Malphegor
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YTS: Ch. 116
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 00:20:52 +0000 UTCThe starry river sparkled, stretching across the night sky.
A falcon darted through the darkness, its wings slicing the air as it sped toward the Land of Rain like a shadowy phantom.
Lying on the falcon's back with one leg casually crossed over the other, Kei absorbed the rush of wind around him, gazing absentmindedly at the vast, boundless sea of stars.
At noon, Honjima had invited him to a tea house run by the Uchiha clan. The other party's intentions were not complicated.
He simply hoped that Kei would select a few ninjas from the Uchiha clan to join Root. In return, the Uchiha clan would fully support any actions he initiated within Root in the future.
"Old men are always cunning," Kei murmured to himself, closing his eyes.
Lately, Danzō had been visiting Konoha Hospital far too frequently, to the point that many people speculated that the Root leader's days were numbered. However, afterward, his health seemed to recover, and he began making great efforts to recruit Kei into Root.
He even paid a significant price to gain the approval of the Third Hokage.
Anyone with a bit of intelligence could guess that Danzō might already be preparing to cultivate a successor.
Orochimaru couldn't stay in Root forever.
From the current situation, the cold and calculating Kei was perhaps the only person both capable and qualified to be considered for the position of the Fourth Hokage.
He came from a staunchly pro-Hokage faction, was acknowledged by Jiraiya for his strength, valued by the Hokage, and even favored by Danzō. If he entered Root early, familiarized himself with its operations, and built rapport with Orochimaru, the future power structure of Konoha's leadership would be crystal clear.
Although the Uchiha clan was not yet under direct surveillance by Konoha's higher-ups like they would be after the Nine-Tails incident, many had already noticed their growing estrangement from Konoha's core circle.
The Second Hokage had assigned the Uchiha clan to oversee the Police Force, seemingly granting them great authority. However, after all this time, many had realized the limitations of being confined to the police force.
Though the Third Hokage allowed Uchiha members to join standard ninja combat units, they were nowhere to be seen in the ANBU or other critical departments.
At this moment, Honjima chose to support Kei's rise.
Firstly, he wanted to secure a future ally within Konoha's leadership.
Secondly, he sought to deepen the Uchiha clan's connection with Konoha. Thirdly, he might have been hoping to use Kei as a breakthrough point to change the clan's position.
Of course, there was also a more crucial reason—to cut off a portion of the clan from the Uchiha identity.
Any ninja who joined Root would be branded with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal and subjected to Danzō's emotion-suppression training. Completely loyal to the leader of Root, these individuals would no longer be able to prioritize their clan over the organization, making them fundamentally different from typical Uchiha members.
On the surface, this seemed to weaken the Uchiha clan's strength.
But from a long-term perspective, wasn't it also a way to ensure the clan's survival? Anyone who had lived through the Warring States period to this day was far from simple-minded.
"Mikoto has a sharp mind and keen senses, and her strength is passable. Shisui, however, is only a few years old—it's too early for him…"
Names of various Uchiha members flashed through Kei's mind.
Danzō's reluctance to allow Uchiha members into Root wasn't just due to the same wariness that Tobirama had; there was also an element of coveting their abilities.
Hiruzen wasn't as extreme as Danzō, but as the leader of the village, how could he not be cautious of the strongest ninja clan? Their fears ultimately stemmed from their own lack of power.
But Kei had no such concerns. He had just taken control of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal governing Root's core personnel.
Next, he would not only modify the seals on the remaining members but also combine them with memory-altering techniques to neutralize Danzō's die-hard loyalists.
On top of that, he still had to manage Root's various affairs. There was an overwhelming amount to do.
Since the Uchiha were offering themselves up, he might as well pick a few useful ones. Did they think they could scheme under his watch?
Unless they awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, they'd better not even try. Otherwise, he might accidentally crush them with a single slap.
"Screech—! Screech—!"
Pidgeot let out a sharp cry.
Hearing the sound, Kei turned his gaze forward.
Ahead, thick clouds stretched across the sky, gradually swallowing the starlight.
A fine mist of rain shrouded the Land of Rain under the night sky, making it feel as if the entire world's darkness had wrapped around it, heavy and suffocating. Casually, Kei tossed a kunai into a secluded, uninhabited forest.
As the light rain drizzled onto his body, he activated a Water Release technique and adjusted his position into a more comfortable one, continuing to lie down.
---
In a steel structure far from the center of the village, a woman in a black robe, Konan, stood on the balcony, extending her hand to feel the raindrops landing on her palm. She gazed at the gloomy sky, lost in thought.
Behind her, a few young members who had recently joined the organization sat in a circle around a fire pit, chatting excitedly with Akatsuki's leader, Yahiko, their arms slung over each other's shoulders as they talked about the future.
Nagato, who was somewhat introverted, sat quietly in a corner, watching his companions laugh and converse.
"I heard a lot of people want to join us lately!"
"That's because we're walking the right path—sooner or later, people will see that!"
"Shouldn't we let them in?"
"We need to observe them for a while first! Don't worry, our numbers will keep growing!"
"Hehe~ I know, right? I really want to meet Hanzō as soon as possible! That way, our ideals can spread across the Land of Rain even faster!"
"As long as we keep working hard, we'll definitely achieve that!"
"..."
Listening to Yahiko's enthusiastic voice behind her, Konan's lips curled into a faint smile.
Just as she was about to turn and walk back inside—
A figure clad in Kiri's ANBU attire emerged, forming from the flowing water. On his back was an unusual large sword.
Swoosh—!
Konan leaped back instantly, her hands forming seals at high speed. Countless palm-sized sheets of paper materialized, circling around her body.
The commotion alerted the other Akatsuki members inside, who immediately stood up.
Yahiko and Nagato rushed to Konan's side in an instant, their brows furrowed as they glared at the figure standing motionlessly at the edge of the balcony.
Kiri ANBU?
A member of the Hōzuki clan?
That sword… wasn't that the legendary Samehada?
"What are you doing here?" Yahiko was the first to speak, his right hand behind his back, subtly signaling to his comrades.
"Just here to take something."
Kei answered casually, his powerful sensory abilities sweeping over the young Akatsuki members.
Strange.
None of them had been implanted with White Zetsu spores? He had previously experimented on the White Zetsu clones he captured.
Even his own heightened sensory abilities couldn't distinguish a White Zetsu that had transformed. But while his sensing might fail, his system wouldn't.
Yet, in front of him, not a single one of these people was a disguised White Zetsu, nor did any of them carry a spore clone.
That didn't add up.
"We don't have anything you need here. I'll ask you to leave immediately."
Yahiko frowned, his hand already resting on his pouch of ninja tools.
"Explaining would be a hassle. So, I might as well just take action."
Swoosh—!
Kei vanished in an instant, reappearing right beside Nagato.
Lowering his stance, he gripped the handle of Samehada on his shoulder, using it for momentum.
The massive sword suddenly expanded several times its original size, its sharp, spiky scales standing on end.
With a deafening howl, Samehada came crashing down on Nagato!
