Land of Rain, Akatsuki base.
After several years of growth, the Akatsuki Organization had expanded from a small group of dozens into a force with hundreds of members.
What once consisted of crude shelters and temporary hideouts had gradually developed into something resembling a small town hidden within the endless rain.
Despite its rapid expansion, Akatsuki's purpose had never changed.
Everything they did was for the civilians suffering beneath the endless wars of the shinobi world.
Late at night, more than a dozen shinobi sat inside the organization's conference hall.
As Akatsuki grew larger, it became impossible to continue operating like before, when everyone gathered together and argued chaotically over every decision.
The organization now had representatives responsible for handling important matters.
Every shinobi seated in the room was considered one of Akatsuki's core members.
At the front sat Yahiko.
Though still young, the immaturity he once carried had faded greatly over the years. His expression and bearing now possessed a steadiness beyond his age.
"These are the current matters facing the organization."
Yahiko raised the letter in his hand as he spoke.
"Hanzō has invited us to Iron Mirror Mountain to discuss possible cooperation."
The letter had been delivered earlier that day by a shinobi from Amegakure.
Ever since Akatsuki warned Hanzō about the two thousand Sunagakure shinobi advancing into the Land of Rain years ago, communication between both sides had quietly continued.
The relationship was not nearly as hostile as many expected.
That was precisely why Yahiko believed negotiations were worth attempting.
However, not everyone agreed.
"I used to be part of Amegakure," one shinobi said as he stood up. "I know exactly what kind of man Hanzō is."
Amano Kyūsuke's expression darkened.
"He is called the Demigod for a reason. Countless organizations have been destroyed by his hands. His methods are ruthless."
"This invitation definitely hides something."
Many others immediately voiced their agreement.
Hanzō's reputation alone was enough to make people uneasy.
To them, cooperating with someone like him was no different from walking into danger willingly.
"You're looking at this too negatively."
Daibutsu rose from his seat and spoke calmly.
"Ever since Hanzō was captured by Konoha's Lightning Flash, his attitude has changed considerably. Everyone here has seen it."
"Our organization has grown to this scale already, yet Amegakure has not taken extreme action against us."
Several members nodded quietly.
Daibutsu continued.
"Akatsuki exists to change the Land of Rain. Eventually, we will have to face Hanzō directly regardless."
"If he is willing to open discussions now, refusing him outright would only make things worse."
The hall quickly descended into heated debate once again.
Some believed cooperation was necessary for Akatsuki's future.
Others believed trusting Hanzō was suicide.
Throughout the entire argument, Nagato remained silent.
His long red hair concealed most of his face while his gaze stayed fixed on Yahiko.
Truthfully, Nagato did not trust Hanzō at all.
But he trusted Yahiko.
The two of them had already discussed the matter privately beforehand, and Yahiko had already made his decision.
He intended to meet Hanzō.
Still, as Akatsuki's leader, Yahiko could not simply force the decision without listening to the others.
Only after the discussion dragged on for a long time did he finally end the meeting.
No final decision was announced yet.
But everyone understood one thing clearly.
Hanzō ruled the Land of Rain.
Sooner or later, Akatsuki would inevitably have to confront him directly.
After the meeting ended, Ida returned alone to his room.
The moment he lay down, his thoughts became restless.
The information regarding the Rinnegan had been passed to Danzo through him.
Yet even now, Ida could not understand why he had done it.
He had known about Nagato's eyes for a very long time, but he had never intended to report it before. Somehow, during a brief moment of hesitation and confusion, he ended up sending the intelligence back to Konoha anyway.
At times, he even wondered if he had been caught in a genjutsu without realizing it.
But that possibility made little sense.
With his abilities, if someone had manipulated his memories, he should have noticed something.
Ida let out a long sigh.
After spending so many years within Akatsuki, he no longer viewed himself as a simple Root operative.
He was Ida, one of Yahiko's trusted companions.
But no matter how much he tried to deny it, he was still ultimately a Konoha shinobi raised by Danzo.
A spy.
And the meeting at Iron Mirror Mountain was obviously a trap.
Danzo's orders had been clear.
Nagato absolutely had to attend.
Ida clenched his fists tightly.
The teachings drilled into him since childhood told him that Danzo's commands could not be disobeyed.
But he also could not bear the thought of Yahiko walking into an ambush and dying.
A dangerous thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"What if I secretly eliminate Nagato beforehand...?"
The idea disappeared almost immediately.
Leaving aside the fact that Nagato and Yahiko stayed together constantly, even if he somehow separated Nagato from everyone else, Ida doubted he could win.
Most people inside Akatsuki still did not fully understand Nagato's strength.
Ida did.
Among everyone in the organization, Nagato was unquestionably the strongest.
"What am I supposed to do...?"
He tossed and turned until deep into the night before finally making a decision.
No matter the consequences, he would warn Yahiko.
Even if his identity as a spy became exposed and he was expelled from Akatsuki, that outcome was still better than allowing Yahiko to die.
Ida hurriedly dressed himself and walked toward the door.
But the moment his hand touched the doorknob, his body suddenly weakened.
His chakra was disappearing.
No, not disappearing.
It was being drained away.
Several white, spore-like growths rapidly spread across his body before expanding outward.
The strange organisms absorbed his chakra and quickly took shape.
"What is this?!"
Shock filled Ida's eyes.
He tried to shout, but white matter instantly wrapped around his face and swallowed the sound before it could escape.
Within moments, his entire body was consumed.
Soon afterward, the white creature's appearance slowly changed.
Its body twisted and reshaped itself until it became identical to Ida.
A strange smile appeared on the fake Ida's face.
It calmly removed its wooden sandals and lay down on the bed as though nothing had happened.
Elsewhere inside a hidden cave, flames crackled softly within a bonfire.
Uchiha Fugaku sat quietly beside it, staring silently into the burning fire.
Not long afterward, the ground nearby twisted unnaturally.
A white figure emerged from beneath the earth.
It glanced deeper into the cave before turning toward Fugaku.
"Just as you predicted," White Zetsu said quietly. "He intended to warn them. We already dealt with him."
Fugaku nodded slightly.
"Good. Continue monitoring the situation carefully. We cannot afford mistakes."
"I understand."
After speaking, White Zetsu slowly sank back underground and disappeared.
Several moments later, footsteps echoed from deeper within the cave.
This time, however, they belonged to a woman.
A tall female shinobi walked into the firelight.
An ornamental hairpin rested within her hair, while two strands of orange-red bangs framed her face.
She wore a black shinobi outfit that concealed most of her figure, but her sharp presence remained impossible to ignore.
This woman was none other than Sunagakure's famous hero, the wielder of Scorch Release.
Pakura.
Officially, she had died during a mission years ago.
But her body had never been recovered.