"Drop... drop..."
Rainwater dripped from the edges of Kakuzu's and Hidan's coats, falling onto the ground.
Kakuzu kept a completely blank face, impossible to read what was going through his mind.
Hidan still had that arrogant look as always. But because he had been forced to retreat during his fight with Jiraiya, his face now showed deep dissatisfaction.
"This weather is terrible! It leaves me all wet and uncomfortable!"
Hidan shook his clothes slightly while complaining.
At this moment, the two stood at the entrance of Akatsuki's base in Amegakure Village.
"It's the Leader's ninjutsu. You already know that—stop complaining."
Kakuzu didn't move, just stood there upright. Thanks to chakra circulating through his body, steam slowly rose from him, gradually drying his damp clothes.
There was also a puddle forming beneath his feet.
He had also been affected by the fight with Jiraiya, but his mindset remained calm and composed—he was exceptionally skilled at concealing his emotions, so outwardly, he showed no significant reaction.
"Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, is truly not someone we can take lightly. He'll be one of our biggest obstacles moving forward!"
Kakuzu looked toward the ground beside him. Zetsu was slowly rising from it like a rapidly growing plant, blending perfectly into the surroundings without any signs of disharmony.
"That's right!"
Kakuzu nodded, agreeing with Zetsu's words.
"Tch!" Although Hidan had fled from Jiraiya helplessly, unable to resist even slightly, he still acted like it didn't bother him at all.
"You're the kind who forgets pain once healed!" Kakuzu turned his head toward Hidan, giving him a mocking look.
On their way back, the wound across Hidan's chest caused by Jiraiya's two Rasengan strikes made him feel "drafty," so he asked Kakuzu to sew it shut with thread.
"What did you say... Why are you looking at me like that?!" Noticing where Kakuzu was staring, Hidan started feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Just go inside first. Lately, unless necessary, we shouldn't venture outside—things are getting tense."
White Zetsu grinned as he spoke. He found Hidan amusing, since they thought quite similarly.
On the top floor of the base, Pain sensed Kakuzu and Hidan's presence the moment they stepped into the rain-drenched area around Amegakure.
He paid no attention to their condition. As long as they were alive and didn't hinder the organization's plans, he wouldn't interfere with what his subordinates did. So he simply stood at the summit, maintaining his aloof posture.
Konan wasn't by his side; she must have gone to handle some village affairs. After all, Akatsuki controlled an entire village, which meant plenty of work. While she didn't need to personally attend to everything, staying informed remained important.
Meanwhile, on Saitama's balcony, Saitama sat leisurely on a chair, leaning back against the headrest with one leg casually crossed over the other. In one hand, he held a carton of milk, sipping it through a straw.
Though drinking milk, he wore no particular expression. His eyes stared out into the rain, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.
He too had sensed Kakuzu and Hidan's arrival. He wasn't surprised they returned so quickly.
Jiraiya was a man who nearly defeated the Six Paths of Pain without any intelligence support. He could be considered the pinnacle of ninja.
With only Kakuzu, Hidan, White Zetsu—who lacked real combat strength—and Black Zetsu, who preferred to stay hidden, it would have been hard to stop Jiraiya.
Right now, however, Saitama's thoughts had nothing to do with Jiraiya at all.
He was deep in thought, contemplating a long-term strategy—his future actions and plans.
Currently, Akatsuki had already captured four of the nine Tailed Beasts—nearly half.
And the villages that once housed these beasts had already begun strengthening their defenses, which would greatly affect the upcoming collection missions.
At this moment, the only remaining easily-capturable beast was Ephemeral—the Six-Tails Jinchuriki who had wandered away.
Saitama narrowed his eyes slightly, taking a fierce sip from his milk carton until it suddenly crumpled.
"We can't rush. We don't yet have the strength to declare war openly. We need to build our power further. Revealing ourselves completely too early will make us targets for everyone."
Saitama thought about Orochimaru and their past cooperation.
[Impure World Reincarnation], a technique steadily refined by Orochimaru over time.
