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JST Chapter 229: Allies or Pawns? The Battle of Wits Begins
🕑 Added 2025-03-28 14:13:20 +0000 UTCAfter analyzing all the available information and coming to a conclusion, Izuna turned to Madara. “Brother, there’s no need to rush things with Kazuki. You have the Rinnegan, which lets you extract souls. Even if Tobirama has taken over Kazuki’s body, we can still bring him back.”
“What really worries you is Tobirama’s Flying Thunder God Technique and his strong network, which makes him hard to capture, right?”
Izuna’s Sharingan gleamed as he continued: “No need to worry. When I lost to him in the past, I awakened a Mangekyō Sharingan ability that can restrict spatial movement. It’s called Kanrō—it freezes chakra and space within a set range.”
Uchiha Obito’s eyes widened in shock, his wariness instantly spiking as he stared at Izuna.
This isn’t just a counter to the Flying Thunder God Technique…
You’re targeting my Kamui too, aren’t you?!
“Relax, kid.”
Izuna immediately picked up on Obito’s reaction, flashing a warm, almost grandfatherly smile.
“We’re all Uchiha here. We have the same goal. Let’s sit down and talk this through properly.”
“Look, we all want peace. We all want to protect Kazuki from Tobirama’s schemes. We’re allies, not enemies.”
His calm, reasonable tone made Obito feel a strange sense of familiarity…
It had been so long.
So long since he had met an Uchiha who spoke with such patience and reason.
For a moment, he almost mistook Izuna for Kazuki.
Even so, Obito activated both his Kamui eyes, issuing a warning: “Uchiha Izuna, don’t underestimate me. You may not be able to restrain me so easily. These eyes of mine… they were forged through hell itself.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Izuna shook his head with a chuckle and extended his hand toward Obito. “For now, we’re allies—at least until we deal with Kazuki. Right?”
Obito locked eyes with him for a moment before slowly shaking his hand. “…I suppose so.”
Madara watched the exchange, raising an eyebrow before shaking his head in exasperation.
His little brother’s ability to negotiate was something he could never quite master.
Izuna was just like Kazuki—always able to unite the clan around him, smoothing even the most stubborn Uchiha into compliance…
Madara, Izuna, and Obito were all satisfied with the outcome.
But one person wasn’t.
Zetsu.
The true mastermind who had altered the Uchiha Stone Tablet saw the problem immediately.
Izuna wasn’t buying into the Eye of the Moon Plan at all…
Damn it.
He doesn’t just look like that guy—his mind works the same way too?!
Zetsu muttered to himself internally, trying to make himself as unnoticeable as possible.
I need to work more on Obito.
He’s the only one who can properly execute my plan…
Frankly, Zetsu wasn’t sure how to deal with Izuna.
He was too smart. He had already seen through the flaws in the Eye of the Moon Plan.
But if he were a fool, he would’ve just been another pawn for Kazuki to manipulate.
This world is so big, yet somehow, Obito is still my best bet…
Yes…
He was the only one Zetsu could truly rely on.
…
“Brother. Obito.” Izuna’s voice snapped them back to reality. “We need to accelerate the war. The shinobi alliance must launch a large-scale offensive against Konoha as soon as possible.”
Analyzing the situation carefully, he continued: “No matter what Tobirama’s true intentions are, he won’t just sit by and watch the village get destroyed. The greater the battlefield pressure, the more likely Kazuki will reveal himself.”
“With my Kanrō, Obito’s Kamui, and Brother’s Rinnegan abilities combined, capturing Kazuki shouldn’t be difficult.”
Izuna even cracked a joke: “Unless he somehow stacks multiple Mangekyō Sharingan abilities and possesses a space-time jutsu as powerful as ours—basically combining all of our techniques. But what are the chances of that happening?”
Madara and Obito nodded slowly.
Their main concern was Tobirama taking over Kazuki’s body.
Kazuki’s natural abilities, combined with the Flying Thunder God’s mobility, would make him nearly impossible to counter.
But like the Flying Thunder God’s ‘first-strike advantage,’ their combined eye techniques would ensure that Kazuki had no escape.
Unless something unexpected happened.
None of them believed that was possible…
Except for Black Zetsu, who remained silent.
