A/N: Triple release, cause I'm about to disappoint you. Notice is at the third chapter released today.

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OBITO POV

The air in the Mizukage's council chamber was suffused with tension. Obito, disguised as the Fourth Mizukage, sat at the head of the decorated table, his piercing gaze sweeping over the so-called experts gathered before him. The room, with its high ceilings and imposing stone walls adorned with ancient water country painting.

Pathetic, Obito thought, his lip curling slightly. These fools cling to their positions like drowning men to driftwood, fully aware of their own impotence.

The self-proclaimed advisors shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, the soft rustle of their formal robes the only sound breaking the oppressive quiet. Obito allowed himself a moment of sardonic amusement, watching them squirm under his gaze.

Finally, an elder known as Zakeru cleared his throat, one of the two elders who were permitted to speak. His voice, reedy with age and tinged with poorly disguised hatred, broke the silence. "We have news, Lord Mizukage." Zakeru's eyes, small and mean, darted around the room before settling on Obito. "Orochimaru has been killed by someone unknown."

Obito raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. Through his Zetsu network, he was already privy to this information, but the speed at which it had reached the council was... interesting.

"Your circles seem to have grown bigger, Zakeru," Obito drawled, his voice laced with dangerous curiosity.

Zakeru's reaction was immediate and predictable. His wrinkled hands shot up, trembling as he shook them in frantic denial. Beads of sweat materialized on his forehead, glistening in the dim light of the chamber.

"M-my lord," he stammered, his earlier confidence evaporating like mist in the sun, "my circle is the same as before, small and dedicated to providing any information you desire. My connections aren't extensive enough for me to receive news from Konoha directly. The spies overheard merchants in the port talking about it."

Obito leaned back in his chair, outwardly impassive but inwardly contemptuous. Weaklings, these elders. But exactly as I want them to be. His council had no use for overly smart shinobi looking to do something for the greater good. They could have limited abilities, but they must absolutely not interfere with his plans.

"We don't dare, my lord," interjected Tekinma, the second elder. Unlike Zakeru's reedy tones, Tekinma's voice was deep and gravelly, as if each word was being dragged over rough stones. "Orochimaru's death came as a surprise, but the greater surprise is the location of his demise."

Obito motioned for him to continue, his fingers drumming an impatient rhythm on the armrest of his chair.

Tekinma straightened, his broad shoulders squaring as if bracing for impact. "He died in the Kaguya Clan's new hiding place."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Obito's mind raced, piecing together the implications. Merchants seem unusually well-informed in this case. They're being used, but to what end?

"Where are these... merchants?" Obito asked, his voice deceptively soft.

Tekinma glanced at Zakeru, who nodded almost imperceptibly. "They have long left the village, my lord," Zakeru replied, his reedy voice now tinged with apprehension.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the room changed. Killing intent flared from Obito, a perceivable wave of malevolence that seemed to suck the very air from the chamber. Zakeru slumped in his chair, his head bowed so low it nearly touched the table. He didn't dare ask for forgiveness; he was simply too terrified to even keep his head up.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Find them." The two words fell from Obito's lips like a death sentence.

Zakeru's face, already pale, turned ashen. The finality in Obito's tone made it clear: failure would result in a fate worse than death. The Mizukage had provided plenty of gruesome examples with rigid elders who had failed to deliver in the past.

Straightening his back with visible effort, Zakeru bowed once more. "I'll immediately get to it, my lord!" He scurried from the room, relief and terror warring on his face as he escaped Obito's presence.

Obito turned his attention to Tekinma. "Gather the hunter-nins," he commanded. "Ensure they're equipped with scrolls containing paper bombs. We have a clan to make extinct."

"Yes, my lord!" Tekinma's response was immediate. He left the office with surprising speed for a man of his age and build.

Obito's gaze swept over the remaining elders, cowering in their seats. His voice, when he spoke, was laden with contempt. "And the rest of you... make yourselves useful and run the village. If I find anything amiss when I return, your families will receive a personal visit from me with your heads wrapped in furoshiki. Am I clear?"

"Ye-Yes, my lord!" They screamed in unison, scrambling from the office in a flurry of robes and panic.

As the door slammed shut behind the last fleeing elder, Obito allowed himself a moment of quiet reflection. These fools are so easily manipulated. But they serve their purpose... for now.

With a swift hand sign, Obito created a shadow clone.

Kamui!

He immediately used the technique on the clone and sending it to his base where Zetsu awaited to convey more messages.

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The world blurred and twisted as the shadow clone materialized in Obito's hidden base. The air here was stale. Zetsu's mismatched eyes gleamed in the dim light, his body seeming to emerge from the very shadows themselves.

"Finally," Zetsu's dual-toned voice echoed in the cavernous space. "It took you some time, Obito."

The clone's visible eye narrowed. "Get to the point," he said curtly, the Kamui technique still swirling around him.

Zetsu tilted his head, noting the urgency. "In a hurry, are we? Very well. We don't know who killed Orochimaru yet. But we do know that this man killed both Tatsumaro and Orochimaru on the same night. That alone speaks volumes about his ability."

The clone's posture shifted slightly, a silent question in the tilt of his head.

Zetsu continued, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "The kid rumored to have Shikotsumyaku has disappeared. With Orochimaru there and his subsequent death, I first thought it was a conflict of interest."

"First?" the clone prompted, turning slightly.

"Due to the large scale of the conflict, I was able to later collect some of the chakra dispersed in the clan," Zetsu explained. "Using that, I tried to locate him, but perhaps he was too far away. I didn't find him on the island. The chakra had some likeness to the Kaguya Clan members, so I think he is a hidden card of the Kaguya Clan who retaliated against Orochimaru for trying to kidnap Kimimaro and later escaped with the kid. There is a chance, however, he might return to the island after securing the kid."

The clone processed this information, his mind starting to formulate plans and contingencies. With a hand sign, he said, "If he comes, I'll deal with him. So you can divert your attention from there. I need you to find the merchants currently escaping the Land of Water. Capture them alive." He paused, then added, "Also, how are the family members of the assassins doing?"

"They have been doing pretty well," Zetsu replied, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "They are currently undergoing rigorous physical training. I have been guiding them just as you instructed."

"Good," the clone nodded, then turned to look at a corner where the silhouette of a tiny person was visible. "You will be working now, Three Tails."

With a soft 'poof', the clone disappeared, its gathered knowledge flowing back to the original Obito.

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Back in the Mizukage's office, Obito absorbed the information from his dispelled clone. His mind raced, analyzing the new intel and its implications.

The rumors of Orochimaru's death spread faster than anticipated, he mused, pacing the length of the ornate office. The involvement of merchants suggests a deeper conspiracy. But who's pulling the strings?

He paused by the window, gazing out at the mist-shrouded village of Kirigakure.

A person capable of eliminating both Tatsumaro and Orochimaru in one night... that's no small feat, Obito thought, his fist clenching involuntarily. If this individual has ties to the Kaguya Clan, their motives could be even more complex than I initially assumed.

He turned away from the window, his eye falling on the Mizukage hat resting on the desk. A symbol of power, yes, but also a reminder of the long game he was playing.

Protecting Kimimaro is understandable, Obito reasoned, but there could be other hidden agendas at play. I need to stay ahead of this unseen enemy.

He moved towards the hidden Kamui portal. Every piece of information, every strategic move, had to be meticulously planned. Failure was not an option.

As he stepped into the swirling vortex, Obito's resolve hardened. The Kaguya clan will go extinct. I'll make sure of that. And if that man stands in my way...

The thought remained unfinished as Obito disappeared into the portal, leaving behind an empty office.