Under the pouring rain, Uchiha Itachi gazed up at the sky, lost in thought.
His expression remained as unreadable as ever, making it impossible for others to discern his true emotions.
Beside him, Hoshigaki Kisame spoke casually.
"Mr. Itachi, why don't you come under cover? You'll catch a cold standing in the rain like that."
Before Itachi could respond, a sudden sensation washed over both of them.
A summoning signal from their leader, Pain.
It was time for a meeting.
Akatsuki's Hidden Base
In the depths of a dark cave, several hazy, illusionary figures stood atop massive stone fingers.
A pair of Rinnegan eyes swept across the gathering.
Pain's calm but authoritative voice rang out.
"Everyone is here."
His gaze shifted to Kisame and Itachi.
"Itachi, Kisame—what's the status of Four-Tails?"
Kisame smirked, his sharp teeth gleaming.
"With Itachi and me on the job, what's Four-Tails? That old man's already half-dead."
His tone carried a hint of pride.
Pain gave a brief nod before turning to Deidara.
"What about you and Sasori? How is the capture of One-Tail progressing?"
Deidara immediately frowned.
"Boss, Big Brother Sasori and I just arrived in the Land of Wind. We're still quite far from Sunagakure. You're moving too fast!"
His voice was filled with annoyance.
"We haven't even seen One-Tail yet, and you're already asking for results."
Deidara sighed dramatically.
"Tch... I haven't even had the chance to show off my art in Sunagakure yet!"
Taunts and Clashing Egos
A snide chuckle echoed through the gathering.
"Hahaha, little Deidara, sounds like an excuse to me. Are you sure you can even handle it?"
The voice belonged to Hidan, his mocking tone laced with amusement.
Deidara's eye twitched in irritation.
"Shut up, you undead freak! Worry about your own damn mission!"
Hidan growled.
"What did you just say, brat?!"
Before things could escalate, Kakuzu intervened, his voice filled with annoyance.
"Enough. We have more important things to deal with."
Pain silenced them with a stern glare.
"Deidara, One-Tail is crucial. The sealing process must begin in order—from One-Tail to Nine-Tails. Without One-Tail, we cannot proceed.
You must complete this mission immediately."
Deidara huffed but nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Boss. Don't worry. I know Sunagakure better than anyone. One-Tail won't escape me."
At that moment, Sasori, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"I will ensure the mission's success."
As a former Sunagakure ninja, Sasori knew his homeland inside and out.
Pain trusted that with Sasori's knowledge and Deidara's combat skills, the capture of One-Tail was inevitable.
The Status of Two-Tails
Pain turned his gaze toward Hidan and Kakuzu.
"Hidan, Kakuzu—what's the status of Two-Tails?"
For the first time in the meeting, the two fell silent.
Kakuzu's expression darkened.
Hidan crossed his arms, visibly irritated.
Seeing their hesitation, Deidara seized the opportunity to mock them.
"Yo, zombie duo, don't tell me you don't even know where the Jinchūriki is!"
Hidan clenched his fists, ready to start a fight, but Kakuzu held him back.
Kakuzu then spoke in a grave tone.
"There's a problem, Boss. Two-Tails is... already dead."
A tense silence filled the air.
Pain's Rinnegan eyes narrowed slightly.
"Explain."
The Death of Nii Yugito
Kakuzu continued.
"According to our sources, Two-Tails' Jinchūriki, Nii Yugito, died during a mission in the Land of Fire."
The members of Akatsuki were visibly surprised.
If a Jinchūriki dies, the Tailed Beast revives naturally after some time—but it would take years before Two-Tails could reform.
Pain clenched his fists slightly.
"Damn it... why now?"
At that moment, a new presence emerged from the shadows.
Zetsu.
His body merged from the ground as he spoke in a calm yet eerie tone.
"The reports are accurate. Nii Yugito's death has been confirmed in Kumogakure. Her mission, however... was linked to Konoha."
The mention of Konoha made every Akatsuki member pause.
Pain's voice grew colder.
"Konoha? Explain."
Zetsu continued.
"The battle occurred in Skyline Canyon, deep within the Land of Fire. Nii Yugito and an entire squad of Kumogakure ninjas were wiped out.
On Konoha's side, only two Anbu were found dead."
Shock and Suspicion
The gathered Akatsuki members were stunned.
Kisame let out a low whistle.
"Only two casualties? That's impressive."
Even Pain's usually calm demeanor showed slight concern.
If Konoha had suffered minimal losses while annihilating a Kumogakure force, then someone extremely powerful was involved.
"Who was responsible?"
Zetsu's answer was swift.
**"Reports suggest that it was one man—Uchiha Nanaya."
The air grew heavy.
Kisame chuckled.
"Heh... I should've known. That guy again, huh?"
Itachi remained silent, his mind processing the information.
Pain's gaze darkened.
"Nanaya... So, he was the one who wiped out Two-Tails' Jinchūriki?"
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Then, after a moment, Pain spoke decisively.
"We cannot afford delays. Hidan, Kakuzu—your new mission is to locate remnants of Two-Tails' chakra and continue hunting other Jinchūriki."
"Understood."
The Meeting Ends—Plans Set in Motion
With that, the holographic projections flickered and vanished one by one.
The Akatsuki members returned to their respective missions.
Kisame and Itachi, still in the rain, opened their eyes.
The storm had finally passed.
Kisame stretched, smirking.
"Tsk, tsk... What a shame. Two-Tails is already dead. That would've been a fun fight."
Itachi, however, remained unfazed.
His scarlet Sharingan flickered as he spoke.
"Kisame, after we deliver Four-Tails, we return to Konoha."
Kisame's grin widened.
"Oh? Finally going after the Nine-Tails, huh?"
His grip tightened on Samehada.
"They say Nine-Tails is the strongest Tailed Beast. I wonder how its chakra tastes."
Iwagakure—Ohnoki's Fury
Back in the Land of Earth, Iwagakure...
A panicked messenger rushed into the Tsuchikage's office.
"Lord Ohnoki! We have terrible news!"
The elderly Third Tsuchikage, Ohnoki, floated in midair, his expression darkening.
"What is it?"
"Four-Tails' Jinchūriki, Rōshi—he's been captured by Akatsuki!"
Ohnoki's fists clenched.
"Damn it... those Akatsuki bastards think they can just take what belongs to Iwagakure?!"
His voice shook with fury.
"They dare to look down on this old man?!"
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