Chapter 290 – He's in the Hidden Mist
Uchiha Kei didn't bother explaining everything to them—there were too many things he didn't want to reveal.
The fewer people who knew about Uchiha Obito's existence, the fewer problems there would be.
To be honest, Kei had considered the possibility that Obito might just be pretending to cooperate.
Perhaps, deep down, he still intended to continue along Uchiha Madara's path.
But the more Kei thought about it, the more he realized… he didn't really have to worry.
Yes, Obito's abilities were strange, but if they were comparing whose power was truly bizarre—Kei himself would probably win that contest hands down.
Obito was excellent at retreating and ambushing—his strength lay in sudden strikes and escape.
But in a real fight against Kei, his tricks would be completely countered.
Kei knew Obito's jutsu well—and more importantly, he knew its weakness.
And in terms of current "setup," Kei was no weaker than him.
If Obito dared to play games with him, Kei would not hesitate to destroy him.
Besides, he had come fully prepared for that possibility.
Of course, that was the worst-case scenario.
Judging from the "original timeline," Uchiha Obito was nothing more than a delusional teenager with a bad case of chūnibyō.
When you broke down Obito's personality, his obsessions, his emotions—Kei's current plan was already more than enough to handle him.
At this moment, Obito likely despised both Uchiha Madara and the Mist ninja who had caused Rin's death.
That, in itself, was a useful redirection of his hatred.
---
After landing on the shores of the Land of Water, the three of them pressed forward toward the country's interior.
Kei had assigned them a mission that made all of their heads ache.
But after thinking about it, they understood: if it weren't for the mission's complexity and importance, someone as sensitive as Kei would never have been allowed to act openly.
As the strongest combatant in their squad, his presence practically decided whether the mission would succeed or fail.
Following the map, they arrived first at a small, quiet village—a simple, rustic place. They took the time to rest and prepare.
They had packed well before setting out, but some things had to be purchased locally—like clothing.
Handcrafted goods from the Land of Fire differed from those in the Land of Water, both in style and in material. Such small details could mean the difference between blending in and being exposed.
Once everything was ready, they set out again.
Their pace was fast; even with brief stops, they reached the outskirts of Kirigakure within three days.
But as they drew closer, the tension in the air thickened. The Hidden Mist seemed to have entered an unusually high state of alert.
In simple terms—outsiders were being scrutinized heavily, and the closer they came to the village, the more oppressive that scrutiny felt.
---
"It looks like they're really preparing for something," said Ayaka Hyūga, her Byakugan sweeping the area ahead.
"The inspection is intense—and brutal. Some people are being killed outright. I'm afraid things just got more complicated."
"So extreme?" Kei frowned. "Are those regular shinobi, or ANBU?"
"The killings are done by ANBU," Ayaka replied coldly. "I'm not sure who they report to, but whoever it is—they're definitely not friendly to us."
She shook her head, recalling the time she'd been captured by a Mist ANBU in the Land of Grass—and Kei's conversation with that man.
The Mist's ANBU were divided into two factions: one under the Mizukage, the other loyal to an elder named Genji.
Either way, neither faction had a good relationship with Kei.
The Mizukage's ANBU hated him—the massacre in the Land of Grass (though actually Obito's doing) had seen too many of their comrades killed.
And now, Kei's current operation directly opposed the Mizukage's will.
That faction would never offer him safe passage.
As for Genji's faction… even worse. That dual–kekkei genkai kunoichi had nearly died at Kei's hands, and the ANBU operative with the Byakugan—Ao—had been humiliated and traumatized by him.
With grudges like that, cooperation was impossible.
Ayaka glanced at Kei, her thoughts darkening.
She hadn't forgotten that during a past hostage exchange, Kei had nearly killed her himself.
She wasn't stupid; after analyzing the situation later, she realized Kei hadn't been trying to save her at all.
That jutsu of his had been meant to finish her off. It was only by coincidence—when Ao used a Water Release at the same time—that the clash of Water and Fire had blunted both techniques.
She had been injured, yes—but she survived.
Still, Ayaka never spoke of it afterward. There was no point.
Saying anything would only provoke Kei—and they were now allies, however uneasy. Letting it go was wiser than keeping the wound open.
---
"Looks like our timing's bad," Kei muttered, sighing. He turned to Kenta Imai.
"How's the barrier analysis going? Please tell me you've got good news—otherwise, we're in for trouble."
Kenta grimaced and shook his head. "Bad news, I'm afraid. I'm no barrier specialist, and though Kirigakure's barriers aren't the best, sneaking in unnoticed… that's not happening. We'd have to go through the front."
