Chapter 413: The Deal for 100,000 White Zetsu
In the Land of Fire, by the Naka River.
Wearing his white mask and red cloud cloak, Obito once again arrived at the riverbank.
Not long after he appeared, a humanoid figure, half-black and half-white, emerged from the ground—it was Black Zetsu, fused with White Zetsu.
Obito glanced at Black Zetsu and asked, "Why did you call me here?"
Black Zetsu didn't respond. Instead, another figure stepped out from behind him—it was Kabuto Yakushi.
With pale skin and clad in a deep crimson robe, Kabuto exuded an air of mystery and menace.
"You're one of Orochimaru's lackeys. What are you doing here?" Obito had long been aware of Kabuto's allegiance to Black Zetsu, though he didn't know what kind of arrangement had been made between the two.
"I'm here to propose a collaboration," Kabuto said with a faint smile, as if confident that Obito would agree.
"You're just a subordinate of Orochimaru."
"Am I?" Kabuto clasped his hands together, and several coffins rose from the ground.
When the coffins opened, several figures stepped out. Among them, the one standing in the center made Obito's eyes narrow.
He recognized the man—it was a young Uchiha Madara.
Obito's expression turned grave. He had tampered with Madara's corpse half a year ago, and it was currently lying in his Kamui dimension.
"Where did you get him?" Obito asked, his gaze darting briefly toward Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu, being a manifestation of Madara's will, couldn't be unrelated to Kabuto acquiring Madara's flesh and DNA.
Kabuto replied, "That's not for you to worry about. What matters is that I have something of value for collaboration."
"I can help you—specifically, help you and perhaps your fading ally win this war. I can also help you deal with the Akatsuki leader, Pain."
"That's my worth, and it qualifies me to collaborate with you."
Obito frowned. "What do you want from this war? Human experiment subjects, research funding, or are you after Orochimaru himself?"
Kabuto smiled. "Why do people always assume motives must be self-serving?"
"I'm simply searching for the meaning of my existence, that's all.
"Just like how you wish to create another world, that is your purpose.
"My goal is to discover my value, and then fulfill or pursue it.
"It might be a concrete objective or something else entirely, but people always need a sense of purpose to live."
Obito had investigated Kabuto before. He knew Kabuto had been an orphan raised by the Konoha orphanage, later forced to join Root and serve as a spy in enemy villages, providing intelligence for Konoha.
Beyond that, Obito wasn't certain about Kabuto's deeper motivations.
But he did know one thing—he had no choice but to agree, even if only as a pretense.
Madara wasn't someone Obito could deal with.
Obito was fully aware of Madara's overwhelming strength. He needed time to retrieve Nagato's Rinnegan and proceed with his plans.
Obito had never intended for Madara to be revived through Nagato or for anyone else to interfere with his vision of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
He wanted to complete it himself and personally create the dreamlike world of true peace.
Obito said, "Fine, we can collaborate. But Madara must appear on the battlefield."
Kabuto didn't care where Madara was deployed. Ignoring Black Zetsu's glare, he agreed without hesitation:
"Deal."
...…
After leaving the Naka River with Kamui, Obito's expression grew colder and more menacing.
He had thought his plan was flawless, but Black Zetsu had once again acted behind his back, gaining access to Madara's body.
Fortunately, Kabuto didn't seem entirely loyal to Black Zetsu and had his own agenda.
Obito believed he could maneuver between them.
The transaction he had previously rejected suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
Turning toward the northeast, where Konoha was located, Obito hesitated for a moment before using Kamui to teleport to Konoha's Third Training Ground.
At this hour, the training ground was deserted. Obito stood there, waiting silently.
Before long, another masked figure appeared before him.
"Obito, it seems you've had a change of heart. So, what do you say? How about handing over those 100,000 White Zetsu to me?"
The speaker was none other than Haneda, who was feigning his death.
Sensing Obito's chakra through his Kagura Mind's Eye, Haneda had used his Bishamonten technique to rush over immediately.
Obito replied, "Fine, but I have one condition."
Haneda guessed, "The One-Tail and the Nine-Tails?"
Hearing this, Obito thought of Haneda's two adoptive sons—the One-Tail Jinchūriki Gaara and the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki Naruto.
He laughed and countered, "Would you really part with them?"
Haneda said, "I wouldn't want to, but I can give you half of the One-Tail. Shukaku has quite the temper—maybe you can teach him some manners. As for the rest, name your terms."
Haneda was willing to offer half of the One-Tail and other concessions for this deal for several reasons.
First, the scale of the war had far exceeded his original plans. If he attempted to capture the Zetsu himself, too many might die in battle, leaving insufficient resources for his final moves.
Second, reviving the Ten-Tails required gathering all the tailed beasts. Unlike the Nine-Tails, which could be substituted with the chakra in Ginkaku and Kinkaku, the One-Tail required its actual chakra.
To ensure Obito saw the folly of his Infinite Tsukuyomi, reviving the Ten-Tails was essential.
Additionally, losing half of the One-Tail wouldn't endanger Gaara's life and would prevent Obito from targeting him.
After the Fourth Great Ninja War, Haneda could always retrieve the missing half.
Obito said, "Fine. Aside from half the One-Tail, I need you to keep an eye on Madara. His reanimated form will appear on the battlefield—I need someone to keep him in check."
Obito had already calculated his moves. Madara's presence on the battlefield was a significant concern, and he needed someone capable of holding Madara back so he could complete his plan.
As for the 100,000 White Zetsu, Obito considered them Madara's assets, not his. Trading Madara's forces to Haneda to neutralize Madara himself was a win-win deal.
The negotiation concluded, and the two parted ways, each using space-time ninjutsu to leave.
Obito led Haneda to a forest in the Land of Rivers.
Activating his Kagura Mind's Eye, Haneda immediately sensed the 100,000 White Zetsu hidden underground.
Smiling, he asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll back out after you've brought me here?"
Obito scoffed. "You've never reneged on this kind of deal… And if you do, I'll come for you myself."
Haneda chuckled. It was true—he had never broken his word when it came to such matters, especially with friends.
Although, he did occasionally renege on promises as a child…
"Stand back or phase out. I'm about to start."
With that, Haneda activated his Rinnegan. A black sphere resembling a Truth-Seeking Orb formed in his palm.
He tossed it lightly into the air, where it floated high above, radiating a light brighter than the sun.
Obito instinctively shielded his eyes as he felt a powerful gravitational force emanating from the black orb.
The ground began to tremble.
Soon, trees were uprooted, and large chunks of earth were torn from the ground, floating upward.
It was the Rinnegan's power—Chibaku Tensei!