CHAPTER 209: CHAPTER 209 : DISCUSSION! GROUP FIGHT?

Two figures appeared.

A man and a woman.

Everyone immediately recognized the woman.

Konan.

She had always been by the side of Tendo Pain, the person he trusted most.

And they also recognized the man.

Tobi.

A stand-in member of the Akatsuki organization.

But now, although Tobi’s outward appearance hadn’t changed much, his aura was vastly different from before.

In the past, Tobi wore the iconic black cloak embroidered with red clouds—the signature uniform of the Akatsuki—and covered his face with an orange one-eyed spiral mask. He was known for his talkative, eccentric, almost clownish demeanor.

But now, he seemed like an entirely different person.

He wore a dark blue robe, a Uchiha clan fan emblem at his waist, and a new white mask that revealed both eyes.

His entire aura was solemn, imposing. He gave off an innate sense of distance, like a figure from legend beyond anyone’s reach. The most striking detail, however, were the eyes behind the mask—two different eyes, shining with deadly clarity.

One glowed blood-red.

The other gleamed lavender.

One Sharingan.

One Rinnegan.

Two contrasting dojutsu, side by side in the same man, created an oppressive presence so overwhelming it clawed at everyone’s nerves. The sheer pressure made it hard to breathe.

"You... you’re not Tobi? You’re... Uchiha Madara?"

Deidara couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Despite always complaining about Tobi’s babbling and antics, he hadn’t truly disliked the man. He had even grown used to him in a strange way. But now, this sudden change—this overwhelming shift in presence and identity—was something Deidara couldn’t accept easily.

Sasori was equally taken aback.

But unlike Deidara, he didn’t act impulsively. He silently observed from the side, his expression unreadable.

Uchiha Itachi narrowed his eyes at the man in the white mask.

If this had been the previous version of Tobi—mysterious and powerful, yet never overbearing—he might have considered a possible victory in battle.

But now, this masked man had the Rinnegan—an eye said to belong only to the Sage of the Six Paths.

Itachi had personally witnessed the destructive power of the former Tendo Pain, and this man, who controlled Tendo Pain from behind the scenes, now wielded the Rinnegan himself. His power had undoubtedly surpassed that of the Six Paths of Pain.

To strike against this man again, Itachi would need to recalculate everything—the strength of both sides, the chance of success, and whether victory was even possible.

But even if he couldn’t win, he still needed answers.

The man had made him a promise.

And he had broken it.

He could not let that go.

Kisame’s eyes also flickered with surprise.

He was among the very few in Akatsuki who had known the masked man’s true identity.

He had always known this man was powerful—but after witnessing the Rinnegan firsthand, even he couldn’t help but feel shock deep in his heart.

The masked man scanned the group and spoke in a calm, low voice, "I understand that all of you have questions, doubts. Let me answer them now. Yes—I am Uchiha Madara. The ’Tobi’ identity was merely a cover, a mask I wore to conceal myself."

"In the past, while Nagato was alive, there was no need for me to step forward and control the situation. But now that Nagato is dead, the Akatsuki faces an unprecedented crisis. I must take the lead and guide us through this storm."

Uchiha Madara.

A legendary shinobi, spoken of in the same breath as the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Could such a figure truly still be alive?

Even though the man before them had demonstrated extraordinary strength, it was not easy to accept that he was truly Madara.

None of them were fools. Hashirama Senju—the God of Shinobi—had been dead for decades. And Uchiha Madara, his rival, had supposedly perished at the Valley of the End, slain by Hashirama himself.

That was common knowledge.

And yet here he stood.

Of course, the shinobi present weren’t naive enough to take everything at face value. Titles could be faked—names borrowed. What mattered more was whether this masked man had the strength and leadership to guide them forward.

So while they exchanged doubtful glances, none of them voiced their suspicions outright.

"How do you propose we get out of this predicament?" Sasori asked coldly.

"I already have a plan..."

But before the masked man could continue, a cold voice interrupted.

"Shouldn’t we settle our personal matters first?"

Uchiha Itachi’s tone was sharp and unyielding.

Unlike the others, he hadn’t come to hear grand strategies or listen to how the organization would continue forward.

He had come for one reason.

To demand an explanation.

The man had made him a promise.

And then had gone back on his word.

Without that promise fulfilled, Itachi had no reason to remain with Akatsuki.

The masked man glanced at him and responded in a measured voice, "I mishandled your situation. That much I admit."

"But everything I’ve done—every decision I’ve made—was in service of capturing the Tailed Beasts as swiftly as possible. Only by doing that can we realize our shared dream."

"I will give you an explanation, Uchiha Itachi. But not now."

Itachi continued to stare at him, his gaze sharp and piercing.

