Chapter 015: Uchiha Itachi Actually Possesses the Three Sacred Treasures?
Chapter 015: Uchiha Itachi Actually Possesses the Three Sacred Treasures?
"I absolutely cannot expose Madara's plan, nor can I reveal my true identity. Even the members of the Akatsuki don't know who I really am. I have been pretending to be Uchiha Madara, and while Nagato and Konan suspect that I'm not the real Madara, they don't know that I'm actually Uchiha Obito."
Uchiha Obito thought to himself.
He pondered for a moment and made a decision.
[Uchiha Obito: It's true that I'm not dead, but it's almost the same as being dead. As for the Gunbai, it was something I acquired by chance. Don't ask too much—I don't want to talk about it.]
[Uchiha Obito: Rin, I miss you so much. How I wish I could see you again.]
[Nozomi Rin: Obito, do you have some kind of burden you're carrying?]
[Kakashi: Obito, what happened? You can tell us. If you're in trouble, I can help you!]
[Obito: There's no need.]
Kakashi frowned. He could tell that Obito had changed. Although they hadn't seen each other, just exchanging a few words was enough for him to sense that Obito didn't want to meet him.
It made sense. If Obito had wanted to see him, he would have done so long ago. After all, if Obito had been hiding for so many years, it was obvious that he had a purpose.
But since Obito didn't want to talk, Kakashi couldn't force it.
Obito then continued talking with Rin, gradually moving past the topic.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Madara breathed a sigh of relief. Uchiha Obito was a key figure in his resurrection plan, indispensable for its success. Without Obito's help, it would be difficult for Madara to return to life. As for Nagato, he was merely a pawn, unaware of Madara's true intentions and unlikely to bring him back. The plan ultimately relied on Obito.
Soon, the weapon ranked nineteenth was announced.
[Weapon Leaderboard No. 19: Yasakani no Magatama, User: Uchiha Itachi]
[Orochimaru: Uchiha Itachi, you've hidden well, possessing the Yasakani no Magatama, such a divine artifact!]
Orochimaru was truly shocked. He had interacted with Uchiha Itachi numerous times, even being a member of the Akatsuki once, but Itachi's power had always been beyond his reach. Orochimaru had thought that Itachi's trump card was just his Mangekyō Sharingan, with no other significant abilities. But now, it turned out that Itachi had been hiding the Yasakani no Magatama all along.
In Konoha.
Uchiha Sasuke had just woken up. Though he had been taken by the Sound Four, he hadn't resisted much. He knew very well that he wouldn't gain the attention he needed in Konoha. If he stayed there to train quietly, he would never surpass Uchiha Itachi.
Especially now, seeing that Itachi possessed the Yasakani no Magatama, a divine artifact, Sasuke's desire for power became even more intense.
Having killed the Third Hokage, Orochimaru was undoubtedly powerful. By following Orochimaru and receiving his training, Sasuke believed he could finally catch up to and eventually kill Itachi, avenging his parents and the Uchiha clan.
As for the Golden List, Sasuke knew it was a reward for the strong. As a weakling, he had no chance of appearing on the list. Without being on the list, there was no way to rapidly increase his strength.
"That guy made it onto the list, so his strength will surely increase quickly. I have to follow Lord Orochimaru and grow stronger as fast as possible."
Uchiha Sasuke became more determined to leave Konoha.
…
After a while, the weapon ranked eighteenth was revealed.
[Weapon Leaderboard No. 18: Yata Mirror, User: Uchiha Itachi]
[Orochimaru: What? Itachi, you also have the Yata Mirror? Where did you get these divine artifacts?]
[Uchiha Itachi: Orochimaru, why should I tell you?]
[Orochimaru: Heh, Itachi, don't be so arrogant. I know your body well. After using your Mangekyō Sharingan so many times, how many years do you think your body can last?]
[Uchiha Itachi: Hmph, my body is fine!]
In truth, Orochimaru was extremely jealous of Uchiha Itachi. It was one thing for Itachi to be stronger than him, but to also possess two divine artifacts and rank higher than Orochimaru? It was inevitable that the rewards Itachi received from the list would be much more precious.
"If only I could kill Uchiha Itachi and take his divine artifacts!"
Orochimaru murmured to himself.
But unfortunately, even in his prime, he couldn't defeat Uchiha Itachi. Now, with his hands crippled, he was even less of a match. In fact, Itachi could easily seal him away with one of the divine artifacts.
The Yata Mirror alone could defend against any attack, making Itachi nearly invincible.
"It seems I'll have to flee immediately if I ever encounter Uchiha Itachi. This guy is too terrifying!" Orochimaru muttered fearfully.
He wasn't afraid of others—not Jiraiya, Tsunade, or even the Third Hokage—but Uchiha Itachi was simply too well-suited to counter him, exposing one of Orochimaru's biggest weaknesses.
"I'll coax Uchiha Sasuke over, train him well, and then, when the time is right, take over his body. That way, I won't have to fear Uchiha Itachi anymore. I might even be able to kill him and seize his three divine artifacts!" Orochimaru thought.
At this moment, not only Orochimaru but also many other shinobi were envious of Uchiha Itachi.
[Fourth Raikage: This Konoha rogue ninja is really lucky, possessing three divine artifacts. But even with these three, they're only ranked in the teens, so I bet the remaining weapons are all Six Paths Sage's tools, right?]
[Mei Terumi: It's a pity we don't have any of the Sage's tools in the Hidden Mist Village!]
[Kinkaku: Up next should be the Six Paths Sage's tools that belong to us brothers. The Sage's tools can even follow the soul into the Pure Land, and now four of them are in our hands.]
[Ginkaku: Big brother, with four weapons appearing at the top of the leaderboard, we'll get quite a lot of rewards. It's just a shame that they won't be much use in the Pure Land. I hope we get a chance at resurrection—now that would be interesting!]
[Second Raikage: You traitors, you lunatics, I hope the treasures you get are all useless to you!]
[Tobirama Senju: If I had known, I should have taken those tools away from you two back then.]
Just then, the weapon ranked sixteenth was announced.
This weapon turned out to be one of the Six Paths Sage's five ninja tools.
[Weapon Leaderboard No. 16: Bashōsen, User: Kinkaku]