Hunting Orochimaru...?
Upon hearing the masked man's words, Konan and Pain exchanged glances, both sensing the same confusion in each other's eyes.
They had no idea why he had suddenly proposed such a mission.
However, the masked man seemed to anticipate their doubts and spoke indifferently.
"After receiving your message," he began, "I went to the Land of Wind and had a conversation with one of Sasori's subordinates."
"From his information, I learned that Orochimaru, the rogue ninja from Konoha, seems to be investigating Akatsuki."
He paused slightly, narrowing his eyes.
"However, the Orochimaru I know is highly cautious. He wouldn't reveal his tracks so easily."
"In other words, he may have done so on purpose—he has a plan of his own."
"If that's the case, we'll turn the tables on him."
"I want to see how this plays out… Kuzo, the wielder of a mysterious eye technique, versus the cunning Orochimaru."
As he spoke, the masked man stood up.
His body began to twist into a vortex, vanishing into the air.
Before completely disappearing, he left a final command.
"Relay the order to him."
"I will meet him as an Akatsuki recruit—call me Tobi."
And with that, he was gone.
---
Meanwhile, in another part of Amegakure…
Kuzo sat by the window, flipping through a book.
Its title was simple: *The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja.*
However, its author was far from ordinary—Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha.
Half a day later, Kuzo finally finished reading it. He closed the book and let out a sigh.
"Phew…"
"Good message, but not very entertaining. No wonder it didn't sell well."
He chuckled helplessly, shaking his head.
If not for the system's side quest, he wouldn't have been able to push through it.
Suddenly, a familiar notification rang in his mind.
Ding! Side quest completed!
- Collect a copy of *The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja* (1/1) – Reward: Reiatsu +500!
- Fully read *The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja* (1/1) – Reward: Reiatsu +1000!
- Promote *The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja* to five Kage-level or higher ninjas (0/5) – Reward: Unknown.
Kuzo immediately felt the slight increase in his Reiatsu, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
At least reading wasn't for nothing.
But this last task…
He frowned slightly.
Sell this book to five high-level ninjas?
Wouldn't they think I've lost my mind?
"Oh well… Too bad *Icha Icha Paradise* isn't sold in Amegakure's bookstores," he muttered.
"Looks like I'll have to buy it somewhere else."
Of course, he only wanted it for another side quest.
As for the book's content?
He had no interest in such things.
After all, a certain copycat ninja from Konoha read this book every day, yet he was still single. Worse, his overuse of chakra had reportedly led to… problems.
Kuzo didn't want to follow in those footsteps.
---
"Hey, newcomer."
A sudden voice pulled him from his thoughts.
A plant-like figure emerged from the ground—half black, half white.
"You have a mission," Zetsu said.
"Pain wants you to report to the base immediately."
Kuzo raised an eyebrow, but before he could ask anything, Zetsu had already vanished.
"The first mission, huh? That was fast…"
Kuzo stood up, a faint smile forming on his lips.
A mission meant travel. And travel meant he could look for more of Jiraiya's books.
---
A short while later, Kuzo arrived at Akatsuki's familiar meeting cave.
However, the moment he stepped inside, he froze.
Something unexpected had happened.
Alongside Pain and Konan, there was another figure—one who wasn't wearing an Akatsuki cloak.
He wore a black robe and an orange spiral mask, leaving only his right eye visible, shrouded in darkness.
Huh?
That outfit…
○○○
Please Support me on patreon
patreon.com/IA_Extra13651
I really appreciate everything