The images on the Sky Screen finally came to a close, and the playback of the Tailed Beast captures ended. Across the Shinobi World, countless people were immersed in shock, anger, and fear.
Then, the voice from the Sky Screen sounded again:
[Unfortunately, no matter how strong the Akatsuki was, they could not escape the law of "Death Upon Stripping." Looking at all the members of the Akatsuki, except for Orochimaru, who defected and survived, every single one of the rest was wiped out. No matter how powerful they were, the moment they took off their clothes, it meant death was imminent.]
Death Upon Stripping?
The people of the Shinobi World looked at each other in confusion, unable to understand what this meant.
What kind of bizarre law was this? Could removing clothes really kill someone? If so, wouldn't bathhouses be the most dangerous places in the world for the Akatsuki?
Only a few people vaguely guessed at something.
---
Land of Rain, Amegakure, atop a certain high building.
Nagato sat in his wheelchair, his brow slightly furrowed.
"Death Upon Stripping?"
He repeated the phrase, a flicker of doubt in his purple Rinnegan.
"What kind of saying is this?"
Konan stood beside him, equally puzzled.
"Does it mean... that if you take off your clothes, you will die?"
The two looked at the Sky Screen, unable to figure out the logic behind this.
After a few seconds of silence, Nagato suddenly spoke.
"Konan."
"Hmm?"
"In any future battles, do not take off the organization's uniform."
Nagato's voice was calm, but carried an undeniable seriousness.
"Whatever this means, it's better to be cautious."
Konan was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
"Understood, you should do the same."
She looked down at the black robe with red clouds on her body, silently making a mental note.
After thinking for a moment, she added.
"What about when bathing?"
Nagato fell silent.
And after a long while, said: "...Bathing probably doesn't count."
Konan nodded, feeling it made sense.
But somehow, it still felt a bit strange.
---
Meanwhile, at the Akatsuki hideout where Tendo Pain was located, the expressions of the Akatsuki members were quite spectacular.
The atmosphere here was more bizarre than ever before.
Pain sat at the farthest end, his Rinnegan still cold and indifferent, as if the Sky Screen wasn't talking about him at all. But the other members' expressions were far less composed.
Earlier, they had been shocked by Nagato's true power, and then pleased to see their own heroic figures capturing Tailed Beasts displayed on the Sky Screen. But now, they felt as if they had swallowed a fly.
"Wiped out? Everyone except that traitor Orochimaru died?"
Kakuzu's voice was somewhat grave, his expression unpleasant. After all, if you're dead, you can't make money.
Hidan rolled his eyes: "How is that possible? Lord Jashin granted me immortality. There's no way I can die!"
Deidara, though the youngest, showed little fear. He sat in his seat, chin resting on his hands, his eyes filled only with curiosity.
"Death Upon Stripping? Is this some kind of curse? Who cast it?"
He tilted his head, thinking.
"Could it be that someone is specifically targeting our members after they take their clothes off? Who is it?"
Everyone looked at each other. Yeah, who killed them?
Hidan rolled his eyes again: "This Sky Screen doesn't even say who killed us."
Kakuzu added coldly: "Maybe the Sky Screen thinks it's enough to tell us we died in the end. Who did it doesn't matter."
"How could it not matter?!"
Deidara jumped up.
"I want to know who killed me! And did I explode before I died?!"
Everyone looked at him in silence.
Then Kakuzu also said.
"I want to know whether I finished spending all the money I saved before I died."
Everyone's gazes shifted sharply to him.
'Kakuzu, is that really the only thing you care about?'
Kakuzu nodded matter-of-factly: "Of course. If you die without spending all your money, isn't that a loss?"
The group fell silent again.
That actually made a strange kind of sense.
Sasori sat expressionlessly to the side, his puppet body completely motionless, but inside he was thinking: his entire body was a puppet—what difference did taking off clothes make?
Itachi stood at the edge of the group. For the first time, a faint, almost imperceptible bitter smile appeared on his otherwise lifeless face.
He had joined Akatsuki originally to monitor the organization and prevent it from posing a threat to Konoha. But now it seemed that this organization itself was a path leading straight to death.
Fate was such an interesting thing, he sighed softly.
Still, he couldn't die just yet. He had to hold on until Sasuke awakened the Mangekyō.
In the corner, Obito, wearing his spiral mask, was uncharacteristically quiet.
"Death Upon Stripping"—what kind of nonsense was this?
Yet he had a vague feeling that this "law" might be connected to their future fate. And was he—included in this?
He was Uchiha Obito; his destiny should not end here.
But if what the Sky Screen said was true… Obito's hand clenched slightly.
No. He couldn't waver.
Regardless of the future, the Eye of the Moon Plan had to be completed—even at the cost of his life.
He raised his head, looking at the Sky Screen through the mask's eyehole, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
"No matter what law it is… nothing can stop me."
[Although they were rogue ninjas, they were unyielding in the face of death, carrying out their final obsessions. Until the end, not a single one begged for mercy, surrendered, or admitted defeat. They didn't even know how to write the word 'despair.' All they had was endless madness, and their unique personal charm was utterly fascinating.]
The people of the Shinobi World were silent.
Rogue ninjas—unyielding in the face of death, not surrendering, not admitting defeat, not despairing.
This… was this really about rogue ninjas?
Why did it sound like they were describing heroes?
The Kage of the Five Great Nations felt extremely conflicted.
Such a powerful organization like Akatsuki would end up with every single member dead?
Who did it?
Who could kill Nagato, a Super Kage-level powerhouse, along with those other incredibly strong members?
Could it be that the Five Great Nations joined forces? Probably only their combined strength could wipe out Akatsuki.
But would they cooperate so easily? The Five Great Nations had been fighting each other for years—could they really just join forces like that?
---
Jiraiya gazed at the Sky Screen, feeling somewhat speechless.
So that guy Orochimaru really was a professional traitor?
Not only did he betray the village, but he also betrayed Akatsuki—and he was the only member who survived.
No wonder the Sky Screen had said earlier that among the Sannin, Orochimaru was the best at surviving.
It seemed that even after he and Tsunade had died, Orochimaru would still be doing just fine.
---
Back at the Akatsuki hideout, the atmosphere had grown even stranger.
The Sky Screen's words left them with mixed feelings.
That was praise, right? But…
Deidara scratched his head.
"Is the Sky Screen praising us?"
Hidan blinked: "Seems like it."
"Then why do I feel so uncomfortable hearing it?"
"No kidding. Of course it feels uncomfortable—it's saying we're dead."
Kisame held Samehada, the grin on his shark-like face fading slightly.
Death, huh… He had long been prepared for it.
He just wondered whether the Eye of the Moon Plan that "Madara" had spoken of would succeed.
*****
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