Another day passed.
Inside a dark cave serving as a temporary sealing point, ten blue chakra dragons dragged Shukaku—the One-Tailed Beast—toward the Gedo Statue. With a sickening crunch, the beast's body was consumed by the statue's maw. Instantly, another eye on the Gedo Statue's face snapped open.
Now, only the central eye and one beside it remained shut.
The seven open eyes confirmed that the Gedo Statue had successfully fused with seven of the nine Tailed Beasts. The order didn't matter; in the original timeline, the Gedo Statue had already absorbed two tails before extracting Shukaku from Gaara.
Standing atop the statue's thumb, Pain cast his gaze over the assembled Akatsuki members.
"Thank you all for your hard work," he said, his voice carrying its usual, detached tone.
Kisame grinned, baring his sharp teeth. "Just one day? Much easier than before."
Deidara nodded in agreement. "Like the Three-Tails, these wild Tailed Beasts are efficient time-killers, hm!"
Kakuzu, however, just twisted his wrist impatiently. "If that's all, I'm calling it a day. It's hot as hell out here. The corpse will rot and stink by tomorrow. I don't want to fight that bandaged brat again."
The "corpse" Kakuzu mentioned was his latest bounty target. He'd been summoned for the sealing so suddenly that he hadn't had time to cash it in. As for the "bandaged brat," that was his partner, Zabuza, whose body was wrapped in layers of cloth.
With the Sharingan and Nine-Tails chakra, Zabuza could go toe-to-toe with Kakuzu, who also possessed the fox's energy. The two were constantly at each other's throats, ready to fight at the slightest provocation. Their most frequent disputes stemmed from Kakuzu lying to Zabuza, claiming his bounty hunts were official missions from Pain or Menma. But Zabuza wasn't like Hidan; he caught on quickly, refused to go, and fists inevitably flew.
It was a deadly understanding forged in actual combat. Kakuzu knew exactly where Zabuza's weak points were, and Zabuza knew the location of Kakuzu's five hearts.
"Hmph," Zabuza grunted, eyes scanning his partner's body. "If it really rots, you'd better start thinking about where to find your next heart, you old codger."
Watching the two bicker, Kisame chuckled. "You guys get along surprisingly well, just like Itachi and me. Who would've thought the reclusive demon of Hidden Mist would find someone to quarrel with..."
Kisame's casual remark earned him instant glares from both Kakuzu and Zabuza.
Konan stepped in before a shouting match could break out. "Alright, enough chatter. Let's get down to business. Pain, only the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails remain to complete the final plan. Make the arrangements."
Pain silenced the room with a look before turning his gaze to Menma opposite him.
"The capture plan went smoothly thanks to Menma," Pain stated. "So, Menma and Zetsu will continue handling the Eight-Tails."
He paused slightly. "As for the Nine-Tails..."
Pain looked at Itachi, who had remained silent throughout.
"Itachi, you are to stop following the Nine-Tails. Instead, go to Iwagakure. The bounty on a mission involving the Four-Star Village there is substantial."
Menma chimed in smoothly. "I'll have the information ready in three days. Itachi and Kisame just need to arrive on time. It'll be a good opportunity for Sasuke—the rising star of the Four-Star Village—to meet his long-lost brother. Hopefully, they can clear up some misunderstandings and avoid a nasty sibling rivalry."
Itachi remained silent for a long moment. He understood what was happening. Pain and Menma were forcing him to choose: protect the Nine-Tails jinchuriki or protect Sasuke.
If he protected the Nine-Tails, he might end up in a total fallout with the organization, and Sasuke's safety would be unknown. If he abandoned the Nine-Tails and went to Iwagakure, he could use the chance to pull Sasuke away from the Four-Star Village.
Finally, Itachi's deep voice cut through the silence. "I understand. I will go to the Four-Star Village with Kisame in a week."
He remembered the Nine-Tails jinchuriki's power. He chose to protect his brother.
"Good," Pain said. "I will personally oversee the pursuit of the Nine-Tails. He is a perfect jinchuriki who has wounded Itachi and Kisame before. The rest of you wouldn't be a match for him."
Pain was right; the Nine-Tails jinchuriki was incredibly strong with a long list of accomplishments. Getting Itachi—the first line of defense—out of the way was just step one.
Step two was following the plan Menma had given him: kidnap someone the Nine-Tails jinchuriki cared about. That would cause him to lose control, preventing him from using his full power.
Turning to the remaining members, Pain continued. "Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu, and Zabuza—you have a mission to capture specific ninjas. They aren't particularly strong, but they must be captured alive and kept as intact as possible. Zetsu will deliver the details."
The four nodded without questions. They were Menma's subordinates—traitors from the Four-Star Village who had secretly joined Akatsuki. They already knew the targets, but they played the part of obedient soldiers perfectly.
"That is all," Pain concluded. "If there are no other questions, we're dismissed."
At the word "dismissed," the phantom images of Kakuzu and Zabuza vanished instantly. Kakuzu wanted to rush off to preserve his rotting bounty, and Zabuza wanted to dismember the corpse before dumping it.
Seeing the two bolt, the others lost interest and disconnected one by one. Only Pain remained, speaking to Menma.
"Leave Jiraiya to me," Pain said. "Give the information on the other ninja targets to Zetsu; he'll distribute it. Sunagakure is hosting the Chunin Exams right now, so we can grab Jiraiya without raising an alarm."
"Fine," Menma replied curtly from behind his mask.
Pain nodded. After dismissing the Gedo Statue, he too disappeared from the cave.
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