Hatake Tatsuya in Naruto

Shisui and Itachi's summoning crows belonged to the same Summon family, making it relatively easy for them to exchange information. However, despite this advantage, the intel Itachi provided on Akatsuki was sparse.

It wasn't just because Obito was exceptionally cautious and elusive; Itachi himself struggled to obtain substantial information due to Akatsuki's strict internal monitoring. Hoshigaki Kisame, his partner, remained tight-lipped, and Obito, who had personally recruited Kisame, ensured he was both an asset and a primary subject of surveillance.

"The guy Nagato is still too naive," Tatsuya remarked, his tone calm yet sharp. "Gaining the Rinnegan made him blindly confident in his power." He paused briefly before adding, "In the end, Obito and Nagato have fundamentally different goals. It's only a matter of time before they clash."

Shisui's face tensed at Tatsuya's words. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes widened slightly.

"Tatsuya, are you saying that Obito would betray the leader of Akatsuki—"

"No," Tatsuya interrupted, raising a hand to halt Shisui mid-sentence. "That's not it. At least not yet."

Tatsuya's expression betrayed his hesitation. The idea gnawed at him. If things unfolded as they did in the original timeline, Obito would sacrifice his left Sharingan, gifting it to Kakashi, leaving a vacancy in his eye. That, in turn, would lead him to kill Nagato and claim the Rinnegan for himself.

But the situation was different now. Both Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan remained in Obito's possession, their abilities powerful enough to rival the Rinnegan. With such formidable weapons, would Obito truly abandon them for Nagato's Rinnegan?

Tatsuya couldn't be certain. Before he could delve further into his thoughts, an Anbu operative landed gracefully before him, breaking the silence.

"Master Tatsuya, "Anbu Genma reported, bowing slightly. "The Fourth Kazekage, who recently visited the village, has requested to meet you in person."

Tatsuya narrowed his eyes, his gaze growing sharp. Orochimaru. After a few seconds of silent deliberation, he let out a resigned sigh.

"Fine," he said, his tone measured. "Let him see me."

Although the Konoha Crush Plan had failed, Orochimaru still managed to find an opportunity to assassinate Rasa amidst the ensuing chaos, taking advantage of the troubled waters.

Tatsuya, however, had no interest in Rasa's life or death. In his eyes, Rasa's demise was neither a gain nor a loss. What truly irked him was the notion that Orochimaru had dragged him into yet another unnecessary scheme to kill Sarutobi Hiruzen.

With a wave of his hand, Tatsuya dismissed the Anbu team and Shisui. The courtyard grew silent as the operatives retreated, leaving him alone to his thoughts.

More than ten minutes later, the sound of measured footsteps echoed through the courtyard. A figure clad in a white robe, with a hat bearing the kanji for "Wind" atop his head, entered the scene. It was "Rasa," though the subtle smirk playing at his lips betrayed the truth.

In Rasa's familiar voice, the figure greeted, "Long time no see, Tatsuya-kun~."

Tatsuya's expression darkened with irritation as he crossed his arms. "I've already told you," he said coldly, "don't drag me into you and Sarutobi's petty games."

Orochimaru responded with a sly, serpentine grin. "No, no," he said, his tone oily and insistent. "I bring new information."

With that, his face contorted and shifted grotesquely, peeling back Rasa's guise to reveal Orochimaru's true visage.

"Last week," he continued, his tone now tinged with amusement, "my base in the Land of Sound was attacked by Akatsuki. All my research materials were taken... by Obito, that brat."

Tatsuya's eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of recognition and annoyance flashing in his pupils.

"Obito," he muttered under his breath, his voice edged with disdain. "That kid again."

The second examination of the Chūnin exams, with Mitarashi Anko as the chief examiner, had begun.

The objective was clear: teams had to carry the two scrolls—"Heaven" and "Earth"—to the central tower and successfully defend them against opposing teams. Once they managed this, they would then compete with other teams in the central tower during the third exam. This was the traditional format of the Chūnin exams.

However, this time, things were different.

The third exam had been moved from its usual location to a large martial arts arena in the heart of Konoha's central district. The decision was made to allow nobles, wealthy merchants, and high-ranking officials from various countries to witness the event. It was an opportunity for them to assess the strength of the new generation from each village and, consequently, influence the selection of candidates for future missions.

Unlike the original Chūnin exams, where Orochimaru had sent his spies—the Konoha trio led by Yakushi Kabuto, and the Otonin team—this time, there were two teams from the Cloud and Mist Shinobi villages. This shift in teams suggested that, by the time the finals rolled around, the battle lineup would look drastically different than what anyone had anticipated.

Orochimaru, having grown indifferent to the Sharingan after his encounter with Itachi, had no strong interest in it. Since he had been surrounded by exceptional individuals like Tatsuya from an early age, the Uchiha bloodline seemed less impressive to him. If given a choice, he would prefer to target Nagato and his Rinnegan, which he viewed as a far more enticing prospect.

Meanwhile, far away, in the ancient city on the moon where the descendants of Ōtsutsuki Hamura resided, three uninvited guests arrived.

...

"None of them are alive? What a bunch of rubbish."

The voice echoed through the desolate palace as wreckage floated eerily in the air. The figure speaking, a short man with an innate arrogance in his tone, surveyed the devastation with a look of disdain.

Behind him stood a towering figure—far larger than the Third Raikage—and a tall, thin man, his red Chakra condensed into a fishing rod-shaped weapon, a smirk playing on his lips. All three wore identical outfits, their pure white robes contrasting sharply with the destruction around them. Their features were strikingly uniform as well—white skin, white pupils, and white hair. This singular trait was enough to reveal their identities without question:

The Ōtsutsuki family.

Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki, Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki, and Ōtsutsuki Urashiki.

The trio had always acted together, and now, after countless investigations, they had arrived here. This place, once the site of a great seal, was now empty, devoid of both life and purpose. After Hamura and Hagoromo had jointly sealed Kaguya and moved their descendants to the moon, the Ōtsutsuki clan had hidden away the Gedo Statue here. Their goal had been to resurrect the Ten-Tails and plant the Sacred Tree, but now, it seemed their plans were thwarted.

"The Gedo Statue is gone," Urashiki muttered, his tone filled with twisted amusement as he gazed at the empty sealed ground behind him. "Presumably, this is why the clan and the branch house split."

Hamura had long understood the importance of protecting the Gedo Statue, even at the cost of dividing his descendants into separate branches of the clan.

Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki's expression darkened as he floated above the wreckage, his eyes cold. "What happened on Earth? Someone must have summoned the Gedo Statue away."

"Then it's settled," Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki said, his voice sharp with determination. "We're going to Earth."

"Are we acting now?" Kinshiki asked, his tone laced with caution as he frowned beneath his tightly wrapped white robes. "Shouldn't we investigate the cause first?"

Momoshiki's disdain was palpable as he turned to face him. "In that world, there isn't a single village that can withstand even one of us. We don't need to waste time on investigation. We'll reclaim the Chakra ten tails split into nine parts. Once the Sacred Tree is revived, Kaguya, the traitor, will face the consequences of her betrayal."

---

Enjoyed the chapter?

Get exclusive access to 50k words and an entire arc ahead, plus even more exciting content on P*treon.c*m/Marioni.