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Ding ding ding~~
The clear sound of wind chimes swayed gently in the breeze.
Samehada suddenly appeared and lashed out, swiftly absorbing the chakra from the unsuspecting ninja before retracting.
Just as Kisame was about to turn and leave, he noticed something. Reaching out, he retrieved a freshly updated bounty list from the corpse of the dead ninja.
"Itachi, look what I've found," Kisame said, flipping through the list quickly. His eyes lit up as he smiled at Itachi, who was sitting on a large rock nearby.
"Uchiha Sasuke, a Konoha S-rank rogue ninja, accused of leaving the village without authorization; invading the Fire Temple; invading the Tsuchigumo Clan. Haha, it seems that your brother has been quite busy, Itachi."
Uchiha Itachi, who had been resting with his eyes closed on the rock, slowly opened them. The black three-tomoe Sharingan in his blood-red pupils slightly rotated.
"Wait, there's more," Kisame continued, finding another bounty note on the dead ninja. His voice carried a hint of surprise.
"Your brother's bounty in the black market has already reached 30 million. Tsk tsk, that's quite a sum. You better watch out for Kakuzu. He definitely won't miss out on this opportunity to make money."
Sasuke's bounty on the black market was on par with Chiriku's. Although his strength wasn't as formidable as the latter, being the sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan from Konoha, combined with the power of the Sharingan, had greatly increased Sasuke's value, putting him on the same level as Chiriku.
However, he hadn't yet reached the 35 million standard set by Sarutobi Asuma, mainly due to Asuma's status as the son of the Third Hokage.
Itachi didn't respond to Kisame's words, his gaze merely becoming more distant.
Suddenly, a new, playful voice interrupted the conversation, "Kakuzu is currently busy working as a mercenary, fighting for a small country. He won't be able to focus on Itachi's brother for a while. Besides, even if he wanted to claim that 30 million, he'd have to find Sasuke first."
As the voice faded, Zetsu, with his half-black, half-white body wrapped around a tree, emerged from the ground.
Kisame, unfazed by Zetsu's sudden appearance, asked, "Even you don't have any information on Itachi's brother?"
"Not even the Sage of Six Paths is omnipotent, let alone us," came the deep voice of Black Zetsu, different from the earlier playful tone.
He wasn't lying. The shinobi world was vast. Even with 100,000 White Zetsus spread out, it was impossible to gather all the information. Moreover, only a few White Zetsus were currently active.
Sasuke was with Gensou, making it challenging to track their movements.
"Did the leader send you with a new mission?" Itachi finally spoke, but not about his brother. Instead, he inquired about the reason for Zetsu's arrival.
White Zetsu turned to Itachi, his playful voice returning, "It's not a mission. The leader just wants to ask you, Itachi, if there is anyone besides you in the Uchiha clan who has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Mangekyō Sharingan?" Itachi's expression shifted slightly as he asked calmly, "Why ask such a question?"
"Oh~~ You don't know?" White Zetsu feigned surprise, spreading his hands wide in exaggerated shock.
Black Zetsu, uninterested in the act, explained directly, "A man with the Mangekyō Sharingan has appeared by Sasuke's side. The leader is curious about him."
Although Sasuke's whereabouts hadn't been pinpointed, White Zetsu had gathered information on the recent battles at the Fire Temple and Mount Katsuragi.
Pain had issued orders to contact and invite the new Mangekyō Sharingan wielder to join their ranks, considering the Sharingan's effectiveness in capturing the tailed beasts.
As for the potential conflict between this individual and Itachi, Pain believed he could suppress any issues.
After understanding the situation, Itachi remained expressionless, shaking his head calmly, "I know nothing about this person."
"Just as I thought," White Zetsu, who hadn't been hopeful, shrugged, joking about their leader, "Pain should have realized that if there were another Mangekyō Sharingan in the Uchiha clan, Itachi, you wouldn't have had such an easy time wiping them out."
Black Zetsu gave Itachi a deep look before vanishing back into the ground as quickly as he had appeared.
