"You?"
Scorpion's hoarse voice echoed across the dim chamber. "It's said you were once defeated by Logan and nearly died in Konoha. Hah—I'd better go."
A twisted smile curled on his face. "I'm very interested in the bodies of Logan and Orochimaru… They have the potential to become excellent puppets."
Uchiha Itachi cast a cold glance at Scorpion but said nothing.
He had no intention of arguing. In this room, only one person had the right to give orders—and that was Pain.
Besides, Itachi rarely insisted on missions. But this time, he had to go.
Back then, he had assumed Logan was merely a ninja with special abilities. But the moment Logan took Sasuke from Konoha, everything changed. It was no longer within his predictions.
That last encounter had been too brief.
This time, Itachi wanted to witness Logan's true strength.
And more importantly… he wanted to see Sasuke again.
It had been so long.
As he thought of his younger brother, Itachi's eyes darkened with unreadable emotion.
---
As long as he's alive and safe… that's all that matters.
---
"Itachi, you'll be counted as part of the operation," Pain said flatly. "Orochimaru was your former partner. Logan, your former rival. Orochimaru also seriously injured your only brother, Uchiha Sasuke. This is your cause and effect to resolve."
"...Sasuke was seriously injured?"
Itachi's heart sank. Though his expression remained calm, a subtle, cold murderous aura stirred within him.
He gave a silent nod.
Pain's Rinnegan eyes swept over the others.
"The second operative—Deidara."
Deidara smirked, hands buried in his pockets.
Kisame frowned slightly. "I'm Itachi-san's partner. Shouldn't I be the one to go with him?"
Pain's tone remained neutral, but he gave a brief explanation out of respect for the team:
"Logan has already killed three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Kisame, you're from Kirigakure. He's familiar with your tactics and fighting style."
"If we want to deal with Logan, we must choose opponents unfamiliar to him."
Kisame accepted this quietly. That made sense.
All intel on Logan confirmed one thing: within a two-to-three-meter radius, he had absolute dominance. He excelled at close-range breakthroughs and counter-assaults.
Itachi specialized in illusion.
Deidara specialized in long-range explosive attacks and aerial mobility.
They were indeed the ideal pairing.
Deidara grinned wider. "Heh, tough bones like this are the most satisfying to chew on. I wonder if Logan will understand the meaning of my art."
"But… are we capturing him alive? To bring him into Akatsuki?"
Pain nodded.
Logan's strength and his compassion toward civilians reminded Pain of his former self.
---
If possible… I want him to fight for the dream of peace.
---
"I get it now," Deidara chuckled. "So when I blow him up, I have to hold back and not kill him."
"But why do we need to capture Orochimaru alive? Wasn't he a traitor?"
This time, Konan answered.
"Because none of you can confirm whether the person you kill is the real Orochimaru… or just one of his experiments or a body clone."
"Even if I destroy him, there's no guarantee he won't appear again somewhere else. That's why—"
She looked to Pain.
"I'm the third operative."
She turned to Itachi and Deidara. "I'll assist in the battle. Once Orochimaru is defeated, I'll seal and retrieve him."
And so, the trio was assembled:
Uchiha Itachi. Deidara. Konan.
Their mission: Capture Logan and Orochimaru alive.
Akatsuki was known for its efficiency.
After the meeting ended, the three gathered atop a massive clay bird summoned by Deidara. The beast was enormous—more than enough to carry them comfortably.
The skies were quiet as they flew toward the Land of Rice Fields.
Deidara was absorbed in his art, scribbling on paper and grinning to himself now and then.
Itachi sat silently, eyes closed, resting.
Konan sat at a distance, quietly observing him from her peripheral vision.
Her assignment wasn't just support and sealing Orochimaru. Pain had given her a secret task:
---
Uncover the truth about Uchiha Itachi.
---
Everyone in Akatsuki had a shady past filled with secrets.
Pain didn't care about personal baggage, as long as it didn't interfere with missions or the grand plan.
But even a leader needs leverage—and Pain always held four cards:
Incentive, emotion, protection, and force.
He knew which combination to play for each member.
