Chapter 73: A New Acquisition, Black Zetsu's Shock
"Uchiha Forbidden Art – Six Paths Technique?"
Kitagawa Gen stared at the information that popped up in his mind, feeling a little confused.
If he remembered correctly, this seemed to be one of the last things Uchiha Madara passed down to Obito before pulling out his oxygen tube and dying, right?
"Am I just completely milking Obito dry at this point?"
His expression turned odd. He had to admit something:
Obito really had been... generous with him. Never once had he held back.
"First it was Yin-Yang Release... then Uchiha's unique Yin-style chakra... then White Zetsu's Yang-style chakra... and now even the Uchiha Six Paths Technique?"
Even though Obito would probably want to kill him on sight, Gen still felt a strange sense of gratitude.
After all, he was a kind-hearted guy.
"Well then... time to keep up the good work!"
Activating the Flying Thunder God Technique, Kitagawa Gen blinked and instantly reappeared at home.
The Uchiha Forbidden Art – Six Paths Technique was certainly intriguing—and not exactly what he had initially expected.
"I thought it would be something tied to the actual Six Paths... but I overlooked the key part: Uchiha forbidden Art."
In other words, it was a set of abilities specifically related to the Uchiha clan—naturally, well-suited for them.
"Techniques for controlling tailed beasts with dojutsu, Izanagi… but no Izanami?"
He muttered quietly. If memory served, Izanami was invented by a woman named Uchiha Naori to counter Izanagi.
Back then, the Uchiha had four Mangekyo Sharingan users. But three of them ended up turning on each other for various reasons.
In the end, only Uchiha Naori and Uchiha Naka remained.
And it was said that Naori eventually made Naka surrender through the use of Izanami.
"Come to think of it... was that during the Warring States Period, or after Madara left the village?"
He vaguely recalled they were wearing Konoha forehead protectors, but who knew? Continuity in ninja history was a mess.
"Anyway, not that useful to me—unless I could get my hands on Obito's Sharingan. But the rest of this..."
Now this was where Gen's interest truly sparked—because the remaining techniques didn't rely on the Sharingan at all.
"Uchiha Flame Formation, Tailed Beast Summoning Seal, Sealing Jutsu: Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals, and the Tailed Beast Release Seal."
Every one of them sounded interesting—and practical.
Take the Uchiha Flame Formation for example: a high-level barrier technique so durable that even a Tailed Beast would have a hard time breaking through it quickly. Not to mention it burned with intense flames—strong enough to injure even the Eight-Tails!
If he ever needed to capture a Jinchuriki for chakra, this would be the perfect way to trap them—like shutting the door and beating a dog.
The Tailed Beast Summoning Seal was also straightforward: it left a summoning mark on the Tailed Beast, allowing it to be summoned. If he remembered right, the Nine-Tails still had one of those seals on it.
"Even though the Fourth Hokage severed Obito's link to the Nine-Tails, Madara did try summoning it later... definitely something worth investigating."
As for Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals, it was a jutsu used to seal Tailed Beasts into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—doable even without the Rinnegan.
But what Gen valued most was the Tailed Beast Release Seal.
"A technique to forcibly separate a Tailed Beast from its host…"
He wasn't planning to completely extract the Tailed Beasts—way too much hassle. But if he could just extract the chakra?
Now that, he was very interested in.
The benefits from the Three-Tails last time were unforgettable. And he had no intention of stopping the growth of his bloodline power.
"As long as I can find someone isolated... I could give it a try. That guy named Sora, for instance..."
He hadn't forgotten about Sora—the pseudo-Jinchuriki with Nine-Tails chakra still lurking in the Fire Temple. That chakra might be worth taking a closer look at.
Clack—
While deep in thought, he suddenly heard a noise. Looking up, he saw his window being opened.
"What a pain... this damn guy."
A little blonde kid grumbled as he opened the window, holding a watering can, clearly ready to tend to the flowers.
"Ah—ah—AHHH!"
But when he looked up and saw Gen sitting on the floor staring blankly at him, he immediately screamed.
Flailing wildly, the kid toppled backward out of sight.
THUD!
There was a dull crash, followed by a dog barking loudly.
"Oww—ow—ow…"
Gen leaned out the window and looked down. Sure enough, there was Naruto, sprawled on the ground in a heap.
He paused in silence.
"This is… the second time, right?"
"You okay?"
"Damn it! Why didn't you say anything before coming back?!"
Naruto yelled from the ground.
Gen nodded slightly. Tough kid.
It wasn't long before Naruto recovered. He shooed away the barking dog and leapt up to perch on Kitagawa Gen's windowsill.
