Chapter 151: Famous Throughout Konoha
Tonbo Tobitake didn't bother with the subsequent fallout.
Publicly, he was part of the pursuit squad currently hunting down Itachi Uchiha. Since he was supposed to be "out of the village," he hid in Konoha Hospital and began burying himself in medical texts—specifically, those regarding the nervous system.
It had been two years since he conceived the "Ten-Year Series" of original ninjutsu, and he had made some minor progress. However, it was proving far more difficult than he had initially imagined.
Now, he needed to dive deeper into neurology and the application of Yin Release on nerves. There were too many overlapping and complementary variables, making even his genius brain ache. This ninjutsu required every Yin Release skill he had learned to date—including Eye of the Creator, the Mind Reading Technique, Genjutsu, and the nature transformation of Deceptive Weather.
He was developing a synthesis based on neurological knowledge. There were so many components that even with his "world-class" talent in Yin Release, he couldn't complete it in a short time.
"Well, one step at a time. The Fourth Shinobi World War wasn't built in a day either."
"Whoa, how did Dad suddenly become so famous?"
Tianyu was speechless as he listened to the villagers' exaggerated tales about his father. Overnight, their dad had become one of Konoha's top-tier legendary masters.
Maki, her hair tied in a small ponytail, licked a candy hawthorn. "Ah, Dad had to go on a mission again. He promised he'd teach us chakra refinement during this time."
They were over four years old now, nearly five. A while ago, Tonbo had agreed it was time to start learning chakra. They both dreamed of walking on walls and smashing boulders with their fists. Naruto could already jump incredibly high, and they were dying of envy.
"No, this is a great opportunity. I think we should tell Mom to do some promotion—make Ichiraku Ramen even more famous."
Tianyu felt this was a golden chance. If they marketed the shop using their dad's fame, Grandpa's shop would definitely explode in popularity. Then they could get more pocket money. He had recently set his sights on a massive Fuma Shuriken model toy, and his sister wanted a crystal kunai.
"Brother, you're so smart! Let's go to Grandpa's!" Maki praised her brother's wisdom.
"That bad uncle... Tonbo Tobitake, Captain of the Pursuit Squad."
Sasuke stopped in his tracks on the main street as he overheard the residents' conversation. The more he heard, the more he grit his teeth.
That man—Itachi—could only be killed by him. Furthermore, after awakening his Sharingan, he truly realized how powerful it was. There was no way Tonbo Tobitake was a match for Itachi. As for the rumors about taking a Raikage's lightning or a Tsuchikage's ninjutsu to the face, anyone with a shred of ninja knowledge knew that was impossible. Forget high-level ninjutsu; you can't even "tank" a simple kunai thrust with your face.
In Sasuke's mind, if Tonbo actually found Itachi, he would just be killed.
He walked to the banks of the Naka River and began skipping stones across the water. Thud... splash...
He didn't want to hear any more nonsense about pursuit squads or Itachi killing more people. He just wanted to get stronger. Then, he would kill him.
Up on the riverbank, Naruto passed by. He stopped and looked down at Sasuke, who was venting his frustrations on the river. In his blue eyes, there was a flicker of recognition. He felt that Sasuke, in this moment, was strangely similar to himself.
"Hey, Sasuke! Aren't you training today? I've been secretly training all day, you know! My grades will definitely be better than yours at the next test!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs.
The familiar voice made Sasuke turn around. He looked at Naruto waving at him. "Loser. Impossible."
Sasuke looked down on Naruto's academic abilities, but Naruto was right. Even the "Dead Last" was working hard to train; what was he doing here? If he kept this up, how would he ever get stronger?
"What?! You're the loser! That was just temporary! Next time I'll show you what I'm made of!" Naruto roared, completely triggered.
"Boring." Sasuke turned and walked away.
"What's up with him?" Naruto wondered, watching Sasuke's back. Sasuke felt different today. Besides, he had skipped class earlier—that was the first time Sasuke had ever ditched.
Konoha's propaganda was working perfectly. The negativity surrounding the Uchiha massacre was quickly suppressed. Tonbo Tobitake had become a household name. Some children didn't even know the Uchiha had been wiped out; they only knew Konoha had a new famous hero. The previous ones were the "Copy Ninja Kakashi" and the self-proclaimed "Blue Beast."
Meanwhile, Danzo Shimura had completely vanished from the sight of Konoha's shinobi. Many ninjas emerged from the Root; some joined the ANBU, while others were integrated into the standard Konoha system.
The Konoha Military Police Force was officially back online, but the badge had been changed to the shape of a Konoha leaf. The first supreme leader of the force was a Jonin from the Hyuga clan.
Everything returned to its normal track, as if the existence or absence of the Uchiha didn't affect the daily operation of the village at all. Only Sasuke Uchiha, when passing by the Police Force headquarters, looked at the unfamiliar badge with a complex expression.
"Itachi, you've been put on Konoha's wanted list. The man leading the pursuit squad is quite troublesome. You should be careful if you run into him."
Zetsu returned with intelligence and offered a reminder to the newcomer of the Akatsuki.
"I see. Who is it?" Itachi asked expressionlessly. His forehead protector now bore a deep horizontal scratch, marking his status as a rogue ninja. He wore the black cloak with red clouds.
"A man known as 'Captain Tonbo.' I believe you are quite familiar with him," Zetsu chuckled. According to his files, Tonbo and Itachi had performed missions together and should be well-acquainted.
"Oh? Him. That is indeed a bit troublesome." Itachi glanced at Zetsu.
Zetsu was slightly surprised. "Just 'a bit' troublesome? That's a man even our Leader almost stumbled against!"
Truly a confident man, Zetsu thought. Just like that other one.
"I know his personality. He won't come after me," Itachi stated, having made his own judgment. "What is the next mission?"
Zetsu could only smile in response. "It seems you have a way to deal with him. The betrayal of a comrade is truly the most terrifying thing. The next mission is an underground task in the Land of Birds. The commission is high; make sure you complete it perfectly."
Currently, the Akatsuki's plan was still focused on raising funds and collecting missions from small neighboring countries. They aimed to break the monopoly of the Five Great Nations, shifting the reliance of small countries away from the Great Hidden Villages and toward the Akatsuki. For the same task, Akatsuki's rates were lower than Konoha's, making them more attractive to smaller powers. Furthermore, their efficiency and completion rate were flawless.
"Be careful. The target of this assassination is a noble in the Land of Birds. The security is tight, but I believe in the abilities of you and Juzo Biwa."
"Understood." Itachi didn't say much more, taking the mission scroll handed to him by Zetsu.
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