"Red-haired brat, do you believe I'll kill you!"
Upon entering the Land of Rain, Hidan began arguing with Sasori simply because Sasori had eaten the last piece of fried pork chop. Facing Hidan's threat, Sasori only narrowed his eyes and offered a faint smile, appearing completely unfazed.
"If Senior Hidan wants to kill me, he should try defeating my puppet first."
At this, Hidan reached his limit. He instantly released his Three-bladed blood scythe, preparing for a fight to the death with Sasori. This red-haired brat had been quite obedient during his first few days in the Jashin Religion, doing whatever he was told. Yet, as time passed, he constantly sucked up to Simu, and now he was even showing signs of rising in rank!
How could Hidan tolerate this?
The main issue was Sasori's puppet, which used Magnet Style to manipulate Iron Sand. It was incredibly troublesome; every time Hidan wanted to attack, he was blocked by a wall of sand. Once he was pinned down by Iron Sand or other puppets, he essentially lost his combat capability, which was infuriating.
However, even though Hidan hadn't thought of a way to deal with Sasori's puppets yet, it didn't stop him from seeking a fatal showdown. He couldn't die anyway, and with Simu around, Sasori wouldn't actually seal him away.
Hearing the tense bickering between Hidan and Sasori, Simu let out a long sigh. At first, Sasori had been honest and kept to his role as an intern, not daring to provoke Hidan. But as time went on and Hidan continued to bully him, Sasori revealed his dark side. He would frequently provoke Hidan with a harmless expression and mocking words.
Once Hidan initiated the attack, Sasori would immediately use the Third Kazekage puppet to restrain him with Iron Sand. Since Hidan always started the fight, he could only swallow his grievances.
One could only say that Hidan was truly brainless.
However, they were about to arrive at the Akatsuki headquarters, and Simu didn't want any more trouble. He spoke helplessly, "Stop it."
Hearing Simu speak, Sasori immediately wiped the smile from his face and responded seriously, "Yes, Senior Simu."
But Hidan was like a Siberian Husky; he wouldn't stop just because Simu said so.
"Simu, don't stop me! I'm going to chop this red-haired kid to pieces!"
Then, Simu chopped Hidan's head off.
"Damn Simu, mmmph mmmph..."
Hidan's mouth was stuffed with wood by Simu, rendering him unable to speak.
As Simu injected chakra into the ring on his finger, a strange chakra ripple spread from it. The cliff face in front of them suddenly rippled like water. Immediately after, a deep cave appeared before them.
"We're here."
Simu was concise. Sasori nodded beside him; this must be the so-called Akatsuki headquarters. Senior Simu had briefly introduced it to him before they arrived. The Akatsuki and the Jashin Religion were currently in a cooperative relationship. Therefore, in addition to being a member of the Jashin Religion, he would also have the identity of an Akatsuki member.
Sasori didn't mind. As long as he could learn new puppet technology from Senior Simu, it made no difference which organization he joined.
Simu carried Hidan's head and body while Sasori carried Gaara into the cave. The space soon opened up, revealing a vast underground world. What shocked Sasori the most was the massive statue before his eyes—the Gedo Mazo.
"Oi, a newcomer has arrived!"
Tobi's voice rang out as expected. Wearing his mask, he appeared instantly before Simu and the others. He sized up Sasori and then introduced himself enthusiastically, "Hello! I'm Tobi, an intern for the Akatsuki!"
Sasori remained cold in the face of Tobi's enthusiasm. "Hello. I am Sasori of the Red Sand."
Except for Simu, he seemed cold toward everyone. Hearing the newcomer's frigid response, Tobi sighed dejectedly and said with disappointment, "What a pity. It seems he's another boring member like Senior Simu."
"As expected, Senior Hidan is more lively. I like Senior Hidan more..."
Tobi stopped halfway and looked around curiously. "Eh? Where is Senior Hidan?"
Simu lifted Hidan's head and presented it to Tobi. Seeing the head, Tobi asked in an exaggerated tone, "Ah? Why has Senior Hidan been decapitated again?"
Hidan struggled desperately, but it was useless. Simu, however, looked at Tobi with interest. "Tobi, why did you change your mask?"
The tiger-patterned mask had almost become synonymous with the "Great Villain" of the Jashin Religion in the Shinobi World. Now, Tobi had discarded it for a spiral orange mask.
Upon hearing Simu's question, Tobi's voice turned resentful. "It's all because Senior Simu kept using my mask to..."
Tobi stopped mid-sentence as he caught Simu's gaze and quickly changed his tune. "...to punish evil and promote good!"
Simu smiled with satisfaction. Before they could say more, Pain's voice echoed from the hall.
"Since you're here, come in."
A pair of light purple eyes filled with concentric circles watched them from the darkness. A terrifying majesty radiated from those eyes.
Are these the legendary Eyes of the Sage?
The thought immediately flashed through Sasori's mind.
"Sasori of the Red Sand, welcome to the organization," Pain said calmly. "Orochimaru, you should greet them as well."
As Pain spoke, a figure standing on the finger of the Gedo Mazo opened his eyes. As pale yellow snake-like pupils lit up the darkness, a cold aura instantly washed over them.
Simu pushed up his glasses, his face showing no surprise. Long before returning to the Land of Rain, he had learned of this through his insects. The leader of the Akatsuki had personally acted to recruit a heavyweight member: one of the former Legendary Sannin of the Leaf, Orochimaru.
"Greetings everyone. I am the new member of the Akatsuki, code-named [Sky]."
After speaking, he licked his lips with his tongue and let out a cold laugh, displaying the ring on his finger engraved with the character for "Sky."
Even the Sannin Orochimaru has joined. It seems the strength of this organization is deeper than I imagined...
Sasori thought silently, his gaze lingering on Orochimaru. If I could turn Orochimaru into a Human Puppet, he would probably possess power rivaling the Third Kazekage...
Orochimaru ignored Sasori's gaze. Instead, he used a Body Flicker Jutsu to appear directly in front of Simu and extended his palm.
"Simu-kun, we meet again."