Chapter 31: A Buried Uchiha?
"Obito, why are you interested in that kid?"
Under the silver moonlight, inside a dimensional space atop the Hokage Rock in Konoha—
A half-white face emerging from a Venus flytrap-like plant stared at Obito in curiosity.
He didn't really understand the reasoning behind Obito's actions, but he didn't care much either. After all, even that black entity didn't fully grasp Obito's intentions.
"I'm not interested in him. He's just a slightly more capable ordinary person."
Obito shook his head. Although White Zetsu was a bit of an idiot, these guys had accompanied him through his darkest times. Because of that, he didn't mind talking to them.
"What interests me is his teammate, Uchiha Shisui… and a new 'toy' I've found."
"Didn't you say last time that he was a 'seed'?"
White Zetsu looked puzzled but quickly waved his hand with a grin when he saw Obito's glance.
"Alright, alright. Whether he's a toy or a seed, it doesn't really matter."
"Hmm…"
Obito withdrew his gaze and gave a small nod. Then, the black half of the Venus flytrap entity spoke up.
"You plan to use that brat to influence Uchiha Shisui… maybe even Uchiha Itachi?"
"That's part of the plan."
Obito didn't deny it and spoke directly.
"With my help, Uchiha Itachi has already awakened his Sharingan. But that's not his limit. Meanwhile, Uchiha Shisui should have already unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Since that's the case, it would be foolish not to try something. Whether it's figuring out the abilities of Shisui's eyes, getting my hands on them, convincing him to leave Konoha, or pushing Uchiha Itachi further down his path… all of it is worth attempting."
The Venus flytrap entity nodded. It was a sound plan, but there was something he was curious about.
"Good idea. But how do you intend to do it?"
That question made Obito fall silent.
Because even he hadn't fully thought it through yet. He often acted on impulse, after all.
Like how he happened to overhear Kakashi mention that Kushina was the previous Jinchūriki, and that led to the Nine-Tails incident…
"Looks like I was being too hasty."
The black half of the Venus flytrap entity understood Obito well. Though the silence was deafening, he quickly patched things up.
"We don't know much about this kid yet. We should gather more intel on him before making any concrete plans."
"Yeah… let's do that…"
---
"Achoo!"
At a yakiniku restaurant in Konoha, Haruta suddenly sneezed, prompting Yūgao to glance at him with concern.
"What's wrong? Are you catching a cold?"
"No idea."
Haruta shook his head, then grinned.
"Maybe someone's talking behind my back."
"You…"
Yūgao couldn't help but chuckle. Who would be so bored as to gossip about him?
"I was just joking. Here, try some of my grilled meat."
Haruta didn't wait for her to refuse and placed a piece of perfectly grilled meat into her bowl. Yūgao hesitated slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I can do it myself… people are watching…"
"So, does that mean if no one's around—"
"Don't talk nonsense…"
Seeing Yūgao's slightly flushed face, Haruta simply smiled without saying more.
See? Sometimes, you just have to be shameless.
He and Kabuto often joked, "Without indulgence, life is dull." That wasn't just a joke—it was a philosophy.
Of course, he wouldn't take things too far, but since he was already in this world… wouldn't it be a waste not to marry a few wives?
That said, Haruta knew how to prioritize.
His top goal right now was still inheriting Danzo's legacy.
But that didn't mean he couldn't start making some early preparations for himself.
"Besides, Konoha has so many unique flavors—it'd be a shame not to try them all. And technically, I'm just spreading goodwill, right?"
Haruta mentally gave himself a thumbs-up before shifting his attention to the others at the gathering.
Originally, this was supposed to be a simple get-together for their three-man squad. However, for some reason, Shisui still hadn't arrived.
And after today's Kakashi incident, they had two extra guests.
Kakashi had come personally to express his gratitude, bringing along Tenzo—who had just been freed from Root and abandoned his old codename, "A."
Tenzo seemed a bit reserved, though he was clearly more comfortable around Haruta.
After all, they used to be colleagues in the Root, even if they had barely interacted back then…
"Haruta-kun, I really appreciate what you did this afternoon."
Kakashi, completely ignoring Haruta's subtle flirtations with Yūgao, smiled as he addressed him.
"Yeah, thanks a lot, Owl—er, Haruta. If it weren't for you, I doubt I could have gotten out so easily."
Tenzo quickly added, though he still instinctively used Haruta's old Root codename.
"No need to thank me. It was the Hokage's orders. And don't call me that anymore—also, congratulations on finally leaving that place."
Haruta nodded at them with a smile while continuing to place food into Yūgao's bowl. But after a moment, he glanced at her and asked,
"By the way, isn't it strange that Shisui-senpai isn't here yet? He's usually the fastest when it comes to meetups. Why is he late today?"
"Oh, you don't know?"
Yūgao, momentarily distracted by Haruta's gestures, pursed her lips but chose to ignore it. Instead, she softly replied,
"After we disbanded, he mentioned that since he finally had some free time, he wanted to train with his younger brother. So he might be a bit late tonight."
"Younger brother?"
Haruta's expression turned odd.
Shisui's younger brother… wasn't that the guy who would one day wipe out his entire clan—Uchiha Itachi?
"I heard that Shisui-senpai's younger brother is a prodigy."
Yūgao had no idea what Haruta was thinking and continued with a smile.
"He graduated from the Academy at a very young age—almost broke Kakashi-senpai's record, actually. And I heard he's about to take the Chūnin Exams soon."
"..."
Kakashi rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He hadn't expected the conversation to suddenly involve him. After a moment's thought, he spoke up.
"Honestly, I don't think graduating early is always a good thing. The Academy is a place where you can make lifelong friends."
He spoke from personal experience. His childhood had been rough, and at times, he had even considered giving up on himself.
But in the end, it was the very friends he once looked down on who had pulled him back from the edge.
"Well, it depends on the person. This is the Uchiha we're talking about."
Haruta shrugged. The Uchiha clan members were known for their extreme personalities. And Itachi had been sticking with Shisui since childhood.
Using Shadow Clones to attend class while training with Shisui in secret—it was clear that his peers meant nothing to him.
And even if Itachi wanted to stay in the Academy longer, his crazy father wouldn't have allowed it.
After all, this was the same man who, despite having the power to resist, chose to do nothing as his own son massacred their clan.
As a normal person, Haruta couldn't even begin to understand what went through that guy's head.
"But speaking of the Uchiha…"
Suddenly, Haruta seemed to recall something.
"I remember there was a particularly strong Uchiha… who ended up buried underground, wasn't there?"
Talent was important. And Haruta valued talent greatly.
Maybe, in the future, he could go and dig him up.
Just as he was lost in thought, there was a sudden knock on the door of their private dining room.
—