Deep within the dim and secret base of the Akatsuki, a sealing ceremony for the Three-Tails had just concluded.
The members of the Akatsuki, who had projected themselves there using the Magic Lantern Body Technique, had already departed.
Tendo Pain turned his lifeless Rinnegan toward the "Vermilion Bird," Takuno, who was preparing to leave, his low voice echoing in the empty cavern.
"Vermilion Bird, about the Nine-Tails... do you truly not require the organization's assistance?"
Takuno's Wood Release clone paused mid-step and slowly turned around, a flicker of imperceptible surprise crossing his face.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Nagato with an inquisitive look.
"Oh? Why the sudden question?"
Nagato did not evade and spoke plainly.
"Uchiha Madara approached me again not long ago. He seems exceptionally focused on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's whereabouts and once again proposed a specific plan for its capture. He believes now is the perfect opportunity to act."
Hearing the name "Uchiha Madara" and his suggestion, Takuno was momentarily stunned before showing a look of realization, a relaxed smile even playing at the corners of his mouth.
"I see. Regarding the Nine-Tails..." His tone was flat, yet he dropped a piece of information significant enough to shake the entire Akatsuki.
"There's no need to trouble yourselves. In fact, back during the Chunin Exams in Konoha—the ones disrupted by Orochimaru—the Nine-Tails had already fallen under my control."
"What?!"
Even with Nagato's habitual composure, his mind was shaken at this moment, and for the first time, an unmaskable shock flickered in his Rinnegan.
Takuno had already captured the Nine-Tails? And under circumstances where none of them had noticed?
This was not only unknown intelligence to the Akatsuki, but for the entire Shinobi World, it was nothing short of a bombshell.
Takuno seemed satisfied with Nagato's reaction. He looked at the other man and made a proposal with an almost casual posture.
"If you want it now, I can hand the Nine-Tails over to you at any time."
Nagato quickly regained his calm and, after weighing the pros and cons, immediately refused.
"That won't be necessary," he said in a deep voice.
Their current sealing power was limited; even if the Nine-Tails were delivered, it couldn't be sealed immediately.
Moreover, if the news leaked and Konoha learned the Nine-Tails was here, it would likely invite unnecessary trouble and disrupt the Akatsuki's overall Tailed Beast collection plan...
As they spoke, a flash of insight hit Nagato, capturing a massive contradiction.
He suddenly looked up, asking with intense doubt:
"According to the intelligence I possess, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina, is still active within Konoha.
And she just gave birth to her second child not long ago! How do you explain that?"
Facing Nagato's question, Takuno merely wagged a finger gently, his tone remaining indifferent.
"You should refer to her as the 'former' Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Hmm?!" Nagato was initially confused, but soon, as if realizing something, his pupils constricted sharply, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.
Takuno seemed to see through the tidal wave in his heart and explained calmly:
"Correct. Common sense in this world dictates that the extraction of a Tailed Beast equals the death of the Jinchuriki, but... there has never been an ironclad rule stating that after extraction, the Jinchuriki 'must' die."
"I see... so that's it!" Nagato took a deep breath. After the massive shock, he quickly settled into a state of almost numb acceptance.
Thinking of Takuno's powers that repeatedly exceeded his understanding, being able to perform such a feat of defying fate seemed... not so unbelievable after all.
The other man's level was already beyond what common sense could fathom.
Takuno seemed to have no intention of dwelling on this issue. He changed the subject and reminded Nagato with a playful smile:
"Compared to the Nine-Tails, which is already a settled matter, I think you should focus your energy on how to seize the Tailed Beasts held firmly in the hands of Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
He paused, his tone becoming somewhat meaningful.
"After all, following the successful capture of One-Tail Shukaku and Matatabi, the existence of the Akatsuki and its goals have been completely exposed to the Five Great Nations.
Finding opportunities where those Jinchuriki leave their Villages and end up alone will likely be harder than ever."
Upon hearing this, a sense of indisputable confidence and determination seemed to coalesce on Tendo Pain's eternally indifferent face as he responded deeply:
"Regarding that, you need only wait and see."
Takuno chuckled at this commanding response and said no more.
Indeed, no matter how the winds of the Shinobi World shifted, he was always the one standing outside the vortex, quietly watching the chessboard.
As long as the final result met his expectations, the ups and downs in the process were merely necessary moves on the board.
