Naruto Dream Fulfillment Master!

Chapter 425 1 vs 7: Beware of the Group of Items

Rain-Hidden Village.

Entrance to the underground black market.

After being stared at by Obito for a long time, even the usually calm Itachi Uchiha felt speechless.

The scrutiny, vigilance, and suspicion in their eyes were obvious.

In the end, Itachi was the first to break the silence.

He said calmly, "Stop looking. I don't know what you ultimately intend to do with these Tailed Beasts, but I suspect that the origin of this plan to capture them is Madara Uchiha."

Obito's pupils contracted beneath his mask.

However, Itachi's next words led Obito's thoughts in a direction he had never considered.

"So, if we distribute the task of capturing the Tailed Beasts to various groups like this—Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, Sasori, Kisame, and me, and maybe even others… can you guarantee that these captured Tailed Beasts won't end up in Madara Uchiha's hands?"

The Tailed Beasts fell into Madara's hands?

Obito's breath hitched, and his expression beneath the mask turned quite grim.

Yes, how come he never thought about this question in depth before?

The current situation is that Madara Uchiha has been summoned by Orochimaru using the Impure World Reincarnation technique.

If he were to secretly scout ahead and intercept a Tailed Beast at the crucial moment when a group has successfully captured it but hasn't had time to transfer it, with Madara's strength, who among Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, and the others could stop him?

Itachi's concerns are very real.

Obito's brows furrowed tightly.

He had to admit that Itachi's thinking was indeed more comprehensive and far-sighted than his own.

This guy not only guessed the origin of the plan, but also saw the biggest variable that might occur during its execution.

Obito remained silent for a long time, his Sharingan behind the mask spinning rapidly, clearly weighing the pros and cons quickly.

Finally, he nodded heavily and said solemnly, "Your concerns are valid; it was my oversight."

He glanced at the direction of the black market entrance, then at Itachi beside him, whose expression remained calm.

"We really can't let go completely, especially now," Obito said in a deep voice. "We need to keep an eye on them, at least to know their operation timeline, to ensure there are no mistakes in the process, and to prevent someone from stealing our spoils halfway through."

He accepted Itachi's advice, or rather, acknowledged the risks Itachi pointed out.

Obito once again turned his gaze to the silver-haired figure not far away who was still covering his nose and cursing at the air.

"Let's go." Obito gestured to Itachi, "Let's go up and have a chat, see what brilliant ideas these two immortal duo have for capturing the Seven-Tails, and what they plan to do."

Since we've decided to keep an eye on them, we should naturally start by understanding their plans.

Itachi didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly and followed Obito.

The two walked towards Hidan's location, but Hidan, a battle-hardened ninja, immediately sensed someone approaching. He stopped complaining to Kakuzu and turned around.

Hidan tilted his head, curiously examining the duo in front of him.

Both men were dressed in their signature black robes with red cloud patterns, making their identities unquestionable.

He also had some understanding of Itachi Uchiha.

When he was invited, or rather coerced, by Konan to join the Akatsuki organization, it was Konan who led Kakuzu and this black-haired, black-eyed boy to capture him.

Although Itachi didn't make a move during the fight, the pressure from Itachi's Sharingan was unprecedented, so Hidan was wary of Itachi's strength.

After all, even the evil god doesn't really like guys with poker faces who are completely unaffected by provocation or pain.

He suppressed the impatient, irritable expression on his face and gestured with his chin toward Itachi.

"Yo, one against seven." Hidan greeted Itachi first, then immediately turned his gaze to Obito, saying rather rudely, "And this is? A new face. I haven't heard that the organization has recruited any new members recently. Has Pain finally realized we don't have enough manpower? But..."

He leaned closer and said dismissively, "Wearing a mask and hiding your true colors, you look like a weakling."

Obito's face under the mask instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

He, the mighty Obito Uchiha, the mastermind behind the ninja world, was actually mocked to his face by this idiot Hidan.

In an instant, the surrounding air seemed to cool down by several degrees.

However, just as he was about to unleash his power, Itachi Uchiha, who was standing beside him, gently touched Obito.

This made Obito swallow back the angry curse that was on the tip of his tongue.

Itachi's calm voice rang out at the right moment, answering Hidan's question and giving Obito a way out.

He pointed at Obito and said calmly, "He's a member who recently joined the organization, his name is..."

At this point, Itachi looked at Obito.

After all, he didn't know how Obito planned to introduce himself.

Although many members of the Akatsuki already know Obito's true identity, and Obito's current mask is actually of very limited use, he has indeed never revealed his identity.

Obito also realized that it was time to disguise himself.

At the same time, a brilliant idea suddenly came to him.

He quickly adjusted his posture, switching to a slightly reserved yet goofy look. He scratched his mask and said in a playful tone, "Um... I... I'm a new member. My name is Afei. Please, please take care of me."

