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Hidden underground base.
Black Zetsu slowly emerged from the ground. Obito, sitting on a rock like a statue, slowly turned his head.
Black Zetsu handed Obito the intelligence he had gathered.
"According to my intelligence, your Sharingan was jointly sealed by the Five Great Shinobi Villages and placed in Kumogakure. The Raikage believes Kumogakure is an absolutely safe place, that even we of the Akatsuki can't steal it."
"The location!" Obito certainly knew the sealed Sharingan was in Kumogakure. But the exact location?
"It's not inside Kumogakure."
"What do you mean?" Obito frowned.
Raikage A's confidence meant the hiding place should be within Kumogakure itself.
Yet Black Zetsu told him it wasn't inside Kumogakure.
"We need to capture someone who knows more secrets of Kumogakure."
"...."
Just say you need to capture someone. Stop rambling. I thought you'd found the location.
Obito's face behind the mask darkened. The exposed three-tomoe Sharingan flickered, indicating his emotional instability.
"Who's the target?"
"Dodai."
To pry out important intel, you need the right person.
Within all of Kumogakure, Black Zetsu believed Dodai was the most suitable target. After all, Dodai had been the Third Raikage's trusted companion.
To find the Sharingan, he was the one to target.
"I'll capture him."
Obito confidently warped into the Kamui dimension and vanished, leaving Black Zetsu alone.
'Phew~ Finally got rid of that guy.'
Obito's mood had been deteriorating.
With some secrets exposed, Obito had become an uncontrollable factor. Black Zetsu felt his job was too hard.
He had to coddle both Nagato and Obito. Neither was easy.
Only he, Black Zetsu, ran around like an idiot, working hard.
If not for rescuing his mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Black Zetsu would want to yell at them: I quit!!
Everyone's a big shot. Only I, Black Zetsu, have a miserable fate.
Nagato's side was stable, though his physical condition was poor. Black Zetsu had many cards and didn't care about losing one pawn like Nagato.
As for Obito, since he was becoming unstable, let him stabilize.
Give him some leads and let him run around.
Black Zetsu wouldn't interfere further. He'd let Obito do as he pleased.
No one in the shinobi world could capture Obito, who could Kamui away anytime.
Since safety wasn't an issue, why worry?
Unable to show themselves, the Akatsuki had become much more low-key than before.
"Something on your mind?"
Sitting by a river, idly watching the water flow, Kisame Hoshigaki noticed the space behind him distorting. Without turning, he knew who it was.
Only Obito in the entire Akatsuki could manipulate space so freely.
"I need to capture someone. I require your help."
Having a ready helper, Obito wouldn't go after Dodai alone, even though he could.
Before getting the intel, Obito didn't want Kumogakure to know his plan and purpose.
So he approached Kisame.
Compared to others, Kisame was more obedient and easier to control.
"Is this an organization mission or..."
Standing up, hanging Samehada on his back, Kisame voiced his question.
"No."
Obito shook his head. "It's a personal mission."
Not an organization mission.
This is troublesome.
Report to the leader, or...
Considering, Kisame still didn't refuse. He grinned, cracking his thick neck.
"Then I'll go with you. I've got nothing else to do."
Before the Amegakure battle, the Akatsuki was busy. Every member had their own tasks and missions.
They ran all over the place, carrying out missions to earn money.
After the Amegakure battle, the Akatsuki members were bored, especially Kakuzu, the treasurer who loved making money.
But after being lectured by Pain a few times, Kakuzu had curbed his desire to make money.
Compared to that desire, he feared death more.
He knew disobedience would get him killed.
The leader's cold, murderous glare was no joke. Kakuzu didn't think he was kidding.
If Kakuzu could be idle, even more so the others.
"Good." Kisame's decisiveness pleased Obito. He put a hand on Kisame's shoulder, and the two entered the Kamui dimension, leaving the Akatsuki base.
"Obito took Kisame and left." Konan looked at Pain.
Pain, like a statue, opened his eyes and said calmly, "Let him be."
As long as he didn't blow things up and expose the Akatsuki base, Nagato didn't care what Obito did.
Even if the base was exposed, it wasn't a big problem. They could relocate.
Hiding wasn't difficult for the Akatsuki.
If they didn't have skills, they couldn't have remained hidden from the Five Great Shinobi Villages for so long.
As long as Obito didn't betray the organization's interests or intelligence, or disrupt the plan, Nagato didn't care what he did. As for Obito becoming unruly after getting his other Sharingan, Nagato never considered it.
He believed he could suppress Obito even with a complete pair of Sharingan.
Before, he had some concerns, worried Obito might be the real Madara. But now... what waves could a pair of Mangekyō make?
Obito, realizing his secret was exposed and Nagato's suppression was growing stronger, was desperate to get his Sharingan back. Plus, he wanted revenge.
Nagato feared affecting the plan and forbade Obito from interfering. Obito understood.
With his identity revealed, Nagato no longer showed him any courtesy.
Not forcing him out of the Akatsuki was already polite. Expecting the organization to avenge him? Impossible.
This was evident in how Nagato controlled Kirigakure.
Nagato's tolerance for Obito was limited. He wouldn't allow Obito to do as he pleased.
Otherwise, given Obito's nature, he wouldn't rest without causing another Bloody Mist era.
Even if those who ordered Rin's capture were dead, Obito wouldn't let it go.