Chapter 374: Kakuzu's Betrayal Shocks Hidan
The firelight had not yet completely faded.
A suffocating wave of heat continued to roll through the air, clashing violently with the freezing rain of Amegakure to send thick, hissing clouds of white steam into the sky. Konan clutched her scorched arm, her boots scraping against the wet stone as she stumbled backward. Her amber eyes trembled, reflecting the dying embers.
'Is this... the true strength of the Fifth Hokage?'
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The sharp sound of displaced air tore through the heavy downpour. Six figures plummeted from the sky, landing with heavy thuds to form an impenetrable wall between Konan and her attacker. The leader stood tall, his striking orange hair plastered to his forehead by the rain. Black chakra rods pierced his pale face, and his cold, rippling purple eyes locked onto Uchiha Akira.
The Six Paths of Pain had assembled.
A second later, the splash of boots hitting puddles echoed across the battlefield. Several more figures touched down, fanning out to completely encircle Uchiha Akira and Jiraiya. Kisame Hoshigaki rested the massive, bandage-wrapped Samehada on his shoulder, revealing a shark-like grin. Beside him stood Hidan, his eyes wide with crazed bloodlust. Rounding out the formation were the cold, calculating Kakuzu and the grim-faced wielder of the Executioner's Blade, Biwa Juzo.
High above, hidden safely within the swirling void of the Kamui Dimension, Uchiha Obito peered out at the battlefield. The moment his single eye registered Uchiha Akira's face, his composure shattered. His breath hitched. His gloved palms began to tremble.
'Why...'His mind spun in frantic circles.'The Akatsuki Organization just called this assembly. How is Uchiha Akira already here?'Only the absolute core members knew about this gathering. A cold dread settled in Obito's stomach.'A mole. There has to be a mole.'
The grand design to capture the Tailed Beasts was supposed to begin today. Uchiha Akira's sudden intrusion threatened to burn it all to ash.
Further back, masked by the heavy curtain of rain, Hiruko's silhouette shrank into the shadows. He swallowed hard, his throat dry despite the damp air.
'Are you kidding me?'he thought, his eyes darting toward the escape routes.'The Fifth Hokage, and Jiraiya of the Sannin?'Hiruko possessed zero loyalty to the Akatsuki Organization. This was a marriage of convenience, nothing more. Everyone was just gathered together to exploit each other for their own interests.'Fight. Go ahead and fight. It's best if both sides end up heavily injured.'
Hiruko shifted his weight backward, making up his mind. The second this battle went south, he would run immediately. He had no intention of being buried alongside the Akatsuki Organization.
In the center of the encirclement, Jiraiya stared at the orange-haired leader. His pupils shrank to pinpricks. The rain battered his face, but he didn't blink. It was Yahiko's face. Yahiko's body. But the cold, dead expression and those rippling purple eyes belonged to a total stranger.
"Yahiko!" Jiraiya's voice tore through the roaring rain, thick with desperate, foolish hope. "Are you still alive?!"
The Deva Path looked down at the Sannin. Not a single trace of emotion flickered in his gaze.
"Yahiko?" His voice was a hollow echo. "He is already dead. Standing before you is Pain. It is a god."
Jiraiya's jaw clenched. Uchiha Akira had already warned him before that Yahiko was dead. Then what was this thing standing in front of him? Was it a twisted puppet forged from his student's corpse? How could this happen?
A heavy hand clapped onto Jiraiya's shoulder.
"Alright," Uchiha Akira said, his tone dry and utterly unbothered. "The reminiscing session is over."
Akira stepped past the Sannin, his dark eyes sweeping over the ring of so-called S-Rank Rogue Ninja. He didn't see a threat; he saw an inventory list.
"Although you all look quite distinctive," Akira drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I have to admit, as hired muscle, you are somewhat qualified."
He tilted his chin up, his gaze dripping with absolute arrogance.
"I'll give you one chance. Submit to Konoha."
The sheer audacity hung in the air, heavier than the rain. Standing in the heart of the Akatsuki Organization's stronghold, surrounded by the most dangerous missing-nin in the world, he actually dared to demand their surrender.