Because he knew.
Kazuki…
Obito’s dual Kamui had already stolen.
And worse—
He had that despicable ocular technique…
If Kazuki managed to get a lock on someone, suppressing him was the only option. If he wasn’t defeated instantly, he would slowly extract power from his opponent, turning them into a living battery.
“…Damn it.”
Black Zetsu lowered his head, deep in thought.
Who could possibly suppress Kazuki with absolute certainty?
It seemed…
Only the Sage of Six Paths could.
While Zetsu was lost in thought, Izuna began issuing orders: “Zetsu, based on your White Zetsu network, does the shinobi alliance still intend to attack Konoha?”
Black Zetsu hesitated for a moment before responding: "Uchiha Kazuki’s combat prowess is overwhelming, and the Third Tsuchikage and Third Raikage know they can’t afford to let him grow any stronger. They’re hesitant, but in the end, they’ll most likely commit to a final battle..."
Uchiha Izuna nodded thoughtfully.
"Hesitation is dangerous. We need to make sure they have no doubts."
He then turned to Obito; his gaze sharp yet composed.
"Obito, your abilities are the most unpredictable. Come with me—we need to make those so-called Kage understand that the Uchiha will not stand by and watch as a successor to Senju Tobirama takes command."
"Anyone who forgets past grudges isn’t worthy of carrying the name Uchiha. We’ll help them take down Kazuki."
Izuna noticed Obito’s furrowed brow and, after a brief pause, added: "Of course, once we’ve secured Kazuki, we’ll deal with them next."
"And complete the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Izuna didn’t bother explaining the truth behind the Uchiha Stone Tablet yet…
Once Kazuki was in their grasp, they could extract more information and uncover the full picture.
For now, all that was needed was careful planning.
If his brother got involved, things might get complicated. And as for Obito… Well, his strategic thinking wasn’t exactly his strong suit.
Obito finally nodded. "Alright… sounds like a solid plan."
Standing nearby, Madara watched the exchange, a flicker of pride in his gaze.
His little brother was always so decisive…
…
[Uchiha Izuna is detected to have a strong sense of curiosity towards the host. The target has been bound!]
As Kazuki chatted with Shisui and the others, a familiar name suddenly echoed in his mind, joining his list of targets.
Wait… He’s actually alive?
Kazuki suppressed a chuckle. He hadn’t expected this turn of events, but it was certainly amusing.
Yet another opponent to farm for gold!
Kazuki was eager to see what would happen if the revived Senju Tobirama—wielding a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan—went up against Uchiha Izuna.
"Shisui, consider this katana an early birthday gift."
Kazuki handed the Muramasa to Shisui before turning to Might Duy. He patted the older man’s shoulder, channeling a pulse of medical chakra into him.
"Uncle Duy, I’m counting on you to take care of them. The upcoming war is going to be brutal."
Might Duy seemed to sense something, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. His thick eyebrows knitted together in deep thought, forming a stark contrast to Shisui’s bright and cheerful expression.
"Don’t worry, Kazuki-sama!"
Kazuki nodded in satisfaction. He spent some time advising Might Guy, Asuma, Rin, and the others, checking their injuries from previous battles and reminding them to take care of themselves. Then, with a smile, he took his leave.
"The war’s almost over. I can’t wait to get home and have my brother cook us a hot pot feast!"
Shisui’s excited chatter lifted everyone’s spirits. Asuma and the others shared in his enthusiasm—Kazuki’s presence always had a way of lightening the mood.
The only one who remained uneasy was Might Duy. Despite the smile on his face, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his moment of destiny was drawing near…
...
Inside a small cabin.
Kazuki was weaving dreams here, preparing to fulfill the aspirations of those he deemed worthy.
In this timeline, Kabuto was no longer the master of dreams. From a young age, he had become an Iwagakure spy within the Root organization just to survive...
Right now, he was probably enjoying a meal of four dishes and soup at Root’s orphanage, learning about the benevolence of his leader, Kazuki, as just another unremarkable Root recruit.
But the shinobi world still had Kazuki!
From Tsunade and Shisui to Orochimaru, Hiruko, and even the caged birds of the Hyuga clan, Kazuki had considered them all with a gentle touch.
No one was getting away...