"Itachi, you'd better be careful. Since this man with the Mangekyō Sharingan is with your brother, it's clear what his attitude toward you might be," Kisame warned Itachi with concern.
Itachi responded with a simple "Mm," indicating his understanding.
In truth, he had already pieced together the situation. Unlike the clueless people of Konoha, Itachi had nearly uncovered the truth.
As someone who had witnessed it firsthand, Itachi knew everything about Shisui. When Zetsu mentioned a new Mangekyō Sharingan wielder, Itachi immediately thought of Shisui's eyes.
He was currently in possession of one of them, while the other had been taken by Danzo.
Now that Danzo was dead and the Foundation was completely destroyed, it was highly likely that Gensou had taken Shisui's other Mangekyō Sharingan.
Given that Sasuke had joined Gensou, it made sense for him to be with another Mangekyō Sharingan wielder.
As for who this person might be, Itachi didn't know.
It could be Gensou himself, or perhaps one of the survivors from that group who had evaded capture years ago.
The Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't like the Byakugan; not just anyone could wield it proficiently.
Even a genius like Kakashi had to completely change his fighting style, with his chakra reserves becoming a standard unit of measurement.
"Hagoromo Gensou... What exactly are you planning?" Itachi wondered, a trace of concern flashing in his eyes as he realized that Sasuke was drifting further and further away from Konoha.
Itachi had always harbored doubts about Sasuke following Gensou instead of Orochimaru.
He knew Orochimaru inside out, but Gensou was like a thick fog, always beyond his understanding.
Now, it seemed his worries might have been justified.
"Perhaps I should see it for myself. If Sasuke strays too far, I might have no choice..." Itachi's gaze hardened as he thought of the technique stored in his Mangekyō Sharingan. He adjusted his hat and, as the wind chimes rang softly, began walking toward the distance.
Kisame watched him, surprised, "It's supposed to be a break, not a mission. Weren't we going to stay here for a few days? Where are you heading, Itachi?"
"Just taking care of some matters."
Kisame grinned, "The leader has ordered that Akatsuki members shouldn't act alone, and we should always be in pairs. If you've got something to do, I'll give up my break and join you."
"Suit yourself," Itachi replied without looking back.
(End of Chapter)
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Jōmae Village.
The village had been unusually quiet lately, ever since the clan leader brought back a significant item.
The adults had gone to the skies to work on what was once the empty fortress of Angkor, which would soon become the new Jōmae Village. They were also busy allocating new residences.
The children, full of enthusiasm, followed along, eagerly exploring this city in the sky.
Gensou, who was also there, caught a reckless boy who had ventured to the edge of the fortress, leaning out dangerously as he called out to the sky. He swiftly pulled the boy back and tossed him to the ground.
Watching the boy and his companions scramble away in panic, Gensou shook his head, not bothering to scold the energetic children. Instead, he unfurled a large scroll that he had brought with him.
With a puff of white smoke, a large quantity of rare barrier materials appeared before him.
Barriers, much like sealing techniques, could only be managed by a select few powerful factions.
In the entire shinobi world, only the five great ninja villages had the ability to set up barriers that could cover an entire village and provide various functions.
Other factions, like the Tsuchigumo Clan or the Fire Temple, either had small territories or relied on the help of a large ninja village to set up basic barriers for their settlements.
Jōmae Village had its own barrier in the past, but its capabilities were limited and of average quality.
Now that Gensou had returned and was preparing to make Angkor Fortress the future home of the Hagoromo Clan, he wasn't about to be stingy.
It was thanks to Danzo and the Foundation that he now had access to such valuable materials.
At that moment, not only was Gensou present, but three of his shadow clones were also positioned in the east, west, and south of the fortress, rapidly setting up the barrier using the materials scavenged from the Foundation.
He could have simply clapped his hands and activated a barrier technique himself.
However, a barrier created in such a manner would have a limited lifespan. To ensure it lasted long-term, it required the proper materials and a precise setup.
Additionally, maintaining the barrier would be expensive.
This was one reason many small ninja villages chose not to set up barriers.