Except one man: Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi never desired anything. He completed missions with ruthless precision. He was the ideal teammate.
But this same man had once slaughtered his entire clan in a single night—for no clear reason.
He was perfect. And utterly unpredictable.
Konan's task: Observe what choices Itachi made when facing Logan, Orochimaru, and Sasuke.
And if anything went wrong…
---
Kill him on the spot.
---
Konoha Village – ANBU Medical Wing
A massive sphere of pure water hovered silently in the air.
It shimmered faintly—this was the cleansing water created by Mount Myōboku's two great sages, Fukasaku and Shima. It could isolate external natural energy to the highest degree.
Suspended at the center of the sphere was Uchiha Sasuke.
He was nearly naked—only a cloth covered his waist. His arms floated slightly outward, and the crown of thorns still rested on his head.
Jiraiya sat cross-legged in front of the water sphere, eyes heavy with exhaustion.
It had been a week since the battle with Orochimaru. In that time, Jiraiya hadn't rested once.
Initially, he had wanted to bring Sasuke directly to Mount Myōboku, where the boy would be safest.
But the natural energy there was too rich—the cleansing water couldn't be sustained for long.
So they returned to Konoha.
Now Jiraiya stared at Sasuke's withered body, his limbs growing thinner by the day, his breathing shallow.
Something about it stirred a strange emotion in him.
---
For a moment, he wanted to kneel and bow his head.
---
Jiraiya rubbed his face roughly. You're tired. That's all it is.
"You're too tired. You should rest."
A warm, aged voice came from behind.
Jiraiya turned and saw Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, approaching slowly in casual robes—like an old man walking through a quiet village.
"Go rest," the old Hokage repeated, gently. "Or are you waiting for Danzo to make another move on Sasuke?"
Sarutobi stood silently beside Jiraiya, gazing at Sasuke in the water.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"The Uchiha situation… I couldn't make a better choice."
Did he know the Uchiha massacre was wrong?
Of course.
Did he understand how it weakened the village?
Yes.
But his political skills weren't strong enough to find another solution. So in the end, he remained silent.
Jiraiya turned toward him. He had once been so angry about the massacre that he nearly stormed back to confront his teacher.
But now…
He simply sighed.
"Teacher… we really are master and apprentice."
After all, hadn't he done the same? Let Orochimaru go because he didn't know what else to do.
The one hurt most by all of this… was Sasuke.
---
But I won't hesitate again.
---
Jiraiya looked at the Third Hokage. "You always failed to give up the things you should've let go of. And so others took away what you should've protected."
The Uchihas. Minato. Orochimaru. Even the Will of Fire that once illuminated the ninja world.
"What should I do now?" Hiruzen asked quietly.
"I don't know," Jiraiya replied. "But there's one man who might."
"Logan?"
"Yeah."
There was deep trust in Jiraiya's voice.
Sarutobi gave a faint smile. "The last time I heard you speak of someone like that… it was Minato."
"But if Logan's returned, it means Orochimaru is already dead."
Jiraiya nodded slowly.
"He died a long time ago."
"The moment he became obsessed with immortality, Orochimaru's soul was corrupted."
---
Land of Rice Fields – Otogakure Village
Orochimaru stood before thirty volunteers, eyes glinting with excitement.
Kabuto stepped beside him.
"Lord Orochimaru, these are the ones who agreed to be 'material' for the experiment."
"You told them the cost?" Orochimaru asked.
"I did. They all understand they'll die."
Orochimaru nodded, then pointed to two of the men.
Though their deaths were certain, the chosen two were elated. The rest looked on with envy.
Because once chosen, their families, friends—even neighbors—would be well cared for. Their loved ones would receive a generous pension, enough for a peaceful life.
In a world this cruel… that was a blessing.
The price? Only their lives.
To them, it was a fair deal.
The two stepped forward. Orochimaru approached, gently straightening their collars with a strange smile.
"Thank you," he whispered.
The two men trembled, moved to tears.
Orochimaru patted their shoulders and turned to Kabuto.
"We're ready. Begin the procedure."
"Forbidden Technique—"
Impure World Reincarnation.
pàtreøn (Gk31)