Path Of War-Chapter 322: Tobi

A man's fingers were seen tapping on a folded newspaper. It was Kaito's. Next to him was Sasori, and the two were inside an open bar.

"Would you look at that," Sasori rumbled.

On a grainy photograph of Kaito was a bold headline that read, "Unbelievable Return? Shinobi Kaito Spotted After A Brief Silence."

The article went on to detail how he was reported by Margaret Senju and that he's now notoriously part of the Akatsuki organization. And while there was no apparent proof, readers believed it.

"There goes your hope of remaining incognito," Sasori added.

Kaito merely took a sip of his drink in response as the background noise continued behind them.

He could honestly care less about his identity being known. Because if Arthur hadn't already done something about it, then it was safe to assume that Kaito could continue on as a member of the Akatsuki openly.

As they stepped out, he felt eyes on him. Most ignored Sasori but couldn't ignore his unusual figure.

When Sasori paused to eye the onlookers, one of their faces paled. The murmurs stopped, they looked down, and their bravados were erased.

Who were they to try and stop members of the Akatsuki?

The two, therefore, continued on the open trail. Suddenly, they both received a mental message. Pain's voice said, "Head to the Grass Village and meet with one of our spies there."

The connection faded before either of them could respond. Sasori shook his head in annoyance as he said, "We just came from that village last week..."

Kaito didn't respond. He simply kept walking.

The journey from where they were to the Grass Village would take about three days.

After the first day of traveling, they were stopped by a group of ninjas. Based on those ninjas' forehead protectors, they were from the Cloud Village.

"So the rumors were true!" one shouted. "Kaito's alive after all!"

The statement drew different reactions among the group. All Sasori did was look at Kaito and say, "You sure draw a lot of attention..."

Kaito slowly unbuttoned his cloak and said, "Speak for yourself."

He assessed the situation: five ninjas stood before them, all of varying skill levels. They were a mix of C and B rank.

'This'll be quick...'

As one of the ninjas lunged forward, Sasori's mouth opened and a flurry of poison needles shot out like a rainstorm. The ninjas prepared to dodge, but something stopped them: chakra chains from the ground had bonded their feet!

Panic set in, but it was too late. The needles struck true and hit their marks.

Kaito watched as the cries of the ninjas fell silent, leaving a haunting stillness.

So annoying," Sasori commented, feeling unimpressed.

This wasn't the first time they'd been confronted by shinobi from other countries. And it surely wouldn't be the last.

Many ninjas recognized the Akatsuki's cloak, with only a few countries, like the Earth Country, not in enmity with their group.

More importantly, based on the fight, it was clear that the duo had learned of one another's fighting styles and knew how to work as a team.

Kaito approached the fallen bodies and scanned for any useful intel. And just like that, he found a warrant for his arrest. The odd thing was, this warrant wasn't from the Cloud Village but the Leaf.

"Find anything?" Sasori called, moving closer.

"Nothing..."

The two would later continue at their same pace.

The following days slowly passed as they kept a close watch on their surroundings, ready for any ambush.

On the last day, they finally reached the outskirts of the Grass Village.

Kaito halted suddenly, causing the change in his demeanour to catch Sasori off guard. This wasn't like him, for even though Kaito's expression never changed, Sasori could still see something odd in the latter's eyes.

"That's the first time you've acted out of character," Sasori commented. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing," Kaito flatly said. "The grass is just greener on this side..."

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Sasori slightly chuckled and said, "So there's something even you like. Go figure."

Kaito was not amused. The truth of his act remained hidden beneath practiced indifference.

For it wasn't the grass that intrigued him; it was the presence he sensed inside the village, someone he hadn't expected to encounter this early in their journey: Obito Uchiha.

There was no doubt that who Kaito was sensing was indeed that infamous Uchiha.

From what he knew about Obito, that villain was a significant figure within the Uchiha clan.

Initially, he appeared to be a typical, aspiring shinobi who dreamed of becoming Hokage to gain the acknowledgment he craved since childhood—making him another Naruto.

Obito's upbringing was marked by loneliness, having been raised by his grandmother and feeling a lack of connection to his parents. He formed close bonds with his teammates, Kakashi and Rin, but he struggled with feelings of inferiority due to Kakashi's natural talent and popularity.

These rivalries and friendships defined his early years, and he sought to prove himself through earnest efforts and a desire for teamwork.

During the Third Shinobi World War, he faced a turning point: he was believed to have died heroically while saving Kakashi from a falling boulder, but in actuality, he was rescued by Madara Uchiha.

After enduring severe injuries, Obito underwent substantial physical modifications and was groomed by Madara to advance the latter's agenda.

This event shattered his worldview; the death of Rin, whom he deeply loved, pushed him further into despair and led him to adopt Madara's vision of creating an ideal world through the "Eye of the Moon Plan."

His ideology morphed from a hopeful childhood dream to one fueled by anger and manipulation as he turned into a manipulator within the ninja world, masquerading as Tobi and later as Madara.

Two and a half years down the line, he was secretly controlling much of the Akatsuki's actions alongside Nagato by exploiting its members for his overarching plan.

The Fourth Shinobi World War marked the culmination of his efforts, as he sought to enact the Eye of the Moon Plan on a grand scale to eradicate the suffering he experienced.

