I Want to Partner with Senior Zetsu
After stealing a kiss and vanishing with Flying Thunder God–like speed, Uchiha Yi left behind only rage and steam in the Mizukage's residence.
Inside the quiet house of the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi stood frozen for half a breath.
Then
"What?!"
Her face flushed crimson.
That brat…!
She slammed a fist into the wall, lava chakra briefly flaring along her knuckles.
"You dare run after doing that?!"
After slipping through layered spatial movement techniques, Uchiha Yi reappeared in the Land of Rain.
The first thing he noticed was the weather.
Still the same.
Endless rain.
Low clouds pressing down like a coffin lid.
A sky that never seemed to brighten.
So this is Amegakure…
Oppressive as always.
A single droplet slid down his nose.
"Tch. A place like this really kills the mood."
At that moment, the Akatsuki ring on his finger pulsed faintly.
A chakra resonance signal.
Pain had sensed his return.
Without wasting time, Uchiha Yi blurred into motion and headed toward the Akatsuki base.
Inside the dark meeting chamber, most members had already gathered.
The familiar faces were nearly all present.
Aside from the defected Orochimaru and the deceased Juzo Biwa, the core roster remained intact.
But three new presences stood out.
The first was Kisame Hoshigaki.
The moment Kisame saw Uchiha Yi, his shark-like grin stiffened slightly.
A faint twitch ran through his shoulders.
Memories of their last encounter clearly weren't pleasant.
After being rescued by Obito Uchiha, Kisame had vanished for a while before officially joining.
The second was Zabuza Momochi.
That one surprised Yi a little.
He had only joked about recruiting him back then.
Yet here he was.
Still… his strength barely met Akatsuki standards.
Interesting.
The third was a blond youth arguing intensely with Sasori.
Art. Explosions. Eternity.
Without artistic madness, no one could understand those two.
Ah. So this is Deidara.
Makes sense.
Footsteps echoed.
The room fell silent.
Pain entered last, his Rinnegan scanning the room.
No greetings. No pleasantries.
Straight to the point.
"Before anything else… I have a question for you, Tobi."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
All eyes shifted toward the spiral-masked man.
"…."
Obito said nothing.
Uchiha Yi narrowed his eyes slightly.
Interesting.
What did he do?
Pain's next words answered immediately.
"The Three-Tails Jinchūriki is dead."
A heavy silence fell.
"The capture operation is now suspended."
Cold. Flat. Final.
Pain already knew everything.
And that was why he was angry.
You propose the plan.
You sabotage the plan.
Do you think this is a game?
Still, Obito didn't argue.
Because even he hadn't expected this outcome.
Everything had been calculated.
The Three-Tails would reform after extraction.
It should not have died permanently.
But Yagura Karatachi chose suicide.
A variable even Obito hadn't foreseen.
Now the Three-Tails' rebirth depended on natural chakra reconstitution.
No timeline. No certainty.
The entire Akatsuki schedule had been derailed.
Pain closed his eyes briefly.
Then spoke.
"We adjust the plan."
"The Akatsuki will temporarily prioritize mercenary operations."
"We hunt Orochimaru."
"We gather strength."
"And… reorganize teams."
He began assigning partners.
"Sasori and Deidara."
"Uchiha Itachi and Kisame."
"Kakuzu and Hidan."
"Zabuza and Kaguya bloodline support."
"And Tobi will operate independently."
His tone left no room for discussion.
"Any objections?"
A hand rose.
Unexpected.
Uchiha Yi.
"Leader Pain," he said calmly, "I'd like to partner with Senior Zetsu."
The room froze.
Even Obito's masked gaze sharpened.
Partner… with Zetsu?
That had never happened before.
Everyone knew the truth.
Zetsu was intelligence.
But he was also… Obito's shadow.
Breaking that pairing was like tugging a hidden thread.
Pain turned slowly.
"Zetsu. Your opinion?"
Respect existed here.
Even Pain valued Zetsu's information network.
A faint chuckle echoed.
"Heh… heh…"
"Interesting."
"No problem."
"I'm curious too."
"I accept."
The grin that split Zetsu's plant-like face was unsettling.
He wanted to see what this Uchiha was plotting.
"Then it's settled," Pain said.
"The meeting is over."
Moments later, the chamber emptied.
Darkness reclaimed the hall.
Not long after, Zetsu appeared beside Uchiha Yi.
Obito remained hidden in the shadows.
Listening.
Watching.
"Hehehe…"
"So, Ah Huo… you requested me publicly."
Zetsu's voice slithered like roots in wet soil.
"You must have something important to discuss."
Uchiha Yi smiled faintly.
Then spoke words that shattered the stillness.
"Senior Zetsu… are you interested in destroying Konoha?"
Silence.
For the first time, Zetsu froze.
Destroy… Konohagakure?
Was this a joke?
If Konoha were that easy to destroy, it would have vanished decades ago.
Seeing his reaction, Yi remained calm.
"If not, forget I asked."
No pressure.
No theatrics.
Just certainty.
Zetsu's eyes narrowed.
Interesting…
This wasn't empty hatred.
This was confidence.
"Hehehe… another Uchiha consumed by Konoha's shadow, huh?"
"Fine."
"How do you propose we cooperate?"
Hook taken.
Yi answered without hesitation.
"I need your intelligence network."
"And your infiltration ability."
"In exchange… I provide the plan."
He understood Zetsu better than anyone realized.
After all…
Zetsu's greatest obsession was one thing.
Reviving his mother.
And the greatest obstacle to that dream
Was still Konoha.
On the surface alone, the village's power was monstrous.
The Third Hokage.
Danzo Shimura.
The Hyūga clan.
The Ino–Shika–Chō alliance.
Kakashi.
Might Guy.
Two of the Legendary Sannin still active.
Even the rogue Orochimaru could become a variable.
If he used Edo Tensei…
The battlefield would become hell.
Then there was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
And the inevitable clash of Indra and Asura's reincarnations.
A storm waiting to erupt.
After analyzing everything, one conclusion remained.
Konoha was not weak.
Not even close.
Could Uchiha Yi destroy it alone?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Because there were still two shadows above the world.
Hagoromo Otsutsuki.
Hamura Otsutsuki.
Watchers of history.
Judges of imbalance.
If they intervened…
Everything would change.
Uchiha Yi didn't like uncertainties controlled by others.
That was why he chose Zetsu.
With him…
Many impossible things became possible.
And far safer—
Than charging blindly into the heart of the shinobi world.
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