In the depths of a dark chamber.
Enclosed in a circle were several figures glowing faintly in hues of blue and purple. The technique being used on them was known as the "Astral Projection" technique, a jutsu only one character knew how to perform: Nagato Uzumaki.
This was an Akatsuki gathering—a meeting of all of their current members.
Kisame Hoshigaki, the "Tailed Beast Without a Tail." His shark-like features and the monstrous Samehada sword at his side were menacing. Beside him was Itachi Uchiha, whose nature alone made him one of the most feared ninjas in the world.
Then there were Hidan and Kakuzu, the immortal duo—two members who had creepy auras. Hidan's crazed fanaticism and Kakuzu's insatiable greed made them an unlikely pair. But it was their ability to thwart death often that made them a terrifying threat.
Deidara, the flamboyant explosives expert, stood nonchalantly. His use of fighting revolved around clay, along with the ability to detonate it from almost anywhere.
Sasori, a puppet, was Deidara's partner. He remained enclosed inside an even larger puppet that walked on its limbs, and it gave him a gruff, deep voice when speaking through it.
Two more figures stood attached to one another: White and Black Zetsu. Their true nature and origins remained shrouded from the others, adding to their intimidating presence.
Finally, Konan, the only female member, stood just a bit farther off. Her paper-based techniques and her loyalty to Nagato made her a valuable asset to the organization.
At the top of the gathering was Nagato himself. Yet it wasn't Nagato; it was a responding corpse being controlled by him, and it went by the name of "Pain."
His presence was commanding, and his eyes—the infamous Rinnegan—settled upon each member with intensity.
Hidan laughed before asking, "How long has it been since we've all gathered like this?"
"Seven years…" Kisame answered.
"Not since Orochimaru left us," Kakuzu added. "How curious that we all find ourselves here now."
"Curious indeed," Black Zetsu chimed in. "But the matter at hand outweighs our nostalgia."
With a slight gesture, Pain announced, "The reason I've called you here is because of the recent events that transpired in the Leaf Village." Itachi stood silently awaiting the directive as Pain's gaze shifted to him. "Itachi, tell us what happened..."
"It appears that the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki remains within the village," he answered, clipped yet dispassionate.
"Why'd Orochimaru attack the Leaf then?" Deidara asked, furring his brow. "It makes no sense!"
Sasori, always intrigued by tools rather than the politics of others, shrugged absentmindedly and said, "We shouldn't care about Orochimaru's motives. What I want is to track him down and make him pay for betraying the Akatsuki."
Of course Sasori, of all members, would feel a grudge toward the snake. After all, he was Orochimaru's partner before Deidara was recruited.
Pain narrowed his eyes. "Our objective transcends personal vendettas. Orochimaru's actions are of no consequence to us... for now."
While these were rogue ninjas all working together, they were actually divided by their individual philosophies.
Kisame soon pointed out, "It's peculiar, isn't it? That an entire brigade of Leaf shinobi appeared to know we were coming."
"Who were these ninjas?" Konan asked, being more intrigued than the others.
Kisame listed them as such: "Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yūhi, the Copy Ninja Kakashi, a green shinobi, and the legendary Sannin Jiraiya…"
"Just them?" she pressed.
"Yes, just them and a few Genin."
"You're saying a group of ninjas—including their Genin—were aware of our intentions?"
"It would seem so," Kisame sourly answered. "Perhaps they are more organized than we initially assumed."
Before the focus on these unspecified Genin could commence, Hidan's restless energy found an outlet as he turned to Pain. "So, what do we do now? It's been far too long since I've made a sacrifice!"
Deidara scoffed, swatting away Hidan's exuberance with a wave of his hand. "Calm down. We still have three years before we can make our move. And just because there's an inconvenience now doesn't mean we should rush headfirst into danger, you know?"
"Three years, huh?" Hidan repeated. "Still, that's nine Tailed Beasts we have to capture afterwards. Things could get really bloody, real fast. So why wait?"
"Idiot," Kakuzu said, annoyed at Hidan's impatience, "because now the Leaf Village is on high alert. Any slip of our intentions, and they'll mobilize the other villages against us."
"Leave it to the man with five hearts to agree with me," Deidara laughed.
"Shut it!" Sasori demanded. "That attitude of yours will get you killed one day."
"Gee, Sasori, I was only joking…"
It's then that Konan reminded everyone, "The Akatsuki must operate with the utmost caution now."
"What about our current objective?" asked Hidan.
"Our objective has not changed," Paid declared. "We remain concealed and continue carrying out our missions without drawing attention from either the hidden villages or those foolish enough to oppose us."
There was silence as each member considered their leader's words.
Itachi, though subdued, felt a profound understanding shaping his thoughts. Of course, he wasn't willing to speak in the conversation unless spoken to.
"Anything more we should know?" asked Kisame.
"Yes…" Konan answered. "The details surrounding your last encounter suggest the Leaf knows something we don't."
"What makes you say that?" Black Zetsu asked.
"Because they arrived with their Genin… We, the Akatsuki, are all feared s-rank rogues. To even consider placing children against us tells me that someone tipped them off Itachi's and Kisame's arrival." Neither member considered. Or at least, the ones that did (like Itachi) didn't want to speak up. "It would be wise to gather more intelligence before we make any impulsive decisions."
White Zetsu piped up, saying, "Black Zetsu and I could sneak into their village and see if they're plotting anything against us. Shouldn't take too much time."
Pain liked the idea.
"Zetsu and Konan," he commanded, "you three will work this then. I expect a full report when you finish."
"Consider it done," Konan accepted.
Just then, Kakuzu remembered something. "Since we're on this topic, I came across an interesting bounty."
"It better be good," Black Zetsu said.
"A rogue shinobi named Arthur Bennett was killed," Kakuzu announced. "Apparently he was trying to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. At least that's what my trusted sources said."
"Wait!" Hidan blurted out. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"Because you were busy doing your little rituals…"
"That's quite a bold move," Sasori added. "Who was he anyway?"
"Couldn't tell you much about him except that he was a kid that wound up helping Orochimaru invade the Leaf Village… I was thinking of hunting him down since he had a decent bounty on his head."
"What a shame," Kisame interjected. "He might have been a valuable member."
"As if," Kakuzu argued. "I would've killed him the moment I got the chance."
"Don't you think it a little odd that a kid was going after the Nine-Tails?" Konan wondered.
"Insignificant," Sasori answered. "Whoever he was, he helped Orochimaru, and that's more than enough for me to say no."
After this topic, Pain concluded the meeting. "We continue with our clandestine operations until we've accumulated enough resources. Remember what was said, and don't let our plans fall into the wrong hands…"
With one flare of his eyes, everyone's illuminated figures vanished from sight.
Elsewhere, in a sandy desert, Deidara and Sasori were seen sitting down, cross-legged.
"Think we should go looking for some bounties, too?" Deidara asked, standing up.
"No…"
"Oh, come on, Sasori! Why'd ya have to shut my idea down like that? Who knows, we might be able to find some easy targets like that Arthur kid."
"A kid going after a Jinchūriki is no easy target…"