"Unlucky indeed." Kei frowned deeply. "We might have to ambush a patrol—take their place, and slip in that way."
"That's not a great plan," Ayaka objected after thinking it through. "Even if you can read memories with your Sharingan, mimicking someone's day-to-day behavior is harder than it sounds. We're combat shinobi, not infiltration experts."
She wasn't wrong. All shinobi were trained in basic stealth, but with time, specialization had split them into types.
A fighter and a spy might share the same title—but not the same skills.
The future generations would prove that clearly: most couldn't last five minutes on an infiltration mission.
Only Root operatives like Sai, or ANBU like Kakashi and Yamato, could manage it flawlessly.
Kei's team had battlefield infiltration experience—but full-scale espionage wasn't their strength.
Against a small minor village, it might have worked.
But a Great Village like Kirigakure? Their defenses alone spoke volumes about their power and discipline.
---
"So what do you suggest?" Kei asked, still frowning. "Even if they've lost the war, their internal defenses would still be solid. Don't tell me… you plan to use the ANBU inside Kirigakure?"
"Of course," Ayaka said matter-of-factly.
"It may be opportunistic, but considering that you managed to have an ANBU escort us all the way here, it's obvious Lord Fourth gave you that level of authority before we departed."
Her pale eyes narrowed slightly. "Since we have such authorization… why not use it to our advantage?"
Kei instinctively wanted to refuse—but stopped himself midway.
She was right. If the Fourth Hokage had given him such leeway, then perhaps…
---
After a series of covert maneuvers, Yagura learned the exact location where the Three-Tails had reformed following the death of its previous jinchūriki, Nohara Rin.
Determined to reclaim the beast for the Hidden Mist, Yagura decided to seal the Three-Tails within himself—becoming its new jinchūriki.
That decision, however, opened the perfect opportunity for Uchiha Obito. Under normal circumstances, controlling someone for an extended period would have been nearly impossible for him. He wasn't Madara Uchiha, after all—merely an inexperienced imitator. Perhaps one day he could reach that level, but for now, he was still far from it.
So when Yagura captured and sealed the Three-Tails, Obito struck in the moment of greatest weakness.
Yagura was subdued almost instantly. His fragile consciousness, already in turmoil from the struggle to suppress the tailed beast, could not withstand Obito's genjutsu assault.
Obito fused Yagura's mind with the Three-Tails', leaving the two locked in a chaotic equilibrium. Unless they somehow learned to trust one another completely, it would be nearly impossible for Yagura to ever break free from the illusion's grip.
With the Mizukage now his puppet, Obito took his time studying and experimenting, gradually growing in both skill and confidence.
And once he learned from Kakashi exactly when the next Nine-Tails jinchūriki would be born, he decided to act.
Thus began the infamous attack on Konoha.
But Obito hadn't expected to fail so miserably—to be crushed, humiliated, and completely undone.
Even more shocking was what followed. After being defeated once again by Uchiha Kei and dragged into that illusory realm of "dialogue," Obito finally realized that something was deeply wrong.
Upon returning to the Land of Water, he quietly began investigating with his own methods.
And the truth confirmed Kei's words beyond any doubt.
By that time, the Mizukage was already at odds with the council of elders led by Genji. Many of Yagura's recent policies were inexplicably erratic, as if an unseen hand were pulling the strings from the shadows.
Confronted with this reality, Obito didn't rage—he simply went cold. He'd already had his breakdown once.
If not for Kei's words—that there was still a chance for redemption, that he could still make amends—Obito might have chosen to end it all long ago. But vengeance and guilt were all that kept him moving.
"Why are you here?" Obito tilted his head slightly, his tone neither cold nor warm. Though his heart stirred, he forced himself to remain composed.
"I came across some interesting information," Black Zetsu said calmly.
Truthfully, he found Obito's current arrogance irritating—but unsurprising. Every Uchiha he'd ever dealt with was insane in their own unique way.
Sure, Obito had been beaten like a dog in Konoha, but here, in the Mist, he was the de facto Mizukage. Arrogance suited him.
"Information?" Obito frowned. "What kind of information?"
"After you sealed the village and forbade outsiders from entering, I ordered White Zetsu to root out any remaining spies within the Hidden Mist," Black Zetsu replied, a sinister grin creeping across his face. "And wouldn't you know it—he found a few from Konoha."
"I didn't move against them right away," he continued. "And it turns out that late one night, they slipped out to meet someone. I thought you'd want to hear who that someone was."
Obito's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"Uchiha Kei," Black Zetsu said, his grin widening. "He's here—inside Kirigakure."
(End of Chapter)