"I just got home and wanted to rest a bit. How was I supposed to know you'd show up?" Kitagawa Gen said lazily, then asked with a curious look, "And what's up with you watering my plants?"
"You told me to do it before, remember? So whenever you go out on a mission, I come by," Naruto mumbled, rubbing his back.
That caught Gen off guard. He honestly didn't expect Naruto to take a passing comment so seriously—let alone remember it and act on it so diligently.
"So that's why my flowers always look so healthy…" he muttered, gazing at the blooming plants. A smile tugged at his lips.
Naruto really was a good friend—especially if one planned on staying in Konoha.
"Naruto, since I'm back from my mission, dinner's on me tonight at Ichiraku Ramen."
Naruto's eyes lit up, but then he hesitated. After a pause, he said quietly, "Actually… maybe not."
"I'm treating," Gen added.
"That's not it. I mean… did you really make it to Chūnin?"
"Huh?" Gen tilted his head, a little confused. Since when could Naruto resist ramen?
"And how'd you find out about that, anyway?"
"Shikamaru told me," Naruto admitted without hesitation, selling Shikamaru out instantly. He stared at Gen wide-eyed. "So it's true?"
"Yeah, it's true," Gen nodded, chuckling at Naruto's reaction. "Why? Planning on giving me a promotion gift?"
"Not a bad idea." Naruto suddenly grinned. "I just got my stipend—tonight, I'll treat you at Ichiraku instead! But… there's something I need to ask."
"What is it? Just say it."
Naruto looked hesitant, then blurted out carefully, "You're not gonna be my examiner in the Chūnin Exams, right?"
Gen almost laughed out loud. So all of this was just to avoid that?
After a moment of amused silence, he shook his head. "No, don't worry. I'm not that bored."
"Phew, good. That's a relief!" Naruto sighed dramatically, then broke into loud laughter.
"Alright then! Ramen's on me tonight to celebrate your promotion. I got paid!" he said proudly.
"In that case, thanks, Naruto," Gen smiled. "It's already noon, why don't we grab a bite now?"
Watching the cheerful blond, Kitagawa Gen maintained a calm expression—but inside, he was plotting something more sinister.
When the Chūnin Exams come around, I'm going to sit right next to you. If you so much as hesitate on a question, I'll ask if you have a problem with me. Let's see if you can keep smiling then…
While Kitagawa Gen contemplated ways to "strengthen his friendship" with Naruto, Uchiha Obito reappeared within the borders of the Land of Rain alongside his two companions.
As rain poured down around them, Obito flicked his head to shake off the water and said coldly, "You take him to meet Pain. I'm not going. And as for your payment—don't worry, you'll get every cent."
"Good. And next time, get me proper intel on that brat," Kakuzu said.
Ever since hearing about the "Gold Release: Super Rich Technique," Kakuzu had no problem working for Obito. After all, to him, loyalty belonged to the highest bidder—money was the only thing he truly believed in.
But even so, he hadn't forgotten about Kitagawa Gen. Losing three hearts in that battle? Unforgivable.
"I got it," Obito said with little emotion, watching Kakuzu and Hidan walk away. Only when their silhouettes disappeared did he mutter, "A money-obsessed freak and a lunatic. Just great."
"Hehe…" came a giggle as Zetsu emerged from underground.
"They agreed, didn't they? So what if they want to earn some cash? No big deal," White Zetsu chirped.
"Hmph." Obito snorted, clearly still annoyed. After a brief pause, he said, "Go gather intel. Look for high-value targets. I'm ready to make a move."
"Okay," White Zetsu nodded, but then asked curiously, "Why not just rob some rich guy and empty his house?"
Obito froze.
...Damn it. Did that idiot just make more sense than me?
"…Fine. We'll go with your plan."
Though annoyed, he nodded in agreement and then turned to Black Zetsu.
"You saw that last fight, didn't you? What's the deal with that kid?"
Black Zetsu hesitated before replying cautiously, "He's definitely not ordinary. You need to be extremely careful. His abilities… they're stronger than before."
"Tch. I figured as much," Obito muttered, frowning. Something felt off about Black Zetsu today—was he distracted?
But Obito didn't have the patience to dwell on it. He was more concerned with Kakashi and that damn Mangekyō Sharingan.
Kitagawa Gen had already uncovered some of his secrets, and now Kakashi had the same eye as him? That spelled nothing but trouble.
What frustrated him most was that he still hadn't figured out the ability of his other eye.
This is a problem. I'll need someone to help test it out…
As Obito brooded over his next move, he didn't notice the subtle, fleeting glance Black Zetsu cast toward the sky.
"…It couldn't be… could it?"