Hidan dug a pinky finger into his ear, twisting his face into a mask of exaggerated disbelief. "Hey, Kakuzu," he shouted over the downpour. "Did this guy's brain get ruined by the rain?"
The Deva Path raised a pale hand, his expression hardening. A god did not tolerate insults.
"Uchiha Akira. You are too arrogant." The rain seemed to slow around him, repelled by an invisible pressure. "Do you think you are invincible just because you defeated a few Kage? In the face of a god, the power of mortals is meaningless. Since you refuse to feel Pain... then I shall grant you death."
Akira let out a low, mocking laugh. "A god? Just because of those eyes you borrowed?"
Inside the Kamui Dimension, Obito's heart stopped abruptly.
Borrowed?
Did Uchiha Akira know the secret of the Rinnegan?
Pain's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Ignorant. These are the eyes that control life and death; they are the eyes of a god. You have no idea of the power of these eyes."
"I have no idea?" Akira shook his head slowly.
He raised his chin, letting the rain wash over his face. His eyes, which were originally as pitch-black as ink, suddenly shifted. A suffocating, oppressive wave of Visual Prowess erupted from his body, instantly dwarfing the pressure radiating from Pain. Deep purple ripples expanded across Akira's sclera. Black tomoe materialized, swirling violently within the rings. His eyes transformed into an eerie, glowing purple.
The Rinnegan.
The battlefield froze. The ever-chatty Hidan stood paralyzed, his jaw practically unhinged.
"This... this is..." Hidan stammered. "The same eyes as the leader? No... it feels even more terrifying than the leader's!"
Pain's face, which had always been a mask of eternal calm, finally showed a crack. Shock. Disbelief.
"Impossible!" Nagato's true body roared from deep within the shadows of his hidden sanctuary. "The Rinnegan is the eye of the Six Paths Sage; it is unique! How could he have it?!"
Inside the Kamui Dimension, Obito stood completely dumbfounded, his mind blanking out. Uchiha Akira had actually activated the Rinnegan? How was this possible?
Akira stared down at Pain, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "Do you still think you are the only god? These kinds of eyes... you are not the only one who has them."
The rain fell harder and harder. But the chill in the hearts of everyone present was infinitely colder than the storm.
In the midst of this suffocating, terrifying silence, a black blur unleashed the Body Flicker Technique without warning. The speed was extreme. The figure landed perfectly beside Uchiha Akira, his boots splashing lightly in a puddle.
He wore the signature red-cloud black robe and a thick mask covering his lower face. In his arms, clutched with the utmost care, was a heavy metal money box.
It was the immortal bounty hunter, Kakuzu.
This was the mole Uchiha Akira had violently subdued and planted within the Akatsuki Organization months ago.
Kakuzu stood directly at Akira's right hand. He smoothly adjusted his posture, even thoughtfully dipping into a crisp, respectful bow befitting a loyal subordinate.
"Hokage-sama," Kakuzu stated, his gruff voice carrying clearly over the rain. "Subordinate Kakuzu, reporting for duty."
The entire scene was petrified. Even Uchiha Akira blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
'This old guy...'Akira thought, dryly amused.'His betrayal was just too smooth, right? There wasn't even a transition?'
"Kakuzu!!!"
A heart-rending, furious roar shattered the silence. Hidan pointed a trembling finger at his partner, his eyes bloodshot with pure rage.
"You old bastard! You're actually a traitor?! We are partners! We've eaten together, we've killed together! You actually betrayed the organization?!"
Kakuzu turned his head, glaring at Hidan with unhidden, absolute disgust.
"Shut up, you idiot." Kakuzu adjusted his grip on his money box, mercilessly switching to his venomous tongue mode. "Being partners with an idiot like you, whose brain is only filled with a cult, is the biggest humiliation of my life."
He scoffed, his eyes sweeping over the rest of the stunned members.
"Akatsuki Organization? A bunch of lunatics. Following this kind of organization, it's doomed sooner or later."
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