But as the conflict progressed, his resolve wavered thanks to Talk-No-Jutsu by the main character, and he changed sides at the last possible moment.

In the end, his journey led him through an unrealistic transformation. He would eventually sacrifice himself during the war to save Naruto and his team.

'I wonder what he's doing here?' Kaito asked himself.

The two entered the village before them.

Like the name implied, it was filled with much greenery. Grass swayed in the wind, and the houses sat peacefully. It was safe to say that this village was a lot cleaner than the Leaf.

Their location was an inn that stood at the back end of the village. When they arrived, they noticed its masonry was worn and the exterior faded.

Kaito pushed the door open. Inside, the interior matched the exterior—dark, sparsely furnished, and mostly empty.

In the corner, a figure caught their gaze. Obito Uchiha, though he appeared as Tobi, stood in the center as if it was a casual meeting.

He wore his signature orange mask that had a swirling pattern. The short, spiky black hair that framed his head bobbed slightly as he tilted his head and offered a childlike wave.

"Hey, you two," he playfully exclaimed, "what took you so long?!"

Sasori rolled forward and said, "We ran into some trouble on the way here."

"Trouble?! Oh no!" Tobi jumped with an overdramatic flair. He then clutched his cheeks as if it were the end of the world. His theatrics stopped when he peered at Kaito. "You're that new guy, right?! You sure do look strong!"

Kaito maintained his stoic façade as he responded, "What does Pain want?"

"Oh, right! I almost forgot!"

Tobi fumbled slightly after pulling out a scroll. As he turned to hand it to Sasori, he stumbled. Kaito swiftly reacted and caught Tobi by the collar with one hand, saving him from the fall.

"Wow! You really are strong!" Tobi remarked with genuine surprise.

"Quit playing around," Sasori snapped.

Tobi recovered and straightened himself. "Sorry!" he chimed, quickly handing the scroll to Sasori, who took it with a glare. "Well, I guess I'll be on my way!"

Tobi spun on his heel and headed toward the door. As it swung shut behind him, Kaito just stared in that direction.

Sasori unfolded the scroll and read aloud, "Looks like we're supposed to assassinate a politician not far from here... You'd think our leader would have sent someone else for this."

Sasori's reluctance was met with silence, so he looked to Kaito for affirmation. However, Kaito's expression remained unchanged—except for a slight glint in his eyes that betrayed something else.

"What's got you so lively?" Sasori asked, now curious.

Kaito slowly focused on Sasori and said, "I'm impressed that you can tell what I'm thinking despite my lack of expression."

"Of course," Sasori scoffed, rolling his eyes in a way that suggested he didn't care.

"It's because of Tobi..."

"Tobi?" Sasori repeated. "No surprise you'd find him interesting."

But just like before, Kaito wasn't truly that interested in Tobi; he was masking one of the biggest feats he could have accomplished today.

During the brief moment when Tobi was falling, Kaito had been quick enough to secure a small, barely noticeable Flying raijin mark on Tobi's collar!

That was a jackpot like no other.

"Are you coming?" Sasori called, pulling Kaito out of his reverie.

"Yeah..." Kaito responded.

As they walked out and along the cobblestone road, Kaito could barely wait to relay this news to Arthur.

Who could wait? With Obito marked, Kaito would know his location at all times. He would gain access to valuable intelligence, including the whereabouts of the Mountain's Graveyard.

The Mountains' Graveyard was a mountainous region situated at the northernmost border between the Waterfall Village and one of the hideouts of the Sound Village.

What made it so special was that it was very well hidden and not easy to locate despite understanding the area.

There was also an abandoned mine within the region that connected to Ōtsutsuki Clan ruins, which served as a hideout for Madara and Obito.

Sometime after his defeat by Hashirama Senju, Madara established a base within these ruins and relied on support from the Gedo Mazo statue.

White Zetsu clones also operated from this location by gathering intelligence and performing tasks in the outside world through subterranean passages. These passages, one of which allowed the retrieval of a wounded young Obito, were later sealed by Madara and subsequently broken open by Obito.

The hideout contained various elements, including Hashirama's living clone, Zetsu minions, a large tree stump that was once occupied by Madara, and a simple sleeping platform. The walls also displayed Madara's weaponry.

The base also contained a laboratory where Obito conducted experiments. The lab featured a wall adorned with the Uchiha clan symbol, storing a vast collection of Sharingan eyes in fluid-filled containers, along with an operating table and surgical instruments.

Despite Madara's claims of no exits, numerous concealed entrances and exits existed that were either hidden beneath animal bones or etched into the walls.

Obito, in his humorous persona as Tobi, was a vital character, and Kaito was determined to exploit his connection to find that location.

As Kaito and Sasori trekked through the rugged terrain, Kaito kept his focus entirely on the mark he'd implanted on Obito.

The mark pulsed subtly as Obito wandered further into the Grass Village. Then he used his Mangekyō Sharingan's ability to teleport before reappearing in the Rain Village to speak with Pain.

Kaito concentrated like a hawk watching its prey. Then, in a moment's notice, Obito teleported again.

'There...'

That was the moment he'd been waiting for: Obito appeared at the Mountains' Graveyard!