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One month later. Inside the Akatsuki's base. Same as always, phantom projections began materializing one after another.
Within the Akatsuki, there were those who liked to be punctual and those who didn't. Therefore, this meeting was, as per usual, delayed for quite a long time before everyone was finally assembled.
Pain, his black-purple Rinnegan scanning over the members of the Akatsuki once more to confirm that everyone had arrived, finally spoke.
"On my end, I've already pinpointed the location of the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki and am currently preparing to capture her. Which pair among you is interested in going? Since this is our organization's first Tailed Beast capture, I do hope that those who go will exercise a certain degree of caution and prudence."
A ripple of emotion stirred within Itachi's calm, crimson eyes.
"We're beginning the Tailed Beast captures already? And starting with the Seven-Tails, at that? This shouldn't align with our plan. Shouldn't we begin with the One-Tail?"
The absorption of Tailed Beasts by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had to proceed strictly in order, from the One-Tail through to the Nine-Tails. Therefore, in the Akatsuki's original plan, the One-Tail had been the highest priority target.
Pain shook his head.
"Under normal circumstances, we indeed should start with the One-Tail, because the Demonic Statue's absorption can only begin with the One-Tail. However, the situation with this particular Jinchuriki right now is somewhat... unique."
Kisame's shark-like mouth stretched into a grin, like a shark scenting blood, poised and ready to hunt at any moment.
"A Tailed Beast, huh? To be honest, Leader, I've been itching to have a real fight against a genuine Tailed Beast for a long time now, to see just how big the gap truly is between a real Tailed Beast and this 'Tailed Beast without a Tail' of mine. Heh heh heh... Oh, and Leader, that 'unique' you just mentioned—what do you mean by that?"
Pain looked toward Kisame. First, he answered Kisame's first question.
"Regarding the candidates to send against the Seven-Tails... Kisame, you and Itachi are not the optimal choice. If possible, I don't want to send you two. The Seven-Tails is a flying creature, and neither you nor Itachi possess any meaningful flight capability."
Having said that, Pain then proceeded to answer Kisame's second question.
"As for its uniqueness... Mm. The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki hails from the Hidden Waterfall Village. It's the hidden village of a minor nation. The Seven-Tails is the only Tailed Beast that belongs to a minor nation. Furthermore, the Hidden Waterfall Village's attitude toward the Seven-Tails is one of considerable disgust. Those are the two main points.
Previously, the reason we didn't plan to move against any Tailed Beast other than the One-Tail first was because acting against the other Tailed Beasts would easily attract the premature attention of the great nations. After all, the vast majority of the Tailed Beasts are held by the great nations. As it happens, the Hidden Waterfall Village is not a great nation, and on top of that, the Hidden Waterfall truly dislikes the very existence of this Tailed Beast. So, this works out perfectly. We'll help them take care of it. Even if we can't bring it back and absorb it immediately, as long as we don't attract attention, it's a net gain no matter what."
Sasori let out a chuckle. "In other words... moving against other Tailed Beasts would risk prematurely drawing the great nations' attention, but moving against the Seven-Tails doesn't carry that concern, correct?"
Pain nodded. "Yes."
With that, Pain turned his head to look at Kakuzu.
"Kakuzu. The target this time is the Jinchuriki of the Hidden Waterfall Village. I'd like you to make the trip. Is that acceptable?"
Kakuzu spoke without any expression on his face. "The Hidden Waterfall, huh? I understand. It's been a long time since I last went back. I suppose this is a good opportunity to return."
Pain added a reminder. "The target is not currently in the Hidden Waterfall. She's in the vicinity of the Hidden Sand, undergoing the Chunin Exams. By the time you two arrive, the target should already be on her return journey. Intercept them along the way."
Kakuzu acknowledged. "Understood."
But at that moment, Kisame, standing to the side, wasn't having any of it.
"Hey, hey, hey! Leader, you can't play favorites like that. You just said that Itachi and I don't have flight capabilities and would have difficulty dealing with the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. But... don't Kakuzu and Hidan also lack flight capabilities?"
