Chapter 54 - 54: Dumb Courage
As the masked man vanished into the shadows, Zeldris's expression immediately soured.
Something's off. Way off.
Why would someone like him—clearly not lacking in power or confidence—willingly ask him to take part in a mission as absurd as wiping out the Uchiha clan... and then agree to raise the price himself?
No bargaining. No pushback.
What's this guy smoking? And where can I get some?
Zeldris's eyes narrowed. In the original timeline, if his memory served him right, Uchiha Obito had been sneaking around with that shady fossil, Danzo.
Had his involvement messed with the original course of events?
Or was this all part of some grand scheme cooked up by that one-eyed maniac and the crusty war criminal?
They wouldn't... would they?
Zeldris suddenly froze, as a strange idea took root.
What if these two clowns are actually trying to keep me in Konoha?
He smirked darkly.
"Now that's interesting," he muttered, the glint in his eye colder than steel.
"Let's see if they've got the muscle to back that nonsense up."
A guy who sealed a bridge when he died and another who defined the word simp... now aiming their sights at him?
Who handed them the courage? Was there a clearance sale I missed?
Maybe he had been a little too low-key lately.
A slow, unsettling grin crept across Zeldris's face.
Fine then. If you're going to play stupid games... get ready for the grand prize.
He already had a plan forming—one that didn't just involve taking the commission, but collecting a certain crimson-eyed ninja's debt as well.
Meanwhile...
The outskirts of Konoha were shrouded in darkness, moonlight barely piercing the thick canopy of the surrounding forest.
A lone figure stood silently beneath an ancient tree.
Clad in standard ANBU gear, a katana slung across his back, arms crossed, his expression unreadable—Uchiha Itachi was waiting.
Suddenly, the space beside him distorted like rippling water.
A swirling vortex appeared.
From it, a black-cloaked figure emerged, voice low and steady:
"Itachi how did it go?"
Itachi didn't even blink. His voice remained calm as a winter stream.
"Preparations are complete. We move tomorrow night."
The masked man nodded slightly, then added:
"I've arranged some backup for you. You've probably heard of him."
Itachi raised a brow. "Oh?"
"Zeldris."
The name alone brought a flicker of surprise to Itachi's eyes.
Zeldris—a name from whispered stories and shinobi rumors. Even as a child, Itachi had heard of him. A prodigy. Dangerous. Banished.
He had never met him, but the reputation was enough.
"What's the real reason you brought him in?" Itachi asked, voice flat.
The masked man's tone dropped into something darker.
"To eliminate him."
"He's a threat. To me... and to Konoha."
"So we use this mission to make sure he never leaves Konoha alive."
He paused, gaze locked on Itachi.
"I need your help to finish this."
Itachi's eyes sharpened. "You're Uchiha Madara, and yet you need my help?"
The masked man narrowed his eyes beneath the swirling mask.
"My body hasn't fully recovered. I'm not at my peak. I fought him once—he's no joke."
"And if he turns on the village... everything you've sacrificed will be for nothing."
Itachi fell silent. The logic made sense, as much as he hated to admit it.
Zeldris had every reason to hate Konoha. And if even half the rumors about his power were true...
"Fine," Itachi said after a moment, voice unreadable.
"I'll do it."
The masked man exhaled, just slightly, a flicker of relief in his voice.
"With you on board, I feel better about this. We strike tomorrow night."
As the two figures stood in the darkness, a faint red light gleamed in the masked man's eyes.
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