Through Hinata's Byakugan, Naruto saw Hotaru trembling next to Nagare.
"No need to worry about them anymore. Those two are gonna stick together."
"The Six-Tails is practically ours."
"The next target will be the Seven-Tails."
Naruto turned around and saw Pain standing not far away.
Holding Hinata's hand, Naruto approached Pain.
"Nagato, are you feeling better now?"
Pain didn't answer Naruto right away. Instead, he used his Rinnegan to look at Nagare lying on the ground.
Pain reflected on how unpredictable life could be.
According to Akatsuki's original plan, capturing the Six-Tails was supposed to be handled by him.
Looking at Nagare, Pain felt a wave of mixed emotions inside.
Suspicious, Naruto asked,
"Nagato, you're not planning something with Nagare, right?"
"I'll wait for the day the truth reveals itself," Pain said coldly. "If that truth still doesn't satisfy me, I'll continue collecting the Tailed Beasts."
"Hmph," Naruto scoffed. "Then Nagare is left in your hands."
With that, Naruto took Hinata and left, leaving Pain behind.
From afar, Pain watched as Hotaru tended to Nagare. They looked just like a normal young couple.
If it hadn't been for Naruto…
Pain thought that he would've surely separated them and extracted the Six-Tails from Nagare.
"Na...ru...to… You really are someone special." Pain silently chose to protect Nagare and Hotaru.
Naruto teleported with Hinata to a mountainous area.
Orochimaru and Itachi had already been waiting there for quite some time.
Torune Aburame arrived later than expected.
"Sorry," Torune said. "I delayed my arrival because I needed to maintain the drug's effects so Kakashi and Mei Terumi could hold out longer."
Naruto noticed one person was still missing.
After waiting a while, Kimimaro finally showed up.
Naruto asked, "Kimimaro, did you run into any trouble?"
Kimimaro hesitated, then glanced at Orochimaru, and replied, "Nothing much. I just met some cute little animals and planned to bring some back for Jugo."
Jugo was Orochimaru's subordinate and also close friends with Kimimaro, though currently his whereabouts were unknown.
Orochimaru licked his lips. Since being affected by Naruto's [Kotoamatsukami Genjutsu], he had devoted himself fully to Naruto and ignored his former subordinates. Even Orochimaru himself didn't know where Jugo had gone.
"Jugo, huh? What a familiar name… Hehehe."
"Alright." Naruto analyzed their current situation.
"Now that the Six-Tails is basically ours, next we'll go after the Seven-Tails' whereabouts."
"The Seven-Tails originally belonged to Taki Ninja Village and was captured by Kakuzu, and that happened long ago."
"So the Seven-Tails' current location is unknown. I asked Pain earlier, and he mentioned it was sealed in one of Akatsuki's temporary strongholds, but it must have been moved by now."
Itachi closed his eyes calmly and said, "Kakuzu was already killed during Akatsuki's previous invasion of Kumogakure Village."
"Hehe." Orochimaru continued, "Now it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"Since Kakuzu's dead," Naruto added another lead, "we'll start with Hidan."
Itachi didn't expect much—he knew Hidan wouldn't break easily. That guy would never talk.
Itachi could guess Naruto's thoughts. "Naruto, are you planning to use Kotoamatsukami on Hidan?"
"I hate wasting it too, but I don't have any other option—it has to be Hidan."
Naruto thought that despite Hidan being somewhat foolish, he was genuinely strong—making him perfect as a meat shield.
"Then leave it to me," Orochimaru said smugly. "I'll have Kabuto track down Hidan's whereabouts."
...
Meanwhile,
On a stretch of barren wasteland,
Hidan, Deidara, and Sasori stood amidst the wind and sand.
Deidara grumbled repeatedly. "Akatsuki's finished. Complete disaster! We should just disband!"
Hidan agreed with Deidara's opinion.
"Everyone just goes their separate ways. Back to their own lives."
Sasori sighed. He remained silent.
Deidara asked, "Big brother Sasori, why won't you say anything?"
"What else is there to say?"
Since Akatsuki officially began its operations, not one of their missions had ever succeeded.
Starting from Itachi's betrayal, Akatsuki had simply been extremely unlucky.
At that moment, Zetsu emerged from the rocks.
Hidan, Deidara, and Sasori all turned toward Zetsu.
"What's going on?" Zetsu asked confusedly. "Did I come at a bad time?"
"Do you have any intelligence?" Sasori asked.
"Pain betrayed us." As soon as Zetsu said this, everyone was shocked.
"Come on!" Deidara exploded in anger. "You people dragged me in back then, and now you're all leaving—how can you face me like this?"
Back then, Deidara had been recruited by Itachi and acknowledged Pain as his leader.
Now both Itachi and Pain had left Akatsuki, which truly upset him greatly.
"I'm defecting from Akatsuki too, right in front of all of you. Don't try to persuade me, or I'll blow you all sky-high!" Deidara cursed as he walked away.
At that moment, Sasori called out to stop Deidara.
"Deidara, if you leave like this, will you really find peace?"
"Huh?" Deidara turned around, looking at Sasori, wanting to hear what he had to say next.
Sasori shifted his gaze to Zetsu.
"Zetsu, since you've come now to find us, you must have obtained some crucial intelligence."
"That's right~" Zetsu looked pleased—he had indeed obtained vital intelligence while working alongside Kabuto.
"Naruto wants to capture the Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki."
Everyone present showed shock on their faces.
Zetsu continued, "I've hidden the Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki somewhere very safe. Naruto will never find it."
This chapter isn't finished yet—more exciting moments ahead!
"Since the Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki was originally captured by Kakuzu, and Kakuzu is already dead, Hidan being Kakuzu's partner, those from Naruto's side have now set their sights on Hidan."
"I get it now," Hidan said unhappily.
"They clearly want me as bait."
Zetsu praised, "Hidan, your Immortal Body makes you the perfect decoy."
Hidan didn't argue; he silently accepted.
"But don't underestimate Naruto. He possesses what's known as the Second Shisui's Eye." Zetsu revealed an even more shocking piece of intelligence.
Naruto is planning to use the [Kotoamatsukami Genjutsu] against Hidan.
As Zetsu said this, he burst out laughing to himself, as if he held everything under control.
Zetsu mused internally: With Kabuto's help, the initiative has finally returned to our hands. We won't be at Naruto's mercy anymore...
"What the hell is Kotoamatsukami?" Hidan asked, instantly breaking the tension with an awkward silence. Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
"A genjutsu? Just another genjutsu!" Deidara said impatiently. "It's that boring Sharingan illusion technique."
Deidara had once viewed Itachi as his rival. He had intensely studied the Sharingan, so he knew about Kotoamatsukami.
"What, just a genjutsu? He actually thinks genjutsu will work on me?" Hidan never feared genjutsu. What could possibly happen, even if he fell for it? After all, he was an Immortal Body.
"Fine, I'll be the bait then." Hidan loathed Naruto now, so of course he wanted to take part when given a chance to get revenge.
Besides, thinking genjutsu could stop him was pure wishful thinking.
Zetsu and Sasori said nothing. They both knew how terrifying Kotoamatsukami was, yet said nothing to Hidan.
Zetsu mused, pleased: Great! I didn't expect Hidan to know nothing about Kotoamatsukami. He'll make the perfect bait.
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