Chapter 15: The Akatsuki Don't Keep Deadweight
"How annoying!"
Yasushi frowned tightly, forming rapid one-handed seals as Susanoo spat flames again, burning the venomous dragon to ash. But new shadows continuously regenerated.
While he dealt with Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza had already lunged over, his giant hands locking onto Susanoo's arms like iron clamps, muscles bulging to their limit as he roared with thunder-like volume.
"Let's see you form seals now!"
The new shadow whip dragon reformed in an instant, leaping from the ground like a living python writhing through the air as it lunged at him again, its scale even more massive than before.
"Hehe... who said Susanoo only has two arms?"
Uchiha Yasushi chuckled coldly. With a thought, a third arm suddenly extended from beneath Susanoo's right ribs, dark crimson chakra rapidly condensing into form, fingers nimbly forming seals at high speed.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
In an instant, scorching dragon-shaped flames roared from Susanoo's mouth, tracing a beautiful arc through the air with momentum to destroy everything as it surged toward its target.
This time his jutsu didn't only attack the shadow whip dragon. After eliminating the shadow whip, he turned his head, and the rolling torrent of flames sprayed toward Akimichi Choza who was grappling with Susanoo.
Before the flames arrived, high temperatures already distorted the surrounding air, instantly vaporizing rainwater.
Choza hastily released Susanoo's arm, attempting to retreat, but Susanoo's counter-grab was even faster.
The energy giant palm locked firmly onto his wrist, preventing escape.
Now he was the one caught!
Just a half-beat too slow, the overwhelming flames sprayed directly onto Choza at close range.
Flames coiled around his massive body like living creatures, instantly engulfing him and igniting him into a blazing torch.
His Super Multi-Size body became the best fuel as fire rapidly spread across his entire form with crackling burning sounds. The nauseating stench of burning protein permeated the air.
"Damn!"
Shikaku's heart jumped as new shadow whips rushed from beneath his feet, connecting toward Choza's feet.
"Shadow Clutch Jutsu!"
Choza habitually retracted his head and limbs inward, his body transforming into a massive sphere. Pulled by the shadow whip and swung aloft, he crashed toward Uchiha Yasushi.
"Human Boulder: Human Cannonball!"
The high-speed rotating sphere carried flames across its entire body, naturally possessing even greater power. Moreover, through violent friction with the ground, the flames on Choza's body gradually extinguished.
Attack and fire suppression together—killing two birds with one stone.
"Truly persistent!"
Yasushi controlled Susanoo to swing its staff, knocking Choza back again. He himself leaped backward several steps, turning to look into the distance where shadowy ninja figures had appeared. Just from the emblems on their headbands, he could tell they were Rain Country shinobi.
He looked up at the sky, seeing the rain curtain still falling endlessly, feeling somewhat puzzled.
This continuously falling rain contained faint chakra presence—clearly Nagato's "Rain Tiger at Will Jutsu."
Through this technique, Nagato could monitor everywhere within Rain Country with crystal clarity. No one could infiltrate.
He'd painstakingly cultivated the Akatsuki as his home and would absolutely never allow outsiders to rampage on his turf.
With such commotion here and ordinary shinobi already arriving, he definitely couldn't be unaware. Why hadn't he emerged yet?
Or was he hiding in shadows watching right now?
Yasushi's judgment wasn't wrong. Pain had indeed arrived, but he hadn't rashly entered the fray.
Currently the Akatsuki were in a period of keeping a low profile. Recklessly provoking a major enemy like Konoha Village wasn't a wise choice.
Pain and Konan now stood shoulder to shoulder, secretly observing the scene.
"How could it be Uchiha Itachi?" Konan asked strangely. "Shouldn't he be in the village? Or is this Itachi's twin brother?"
"It's fake." Pain said woodenly. "The real Itachi is still in the village. The Six Paths can see him."
"Zetsu previously investigated Uchiha intelligence. Uchiha Itachi only has a young brother, no twin."
"Someone must be using transformation jutsu to assume his appearance, fighting Konoha Village people here."
"Appearance can be changed with transformation jutsu, but the Uchiha clan's Sharingan can't be conjured from nothing, and Susanoo even less so," Konan countered.
"That can only mean this is another Mangekyo Uchiha!" Pain said flatly. "If Uchiha Itachi could massacre his clan and defect, then other Uchiha certainly can too."
"Both having Mangekyo Sharingan, Uchiha Itachi may not necessarily be able to kill him."
"True enough." Konan sighed. "The Uchiha truly were Konoha's prestigious clan with endless streams of geniuses!"
"First there was Uchiha Madara, then Uchiha Itachi came along, and now another Mangekyo Sharingan has emerged."
"Fortunately they fought among themselves and were eliminated by their own people. Otherwise they'd inevitably obstruct our future Tailed Beast collection plan."
"Doesn't matter." Pain said arrogantly. "No matter how many Mangekyo Sharingan they have, they're merely somewhat powerful ordinary people."
"But I am a god!"
"The god of the new world!"
"No one can obstruct god's will!"
Konan looked at Pain with heartache but said nothing more, only silently nodding and quietly asking:
"Then, shall we recruit him?"
Pain remained silent briefly before slowly shaking his head: "That Uchiha Madara has unfathomable schemes. Who knows what plots he's hatching."
"Though I'm confident I can suppress him martially, if he secretly causes trouble and drags us down, that's also problematic."
"The organization already has two Mangekyo Uchiha. No need to add another."
Hearing this, Konan shook her head: "This Uchiha might not be aligned with those two from Madara's group."
"He's impersonating Itachi's appearance to fight Konoha people—most likely has a grudge against Itachi and is deliberately framing him."
"Perhaps he's a survivor who miraculously escaped when Uchiha Itachi massacred the clan."
"Then he'd have irreconcilable blood vengeance with Itachi for murdering his family. We could perhaps recruit him to watch those two."
"I see!" Pain lowered his head, thinking. "Then let's use this current situation as his test!"
"The Akatsuki don't keep deadweight. If he can successfully escape Konoha Village's pursuit, only then is he qualified to join us."
After hearing this, Konan said nothing more, only standing shoulder to shoulder with Pain, silently watching the field and observing subsequent developments.
***
30+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces