Under Orochimaru's guidance, the group entered a vast stone chamber. As the heavy stone door opened, a cold, refreshing draft rushed outward, carrying the faint scent of damp earth.
Torches along the walls flared to life one by one.
Without a word, Orochimaru stepped inside, strolled to a bookshelf, pulled out a sealed scroll, and casually tossed it toward Hyūga Satoru.
"The existence of Akatsuki has already begun to interfere with my plans," Orochimaru said calmly.
"Even I haven't been able to fully determine the organization's true strength."
"That scroll contains all the intelligence I've gathered so far."
He paused, golden eyes narrowing slightly.
"If Konoha believes it can eliminate Akatsuki in a single operation… then I'm willing to cooperate."
"Fufufu…"
Orochimaru let out a soft, amused chuckle and cast a meaningful glance toward Jiraiya.
The Rinnegan…
Those legendary eyes were irresistible to a researcher like him.
Akatsuki, to Orochimaru, had already lost much of its value. He had secured control over the Land of Grass, siphoned resources through Akatsuki's funding channels, and established numerous hidden laboratories. With those assets, he had even laid the foundation for what would later become the Sound forces.
He no longer needed Akatsuki.
In fact, the organization had become a liability.
Sooner or later, Akatsuki would turn against him—and rather than wait passively for powerful hunters to arrive, it made more sense to cooperate with Konoha and eliminate Akatsuki first.
Jiraiya and the others had only uncovered one of Orochimaru's many bases. Even if Konoha tracked him further, he had no shortage of places to retreat to. As for the Flying Thunder God mark Satoru had placed on him—troublesome, yes, but something that could be dealt with through Living Corpse Reincarnation.
Compared to Akatsuki, Konoha posed far less immediate danger.
More importantly, Orochimaru understood Hiruzen Sarutobi—and Jiraiya—very well.
As long as he focused on strengthening himself, neither of them would actively pursue him.
The fact that the Third Hokage had once allowed him to escape spoke volumes.
Orochimaru had always known when to advance, when to retreat, and which side to stand on.
"Orochimaru…"
Jiraiya lowered his gaze, deliberately avoiding eye contact. He understood why Orochimaru kept looking at him that way.
The Rinnegan.
How many could possibly exist in this world?
Could Akatsuki's leader be that child he had once sheltered in the Land of Rain?
Nagato…
If that boy had grown smoothly, he should now be an exceptional shinobi. With the full potential of the Rinnegan awakened, leading an organization like Akatsuki would be well within his grasp.
But…
If it truly was Nagato, why would he cooperate with the man who attacked Konoha during the Nine-Tails incident?
And if it wasn't him—then where had Akatsuki's leader obtained those eyes?
Were Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan even still alive?
Thoughts churned violently in Jiraiya's mind.
When they parted ways years ago, those three had been little more than talented children—barely genin by Konoha's standards. The Land of Rain had never known peace; even after the great powers withdrew, bandits and rogue ninja ravaged the country.
Survival alone had been difficult.
Yet Jiraiya feared another outcome even more—seeing them become mercenaries, leaders of a criminal organization that threatened the world.
As a Konoha shinobi, he could not allow Akatsuki to grow unchecked.
As Minato and Kushina's teacher, he could not ignore a threat tied to the tailed beasts.
As Hyūga Satoru unrolled the scroll and began examining its contents, Jiraiya raised his head, resolve hardening.
"Satoru," he asked quietly,
"What are you planning to do next?"
"Have you decided the direction of the investigation?"
The scroll Orochimaru provided contained a fair amount of intelligence—mostly on individual Akatsuki members. There was nothing concrete about the leader.
Some things were never written down.
Truthfully, much of the information was redundant to Satoru. He already knew far more about Akatsuki than anyone present.
Still, the scroll had value.
It gave him a legitimate source—allowing him to reveal certain truths without exposing how much he truly knew.
Jiraiya's question snapped him back from his thoughts.
After a brief pause, Satoru smiled.
"Didn't Orochimaru-sama already give us a clue?"
"Even if the leader remains hidden, the direction is clear."
He tapped the scroll lightly.
"Kakuzu is a missing-nin from Takigakure. Sasori was a rogue from the Sand."
"Takigakure should be interested in reclaiming its defectors."
"And Kirigakure as well."
Satoru had no intention of charging straight at Akatsuki's heart just yet. More allies—even expendable ones—would increase their odds.
Hearing this, Jiraiya didn't immediately agree. He thought for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Satoru… I have a lead regarding the Rinnegan."
"Akatsuki's leader is very likely a shinobi from the Land of Rain."
Satoru paused—genuinely surprised this time.
"A shinobi from the Land of Rain?" he asked. "How do you know?"
Orochimaru's gaze slid toward Jiraiya, unreadable. Shisui, Kakashi, and Guy all turned to him as well.
"This… is a long story," Jiraiya said quietly.
"When I was younger, I once encountered a child with the Rinnegan. That child was from the Land of Rain."
"I can't be certain it's the same person—but Rain is the right place to start."
That revelation completely overturned Satoru's original pacing.
Entering the Land of Rain now would alert Akatsuki immediately.
With their current strength, it was dangerous—reckless, even.
Unless Might Guy opened the Gate of Death… and that was not a gamble Satoru was willing to take.
Yet when Satoru looked at Jiraiya's expression, he knew the truth.
Even if they refused, Jiraiya would go alone.
And alone, Jiraiya would die.
Nagato's hatred after Yahiko's death had surpassed all restraint. Former teacher or not, he would show no mercy.
After a long silence, Satoru turned to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru," he said calmly.
"You said you were willing to assist."
"What level of assistance are we talking about?"
Akatsuki was strong—strong enough that even Satoru wanted more pieces on the board.
Orochimaru's lips curved.
"Oh? You want me to enter the Land of Rain with you?"
His interest was genuine. The Rinnegan was an irresistible lure.
"Yes," Satoru replied evenly.
"I imagine you're very interested in those eyes."
"Hehehehe…"
Orochimaru laughed softly.
"Very interesting."
"When do we leave?"
Satoru didn't answer immediately. He looked to Jiraiya.
"The sooner, the better," Jiraiya said firmly.
"We leave now."
Satoru nodded, his expression grave, and used Flying Thunder God to send Orochimaru's scroll back to Konoha.
Konoha Village
The Hokage's office door burst open.
Minato looked up from his paperwork as Kushina strode in.
"Shin—no," she corrected herself, smiling faintly.
"Satoru sent information."
"It's about the man who attacked Konoha back then."
She handed Minato the scroll.
At the mention of that night, Minato's expression hardened. He read carefully—then unfolded the letter tucked inside.
"Akatsuki…"
The warning was clear.
The risks were enormous.
Even with Jiraiya and Orochimaru present, Satoru was asking for preparations.
Minato stood.
"Kushina," he said,
"I'm going to Mount Myōboku."
"If anything goes wrong… we'll need to be ready."
He vanished in a yellow flash.
Land of Rain
Heavy rain poured from the blackened sky.
Since entering Rain, the weather had not cleared for a single moment.
On the churning sea, figures in black rain cloaks stood atop the water, gazing at a city of towering spires.
"Do we infiltrate directly?" Orochimaru asked softly.
"Yes," Jiraiya replied.
"Straight into the city."
"We find someone alive. Start there."
As rain struck his palm, Hyūga Satoru exhaled quietly.
"…As expected."
"We've already been discovered."
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