Hidan, upon hearing the self-introduction and seeing the boy's timid appearance, felt even more bored and sneered, "Hidan? Ha, your name is as funny as your mask. Kid, you need real skills to survive in Akatsuki. Looking at you, don't wet your pants on your first mission."

Obito's teeth were practically grinding to dust beneath his mask. After all, he wasn't actually possessing Tobi; Tobi was with Itachi Uchiha. So, he could only imitate a dry, somewhat awkward and ingratiating laugh as he began, "Heh, heh heh... Hidan-senpai is right. I'll do my best."

Meanwhile, when Itachi Uchiha, who was standing to the side, heard Obito mention the name Tobi, a strange light flashed in the depths of his usually calm black eyes.

hooligan?

He looked at Obito's orange swirling mask again, seemingly lost in thought.

They really do look very similar.

Although the colors are different, the unique swirling pattern bears a certain resemblance to the pattern on Ah Fei's face.

Although Itachi had seen Obito wear this mask before, he did not directly associate it with the name Tobi.

Is it merely a coincidence that Obito is using this name to refer to himself at this moment, and is also wearing this mask?

Or perhaps the relationship between Obito and that Tobi isn't as simple as it seems.

However, Itachi quickly noticed that Obito's aura had become momentarily disordered, clearly provoked by Hidan's disdainful words.

Although Itachi didn't want to meddle, considering the personalities of Obito and Hidan, if Hidan continued to say that, they might explode on the spot.

Itachi sighed silently to himself.

In order to prevent their true purpose from being completely ruined by Hidan's brainless provocation, he had no choice but to take the initiative to speak again and try to change the subject.

"Why are you here all alone?" Itachi asked Hidan, his voice still flat. "Where's Kakuzu?"

Hidan's attention was indeed diverted.

He immediately switched back to his impatient and disgusted expression, gestured towards the entrance of the black market, and complained, "What else could it be? It's that old miser inside, all he does is take on those ridiculous bounties and sell dirty, smelly goods for money. I've had enough."

After complaining about Kakuzu, he seemed to suddenly realize something and looked Itachi up and down with a strange expression: "But you, who can take on seven opponents at once, what are you doing here in this godforsaken place today? This isn't like you at all."

Within the Akatsuki organization, Itachi Uchiha was known for his laid-back attitude.

Aside from the tasks assigned by Payne, he never interfered in other organizational affairs and had no interest in money or possessions.

In places like the black market, where all sorts of people mingle, you really rarely see him.

Faced with Hidan's question, Itachi remained expressionless and simply replied, "Something's up."

Hidan was used to Itachi's cold attitude; he just scoffed and didn't press the matter further.

In his memory, Uchiha Itachi was always this kind of gloomy, taciturn, and mysterious guy, and you couldn't get anything out of him no matter how you asked.

This caused Hidan to lose interest in talking and he began to stare impatiently at the entrance to the black market.

The situation reached a stalemate.

Itachi glanced helplessly at Obito, who was still trying to play the role of a newbie beside him.

What is this guy thinking?

They came here to gather information, but they've turned the situation into this mess.

Itachi was very puzzled. Obito suddenly calling himself Tobi was really unlike him, given his usual flamboyant and arrogant personality.

He could have easily maintained a certain mystery and authority by using his higher status, and Pain probably wouldn't have exposed him. Why bother playing the role of Ah Fei?

Do you have any other plans?

Or was it just a passing whim?

Itachi couldn't quite figure out Obito's thoughts.

Regardless of the reason, the current situation is that because Obito inexplicably claimed to be a newcomer, Hidan now openly despises him.

If they want to get any more information about the Seven-Tails mission from Hidan in the upcoming negotiations, they'll probably have to take the lead themselves.

Judging from Hidan's expression, he probably wouldn't bother wasting time talking to a weak newbie.

This is really troublesome," Itachi thought with a rare sense of helplessness.

I should have brought Kisame with me when I first came to the black market. With Kisame around, dealing with characters like Hidan would be much easier. It's much easier to communicate with these muscle-brains like Kisame.

However, Itachi also knew that dealing with a straightforward guy like Hidan, going around in circles might backfire and even lead him astray.

Instead of going through the motions, it's better to be straightforward.

This isn't some kind of top secret, so Hidan probably won't think much about it.

So Itachi asked directly, "I heard that Pain entrusted you with the task of capturing the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki?"

Upon hearing the question, Hidan didn't even hesitate, and his face immediately showed a displeased expression: "Ah, yeah, I thought it was finally our turn to have a big fight..."

He brandished the blood-stained March scythe in his hand, but then his face fell, and he grumbled, "..."

"But Payne insists on capturing them alive. Tsk, wouldn't it be better to just sacrifice them to the evil god? Clean and efficient."

"An incomplete ritual is blasphemy against the evil god!"

