At this moment, Tobi, who had been lounging casually in the farthest seat at the round table's corner, finally broke his silence. His tone was light, almost playful, yet his words carried a deliberate edge.
"Why don't we use the shinobi of Amegakure to wear them down first? If we send waves of them ahead, Team Inoiki will be exhausted by the time they reach us. That would make defeating them far easier."
The suggestion hung in the air for a brief moment. But before anyone else could respond, Konan's voice cut sharply across the chamber, cold and unwavering.
"This is impossible."
Her amber eyes narrowed as she turned toward Tobi.
"You, as well as everyone else here, know exactly how dangerous Inoiki is. Numbers mean nothing to him. He could cut through an army without even breaking a sweat. He is that powerful. The only thing that makes a difference is us fighting him directly. If we throw the Amegakure shinobi at him, there will only be one outcome: their deaths. Nothing more. No gain, no advantage—only needless sacrifice. And I will never allow the shinobi of Amegakure to be used as cannon fodder."
Her words struck with the weight of conviction, silencing the chamber. For a brief moment, the only sound that filled the room was the steady patter of rain against the headquarters' walls.
The logic behind Tobi's suggestion was not without merit; even cannon fodder could serve as a distraction, if only for a few precious moments. Yet the ice in Konan's tone left no room for negotiation. She had spoken not only as Pain's confidant but also as the guardian of Amegakure's people. Anyone who pressed the matter further would only provoke her wrath—and none in the room were inclined to do so.
One by one, the Akatsuki members fell into silence, letting the matter drop. Pain's unreadable gaze lingered on Konan for a moment, then swept over the group as if signalling the conclusion.
And with that, the meeting of the Akatsuki came to an end, leaving behind only the heavy atmosphere of unspoken strategies and the anticipation of the storm soon to come.
----
After countless days of steady travel through rain-soaked forests and muddy paths, Team Inoiki—composed of Inoiki, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Sakura, Sai, and Naruto—finally came to a halt just a few hours' distance from Amegakure. The air was heavy with mist, and the distant roar of rain echoed from the direction of the hidden village.
Inoiki slowed his pace and raised his hand.
"Let's rest here," he said firmly, his tone carrying both caution and resolve. "This will be our final stop before we enter Amegakure and begin our battle against the Akatsuki."
Without waiting, he extended his hand, and with a subtle flex of his psychokinetic power, the earth itself began to shift and mold under his control. In moments, he had raised a sturdy structure—an earthen shelter large enough to shield them from the relentless drizzle. Inside, stone-like seats formed in a circle, offering a makeshift resting place for the team.
The group settled down quietly, the weight of the coming confrontation pressing on each of them.
Breaking the silence, Inoiki turned his gaze toward Naruto. His expression was calm, but his words carried a gravity that demanded attention.
"Naruto, before we go any further, there is something you need to know—something crucial if you intend to bring Sasuke back to Konoha."
Naruto straightened, his eyes narrowing in curiosity and concern.
Inoiki continued, his tone measured but heavy.
"The Uchiha massacre… it was not carried out by Itachi alone. He bore the blade, yes, but he did so with the full consent of Konoha's elders. Even the Hokage at the time knew what was to come. The annihilation of the Uchiha clan was not a rogue act—it was sanctioned."
Naruto's fists clenched unconsciously, his breath catching as the revelation sank in.
"If I'm not mistaken," Inoiki went on, "one reason Sasuke may refuse to return is that he already knows this truth. Most likely, before his death, Itachi revealed it to him. In fact, Itachi's deal with the village was simple: in exchange for sparing his younger brother, he agreed to slaughter his own clan. He carried the burden of betrayal so that Sasuke could live."
The shelter grew quiet, the rain outside filling the silence with its steady rhythm.
"From what I have learned," Inoiki added grimly, "others were involved as well. The Root… perhaps even members of Anbu. It was an orchestrated purge, not the act of one man alone. You must be ready for this, Naruto. Sasuke has every reason now to despise Konoha. His hatred may already have taken root deeper than you can imagine."
The revelation struck like a thunderclap within the earthen shelter. For a moment, silence reigned as the team absorbed Inoiki's words. The shock was clear on Sakura's face, her eyes wide with disbelief, while Naruto's expression twisted between anger and sorrow. Yet not everyone wore surprise.
Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Sai remained calm, their silence carrying a different weight. Sai, in particular, sat quietly, his expression unreadable as ever. Though he was currently working as a member of Team Kakashi, his true background within Root gave him insight others lacked. Even as a child, long before he fully understood the world around him, Sai had heard whispers of the mission. Later, through Root's carefully kept records, he learned the truth: the Uchiha clan's destruction had been sanctioned at the highest levels. Because of this, Inoiki's words were not news to him—they were simply the open confirmation of what he already knew.
As for Jiraiya and Kakashi, their lack of surprise came from a different place. Both had long suspected that something was deeply wrong with the official story. The idea that a single prodigy, no matter how skilled, could singlehandedly exterminate an entire clan as formidable as the Uchiha had never sat well with them.
After Inoiki had captured the Konoha elders and dissolved the council, the truth had been dragged into the light. Under questioning, Koharu and Homura themselves had confirmed the reality of the massacre—revealing how the highest authorities of the village had sanctioned Itachi's bloody mission. Tsunade had quietly shared this confirmation with those she trusted, and thus both Jiraiya and Kakashi already carried the knowledge.
Now, with the matter spoken aloud before the team, Kakashi finally broke the silence. His voice was steady, though a trace of bitterness edged his words.
"At that time… the Uchiha clan was preparing to rebel against Konoha…"
----
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