Chapter 371: The Akatsuki Gather in Amegakure
"Except for Danzo," Uchiha Akira continued, his voice steady and completely devoid of warmth. "Uchiha Obito's shadow is also looming over this."
"That masked man is attempting to manipulate your disciples into collecting the Tailed Beasts. His ultimate goal? To force the world to understand pain through absolute, overwhelming force."
Akira turned, his dark cloak shifting as he presented his back to Jiraiya. "This... is the reality of the current Akatsuki."
"My informants report that the entire organization is currently converging in the Land of Rain." A faint, dangerous smirk touched Akira's lips. "Perfect. It saves me the tedious trouble of hunting them down across the globe."
"My objective for this excursion is remarkably simple." Akira raised a hand, his fingers slowly curling into a tight, crushing fist. "They either surrender and are assimilated under my command..."
"Or... they will be entirely suppressed."
Jiraiya's heart plummeted into his stomach. He knew Akira's methods far too well. In the Uchiha's vocabulary, 'suppress' was virtually synonymous with total annihilation, or perhaps a fate far worse than a simple death.
"Akira..." Jiraiya inhaled deeply, the damp air catching in his throat. His usual boisterous demeanor was completely gone, replaced by a heavy, pleading tone. "Can you... allow me to speak with them first?"
"No matter what twisted path they have walked, I am still their teacher." He clenched his fists at his sides. "I need to know exactly what transpired over these past years. If there is even a sliver of hope, I want to persuade them to turn back."
Akira tilted his head, casting a sidelong, impassive glance at the Toad Sage. "Turn back?"
"Jiraiya, you are getting old. Do you truly still believe in such naive fairy tales?" Akira's crimson eyes seemed to pierce right through the older man. "Those whose hands are soaked in blood cannot simply wash them clean and turn back."
Jiraiya lowered his head. He remained silent, but the set of his jaw and the rigid posture of his shoulders radiated an unyielding stubbornness. Even if the odds were one in ten thousand, he had to try. It was his burden, his ultimate responsibility, and his desperate attempt at atonement as their master.
Raising his head, Jiraiya met Akira's gaze with absolute resolve. "If they remain obstinate, I ask that you spare their lives. Even if it means lifelong imprisonment."
Akira fell silent, calculating the variables. Nagato's Rinnegan may have been transplanted by Madara, but the Uzumaki's sheer proficiency with the legendary dojutsu made him an undeniably top-tier combatant. As for Konan, her paper ninjutsu and tactical acumen were highly valuable assets.
If they refused to submit, sealing them within the Tianyu Space wouldn't be a bad alternative. It was a far more cost-effective solution than simply executing them and wasting their potential.
"Alright," Akira finally nodded, his tone pragmatic. "I am not some mindless, bloodthirsty demon. As long as they retain their value, they can live."
Jiraiya let out a long, shuddering breath, his shoulders sagging in relief. He opened his mouth to express his gratitude, but Akira's voice cut through the air again, sharp and unforgiving as a drawn blade.
"However, my patience has strict limits." Akira's eyes narrowed. "You have exactly ten minutes for your little reunion."
With those final words, Akira stomped his foot against the earth.
Crack!
The ground beneath him shattered into a spiderweb of fissures. In an explosive burst of kinetic force, his figure shot into the sky, blurring into a streak of blinding light that tore straight toward the perpetually weeping borders of the Land of Rain.
Jiraiya stared at the receding trail of light, a bitter, self-deprecating laugh escaping his lips. "This guy... still as reckless as ever."
He reached up, tightening the horned headband strapped across his forehead. His gaze darkened with a complex storm of guilt, nostalgia, and grim determination.
"Nagato, Konan..." he murmured to the wind. "Your teacher is coming."
In the next heartbeat, chakra flared around Jiraiya. He leaped forward, his wooden geta clanking loudly against the terrain as he generated astonishing speed, closely trailing the Uchiha toward Amegakure.
The sky over the Land of Rain was a suffocating canvas of leaden gray. Here, the downpour was eternal, a relentless deluge that washed over the towering, metallic cityscape. Cold raindrops drummed a chaotic rhythm against the exposed steel pipes and rusted iron bridges.
At the base of Amegakure's tallest, most imposing tower, the accumulated water pooled ankle-deep, rippling with every gust of wind.
"What absolutely disgusting weather."
A grating, complaining voice shattered the dreary tranquility of the rain.
Two figures draped in iconic black cloaks adorned with blood-red clouds slowly materialized from the dense shadows of an alleyway.
Hidan, marching on the left, casually rested a massive, three-bladed scythe across his shoulders. His slicked-back silver hair was plastered to his skull by the freezing rain, yet the miserable conditions did nothing to dampen the fanatical, borderline neurotic grin etched across his face.
He wiped a handful of water from his eyes, scowling at the sky. "In this terrible weather, Lord Jashin's sacred rituals can't even be properly performed. It is a damn tragedy!"
Walking beside him, Kakuzu completely ignored the rant. His massive, stitched hand maintained a vice-like grip on a heavy metal briefcase. Inside rested the trophy from his latest bounty mission, a small fortune in neatly stacked bills.
