Chapter 213 - Mobilizing Against Akatsuki (Part 2)
This reality wasn't lost on Kazane—and certainly not on Orochimaru. That was precisely why Orochimaru appeared so troubled. The question he posed to Kazane stemmed from a deep internal debate: should they strike down Akatsuki now, before it was too late?
Noticing the prolonged silence, Orochimaru's brow furrowed as he studied Kazane's serious expression and tightly knit eyebrows. He was surprised. Kazane usually answered such questions with zero hesitation—always full of confidence. But today… this hesitation—could the Rinnegan really have put such pressure on him?
Unable to hold back, he asked again, "Kazane… don't tell me even you're unsure? Is the Rinnegan really that powerful?"
Orochimaru's words snapped Kazane out of his thoughts. Seeing the concern on his teacher's face, Kazane realized his silence had led to a misunderstanding. He chuckled and replied, "Sensei, it's just Nagato. I've never regarded him as a true threat. What worries me is that Akatsuki could interfere with our long-term plans."
Kazane's blunt confidence finally put Orochimaru at ease. He knew Kazane's strength well. If even Kazane lacked the confidence to handle Nagato, then no matter how many troops they sent, it would just be a mass sacrifice.
After a brief pause, Orochimaru made up his mind. "Kazane," he said seriously, "Akatsuki's existence poses too much of a threat to our village's development. What do you say we eliminate them altogether?"
Kazane wasn't surprised. Orochimaru had never been one for mercy. This line of thinking was expected. More importantly, Kazane himself was already leaning in that direction.
"Agreed."
---
News of Killer Bee's death and the capture of the Eight-Tails couldn't be completely suppressed, even though Kumogakure had worked hard to seal off the leak. Too many people had witnessed it—so rumors spread rapidly across the shinobi world.
Though Akatsuki had long manipulated small nations from the shadows and ignited regional conflicts, they had remained hidden from the mainstream. Only major powers like Konoha and the Four Great Nations truly knew of their existence.
But this event shattered their anonymity. By stepping on Kumogakure's pride, they announced themselves to the world.
Nagato had singlehandedly invaded the Hidden Cloud, killed the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki Killer Bee while surrounded by hundreds of elite Jonin, and openly extracted the Tailed Beast. Word of his feat spread like wildfire. Some even began to compare him to Kazane.
Keep in mind, although Kumogakure suffered heavy losses in the Third Great Ninja War and lacked top-tier powerhouses, it wasn't some weak village anyone could stroll into. Killer Bee had been a famous name in the shinobi world for nearly two decades. Among the strongest, he was always in the top tier.
Yet someone had walked into his village and killed him in front of hundreds of elite defenders—including the rising star, the Fourth Raikage A.
Even the Eight-Tails itself had been taken.
It was so outrageous, even authors like Jiraiya would hesitate to write something this extreme.
Was Kumogakure simply too weak?
No. This only proved how powerful Nagato truly was—powerful enough to raze a village alone. Judging by how he left after sealing the Eight-Tails, many believed the invasion had been a targeted strike.
Naturally, the other major villages grew uneasy. After all, only a few nations still had Tailed Beasts—and none believed they were stronger than Kumogakure. If Nagato set his sights on them, the same tragedy could repeat itself.
And every nation had its own intelligence network. With Akatsuki's members boldly wearing their unmistakable red cloud cloaks and wandering about without concealment, it was easy to know who had entered their borders.
Reports on members like Tobi and Kakuzu landed on every Kage's desk that same night. As they read through profiles of so many elite, S-rank rogue ninja, the leaders of these villages—once proud and unshakable—felt the weight of the threat that was Akatsuki.
To them, Akatsuki resembled a twisted mirror of Konoha: led by a monstrous powerhouse capable of wiping out entire villages, backed by several top-tier elites. The only real difference was that Konoha had a bigger name, broader territory, more resources, and more renowned warriors. But aside from those factors, Akatsuki was just as terrifying.
Staring down at the intelligence reports, all the Kage came to the same conclusion:
It was time for another Five Kage Summit.
Within hours, correspondence was sent out from all the major villages—even the normally reclusive Kirigakure broke tradition and extended its own invitation.
Six years after the last summit to curb Konoha's rise, the Five Kage would once again convene.
---
Konoha Village
With the decision made to strike Akatsuki, Orochimaru wasted no time. Orders were swiftly dispatched across the Land of Fire. Konoha's strongest forces began gathering from all corners.
But just as the mobilization was gaining momentum, four nearly identical letters arrived—temporarily halting the planned operation.
---
Hokage's Office
Orochimaru stood by the window, gazing at the clear blue sky. Behind him, at the desk, sat Hiruzen Sarutobi, Fugaku Uchiha, and Jiraiya. All three were absorbed in the contents of the four letters spread out before them.
With Kazane, who commanded the Anbu, currently busy overseeing operations, he wasn't present in the room.
As for Tobirama Senju—after losing to Orochimaru and being warned off—he had buried himself in research and stayed far away from these affairs.
And Tsunade? Heh. Known as the most carefree of Konoha's senior figures, she still suffered from hemophobia. Aside from her infamous gambling debts and the nickname "Golden Goose of Konoha," she was rarely seen except when it came time to fund her habits. Now that the Senju clan was thriving again and Tsunade had regained wealth, even Shizune struggled to track her down.
Hiruzen picked up one of the letters, furrowing his brow as he read. He turned to Orochimaru by the window and said, "Orochimaru, it seems these four villages are spooked. Should we hold off on our plan for now? Wait until they clash with Akatsuki and wear each other out, then sweep in and eliminate them all at once?"
Before Orochimaru could reply, Fugaku Uchiha chuckled from his seat.
"Heh… how naive. Elder Sarutobi, are you really treating these people like fools? Do you honestly believe they'll throw themselves against Akatsuki and come out battered? Based on the intelligence we've gathered—do you truly think these weaklings can match Akatsuki?"