A long time passed after that.
On the Akatsuki's side, a significant change occurred in their operational strategy.
They first successfully used key channels provided by the Iwagakure rogue Shinobi Deidara to precisely locate the hiding places of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki.
However, what surprised the observer Takuno was that the Akatsuki broke their usual pattern, abandoning their customary mode of members acting alone in favor of a collective "team battle" tactic.
In Takuno's memory, the members of the Akatsuki in the original story were each extraordinarily powerful, any one of them capable of being a core elite in the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Regrettably, it was precisely the scattered actions of such a group of powerhouses that gave their enemies opportunities, eventually leading to them being picked off one by one.
Therefore, as a spectator, Takuno had always harbored an unsolved question.
If the members of the Akatsuki abandoned solo fights and truly gathered to fight in coordination, what Shinobi Village could possibly withstand their terrifying combat power in a direct confrontation?
Unexpectedly, the scene he failed to witness in his past life had become a reality in this one.
Suddenly, Takuno remembered that this didn't seem to be the first time.
He abruptly recalled that in the special illusion of "Limited Tsukuyomi," the Akatsuki had also had an experience of team combat.
However, their identities and goals back then were too bizarre; it was ultimately an illusory shadow and couldn't be considered a real team battle.
Furthermore, at that time, they had only accepted a commission from Konoha and were not targeting a specific Village.
In that sense, the Akatsuki's first true full-scale coordinated "team battle" with a clear objective in the real world was aimed directly at Iwagakure.
Thinking of this, Takuno could almost imagine that when that stubborn Tsuchikage Onoki learned his Village was "honored" to be the first target of the Akatsuki's full-scale hunt, he would probably be so angry he'd cough up a mouthful of blood on the spot...
In the actual situation, although Onoki didn't literally spit blood immediately, the situation seemed even worse.
The Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Onoki, suffered unprecedented heavy damage under this thunderous assault from the Akatsuki.
He had done far more than just "spit a mouthful of blood."
The violent impact and excessive overdrawing of chakra caused blood to overflow from his nose and mouth, staining his beard and collar, his face as pale as paper.
When this mysterious and powerful group, the Akatsuki, truly appeared in a "team battle" posture, the destructive power they displayed was terrifying, like an unstoppable natural disaster.
Kakuzu and Hidan, the "Immortal Duo," were like an indestructible fortress, pushing at the very front, enduring the storm-like attacks of the Iwagakure Shinobi and tearing through the defensive lines for their companions behind them.
Of course, they weren't doing this for the sake of the organization.
Hidan didn't care about such things, while Kakuzu was obsessed with the rewards Nagato provided.
As long as the money was enough and no one died, then for Kakuzu... this was something he could do!
In any case, with so many people in Iwagakure, replacing a few hearts wouldn't be much trouble.
Following closely behind were the "Artist Duo" consisting of Deidara and Sasori, whose methods of attack were completely different yet equally lethal.
Deidara's clay style Explosion Release bloomed in destructive explosive art across the sky and ground, while the massive puppet army and poison controlled by Sasori precisely swept through large areas, forming a suffocating AOE coverage.
Even more alarming was Hoshigaki Kisame, known as the "Tailed Beast without a Tail" due to his vast chakra reserves, who was providing support on the side...
The combined assault of just these five core members brought a disaster-level problem to the entire Iwagakure.
Buildings within the Village collapsed, and Shinobi casualties were heavy.
And this didn't even include the true leader of the Akatsuki, Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan!
If these five could not smoothly take down the Four-Tails Jinchuriki Roshi and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han, Nagato was ready at any moment to throw the Six Paths of Pain into the battlefield.
However, facts proved that Nagato's caution was somewhat redundant.
The overwhelming strength displayed by the five Akatsuki members was already sufficient to complete the objective.
Four-Tails Son Goku and Kokuō, after fierce resistance, were ultimately captured successfully.
In this fierce battle concerning the survival of the Village, Onoki was undoubtedly the most brilliant pillar of the Iwagakure side.
He exhausted everything he had learned, pushing the power of his Dust Release to its limit, each white pillar of light bursting from his palms attempting to turn the tide.
But the price was also heavy; his body was covered in numerous wounds, his chakra was nearly depleted, and the severity of his injuries was shocking.
In all fairness, Onoki's strength was unquestionably great.