Sure enough, after only a couple of sentences, the topic veered back to his heretical doctrines.

Hidan began gesturing wildly, his eyes flashing with fanatical red light, muttering words like ritual, offering, and divine grace.

Itachi's lips twitched. Here we go again.

He had to be patient and wait until Hidan's preaching enthusiasm subsided a little before continuing to ask calmly, "Pain's demand to capture them alive naturally has its reasons. The death of a Jinchuriki will cause the Tailed Beast to temporarily dissipate, and searching for and sealing it again would waste more time."

He offered a brief explanation, which served as a response to Hidan's complaint.

Hidan simply snorted dismissively, clearly having his own opinion on whether wasting time or respecting the ritual was more important.

Itachi stopped dwelling on that and casually changed the subject, asking the crucial question: "So, when do you plan to set off? Although Takigakure is a small country, the Jinchuriki will definitely have guards, and they can fly, making them very mobile. To devise a meticulous plan to capture them alive, you'll probably need a lot of preparation and intelligence gathering beforehand, right?"

"Preparation? Intelligence? Hmph!" Hidan rolled his eyes. "That old miser Kakuzu, after accepting the mission from Pain, didn't even bother with gathering intelligence! Instead, he rushed off to accept bounties from several countries near Takigakure!"

He angrily slammed his sickle handle into the ground.

"As for specific information about Takigakure Village and the little girl's whereabouts... Heaven knows if that old man has gathered any information. When I asked him, he just said, 'What's the rush? We haven't made enough money yet.'"

Although Hidan was full of complaints, the information he revealed was crucial.

They received the mission several days ago, but Kakuzu has been busy taking on bounties to make money, so his targeted reconnaissance of Takigakure and the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki may not have been sufficient.

Itachi immediately seized this opportunity and echoed Hidan's words, saying, "That's Kakuzu's style, but it's not good to delay Pain's mission for too long."

Hidan, without giving it much thought, echoed Itachi's complaint, "Who knows what that old man was thinking!"

Just then, a deep voice came from the side, interrupting Hidan's complaints.

"Hmph, Hidan, what are you wasting your time arguing with them about? Let's go."

Kakuzu emerged from the shadows at the entrance to the black market, carrying a bulging cloth bag.

His green eyes swept over Itachi standing to the side, pausing briefly on Itachi, a look of undisguised disdain flashing in them.

In the eyes of Kakuzu, a veteran rogue ninja who only believes in money and strength and values ​​efficiency above all else, Itachi, a young man who is the laziest in the organization, is not worth his attention.

In his view, lying down is even more foolish than being a weakling.

He's already in his eighties, the prime of his life, yet this young man is thinking of giving up.

Upon hearing Kakuzu call to leave, Hidan felt as if he'd been granted a pardon. Forgetting all his complaints to Itachi, he yelled, "Let's go, let's get out of this awful place! I'm going to be pickled if we stay any longer!"

Kakuzu ignored him, simply carrying the money bag and turning to walk steadily towards the passage leading out of the underground area.

Hidan quickly followed, and the two soon disappeared around the corner of the dimly lit passage.

As Obito watched the two figures leave, especially Kakuzu's disdainful look at Itachi, for some reason, the resentment he had been feeling because of Hidan's mockery dissipated considerably, replaced by a sense of schadenfreude.

He turned his head and teased, "Hey, looks like you're no good either, Itachi. You asked around for so long, but it seems like you didn't get anything out of you. What a waste of time."

Upon hearing this, Itachi turned his head and calmly glanced at Obito.

He didn't respond to Obito's question about whether it was feasible, but instead asked, "Is this your purpose in suddenly pretending to be a newbie?"

Obito was instantly speechless, his expression under the mask froze, and the little bit of smugness that had just risen vanished.

He did indeed pretend to be Tang and trick Itachi, since Itachi was right beside him, so why not take advantage of him?

However, it seems that Itachi didn't get any information out of him; he still overestimated Itachi.

"Ahem!" Obito coughed a few times, trying to cover his embarrassment. "I did this to conceal my identity and avoid unnecessary trouble! Besides, I trust your abilities; I know you can handle it!"

He spoke with such confidence, as if his actions just now were the result of careful planning.

Itachi didn't say anything more, but just glanced at him again, his gaze practically saying, "Whatever makes you happy."

Then he ignored Obito and turned to walk straight toward the entrance to the black market.

"Let's go," Itachi said without turning his head.

Obito was taken aback, then quickly followed, asking with some confusion, "Where to?"

Itachi didn't stop walking, and a voice came from ahead: "We've already gotten the key information. Now let's go in and take a look, and we'll know their specific time and route of action."

Obito's face was full of question marks.

Did you ask? When did you ask? How come he didn't hear you?

All I heard was Hidan complaining about Kakuzu being greedy and wanting to get into a fight as soon as possible. What kind of key information is that?