Chapter 373: Each with Their Own Hidden Agendas
Actually, Itachi was still young. Although he was ill, his condition wouldn't have naturally deteriorated to this extent.
Even if he didn't die from overdrawing his Chakra by forcibly activating Susanoo, he would have only been weak for about six months at most.
But with Black Zetsu around, did Uchiha Itachi really expect to get better?
It was impossible; even the medicine prescribed would ensure that Uchiha Itachi's life was ended as soon as it touched his lips.
Only Itachi, Kisame, and White Zetsu knew where Itachi was.
And Kisame was also one of Black Zetsu's people; he had originally been assigned to Uchiha Itachi's team specifically to monitor him.
Obito stared silently at the pale face inside White Zetsu's mouth, his pupils contracting slightly.
An inexplicable, intense feeling of disgust, like a cold venomous snake, quietly crawled into his heart.
This disgust wasn't just directed at Itachi's current state; it was more like he was loathing a mirror.
A mirror that reflected his own unsightly and twisted parts.
From Itachi's face, Obito seemed to see his own face after having been led by the nose by Black Zetsu all this time.
What Obito loathed was himself.
He knew Itachi was a Hidden Leaf Village mole; he had known from the very beginning.
Itachi was a very interesting person.
Between his Village and his family, Itachi chose the Village.
But between returning to the Village and letting his younger brother Sasuke gain more power, he chose his brother.
To make Sasuke stronger, Itachi did not choose to return to Hidden Leaf Village even though the Third Hokage could have proven he was a mole.
So, what about Itachi's other family members?
The parents who raised him were killed by his own hands.
The girl who loved him suffered 'Spiritual death' within his Tsukuyomi world.
Conversely, his brother Sasuke—whom Obito viewed as a 'fool' and 'naive'—was well-protected by him in the most extreme and twisted way possible.
Itachi was someone who could unhesitatingly discard everything else for the Village, including his closest kin, his lover, morality, and conscience.
But at the same time, deep down, there were indeed things he cared for extremely—even more than his own life.
The Village was more precious than life in Itachi's heart, and his brother stood even higher than the Village.
Obito had already cast aside his past kindness and everything else to realize the Eye of the Moon Plan, yet he still felt that Itachi had even less morality and conscience than himself.
Obito's thoughts couldn't help but drift far away.
If Rin saw me now, saw the numerous crimes I've committed for the so-called 'Eye of the Moon' plan, the blood staining my hands, becoming so cold, twisted, and unscrupulous...
"She would probably loathe me too..."
Obito whispered silently in his heart, a surge of sharp pain and self-loathing welling up.
The thought flashed by, but it was quickly suppressed by his even colder resolve.
He could no longer turn back.
A beautiful new world would surely descend upon the Ninja World!
As if to dispel these irritating emotions, or perhaps to prove something, Obito suddenly raised his right hand, his gaze falling on his ring finger.
Then, he gave it a hard yank.
Following a slight, tooth-aching sound of flesh separating.
That finger was actually ripped off by him, as if he were snapping off an inconsequential twig.
No blood flowed from the break; only some thick, white clay-like substance wriggled there.
As if kneading plasticine, Obito casually flattened the severed finger, then pulled open his collar and pressed it into a noticeable depression on his left shoulder blade.
A miraculous scene occurred: those white cellular substances quickly fused with the wound and proliferated.
Within a few short seconds, the wound on Obito's back was restored as before, the skin smooth and flat.
And at the site of the severed finger on his right hand, it also rapidly wriggled and grew, and a brand new finger, identical to the previous one, grew out just like that.
This was Obito's current self-healing ability; although flesh was gouged out, he had ways to fill it in.
Obito had opened several holes on his back and chest to store Sharingan; he was a member of the Uchiha Clan, so he didn't have to worry about the Sharingan staying active constantly.
To suppress the Yin Release Chakra within his body, Obito had transplanted more White Zetsu containing Hashirama cells, using Yang Release to suppress the Sharingan on his body.
After completing all this, Obito moved his newly grown finger, his tone returning to its previous coldness and indifference as he spoke to Black Zetsu:
"I will take the members of the Akatsuki Organization to the Hidden Cloud Village. The A-B Combo are both tough characters capable of fighting Tailed Beasts; perhaps there will be an opportunity to kill Uzumaki Naruto."
Even if the Eye of the Moon Plan were fake, a single Tailed Beast Jinchuriki and the shell of the Ten-Tails, the Gedo Statue, had already displayed such astonishing power.
Then...
If he absorbed all nine Tailed Beasts, making the Gedo Statue revert into the complete Ten-Tails, and became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki himself...
Would he then become the second Six Paths Sage?
This thought burned in Obito's heart like wildfire.
He was now a desperate man with no way out.
He already had nothing left.
No Rin, no friendship with Kakashi, no recognition from teacher Minato—even his original identity and beliefs had long since twisted and collapsed.
Aside from betting everything to chase that seemingly unreachable power of the'Six Paths' to change the Ninja World, he had no other path to take!
Obito exchanged a glance with Black Zetsu, who had re-enveloped Itachi's face and returned to the form of White Zetsu. Their gazes met, each harboring their own hidden agendas.
Obito said coldly,
"Send someone to lure Uchiha Sasuke out and guide him to join us.
With that kid's brain, he should be easy to trick; perhaps he can become a decent pawn and asset."
In his heart, however, he was secretly ruthless: Once the Ten-Tails is formed and I become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, possessing overwhelming power... the first one I kill will be you, Black Zetsu!
Black Zetsu put away his book and laughed.
Calling Sasuke a foolish boy, do you think you're any smarter yourself?
Aren't you also being toyed with in the palm of my hand?
Black Zetsu seemed completely oblivious to Obito's thoughts, only continuing that uncomfortable, eerie laughter:
"Hee hee hee... fine, no problem.
To be safe..."
Black Zetsu controlled White Zetsu, his body wriggling as if adjusting Itachi's 'position' or state within him,
"I will personally control Uchiha Itachi's body to go. After all, having the 'older brother' personally guide the 'younger brother' will yield better results, hee hee hee..."
His laughter echoed in the cave, filled with the satisfaction of a successful conspiracy and mockery of Obito's overestimation of himself.
Fool!
Black Zetsu sneered in his heart.
No matter what your plan is, whether the final Ten-Tails Jinchuriki is you or Madara...
You are all but perfect sacrifices needed for Mother's resurrection!
The endpoint of the Eye of the Moon Plan was never some peaceful dream of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
It was... Mother's return!
It is the reunification of Chakra, the true 'end' and 'restart' of this world. Mother's return was destined from the very beginning!
All your struggles, calculations, and sacrifices... in the face of Mother's great resurrection, are merely laughable dust and stepping stones.
The two conspirators, each with their own hidden agendas and calculating against one another, continued their cooperation destined for destruction and betrayal within this Mizukage's office.
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