If it were a fair one-on-one duel, facing any one of the five Akatsuki members, he would have the chance and confidence to emerge victorious.
Unfortunately, the cruel reality did not give him such an opportunity.
For the vast majority of the battle, he was simultaneously dealing with the siege of at least two elite Akatsuki members.
By the final, most tragic stage of the battle, he was even targeted and jointly strangled by three or four powerful enemies at the same time!
Even Onoki in his prime would have found it difficult to endure such a high-intensity gauntlet and gang-up, let alone now in his advanced age.
Ultimately, amidst the smoke and ruins, this Tsuchikage who had dedicated his life to Iwagakure could only carry his wounded body and a heart full of resentment.
He watched helplessly as those five figures, after ravaging Iwagakure beyond recognition, leisurely vanished at the edge of his vision with the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails in tow.
As for Onoki himself, after the Akatsuki left, he completely lost consciousness due to his severe injuries and mental exhaustion, falling into a deep coma.
If not for the Iwagakure Medical Shinobi's desperate rescue, this world-renowned "Ōnoki of Both Scales" Tsuchikage might truly have fallen in this catastrophe.
Even the fact that Onoki was still alive was because Deidara still held some old sentiment for him and had prevented Hidan from using his Ninjutsu.
Otherwise, with the amount of blood Onoki had lost, it would have been enough for Hidan to perform his curse ritual a thousand times over.
The Tailed Beasts of Iwagakure were plundered once again, and the news swept through the Shinobi World like wildfire, causing a massive uproar.
The last time there was such a shock was when The Collector forcibly seized Iwagakure's Tailed Beasts;
Now, history was repeating itself as the Akatsuki used thunderous methods to replicate that plunder.
For a time, Iwagakure and its Tailed Beasts became the talk of the Shinobi World.
Behind this "fame," however, was endless humiliation.
In the laboratory, Orochimaru held an intelligence scroll, his snake-like pupils narrowing slightly, his fingertips trembling with frustration.
"Tsk, they finally made their move..." he whispered, his voice tinged with defeat.
Any observant person knew that a shocking secret must be hidden deep within the Tailed Beast chakra; it was no ordinary power, but likely a key capable of overturning the Shinobi World.
It was lamentable that he had spent years studying Tailed Beast chakra, yet it remained like looking at a flower through a fog—untouchable.
His final results were nothing more than some "human bombs" of decent power.
While they were somewhat useful, they were worlds apart from the power he dreamed of!
As his thoughts churned, Orochimaru suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
The Akatsuki's goal, The Collector's obsession with gathering Nine-Tails chakra...
Could the key to everything lie in fusing the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts into one?
This thought, like a bolt of lightning, made his heart race.
However, a moment later, he shook his head dejectedly, a self-deprecating cold smile appearing on his lips.
Even if he saw through the mystery, what could he do?
Acquiring the chakra of one or two Tailed Beasts by his own strength might not be difficult, but gathering all nine? That was nothing short of a pipe dream!
The intelligence network required would have to be vast, and the operations would need to span across multiple nations, with variables as deep as the sea...
Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils flickered with a cold light, and his inner desire for Tailed Beast chakra had not been completely extinguished.
But the Akatsuki had already taken the lead and gained control over the various Tailed Beasts.
If he wanted to touch that power now, it would be like taking food from a tiger's mouth; he would have to directly face that gargantuan entity that had once housed him and now controlled the Tailed Beasts.
As a "former member" of the Akatsuki, Orochimaru knew the terrifying strength of the organization's core members better than anyone.
Those S-rank rogue Shinobi with unique skills were each a walking disaster.
Even against any one of them, he had no certainty of victory.
And that was just dealing with those unruly members, to say nothing of that mysterious leader perched at the organization's peak, possessing the legendary "Rinnegan."
Thinking of those eyes that seemed capable of insight into and even control over life and death, an instinctive dread quietly rose within him.
His tongue subconsciously licked his slightly pale lips, and Orochimaru finally let out a silent sigh in his heart.
Continue studying Tailed Beast chakra? This tempting idea had become an illusory fantasy in the face of the insurmountable mountain that was the Akatsuki.
Rather than indulging in this doomed, hopeless desire, it was better to turn his energy toward a more practical target that was equally full of the temptation of power.
The Sharingan!