The Hidden Cloud Village was in chaos. Search parties swept through the land, but their efforts were futile. While the Cloud ninja scrambled, Akatsuki completed their final seal.
Thud!
Killer Bee collapsed, eyes devoid of life, hitting the ground like a discarded puppet. The Eight-Tails' chakra, drawn out as a blue dragon, swirled into the mouth of the Gedo Mazo. Below the statue's brow, the right eye—the eighth representing the Tailed Beasts—slowly cracked open. Now, only the central eye, meant for the Nine-Tails, remained shut.
"Everything is proceeding smoothly," Nagato muttered through his connection, watching the last closed eye. A surge of excitement rushed through him. Soon, he would have the Nine-Tails. He would exact vengeance for Yahiko, inflicting unhealable pain upon the world. Through that suffering, he would guide everyone to understanding and, finally, peace.
But his thoughts were abruptly cut short.
"Pain, I've finished everything on my end," Menma's voice echoed through the shared consciousness, smooth yet carrying a dangerous edge. "Only your part remains. If you drag your feet, I can't guarantee what this long-suppressed pain of mine might do."
Nagato's initial reason for letting Menma join Akatsuki was the grudge against Konoha. Menma helped capture the Tailed Beasts, and Akatsuki would help him destroy the village. Initially, Nagato doubted the excuse. Given his power, he could crush Konoha alone. However, after Itachi and Kisame reported the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's strength—along with the resurrection of the First and Second Hokage—Nagato began to believe Menma. Facing such a threat alone was suicide; an alliance made sense.
Nagato even speculated that Menma's hatred stemmed from the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. They had sealed eight beasts, but none matched the chakra radiating from Menma himself. It implied he had stolen some of the Nine-Tails' chakra, much like Kinkaku and Ginkaku once had. The result was likely a severe injury at the hands of the enraged Jinchuriki, followed by a hunt by Konoha.
Considering that Jinchuriki's record—crushing Itachi, Kisame, Orochimaru, and the reanimated Hokage—Nagato was cautious. Even he wouldn't claim victory against such a monster. That was why he adopted Menma's psychological warfare tactic, using someone the Jinchuriki cared about to force him to lose control. A rampaging Tailed Beast was easier to capture than a perfect Jinchuriki.
However, Nagato couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to be prepared. If Menma used his Sharingan to steal the Nine-Tails during the chaos, Nagato wasn't confident he could reclaim it.
Through Pain's eyes, Nagato cast a wary glance at Menma. "I'm almost there. I've tracked Jiraiya's route." He then addressed the remaining Akatsuki members. "Deidara, Sasori. Report."
Deidara nodded. "Sasori and I are tailing the target. We'll succeed soon, hmm!"
Sasori glanced at Menma before adding, "The target is currently too close to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to make a move. However, I've devised a way to separate them. Once that's done, we'll capture them."
Pain nodded and turned to Zabuza and Kakuzu. Before he could ask, Zabuza turned toward Menma. "Boss, this old man and I infiltrated Konoha using your method without tripping the barriers. The two targets at Ichiraku Ramen are captured alive. We're looking for an opening to grab Iruka Umino without alerting the village."
Pain didn't comment on Zabuza reporting directly to Menma. He simply looked at Kakuzu for confirmation. Kakuzu nodded indifferently, though his eyes held a cold glare at Zabuza's lack of formality. Pain ignored their tension.
"Five targets in total?" Pain asked Menma.
"If there are no issues," Menma replied, "I'll create the Six Paths of Pain, and we'll begin the plan. I won't keep you waiting."
Menma nodded. "Five targets are set, but not all five will be used as is. Zetsu will handle the replacements."
Menma was ruthless, but not irrational. He distinguished between debt and vengeance. As for Teuchi and Ayame—the father and daughter at Ichiraku Ramen who had treated Naruto with genuine kindness—Menma had no intention of letting them die and become Pain's puppets. In the world of Naruto, everyone had chakra. Menma planned to use White Zetsu to mimic Teuchi's chakra and transform, creating a flawless duplicate. Just as Kisame faked his death in the original timeline, these replacements would be indistinguishable from reality.
Besides, once he made his move against Konoha, staying there would be dangerous for them. He would bring them to Four-Star Village and let them open a noodle shop there. Menma had selected five targets to break Naruto's mental barriers: Jiraiya, Sakura Haruno, Iruka Umino, Teuchi, and Sasuke Uchiha. Since Ichiraku Ramen only needed Teuchi as a representative, Sasuke—Naruto's best friend—was essential. Both would be replaced by Zetsu clones.
As for the other three? Heh. They were nothing more than fabricated bonds. They would die and become puppets.
"Replacements?" Pain asked, puzzled.
Menma chuckled lightly. "Zetsu will bring the substitute targets. You only need to handle the ones assigned to you."
Zetsu, mentioned by name, nodded. "I'm set. My spore clones have already moved to the targets needing replacement."
Pain accepted the answer. "Then I'll leave it to you." He scanned the group. "If there's nothing else, we're disbanding."
Upon the word "disband," the phantoms vanished one by one. In a blink, only Pain and Konan remained in the ruined tower. Pain didn't leave. He stood still, frowning in thought.
"Pain?" Konan asked, confused by his silence. "What's wrong?"
"Something feels off..." Pain exhaled, shaking his head. "Never mind. It's nothing."
The Akatsuki organization felt strange to him. It was as if Menma, not he, was the true leader. And no one had asked about Itachi or Kisame. Before, everyone was gossiping, asking endless questions. Now, they just accepted that Itachi and Kisame had died in Four-Star Village?
"They must have guessed Itachi and Kisame's deaths," Konan's soothing voice broke his thoughts. "That's why they're acting strangely. Don't overthink it. Our plan is nearing success. We won't need them much longer."
"I hope so..." Pain murmured. A bad feeling lingered in his heart. He exhaled deeply and dismissed the Psychic Projection Technique.