As for the vessels needed for the reincarnation process, Orochimaru had prepared clones containing Hashirama cells, while Saitama had created copies of White Zetsu—creatures originally produced by Madara using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Moreover, during their last meeting, Saitama had told Orochimaru he wanted to see his researched talismans combined with Hashirama cell clones, believing that such a fusion should unleash even greater power.
Pitter-patter! Raindrops beat against the glass windows outside the balcony. The sky was dark and gloomy, showing no sign of light.
Maintaining his posture, Saitama continued staring into the sky.
Several floors above him, Pain stood on a single wooden beam extending outside the house, also gazing at the sky and the village.
Kakuzu, Hidan, and Zetsu were making their way up the stairs silently.
Sasori, who hadn't stirred in ages, sat motionless in his room, expressionless. Behind him stood a short puppet with bright red hair.
A faint light lit up his face before spilling onto the wall, casting a dark silhouette.
In his hands, Sasori held tools used by puppet masters to modify puppets, but he wasn't working at all—he had stopped every action and appeared deep in thought.
This recent transformation of Roshi into a Human Puppet provided him with fresh insights. He decided it was time to reconsider his own situation again.
Perfecting eternal art was never something easily accomplished.
Meanwhile, inside Amegakure Village's administrative area, Konan sat facing one of the leaders, listening to an update regarding recent events within the village.
This leader was a Jonin within the village—a founding member of Akatsuki since its earliest days—and thus held great seniority, making him suitable for managing the village affairs.
"You've worked hard lately!"
After finishing the report, Konan gave a slight nod toward the ninja in front of her, offering a faint and somewhat cold smile.
It was her way of showing restrained approval for the ninja's recent efforts.
"For the sake of the village, it's only what I must do!"
The ninja didn't look very old—probably in his early thirties—but he showed deep respect for Konan, the younger kunoichi, constantly bowing and nodding as he spoke.
Rather than seeming like flattery, his constant bowing and nodding genuinely conveyed deep respect from his heart.
This was because Konan, as one of Akatsuki's founders, had given him new hope and purpose. That was why he chose to stay in the village working for Akatsuki, and also why he respected her.
"By the way, not long ago, Konoha reached out to us with an invitation, hoping we would participate in their upcoming Chunin Exams scheduled for one month later. I've been thinking about it for a while but still don't know how to respond… What do you think?"
Finally, the ninja asked Konan.
If it were any other ninja village, he might have flatly refused immediately using the excuse that their village had already gone into seclusion.
But the invitation came from the strongest ninja village in the entire Shinobi World, and moreover, it was from a neighboring nation's ninja village, so they couldn't afford not to take it seriously.
"Hmm, currently leading Konoha is the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze. Since he took office, Konoha's attitude toward outsiders has changed significantly…"
Konan did not answer right away, frowning slightly as she began to think.
Why had Konoha suddenly invited Amegakure? Had they already sensed something unusual, or was it really just a regular Chunin Exam?
"Don't rush to reply yet. Wait until I go back and discuss it—I'll give you an answer then. There should be some genin suitable for promotion in the village at present, right?"
After thinking for a while without reaching a conclusion, Konan prepared to make preparations from both perspectives.
"Yes, there are people indeed, but they're all genin who've never left the village before. Participating in such a major village's Chunin Exam might be somewhat…"
The ninja expressed concern, reminding her cautiously.
"This matter doesn't need a hasty decision. You can gather those ninjas who meet the requirements first, then wait for my message!"
By the time she said this, Konan had already made a decision internally but still wanted to seek Nagato's opinion afterward.
Ever since Hanzo assumed leadership of Amegakure, the village had become increasingly secluded from the outside world. During Akatsuki's time, Amegakure's presence in the Shinobi World had practically vanished, causing many to forget its existence altogether.
It would actually be quite beneficial for the younger generation of ninja in the village to venture out and explore the wider world.
Although Amegakure enjoyed protection under Akatsuki, it remained important to understand just how powerful and dangerous the outside world could be.
This joint exam with Konoha presented a valuable opportunity for the younger generation to broaden their horizons.
"Once everyone who meets the requirements has gathered, hold a competition. The top few will form a team and await my instructions!"
"Alright!"
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