Pain immediately explained. "Kakuzu is certainly far more familiar with the people of the Hidden Waterfall Village than either you or Itachi. In addition to that, given the nature of Hidan's ability, once he draws blood, no amount of agility or maneuverability will save the target. Therefore, even if Kakuzu and Hidan lack flight capability, they have nothing to fear from the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki."
Kakuzu gave a cold snort and added.
"Allow me to add one point: my Earth Grudge Fear does possess flight capability. I simply don't use it very often."
With that, Kisame was completely out of arguments. He curled his lip.
"Well, well..."
Hidan, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up, his voice filled with displeasure directed at Kisame.
"Oi, you damn shark! Why are you so eager to snatch me and Kakuzu's assignment? The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki... if I offered her to Lord Jashin, Lord Jashin would surely be delighted! Hah... hahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!"
Toward the end, Hidan let out a somewhat maniacal, unsettling laugh. It was slightly chilling.
Pain's gaze shifted toward Hidan.
"I believe I specified 'capture.' It's capture. Not kill. Do as you please with the others, but the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki... I want her alive."
Hidan's laughter was cut short, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. With an expression of utter disinterest, he waved dismissively at Pain.
"Fine, fine. I got it."
Pain nodded. "Good. Then, if there's nothing else... dismissed."
The very next second, Deidara's projection, who hadn't spoken a single word the entire time, was the first to vanish. Next was Sasori, followed by Itachi, Kisame, Kakuzu...
Very quickly, within the now-empty and desolate Akatsuki base, only Pain's projection remained.
After a few seconds of silence, those black-purple Rinnegan finally closed as well. The entire projection vanished from this place.
Thus, this place returned once more to utter stillness and silence.
*****
"Kagaya, Kagaya! Hurry up and tell me! Where on earth did you go for this entire past year? Don't be so stingy!" Karin, her face brimming with curiosity, tugged on Kagaya's arm, questioning him insistently.
Kagaya pressed a hand to his forehead. "I'm telling you... I know you Uzumaki clan members have incredibly tenacious life force and recover from injuries after resting a bit. But... are you telling me that now that your injuries are healed, you're not even a little bit concerned, like I am, about who was behind the whole hunting-you-down affair?"
Karin's expression lit up with sudden realization. She raised her other hand and slapped her own forehead.
"Ah! You're right! How could I have forgotten about that?!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Karin's face instantly twisted with fury.
"Bastard! That damned bastard! Don't let me find out who was behind this, or I'll definitely hack him into minced meat!!!"
After saying that, Karin let out a breath of relief and immediately grabbed onto Kagaya's arm again.
"But for now... Kagaya, your experiences are way more important! Ehehehe... Come on, just tell me about them, pleeease."
Kagaya stared, utterly stupefied, at the speed with which Karin's expression had shifted. To be perfectly honest, in Kagaya's memory, the Karin from the original story should have been an extremely rational and independent woman. Yet...
Yet now... how did this girl turn into what seemed like a complete idiot the moment she got close to Kagaya?
'Could it be that I really the cause of it?' Kagaya couldn't help but think to himself.
"Um... Karin. Let me ask you something."
"Sure, Kagaya. Go ahead."
"Are you... poisoned or something?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"No, nothing. Just asking."
"Oh. No, I'm not. I'm from the Uzumaki clan, after all. My life force is very tenacious. Ordinary poisons can't really do anything to me."
"Alright. I'll take your word for it."
After chatting with Karin for a while and finishing up, Kagaya turned his head to look at Haku, who was off to the side. He was somewhat at a loss for words.
After not seeing them for an entire year, both Karin and Haku's appearances had inevitably undergone considerable changes. After all, this was the age where they changed the most. Karin's height was gradually becoming taller and more slender, and she was starting to carry a hint of feminine charm. That was perfectly fine. The problem lay in this: why was it that you, Haku, were also looking more and more like a woman?
