Land of Birds.
Akatsuki Secret Base.
After the Great Battle in the Land of Grass, all formal members of the Akatsuki organization relocated to the Land of Birds, adjacent to the Land of Rain, and began their recuperation.
Precisely because of this, the Ninja World War had been quiet for a few weeks.
Inside the medical room.
Hiruko said to Juzo Biwa lying on the examination table: "Based on the data, your body has fully recovered."
Juzo sat up: "Finally can stretch my muscles!"
Hidan, waiting aside, asked: "Hey hey, what about me? I always feel like I can't exert strength in my back, is there something wrong?"
Hiruko curled his lips: "Your body recovered long ago."
Hidan was relentless: "Then why do I always feel something is wrong?"
Hiruko said uncertainly: "Maybe it's because of the implanted White Zetsu cells?"
In the previous 'Infinity Castle' battle, Hidan was cut into several pieces by Tanjiro's 'Crimson Blade'. During the final retreat, a part of his back was missing, so it was filled with White Zetsu cells.
However, unknown if Hidan's constitution was too special, after implanting White Zetsu cells, he didn't gain the benefits within White Zetsu cells. Instead, due to cell rejection, his back had been constantly aching dully.
Seeing Hiruko unable to give a reasonable explanation, Hidan muttered: "Indeed still need that guy Shinno!"
After Shinno joined Akatsuki, medical matters were basically his responsibility. Now that he was missing, Hiruko, who had conducted extensive human experiments, took over.
Juzo asked casually: "Still no news of Moryo and Shinno?"
Kakuzu sitting aside said: "No news of them for so long, they should have been killed!"
"Really unlucky!"
Hidan spat.
At this time, Sasori, accompanying Deidara to the medical room, heard everyone talking about Moryo and Shinno, saying: "Their last known location was the Land of Iron. According to news sent back by White Zetsu, there were traces of large-scale engagement left there, so they were very likely ambushed!"
Juzo asked: "Who? Ninja Village Alliance?"
Sasori shook his head: "My spies planted in the Ninja Village Alliance didn't hear any news about Moryo and Shinno. If they were killed by the Ninja Village Alliance, it wouldn't be like this at all!"
Hidan was stunned: "Then who killed them? With their strength, even encountering the Five Kage, they should be able to escape, right? Especially that guy Moryo, didn't he boast he could resurrect infinitely?"
Hiruko, while operating instruments to check the activity of Deidara's transplanted arms, said: "If not the Ninja Village Alliance, then it can only be the group of 'A'!"
Hearing Hiruko mention 'A', everyone in the medical room fell into a brief silence.
If 'A' really acted against Moryo and Shinno, then besides the Ninja Village Alliance and 'Upper Rank One', the enemies they had to face now would also include another Akatsuki organization led by 'A'.
In other words, the tacit understanding between the two Akatsuki organizations was completely broken.
Hiruko snorted coldly: "What to fear? Except for 'A' and 'B' being a bit stronger, the others are all trash!"
Juzo changed the topic, asking: "Any news of Itachi? He hasn't come back yet?"
Hiruko shook his head: "Ghost knows what madness that guy is suffering from!"
After searching a circle in the Land of Earth and finding no trace of 'Upper Rank One', Hiruko returned to the base, but Itachi who accompanied him disappeared.
A few days later, news spread about Itachi going on a killing spree against the Ninja Village Alliance in the Land of Fire, baffling everyone in the Akatsuki organization.
Juzo frowned: "This matter is a bit fishy."
Others might not know, but having partnered with Itachi for so long, he knew very well that Itachi was a low-key and restrained guy. Under normal circumstances, it was absolutely impossible for him to suddenly go crazy, wandering around the Land of Fire and Land of Hot Water, killing indiscriminately.
Hiruko teased: "Uchiha clan are all lunatics. The only difference is some Uchiha are truly crazy, while some hide it better."
Sasori said: "Itachi killing spree in the Land of Fire should be true. A White Zetsu clone saw him activate 'Susanoo' with his own eyes. This can't be faked. It's said the Ninja Village Alliance has already started forming an encirclement squad!"
Juzo suggested: "Him alone in the Land of Fire is too dangerous. We are all almost recovered now, should we go to the Land of Fire to support him?"
Before everyone could answer, the door of the medical room was pushed open again. Obito led Zetsu in: "Ignore Itachi's matters, you just focus on recovering your condition!"
Sasori asked: "Leader has arrangements?"
Obito nodded slightly: "Leader will personally take action to destroy the Ninja Village Alliance headquarters in the near future, capturing the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!"
Akatsuki members became restless one by one.
For these lawless guys, hiding in the base to recover all the time was too torturous.
After giving instructions, Obito left the medical room with Zetsu.
Coming to an uninhabited forest outside the base, Obito asked Zetsu: "What exactly is going on with Itachi?"
Zetsu shrugged, speechless: "I can't confirm either currently. The clones sent over were killed directly by him as soon as they made contact. He's acting like he's crazy!"
Obito questioned: "Is that really Itachi?"
Zetsu said: "Can't be wrong. My clone not only saw him activate 'Susanoo' when facing Ninja Village Alliance ninjas but also noticed two divine artifacts hidden on his 'Susanoo'."
Obito was somewhat puzzled: "Divine artifacts?"
"'Yata Mirror' that can reflect all attacks, and 'Totsuka Blade' that can send enemies into a drunken dream world!" Pausing, Zetsu explained: "Both are ancient divine artifacts passed down from the age of myths. Even I didn't expect Itachi to have collected them secretly!"
Obito looked solemn: "What exactly does he want to do?"
Undoubtedly.
What Akatsuki was paying attention to was not the real Itachi, but that fake.
And the real Itachi, after reaching cooperation with Shinji, keenly realized the fake could help him attract Akatsuki's attention, so he immediately vanished and hid himself.
One must know that fusing Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan not only required a period of time but also prevented the use of Mangekyo Sharingan during the fusion period, causing combat power to plummet. So hiding secretly at this time was safer than returning to the Akatsuki organization.
Inside another base of the Akatsuki organization.
Konan paced anxiously back and forth outside a secret chamber. Just then, the door of the secret chamber suddenly opened, and a figure walked out from inside...