Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Counterattack on the Akatsuki
Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Counterattack on the Akatsuki
"Zetsu's asking about what happened in the Land of Water?"
"So, it's Black Zetsu doing the asking, huh?"
"The fact that he's asking means Black Zetsu doesn't know what really happened in the Land of Water."
"But, if he's asking, that must mean something happened on Obito's side to raise Zetsu's suspicions."
"Even though it was just a brief moment, Rin's appearance still caused massive waves in the calm lake of Obito's heart, didn't it?"
"No surprise there, Obito truly is something. To him, Rin's existence is more important than anything-probably even more significant than Sasuke was to Itachi."
As he finished his thoughts, Akira let out a burst of chakra from his palm, igniting the letter and turning it to ashes.
After all, being a dragon meant he naturally possessed abilities like dragon breath. This was an innate power, not something he needed to use hand signs for like a ninja.
Since Akira had completed his transformation into a dragon, he could feel his understanding of the dragon form's abilities had deepened, and he now had more refined control over those powers.
After pondering for a while, Akira stood up and used the Body Flicker Technique to vanish.
Moments later, he appeared on the outskirts of Konoha, in a small grove of trees.
"Come out," Akira called, his voice steady.
As his words echoed, a figure appeared in front of him. The person wore the signature black cloak with red clouds and had a young face, looking to be in his twenties. Most striking, though, were the blood-red Sharingan with three tomoe. The visitor was none other than Itachi Uchiha.
"You're right on time. I was about to come looking for you," Akira said, turning to look at the newcomer.
"Oh? Is something wrong?" Itachi asked, surprised.
"Has there been anything off with Obito recently in the Akatsuki?" Akira inquired.
"Obito?" Itachi's mind raced, recalling details about Obito's behavior over the past few weeks.
Kakuzu didn't know Obito's real identity, so he wasn't paying any particular attention to him. But Itachi knew exactly who Obito was and had been keeping an eye on him, even if discreetly. "He's been quieter than usual lately, often sitting by himself and zoning out," Itachi replied. It might not have been a huge deal for someone to sit and daydream once in a while, but Obito's usual persona was that of a loud and cheerful prankster. This sudden shift to a more introspective and brooding demeanor was completely out of character.
"I see," Akira nodded, his suspicions confirmed.
Given how out of character Obito was acting, it made perfect sense that Black Zetsu had noticed something was off.
"Is there something wrong? Is there a problem with Obito?" Itachi asked, curious why Akira had brought this up.
"Not really. Obito's situation isn't that important," Akira shook his head.
Indeed, Obito's current state wasn't the issue. The real concern was Black Zetsu.
"If it's not that important, why did you bother asking?" Itachi said with a touch of exasperation, teasing Akira a little.
His comment made Akira chuckle. Seeing this side of the usually serious and stoic Itachi made Akira realize Itachi didn't see him as an outsider.
"Alright, so what brings you to Konoha to see me?" Akira asked, shifting the conversation back to Itachi.
"Do you remember what I mentioned to you a few days ago?" Itachi's voice was calm, but the weight of his words was heavy.
Hearing this, Akira's expression grew more serious.
"You mean the matter of your eyes and the transplant?" Akira asked.
"Exactly. My eyes are getting worse. We need to move forward with the plan sooner rather than later," Itachi confirmed.
"So, what's the plan?" Akira inquired.
When it came to strategic planning, Akira knew it was best to leave things to the experts. His own strength lay in his foresight, in knowing the original storyline. But when it came to complex schemes and manipulation, that was Itachi's domain.
In the original story, almost everything Itachi said was calculated and carefully crafted. Other than his final, heartfelt message to Sasuke, "I will always love you," nearly every other word out of Itachi's mouth had some hidden agenda.
"The plan is simple. The Akatsuki has attacked Konoha enough times already. Don't you think it's time for Konoha to strike back?" Itachi said, his face calm but his words carrying immense
weight.