You're supposed to be a cute boy! A boy!
Looking like a girl when you were little was one thing—that could still be explained away. But how was it that the older you got, the more you looked like a girl?
At this moment, Kagaya began to seriously suspect that Kishimoto hadn't drawn Haku's appearance wrong, but had actually written Haku's gender wrong!
Being stared at continuously by Kagaya, Haku couldn't help but blush faintly.
"Um... Kagaya... is something the matter?"
"..."
Taking a deep breath, he looked at Haku's fair, snow-white cheeks, his long, silky hair cascading down to his waist, the gentle smile that floated on his face, and that faint, bashful blush.
Mm. This is definitely a boy!
In the end, Kagaya still didn't say anything to Haku. Letting nature take its course was fine. He couldn't exactly run up to Haku and yell, "Hey! I don't like this fair-skinned sissy type! Transform into a bronzed, eight-packed macho man for me!" He couldn't just say that, could he?
Come to think of it, Kagaya's group was currently heading toward the Hidden Cloud Village. This was only natural. The debts with the underground organizations had been settled, but the Hidden Cloud Village's tab still remained unaccounted for.
Over the past month, Kagaya had also come around in his thinking. Considering that Samui and her two companions ultimately hadn't laid a hand on them, and Haku wanted them spared, fine. This time when Kagaya went to the Hidden Cloud Village, he didn't plan on using force either. A simple, straightforward warning would suffice.
Kagaya felt this was perfectly reasonable. There was no grudge or enmity between him and the Hidden Cloud Village, and yet the Hidden Cloud had decided to deliver a killing blow to Haku and Karin while he was away? After something like this happened, a mere warning from Kagaya was truly getting off extremely lightly. It was just that after killing Danzo, Kagaya had become slightly less irascible than before. Otherwise, in the past, this matter absolutely would not have been resolved so simply.
However, what Kagaya hadn't anticipated was that before he could even reach the Hidden Cloud Village to find the Raikage, the Raikage had come looking for him first!
Whoosh!
A dazzling, blinding flash of blue light suddenly erupted. A lightning-wreathed fist shot directly toward Kagaya's face!
Far too sudden! And far too fast!
There was no dodging it!
Time seemed to slow to a crawl in that instant. That fist, wreathed in brilliant blue lightning, hovered just over ten centimeters before Kagaya's face—a distance that could be closed in the blink of an eye!
"Die!"
Accompanied by the Raikage's furious roar, the fist didn't pause for even a fraction of a second, crashing down with ruthless force.
However, in the end, that fist didn't connect with Kagaya's face. Instead, it struck a golden rib bone.
Kagaya retreated several meters, dispersed the force, steadied himself, and raised his head to look at the one who had attacked him.
"The Fourth Raikage, I presume. I hadn't even come looking for you yet, and here you are, delivering yourself to my doorstep."
The lightning around the Fourth Raikage's body blazed with even greater intensity. At this moment, he seemed utterly consumed with rage.
"You come looking for me? Don't make me laugh! It's me who has come looking for you! To injure three of my subordinates to that extent—nearly killing them! Uchiha Kagaya... you've really got some nerve! Since you dared to make a move, you should have already prepared yourself for death, shouldn't you?!"
Kagaya furrowed his brow.
"There is no grudge between me and your Hidden Cloud. You sent people to kill my comrades, and you're telling me I'm not allowed to retaliate?"
The Raikage reflexively hesitated for a moment. On this point, they were indeed in the wrong. But in the very next second, the Raikage's glare blazed with renewed fury.
"I don't want to hear a bunch of your excuses! All I know is... you nearly killed my subordinates!"
The Hidden Cloud Village had always possessed a fine and esteemed tradition—being hard-headed!
As a shinobi village that revered military might, their strength was extremely formidable. But correspondingly, this also gave rise to their obstinate and unyielding temperament and character. In short, they were hard-headed.
Take the Nine-Tails, for example. Before Madara controlled the Nine-Tails, no one had even dared to entertain the thought of controlling a Tailed Beast. Except for one hard-headed show-off: the Hidden Cloud.
