and oppressive organization. However, after spending a month among its members, they realized how mistaken they had been.

Serving in Konoha’s ANBU was considered an honor.

There were even countless shinobi who desperately trained for the chance to join its ranks.

More importantly, there was none of the scheming or betrayal they had expected to find within such a secretive organization.

That fact touched something deep within Kisame.

Kisame Hoshigaki had spent most of his life in Kirigakure, surrounded by deception and lies. He had been ordered to slaughter his own comrades to protect classified information, only to discover that his superior, Fuguki Suikazan, had been selling that same information to the enemy.

After killing Fuguki and taking Samehada from him, Kisame eventually joined the Akatsuki.

He had long since stopped believing that truth or loyalty had any real meaning.

Yet Konoha’s ANBU was different from everything he had known.

Without the slightest hesitation, all four of them accepted their assignments.

“Kakuzu, I told you before. If you want to make money, you should work for me.”

Yujiro turned his attention toward Kakuzu.

Kakuzu stared back at him, his eyes burning with interest.

There were few things left in the world capable of stirring Kakuzu’s emotions. The only thing he truly trusted was money.

“From now on, you’ll oversee Konoha’s finances alongside the village’s financial division.”

“Konoha possesses far more wealth than you can imagine. The village doesn’t merely control the vast financial resources of the entire Land of Fire.”

“The other four Great Nations also send enormous payments to Konoha every year. Kakuzu, I’m entrusting the management of those funds to you.”

“What?!”

Kakuzu’s face flushed with excitement.

He would be managing the wealth of the entire Land of Fire, along with the enormous payments sent by the other four Great Nations each year.

Just how powerful had Konoha become?

Kakuzu was not the only one stunned. Everyone else was equally shocked by the revelation.

Compared to the wealth now flowing through Konoha, all the money the Akatsuki had earned over the years was little more than a drop in the ocean.

“Naturally, your salary will be much higher than you’re expecting,” Yujiro added with a smile.

Kakuzu’s reaction left him satisfied.

Until now, Konoha’s funds had been managed by the village’s financial division. Although the people working there were loyal to Konoha, anyone might eventually be tempted when faced with such an enormous amount of money.

Even if someone secretly took a small portion for themselves, discovering it would be extremely difficult.

There was simply too much money moving through the village for every last ryō to be monitored without fail.

Yujiro believed Kakuzu would handle the responsibility far more effectively.

Money was the only reason Kakuzu had joined the Akatsuki in the first place. Once the village’s wealth was placed under his supervision, he would guard every last coin more fiercely than anyone else.

Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame had now received their respective assignments.

That left only Konan.

“Yujiro-sama, I’ll remain by your side as your maid. I... don’t want to go anywhere else,” Konan said quietly, pressing her lips together.

“All right.”

Yujiro smiled.

Konan was gentle by nature and exceptionally skilled at taking care of others. Yujiro had already intended to let her continue serving as his maid.

“Minato, please take them and finalize their assignments.”

Yujiro rose from his seat and turned toward Minato, who was standing beside him.

“Understood.”

Minato nodded before leading the others out of the office.

“Kisame, wait.”

Yujiro had noticed the lingering doubt in Kisame’s eyes.

After Minato departed with the others, only Yujiro, Kisame, and Konan remained inside the Hokage’s office.

“Kisame Hoshigaki, that man isn’t Madara Uchiha. However, he is indeed a member of the Uchiha clan,” Yujiro said after taking a slow breath.

“He was merely manipulated by the real Madara Uchiha.”

“The relationship between them is complicated, but there is only one thing you need to understand. From the very beginning, he was using you.”

“You don’t have to believe me right now. You’ll have an opportunity to confront him and learn the truth for yourself in the future.”

Yujiro paused briefly before continuing.

“The Infinite Tsukuyomi plan is also a lie.”

Kisame’s expression immediately darkened at the mention of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

“So you already knew about it,” he said, slowly exhaling.

“There’s nothing in the shinobi world that I don’t know.”

Yujiro smiled faintly.

“The Infinite Tsukuyomi is an enormous genjutsu. He approached the Akatsuki because he intended to use Nagato’s Rinnegan to seal the Tailed Beasts inside the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and achieve his true objective.”

Yujiro then turned toward Konan.

“He never told you that he could use the Rinnegan to control the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as well, did he?”

In the shinobi world, eyes were not merely organs. Dōjutsu were weapons that could be transplanted and used by others.

“No...”

Konan stared at him in shock.

“You don’t need to know what comes after that. Whether you know or not won’t change anything.”

Yujiro picked up his black blade and walked toward the door.

“Sometimes, knowing too much isn’t a good thing.”

Kisame nodded before quickly leaving the office.

Konan gazed thoughtfully at Yujiro’s back before following him.

She still had many questions, but since Yujiro had made it clear that he did not intend to say anything more, she chose not to ask.

Being allowed to remain beside Yujiro and wait for the day true peace finally arrived was already enough for Konan.

Whether she knew the entire truth or not did not matter to her.

Amegakure.

Deep beneath the Akatsuki’s hideout, agonized roars echoed through the underground laboratory.

“Damn you, Yujiro! Aaargh!”

“Orochimaru! Are your preparations still not finished?!”

Uchiha Obito roared inside the laboratory, his face twisted by unbearable pain.

A violent aura surged from his body.

“The damage is within your mind. There’s nothing physically wrong with your body,” Orochimaru said helplessly as he observed Obito.

It had started a month ago, after Obito brought Orochimaru and the critically wounded Nagato back to Amegakure.

Ever since then, Obito had been tormented by relentless pain.

If not for his unique constitution, the agony alone might have killed him long ago.

“His sword has become even stronger!”

Obito suppressed the pain tearing through his mind, his expression dark and furious.

Orochimaru nodded in complete agreement.

“Yes. His sword has become stronger again.”

Just as the two of them finished speaking, the door to the laboratory opened.

Kabuto Yakushi stepped inside and approached Orochimaru.

“The procedure to enhance his cellular activity is ready. We can begin at any time.”

Orochimaru nodded, his cold, serpentine eyes settling on Obito.

“At this point, our only option is to forcibly strengthen your body once again. Otherwise, this suffering will continue.”

“Then do it!” Obito growled without hesitation.

A hoarse chuckle escaped Orochimaru’s lips.

“Very well.”