It was clear that Itachi had been thinking about how to pass on his eyes to Sasuke for a while now, and he already had a plan in place.
"A counterattack on the Akatsuki, huh?" Akira mulled over Itachi's words.
It really made sense. Why should Konoha always be on the defensive, letting the Akatsuki run rampant? A counterattack was a logical next step, and Akira found himself nodding in agreement.
If they could scatter the Akatsuki before the group had time to fully execute its plans, it would be a huge advantage.
Akira asked Itachi for more details about his plan, and Itachi explained everything to him in
full.
Akira nodded silently as he listened to Itachi's plan. Together, they discussed the specifics and fine-tuned some of the details.
And so, the broad outline of Konoha's counterattack against the Akatsuki began to take shape. Of course, it was still just an initial framework-there were plenty of unknowns, and they would have to adjust as events unfolded.
After talking for about twenty minutes, Akira sensed a few people approaching.
Having discussed everything they needed to, Itachi turned and left.
Not long after, two Konoha ninjas on patrol appeared. Although they were near the outskirts
of the village, it wasn't uncommon for patrols to venture this far out.
"Lord Akira!" the two patrolmen said, bowing as they greeted him.
"Thank you for your hard work," Akira responded with a slight nod before vanishing using the Body Flicker Technique, heading back to the village.
"Lord Akira is so down-to-earth," one of the patrolmen said in admiration as Akira left.
"Yeah, they say he's the strongest ninja in the world, but he's still so humble," the other
patrolman added.
"And to think he can transform into a dragon. That sight still blows my mind," the first ninja remarked, shaking his head in awe.
It was one thing to hear someone say "good job" or "thanks for your hard work" from a colleague or a superior. But hearing it from someone of Akira's stature carried a completely
different weight.
After all, if you were working late at the office and a coworker or a security guard told you, "Good job," it might not feel that significant. But if the company's CEO said it to you, the feeling would be completely different.
After finishing their conversation, the patrolmen continued their rounds, while Akira returned home and opened the scroll from Kakuzu.
Inside the scroll, Akira found just over 10 million ryo. Akira's brow furrowed slightly.
Nearly a month had passed, and Kakuzu had only managed to scrape together this much?
But after thinking about it, Akira realized it made sense. The Akatsuki's activities had slowed down, meaning fewer opportunities for Kakuzu to skim off the top. Naturally, his ability to steal funds unnoticed had become more limited.
"Well, whatever. Even the smallest amount helps," Akira muttered, his mind turning toward the upcoming counterattack on the Akatsuki. Konoha would need to restock its supplies- things like explosive tags, for example.
Thinking of the impending battle, a smile crept across Akira's face.
The 10 million ryo disappeared in an instant, and at the same time, Akira activated his life
simulator.
[One day later, you and the Hokage discuss the plan to counterattack the Akatsuki.]
[Ten days later, Konoha forms a special unit and heads toward the Akatsuki's base.]
[Two weeks later, you and the Akatsuki engage in a fierce battle. Konoha wins, and you manage to capture the Two-Tails.]
[Twenty days later, you return to Konoha, only to find that Hinata has been kidnapped and Hanabi's Byakugan has been stolen!]
[You search for Hinata, eventually tracking her down to Toneri Otsutsuki.]
[You head to the moon to rescue Hinata.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
[You die.] This simulation was much shorter than usual-less than a month in total.
And as Akira reviewed the results, his expression darkened.
In the original story, it had been Naruto who went to rescue Hinata after Toneri Otsutsuki
kidnapped her.
But now that Akira was Hinata's boyfriend, it made sense that he would be the one to rescue
her.
Still, in the original timeline, Toneri's attack didn't happen until after the Fourth Great Ninja War. Why was he making a move so early this time?
After pondering the timeline for a while, Akira shook his head.
The rewards from this simulation were minimal, given the short duration. But the revelation that Toneri Otsutsuki was planning an attack soon-that was the biggest takeaway.
POWER STONE!!!
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