"What do you want?"

Spotting Obito Uchiha immediately, Qingchuan flashed over with a Shunpo, resting his long blade on his shoulder as he spoke bluntly.

Admittedly,

Obito's recommendation had helped him join Akatsuki.

But that only made them even.

If not for Obito, would he have "accidentally" killed Comrade Danzo?

Ridiculous!

His hands were as steady as they came.

The eye behind Obito's mask stared fixedly at the girl before him.

Regret, remorse, and boundless fury intertwined wildly in his heart...

Regret for bringing this girl into Akatsuki.

Remorse for failing to protect her despite doing so.

And fury—

That needed no explanation!

"You self-righteous piece...

You will become a sacrifice, squeezed dry of every last ounce of value before your death.

And in the next world,

You will be trapped in an endless cycle, suffering for eternity."

Obito cursed inwardly.

Yet, his gaze remained as cold as ever.

No matter how furious he was, he had to stay rational—keeping his distance from this girl was crucial.

"Are you... getting used to it?"

Obito forced his voice to remain icy as he spoke.

Qingchuan narrowed his eyes.

He had a feeling... Tsuko here wasn't up to any good.

But it was strange.

When welcoming him as a new member, this acting prodigy hadn't put on any of his usual theatrics.

Was it because Akatsuki was short on members, leaving no audience to perform for?

Qingchuan didn't know.

All he knew was that Tsuko had always acted like this cold, aloof jerk in front of him.

And it pissed him off.

"Whether I'm used to it or not... what's it to you?"

Still blunt.

He even pointed his scabbard at Obito—pure provocation.

Truth be told,

If not for their shared goals at the moment,

Qingchuan might've drawn his blade and cut Tsuko down right then and there!

As for facing Nagato and Konan later...

Well, they could all put on an act.

After years in the shinobi world, he, Uchiha Green Tea, feared no one.

Obito's brow twitched.

Clearly, he didn't appreciate the girl's attitude.

But soon,

That emotion vanished, replaced entirely by guilt.

"Haruko...

Are you blaming me?"

"Of course.

I brought you into Akatsuki but failed to protect you.

It really is my fault..."

"Don't misunderstand."

Obito's tone remained frigid.

"You're a member I chose. If you suddenly die or betray Akatsuki, I'd bear some responsibility."

"That's all."

With that, Obito gave the girl one last deep look.

A spatial vortex swirled.

His figure slowly faded away.

He had to return to Konoha.

Another piece seemed to be malfunctioning.

He needed to... guide it back onto the right path.

And once he dealt with Konoha's affairs,

He would have to stay with Akatsuki personally.

Obito had already made up his mind.

He had failed once before.

Until this false world was remade,

He couldn't afford to repeat that mistake.

But for now,

He needed time.

Qingchuan glared coldly ahead.

Once Obito vanished completely, he let out an annoyed snort.

Sooner or later...

He'd stuff a hundred Hadō spells into Kakashi's eye!

But... dealing with Obito's intangibility wasn't limited to just that.

Qingchuan pondered.

If he could get close enough to touch Obito's body,

And hide a trace of Bakudō's spiritual energy on him...

Capturing Obito would be child's play!

Half an hour later.

Akatsuki Base.

"Where were you? Why are you back so late?"

Konan looked displeased.

Nagato, as the Deva Path, stood expressionless beside her, silent.

Qingchuan blinked.

He had considered lying—claiming he got lost—

But after some thought, he decided on the truth.

"I meant to come straight back... but I ran into some Rain Village ninjas on the way."

"So... I got delayed for a bit."

He lowered his head slightly.

If he was admitting fault, he might as well do it properly.

"Rain Village ninjas?"

Konan frowned. Beside her, Nagato's gaze turned sharp.

According to intel...

There shouldn't have been any Rain ninjas in that area.

Was the girl lying?

Unlikely.

She had no reason to lie—and didn't seem the type.

Then...

The intel must have been wrong.

There was a Rain Village mission base nearby, with a sizable force.

It was supposed to be their first target in avenging Hanzo.

Yes.

After years of deliberation,

Konan and Nagato had decided—

Twelve years of patience... would finally come to an end.

Danzo was already dead.

Hanzo... should join him.

But they hadn't planned to involve the current Akatsuki members in this.

Akatsuki's ultimate goal was peace through overwhelming force.

The other members only needed to know that much.

As for the original Akatsuki's vengeance...

They intended to settle it themselves.

But now,

The list of executors had grown by one.

A girl who could represent the original Akatsuki—their past.

Konan and Nagato exchanged a glance, nodding subtly.

"New mission. Near where you just eliminated that squad, there's a Rain Village base."

Konan's voice remained icy as she instructed.

"They're all small fry—no intel worth extracting."

"Eliminate them before nightfall, then await further orders."

Qingchuan froze.

He looked up, bewildered.

Well, isn't this a coincidence?

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