But in the end, he said nothing more.

He had made his choice.

If he were to sever ties with this man and leave Akatsuki, where could he go?

Of course, he wanted to return to Konoha.

But would Konoha welcome him back?

The answer was obvious even without being spoken: no.

On the night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, he had been cast out as the scapegoat.

The village he had once loved and the clan that birthed and raised him had both branded him a traitor.

If he were to show his face, the people would shout for his death, attack him on sight. No one would protect him. No one would let him stay.

And those who could have proven his innocence—there had only ever been two. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Danzo, the shadowy leader of Root.

But now both of them were gone.

Who else was left to speak for him?

Uchiha Haru? But why would Uchiha Haru help him?

They had never been friends. They had always been enemies.

Uchiha Haru would never help him.

He could only continue playing his role within the Akatsuki.

As long as he remained in the organization, he could gather intelligence—Konoha’s hidden blade working in the shadows.

Protecting the village from within the dark.

Just as he always had.

But this time, he wouldn’t place blind trust in anyone again.

Seeing that Itachi didn’t make any further moves, the masked man—Obito—felt relieved.

Though he now wielded the Rinnegan and was confident he could defeat Uchiha Itachi if it came to that, he preferred not to.

Itachi was a valuable piece on the board.

A pawn who could still serve a purpose—clever, loyal, effective.

Killing such a tool would be a waste.

However, if Itachi insisted on taking revenge and dared to reveal the truth of their deal in front of the others, then Obito would not hesitate.

The reason was simple.

The Akatsuki was already greatly weakened. Morale was crumbling.

If everyone inside the organization discovered that Uchiha Itachi wasn’t truly one of them, but a Konoha spy...

How could the Akatsuki remain united?

As the current de facto leader, Obito would have no choice but to eliminate Uchiha Itachi—the traitor—to restore cohesion to the group.

Yes, it would mean the loss of a powerful asset.

But it was a necessary sacrifice.

There was no other way.

Behind Obito stood Konan, just as she had once stood behind Tendo Pain for all those years.

But this time, her allegiance wasn’t to the masked man.

She was here for revenge—for Nagato.

Obito, having temporarily pacified Itachi, returned to the matter at hand.

"I’ve already devised a plan to get us through this," he said coolly.

"As long as you follow my instructions, I promise you—the Akatsuki will rise again, stronger than before."

"I am Uchiha Madara. I have the power to make that happen."

"Madara," Sasori interjected coldly. "What about Uchiha Haru?"

"He killed our leader. He slaughtered Hidan, Kakuzu, and Jūzō Biwa. Are we just supposed to let that go?"

"So long as Uchiha Haru lives, none of us will find peace."

Sasori had spoken what everyone else was thinking.

Uchiha Haru—the man who had singlehandedly taken down Tendo Pain.

The man who wielded the Flying Thunder God Technique.

For someone like him, distance was meaningless. If he wanted, he could arrive from a thousand miles away in the blink of an eye.

That was how Jūzō Biwa had died—because one of Haru’s clones had tagged the location with his Flying Thunder God seal, and then Haru had instantly appeared to finish the job.

Uchiha Haru was a dire threat to all of them.

They couldn’t just continue hiding like rats in the dark.

It was humiliating.

What pride did they have left? How could they sit here discussing dreams and the future, when their very lives were in danger?

Deidara nodded in agreement.

In his world, only explosions were art—but even he wasn’t foolish enough to think his art could save him against someone like Haru.

If Haru could kill Pain, he could certainly kill him.

There was no shame in admitting that. Haru had the power to back it up.

Not just him—everyone present knew it. Except perhaps the masked man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara, none of them could last more than a moment in a battle against Haru.

"Madara," Deidara muttered, half-lidding his eyes as he made a cutting motion across his neck, "why don’t we set a trap?"

"We lure out Uchiha Haru and eliminate him together. End the threat before it grows any worse."

It was the only option that made sense to him now.

Kisame’s eyes gleamed with interest at the suggestion.

That could work.

None of them could take Haru alone. But together?

That was another story.

This Novel is Completed on Patreon

---------

🎇🎇 Check out new Fanfiction 🎇🎇

🎊 Naruto : Tsunade You’re Really Drunk 🎊

------------------

This Week Bonus Chapter - 200 Power stones

2nd Bonus Chapter - 400 Power Stones

3rd Bonus Chapter - 600 Power Stones

-------------

📢 Support the Novel & Read Ahead!

Love the story and can’t wait to see what happens next?

Join my Patreon and get access to 50+ early Chapters before anyone else! 🔥

https://www.patreon.com/UK21

Thank you for reading, and I truly appreciate your support! 💖

---------