Pain's gaze swept across everyone. His long reign as a god had long since stripped away any trace of emotion from his face.
When Sasori spoke, Pain's eyes turned toward him, and an invisible pressure instantly filled the air. Sasori could feel the weight of that silent authority pressing down on him.
After a brief pause, Pain finally said,
"Sasori. The situation with the Umbrella Organization will be handled by you. Keep a constant watch on their movements."
Sasori nodded. "No problem. Leave it to me."
In truth, Sasori was already thinking about how to extract more information—and more importantly, techniques—from the Umbrella Organization. His current skills already surpassed those of his long-dead master, and his curiosity was far from sated.
"We still lack detailed intelligence on the Umbrella," Sasori continued, his tone serious. "A mysterious organization with that much power… could become a threat to us."
Before Pain could respond, Hidan interjected carelessly,
"Why bother investigating? Leave it to my big brother Kakuzu! Back in the day, he even fought the Fir—"
"I think we can end this discussion here," Kakuzu interrupted sharply, clamping a hand over Hidan's mouth.
He had been the first among them to hear whispers about the Umbrella Organization. The last thing he wanted was to draw their attention—or Pain's suspicion—toward himself.
He silently cursed himself for ever telling Hidan about that story.
What a mistake.
Hidan, of course, believed every word of it. Kakuzu had once bragged that he fought the First Hokage for three hundred rounds before finally being defeated—a tale no one else in Akatsuki had taken seriously.
"Kakuzu," Pain said suddenly, his cold eyes settling on him. "You will go."
It wasn't a request. It was a command.
Kakuzu's mouth twitched. He briefly imagined punching Hidan's head clean off but swallowed the urge.
"…Understood. Leave it to us."
Pain nodded slightly, his expression unreadable. "Good. Then the task of observing the Umbrella Organization will fall to Kakuzu and Hidan."
He looked over the rest of Akatsuki and added,
"Our preparations are nearly complete. For the next year or two, do not cause unnecessary disturbances."
With that, Pain's projection flickered and vanished.
The room fell silent. The remaining members exchanged glances—each calculating, each wary.
Kakuzu turned to Hidan and, without hesitation, slammed a fist into his head.
Hidan staggered, clutching his skull. "Big brother Kakuzu! You're too humble! You should've told him how you and the First Hokage—"
Bang!
Another punch.
Kakuzu grabbed Hidan by the neck and dragged him out, muttering curses under his breath.
Uchiha Itachi watched them leave, his gaze distant. Thoughts of Sasuke surfaced unbidden. His eyes drifted toward the horizon—the direction of the Land of Snow.
Three days later, Kumogakure had gathered the ransom Naruto demanded: two billion ryō.
If Kakuzu had heard that number, his heart might have stopped—out of sheer excitement.
The delegation was led by Darui, accompanied by Yugito Nii and ten elite Anbu shinobi.
Along the way, Yugito's curiosity got the better of her. She turned to one of the Anbu who had previously encountered Naruto—the same one now escorting her.
"Tell me," she said, her tone soft but commanding. "What kind of man is Uzumaki Naruto?"
The Anbu stiffened at her question. His expression faltered as unwanted memories surged back—the single most humiliating, terrifying experience of his life.
In his mind, he saw it again:
A blinding golden figure wrapped in chakra, eyes burning with power.
A Tailed Beast Ball tearing through mountains.
Explosions shaking the heavens.
And the Raikage himself—used as a mere punching bag.
The shinobi's voice trembled.
"Lady Yugito… forgive me. He's… he's no ordinary man. That one… he's a demon. His entire body shines with golden light, and his strength—his strength is like that of a god. He cannot be provoked."
His hands shook despite himself.
Darui, walking just ahead, overheard the conversation. A faint look of disdain crossed his face.
Coward, he thought. You shame Kumogakure with that trembling.
But Yugito's interest only deepened.
A Jinchūriki like her—yet so different.
A man who had broken free from the village's leash and defied Konoha itself.
The Nine-Tails' vessel, the runaway Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Naruto…
What kind of power did he truly wield?
Several figures raced swiftly along the mountain road, their forms blurring into streaks of motion. All of them were jōnin — veterans well-versed in the Art of Movement.
The scenery whipped past in a blur.
Meanwhile, deep within the headquarters of the Umbrella Organization, Naruto and his team were not the slightest bit concerned with Kumogakure's reparations. Their minds were wholly absorbed by their latest creation — a piece of technology so advanced it could only be described as black tech.
Before them stood a strange device, its surface gleaming faintly under the dim lights. It emitted a soft blue glow, pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat.
Naruto grinned. "After all that work, it's finally ready."
It was the product of months of effort — a project developed by dozens of researchers under Naruto's direction, combining ninjutsu theory, scientific principles, and the mystic properties of chakra.
He called it — the Chakra Reactor.
In his previous life, Naruto knew what a "reactor" was — an engine that generated tremendous energy. While the current ninja world lacked the means to replicate such technology, chakra changed everything.
Naruto had designed a system to store all the excess chakra he didn't use — and even the chakra he siphoned from the Nine-Tails — into this reactor. Over time, he also began purifying and stockpiling chakra gathered from others.
The Chakra Reactor's purpose was simple: to supply chakra to those who lacked it.
Not every shinobi possessed vast reserves. In fact, the majority struggled with limited chakra capacity.
This device, however, could change that. It could increase the survival rate of countless shinobi on missions.
Using chakra-conductive alloys mixed with a trace of chakra metal, Naruto had engraved intricate space–time formula seals across the device's surface. These seals allowed chakra to be transmitted instantly, no matter where the recipient was in the world.
In essence — chakra could now be sent across the continent.
To build up a chakra reserve large enough to fuel this network, Naruto opened a Chakra Exchange Program.
Anyone could donate their chakra in exchange for points, which could then be traded for jutsu, equipment, or other benefits.
For many, it was a godsend. Even those too poor or talentless to earn points through missions could now contribute chakra and gain resources in return.
Of course, the system came with its drawbacks.
Some overzealous participants repeatedly drained themselves dry, only to return again and again once they'd recovered — pale-faced and trembling. Many joked that the process left them feeling as if they had "chakra deficiency syndrome."
Naruto, on the other hand, accumulated an enormous reserve. With enough points, shinobi could even remotely draw chakra from the system during missions — effectively carrying a lifeline of energy wherever they went.
The device itself was sleek and portable — shaped like a slim metallic rod. A small chakra-sensitive screen displayed numeric readings, and with a twist of its core, the user could activate the spatial relay seal, transmitting chakra instantly.
It couldn't enhance one's innate power — it wasn't that kind of miracle — but it provided a temporary energy boost and drastically increased survival odds.
Naruto named the chakra unit of measurement: "Ka."
Why Ka?
He refused to explain, simply smirking and saying, "Those who know… know."
Most shinobi could only afford a fraction of a Ka, while the more affluent or elite might store several whole Ka's worth of chakra.
Naturally, chakra wasn't free. The exchange required points, and even the Umbrella's supply wasn't limitless.
To ensure no one died on a mission due to insufficient chakra, Naruto implemented an emergency loan system — a temporary advance that had to be repaid later.
Naruto looked at the glowing reactor core and nodded to himself.
"This," he murmured, "is the future of the shinobi world."
...
TN:
⚒️ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)