Fortunately, Jōmae Village, as an active intelligence organization in the shinobi world, had sufficient income. Gensou wouldn't need to invest more money into maintaining the barrier.
And so...
Fifteen minutes later, Gensou and his three shadow clones, who had already inscribed the intricate barrier technique within a twenty-meter radius and placed the corresponding materials in the correct positions, quickly formed hand seals.
In an instant, the barrier technique inscribed on the ground lit up with a brilliant glow.
Gigantic pillars of light rose in the east, south, west, and north directions of the fortress.
With a final clap of his hands, Gensou softly uttered:
"Barrier Technique: Four Polar Concealing Array!"
At that moment, the fortress was enveloped in four colossal screens of light representing the earth, fire, wind, and water chakra attributes. The light pillars rose from the east, west, south, and north, completely covering the fortress. The chakra attributes intertwined on the barrier, creating a rainbow-like effect, dazzling in its splendor.
After a full fifteen minutes, the chakra colors of the barrier gradually faded away.
It was as if everything had been an illusion, and the surroundings of the fortress returned to normal.
However, those on the ground in Jōmae Village would find that the fortress, once visible in the sky, had vanished in the blink of an eye.
The "Four Polar Concealing Array" was a barrier technique developed by Gensou based on the "Four Polar Array," with the added ability to render the fortress invisible.
Not only would the barrier protect the fortress from elemental ninjutsu attacks, but it would also keep it hidden from sight.
No longer would Gensou need to ensure the fortress was hidden by clouds during the day and only emerge at night to avoid detection from those on the ground.
"The barrier is successfully completed. Now, it's time to begin the gradual relocation of Jōmae Village," Gensou mused.
Moving an entire clan was never a simple task, especially since Jōmae Village was also an intelligence organization.
After relocating their headquarters to the sky, the structure, personnel allocation, and methods of conducting intelligence work would all need to be rethought.
Fortunately, Gensou didn't have to handle all these tasks himself. He could leave it to the elders and his subordinates.
After taking one last look at the invisible barrier that now protected the village, Gensou's figure flashed, and he left the fortress.
At the same time...
Shinnō, who had witnessed the entire process of the barrier formation, was in awe.
Knowing that this feat was accomplished by one person rather than a team of barrier specialists, as was the case in other ninja villages, he was momentarily stunned. Then, with a hearty laugh, he turned to the unsure ninja of the fortress and exclaimed:
"See that! This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Gensou's abilities. I've told you many times, the greatest skill I've learned in my fifty-plus years is the ability to recognize the times! You must always recognize the times!"
"Just like now, following Lord Hagoromo is the greatest blessing of our lives!"
The ninja, who had been taken to the fortress against their will, exchanged looks. But seeing their leader's confidence and having witnessed Gensou's power, they had no more complaints and simply knelt in submission.
Seeing this, Shinnō, now fully embodying the role of Gensou's loyal follower, nodded in satisfaction and ordered:
"Good. Lord Gensou has recently issued the task of training the Jōmae Village ninja to operate flying tools. So, let's get to it."
The ninja voiced no objections and soon fully integrated into the operations of Jōmae Village.
At the ground-based research facility of Jōmae Village...
While the fortress was undergoing significant construction, Gensou returned to the facility after completing his tasks to continue his training and experiments.
Gurgle~ Gurgle~
A clone that had recently made a name for itself in the Land of Fire was now soaking in a nutrient tank, recovering from the damage sustained during its mission.
As for Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, it had already been extracted and was now soaking in a container on Gensou's desk.
"Using a clone with Uchiha cells to host the Mangekyō Sharingan and accelerate the research into Yin-based chakra has proven quite effective," Gensou thought, feeling satisfied with the increased understanding of Yin chakra that he had gained, particularly after his intense battle with Kai.
Not only had he become more proficient in using the Mangekyō Sharingan, but he had also made significant progress in understanding the nature transformation of Yin chakra.
"Yin-Yang Release..."
With the major advancements in Yin Release and continued progress in Yang Release, Gensou suddenly felt a sense of eager anticipation.
He slowly extended his hand...
(End of Chapter)
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