Rain fell incessantly upon the Hidden Rain Village.
In a gloomy underground cave, the massive Gedo Statue stood in the darkness, its fingers reaching upward.
With a ripple of chakra, several holographic figures lit up on the statue's fingers.
The Akatsuki had assembled.
Deidara's flippant voice was the first to break the silence.
His eyes were filled with playfulness as he stared at the two people beside him.
"Itachi-san, Kisame-senpai, waiting for this gathering really makes one impatient—hm."
"Making a great artist like me wait so long deserves a punishment."
"Shut up, Deidara."
Nearby, the hunched Sasori of the Red Sand let out a sound of dissatisfaction.
"I don't like keeping people waiting, and I hate waiting for others."
"Itachi, Kisame, your reason for being late had better satisfy me."
"Hehe—sorry, sorry."
Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth.
Although he was merely a phantom image, the others could still detect a trace of lingering excitement and fear in his tone.
"Some unexpected situations occurred during this trip to Konoha; it wasn't easy to make it back alive for this meeting."
"Huh?"
Deidara acted as if he had just heard a joke.
"Kisame-senpai, are you kidding?"
"Could those old geezers in Konoha really push you that far?"
"Or is that Nine-Tails jinchuriki just really troublesome?"
"I'm not entirely clear on Konoha's current strength—"
Kisame recalled the moment he was nearly killed instantly by Naruto, a dark shadow flashing across his eyes.
"But the word 'troublesome' doesn't even begin to describe that Nine-Tails brat."
"Our intelligence is severely outdated; he's not some genin still in his growth phase—he's a monster wearing human skin!"
Kisame paused, glanced at the silent Uchiha Itachi beside him, and added meaningfully.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Itachi-san."
"If he hadn't lost interest in dragging out the fight, I'm afraid we wouldn't have made it back so easily."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the cave instantly grew heavier.
For both Kisame and Uchiha Itachi to find him difficult, the strength of the Nine-Tails jinchuriki clearly exceeded everyone's expectations.
"Hmph, strength doesn't matter—"
The previously silent Kakuzu suddenly spoke up, his eyes flashing with undisguised greed.
"More importantly, have you seen the latest bounty list?"
"Bounty list?"
Hidan shifted his scythe, complaining impatiently.
"Kakuzu, what else is in that head of yours besides money?"
"We're supposed to be talking about sacrifices!"
"Shut up, idiot."
Kakuzu glanced at him coldly, then took a deep breath and continued.
"The latest bounties on the black market have been updated."
"Uzumaki Naruto, S-rank rogue ninja, charged with massacring the Daimyo's relatives and killing Konoha's high-ranking officials—"
Kakuzu paused.
"Bounty—300 million ryo!"
Dead silence filled the room.
Even the usually crazed Hidan was stunned before he shrieked out loud.
"What?! 300 million ryo?!"
"Are you kidding me! A brat is actually worth that much?"
"At that price—even Lord Jashin would be tempted!"
"Asuma's head, as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja protecting the Daimyo, is only worth 35 million ryo."
"This brat alone is worth nearly ten Guardian Ninjas?"
"Leader."
Kakuzu turned to look at Pain, his tone somewhat urgent.
"Since Itachi failed, why don't you let Hidan and me go?"
"With this money, the organization's funding gap will soon be—"
"Enough."
A cold voice interrupted Kakuzu's fantasy.
Pain's cold Rinnegan scanned the crowd, and an invisible pressure silenced the noisy cave.
"Our primary goal right now is not hunting the tailed beasts, nor is it taking risks for that 300 million ryo."
Pain spoke slowly, his tone completely flat.
"Konoha has collapsed, and the Nine-Tails has defected."
"The balance between the Five Great Nations has been broken, and the situation is in turmoil."
"With suspicion between large nations and friction between small nations—the clouds of war are gathering."
He spread his arms, as if embracing the coming chaos.
"This is the perfect time for the Akatsuki to amass wealth and expand our mercenary business."
"War commissions will fly in like snowflakes."
"As for the Nine-Tails—"
Pain paused, his tone carrying an unquestionable arrogance.
"Let him wander outside for a while."
"No matter where he flees or how much he grows—"
"In this world, no one can escape God's judgment."
"Your current task is to disperse and accept war commissions, wait for the right opportunity, and prepare for the plan to collect the tailed beasts."
"Dismissed."
As Pain's voice fell, the phantom images disappeared one after another.
After the Magic Lantern Body Technique ended.
Uchiha Obito, wearing his swirl mask, slowly stepped out of the darkness, and beside him, the pitcher-plant-like Zetsu slowly emerged.
"Lord Madara, the situation seems to be getting out of control."
Black Zetsu's voice was slightly solemn.
"That brat not only possesses amazing strength, but he has even won over two of the Sannin, Orochimaru and Tsunade."
"He is an existence that can no longer be underestimated."
"A bounty of 300 million ryo—Hmph, those old geezers in Konoha have really been scared out of their wits."
Obito looked out at the continuous curtain of rain, a dangerous light flashing in his eyes.
"I don't care how strong he is."
"There are plenty of ninjas with power; even Nagato is nothing more than a pawn."
"But—"
He paused and continued.
"This Uzumaki Naruto, his behavioral patterns... they're too bizarre."
"He doesn't seek the position of Hokage, nor does he seek revenge or destruction like ordinary rogue ninjas."
"Instead, he just flips the table at the slightest disagreement—"
This feeling made Obito, who prided himself on being the mastermind pulling the strings of the ninja world, feel deeply offended.
It was like two people playing shogi.
He was still thinking about how to take the opponent's rook or knight.
Meanwhile, the opponent not only flipped the board over but also stood up and slapped him in the face.
Then, they flippantly told him that this was how the game was meant to be played.
This way of thinking, completely outside the traditional framework of ninja logic, was what Obito feared the most.
"You never know what his next move will be."
"Because he's uncontrollable, he's dangerous."
"Nagato is right; now is not the time to seal the Nine-Tails."
"The Gedo Statue isn't ready yet; acting rashly will only alert our enemies."
"But—we absolutely cannot allow that kid to continue growing so unscrupulously."
"This kind of unknown power and ideology does not fit within my Eye of the Moon Plan."
Obito turned sharply and looked at Zetsu.
"White Zetsu."
"Send out some clones and keep a close eye on Uzumaki Naruto."
Obito ordered.
"I want to know where he goes, who he meets, and what he says—"
"I want to know his every move."
"If necessary—"
Obito's tone was grim.
"I will go and meet him personally."
"He must not be allowed to destroy the Eye of the Moon Plan—"