With incredible, stubborn hard-headedness, the Hidden Cloud had dispatched men to try and capture the Nine-Tails. If not for Kinkaku and Ginkaku pulling their weight, they would have been completely annihilated!
They were the one and only show-off who tried to capture a Tailed Beast before Madara. Their heads truly weren't just ordinarily hard.
Later, during the period when the Third Hokage was at his peak, and when Danzo, the White Fang, and others were all present in the Leaf Village, the Hidden Cloud had actually sent men yet again to try and abduct the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina!
This couldn't even be described as merely hard-headed anymore. In that period, the Leaf Village's peak combat power included the Third Hokage, Danzo, and the White Fang. Their pillar combatants included Uchiha Kagami and Akimichi Torifuda (one of the Second Hokage's elite guards; it's speculated he possessed strength roughly on par with Uchiha Kagami). Their rising star was Minato.
It could be said that in that era, the Leaf Village had absolutely no weaknesses. At the front lines stood the Third Hokage and the White Fang. In the future, the bug-level Minato was waiting in the wings. No matter how you looked at it, the Leaf Village was in an invincible state.
And it was precisely at such a time that the Hidden Cloud, this iron-headed fool, made their move!
It's unclear why the invincible Leaf Village didn't retaliate against the Hidden Cloud. Or perhaps they did and no one knew about it.
But in any case, whether the Leaf retaliated or not, one could clearly see just how hard-headed the Hidden Cloud was.
Although the Hidden Cloud of that period also had a bug-level Third Raikage holding the fort, the problem was... you, Hidden Cloud, only had one cheat code! The Leaf Village had three or four! What gave you the right to provoke them?!
Later, not long after Minato's death—about two or three years—the Hidden Cloud once again initiated hostilities, raiding and plundering the Leaf Village's Byakugan. Although the Leaf Village had indeed weakened by that time, they were still, after all, the number one shinobi village in the world. With your Third Raikage already gone, you still had no justification to actively provoke them!
In summary: hard-headed. If not for the Leaf Village's lack of retaliation, the Hidden Cloud's current strength certainly wouldn't qualify as that of a major power.
The same principle applied here, before the Fourth Raikage. Even though he knew he was somewhat in the wrong, the fact that Kagaya had nearly beaten his subordinates to death was undeniable, right? As long as it was true, that was all that mattered. There was no need to talk about anything else. Even though he didn't know the full extent of Kagaya's strength, he was determined to beat him down today!
The look in Kagaya's eyes immediately turned ice-cold. To be honest, when a person's strength reached the level of invincibility, they would often gradually lose the inclination to fight, simply because it was utterly meaningless. Kagaya was currently in that state. Under normal circumstances, he didn't particularly feel like using force. Thus, Kagaya preferred dealing with people who were reasonable. The Fourth Raikage before him—maybe he could be reasoned with, but clearly, he had no intention of reasoning with Kagaya.
Coincidentally, Kagaya currently detested this type of person immensely. Therefore, Kagaya no longer intended to reason with him either.
The Fourth Raikage had used his Lightning Release Armor to enhance his body's physical activation, allowing him to move with even greater speed. Before going to the Warring States era, in close quarters, Kagaya might genuinely not have been as fast as the Fourth Raikage. After all, the human body was a fundamental limitation. Enhancing physical activation was equivalent to raising the upper limit. Without that enhancement, the upper limit remained unchanged. So, in all probability, Kagaya would have been outpaced by the Fourth Raikage.
But what a pity... the current Kagaya was the Kagaya who had returned from the Warring States era!
Purple eyeshadow appeared at the corners of Kagaya's eyes. Sage Mode.
Sage Mode could also massively enhance the body's physical activation!
"Hey! Where are you looking?!"
In an instant so swift the Raikage couldn't even react, a colossal golden hand directly slammed the Raikage into the ground, smashing a gigantic, deep crater into the earth!
!!!