"Shut up," Kakuzu spat, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. "The Leader suddenly summoned everyone. At a time like this... I have a very bad feeling about it."
Hidan pouted, shifting the heavy scythe to his opposite shoulder with a metallic clank. "You are way too paranoid, old man. Isn't it just a standard meeting? Or maybe the Leader is finally ready to let us loose for a real slaughter?"
The silver-haired immortal chuckled darkly. "Speaking of which, that arrogant bastard from Konoha... Uchiha Akira..."
At the mere mention of that name, Kakuzu's massive frame stiffened abruptly. His footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second.
"Do not mention that name," Kakuzu hissed, his voice dropping to a dangerous, hushed register. "If you have a death wish, fine. But do not drag me into the grave with you."
Kakuzu had lived a very long time. He had witnessed the rise and fall of countless powerhouses. He had even survived throwing a kunai at the legendary First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, from eight hundred miles away.
But Uchiha Akira was an entirely different breed of monster. The aura that man projected wasn't just strength; it was an absolute, multidimensional despair.
"Tch, coward," Hidan spat, a glob of saliva mixing with the puddles below. "Lord Jashin will protect me from any non-believer."
Just then, the heavy splashing of footsteps echoed from the opposite end of the flooded street. Two towering figures emerged through the thick curtain of rain.
Even heavily wrapped in thick bandages, the massive blade slung across the lead figure's back radiated a heavy, bloodthirsty malice. Samehada.
Kisame Hoshigaki strode forward, accompanied by his partner, Juzo Biwa.
"Well, if it isn't the infamous Immortal Duo," Kisame drawled, his shark-like maw stretching into a wide grin that displayed rows of razor-sharp teeth. "Looks like you two just arrived as well?"
Juzo Biwa, resting the massive, cleaver-like Kubikiribocho against his shoulder, coldly swept his gaze over the duo before locking onto the metal case in Kakuzu's grip. "Kakuzu. Is that little box of yours stuffed with cash again?"
Kakuzu snorted, a harsh sound of dismissal, and turned his body slightly to shield the briefcase from view. He had zero interest in entertaining the swordsman. "That is none of your business."
"Since everyone is present, let's head up," Kakuzu continued, his glowing green eyes narrowing. "It is unwise to make the Leader wait."
The four missing-nin converged, moving as a loose unit toward the tower's entrance. Despite wearing the same uniform, there was absolutely no camaraderie among them. The damp air between the four men was thick with a suffocating blend of metallic bloodlust and barely contained killing intent.
These were S-rank Rogue Ninja. The absolute worst cancerous tumors bleeding the Ninja World dry. Every single hand present was stained with oceans of fresh blood.
They breached the interior of the towering structure. Their heavy footsteps echoed ominously down the pitch-black, spiraling corridors.
"I heard there are supposed to be new members joining us this time?" Kisame asked casually, his heavy footsteps splashing slightly against the damp stone. "Sasori of the Red Sand is dead, and that explosive brat, Deidara..."
Kisame paused, a rare flicker of genuine apprehension flashing through his small, pale eyes. "I heard he defected. Became one of Uchiha Akira's loyal lackeys."
The shark-man chuckled dryly. "The current Akatsuki is looking rather desolate, wouldn't you say?"
No one offered a reply. The remainder of the ascent was swallowed by an oppressive, suffocating silence.
'A bunch of arrogant fools,' Kakuzu thought, his emerald eyes glinting with subtle, mocking contempt in the darkness.
None of these walking corpses knew the truth. Three days prior, highly classified intelligence detailing the Akatsuki's mass gathering in the Land of Rain had already been securely delivered to the desk of Konoha's Fifth Hokage. Delivered, specifically, through Kakuzu's own secret channels.
During his last disastrous encounter, Kakuzu had been utterly and humiliatingly crushed by Uchiha Akira's absolute power.
'Submit, or die.'
That was the singular, brutal truth of survival Kakuzu had internalized over his unnaturally long life. In this chaotic Ninja World, money was incredibly important, but breathing was paramount. As long as he kept his life, he could always earn more bounties.
Although it was only a verbal agreement at the time, he had already presented his pledge of allegiance by leaking this very meeting.
If Uchiha Akira truly descended upon Amegakure today... A sharp glint flared within Kakuzu's stitched visage.
'Let this Akatsuki Organization burn.'
Konoha currently possessed the overwhelming momentum to unify the entire Ninja World. Jumping ship and aligning himself with Konoha right now was simply the most logical, profitable investment he could make.
As this thought settled in his mind, Kakuzu's previously taut nerves inexplicably relaxed. Beneath his mask, he even felt a faint, unfamiliar spark of anticipation.
Selling out the Akatsuki caused absolutely zero psychological strain on his conscience. By any financial metric, this betrayal was a massive, guaranteed profit.
"Hey, Kakuzu, what the hell are you spacing out for?" Hidan suddenly barked, glancing back over his shoulder with a suspicious glare.
Before the Jashinist could finish his complaint, Kakuzu surged forward, coldly slamming his shoulder into Hidan and shoving him aside.
"Mind your own business," Kakuzu growled.
Keeping his eyes locked straight ahead, the immortal treasurer strode up the final step, ready to face the end of the Akatsuki.
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