As Tobi finished talking, he didn't wait for Pain's reaction and just left the room. The only thing he was worried about was Pain's impatience regarding the safety of Konan which would cause him to do something stupid.
'Nagato has already lost too much. Konan is the last thread he is hanging on. I can't let anything happen to her until my plan is complete. I used his emotions to bring Akatsuki into existence and the shinobi world to its knees, I knew that it was a double-edged sword but how did Yami Uchiha think of Kidnapping Konan of all people? Did Itachi get in contact with him before his death? I didn't think Itachi would trust anyone after the 2 elders disappeared and the Third Hokage became bedridden.' Tobi thought as he reached an underground area that looked like a prison.
He entered one of the rooms which had no windows, and used his Kamui to spit out Asuma and the others out.
The ones in the Kamui dimension were already ready for something like this to happen since Tobi had told them that the head of the Akatsuki may want to meet them. As they came out the Kamui dimension and their asses landed on the prison ground, they immediately stood up and started looking around.
"What are you guys looking for?" Tobi asked in a playful tone.
Shikamaru and the others looked at each other and in the end, Kurenai asked "Where is the leader of the Akatsuki? We want to meet him."
"Ahhh....he didn't think you guys were important enough to meet him. Why don't you guys rest here until the time of the meeting...Let the Akatsuki show you all some hospitality." Tobi said as he turned around to leave.
"Hospitality, my ass...there aren't any windows here as well." Kiba muttered his teeth in anger and he was looking for some way to escape.
Without turning around Tobi said "With an Aburame member midst all of you, how could I give you all a room with windows? And there is only one rule you all must follow...don't use chakra at all. Even if you use a small amount of chakra, there are expert sensors that will find out and then the consequences might be something that you won't like."
"We are prisoners that you need for exchange and to make a deal with the Kages. Do you think the higher-ups in your organization will take kindly to you killing any one of us?" Shikamaru asked.
'I have no intention of provoking him but I need to know how important are we.' Shikamaru thought.
Choji tried to stop Shikamaru from completing the question but Shikamaru asked it eventually.
Tobi put up one finger and said "Don't forget that they have only one Akatsuki member as prisoner while I have 8 of you. Among whom all you 6 kids are clan heirs so even if one of you kids is left alive, the trade will still happen. And as for the Kages, do you think they will care if you all live or die? Hehe...Goodbye and remember the rules." Tobi giggled and left the room. The only source of light for the room were the tiny slots on the metal door which were made to peek inside the prison cell and the flap that was meant for sliding in the food plate.
"W- Was he telling the truth? Are our chances of living are so low?" Ino asked in a scared manner as she looked at Asuma.
"Come on Shikamaru...why did you have to provoke the guy? I am getting more hungry after listening to him.
"That was necessary to know if we should just wait for the prisoner exchange or do something and run away from here." Shikamaru said which made others realize why he did what he did.
"So what are we going to do now, sensei? After listening to what that guy said, we can't use chakra if we don't want to get noticed and they have 8 of us while our village has one of them. They might really kill most of us before the meeting even happens." Kiba said.
"Right now let's wait for someone to come and make contact with us. We can't let this situation be. Asuma we need to figure out where we are and how many enemies we are surrounded with." Kurenai said to which Asuma nodded and walked toward the Metal door to look outside.
After looking for a few minutes, he turned back and said "I don't hear a single sound from the outside. It looks like we are the only ones on this floor. I think that orange-masked guy might be bluffing." Asuma said but then they all heard a voice come from behind them.
This scared them a little and they turned towards the source of the sound. IT was just a wall but within seconds, an aloe-shaped creature wearing an Akatsuki robe emerged from the wall.
"Don't worry you are not alone. I am here to give you company." Zetsu said.
"Are you also imprisoned here?" Choji asked with a confused face to which Ino smacked him on the back of his head and said "Idiot...can't you see him wearing those Akatsuki robes? How can he be a prisoner and still move around so freely? He must be the Akatsuki member who is keeping an eye on us."
"I am Zetsu. Tobi has given me the tedious task of keeping an eye on you and I am sure that you all won't make my life difficult." Zetsu said.
"Are you even human?" Hinata asked. She wanted to activate her Byakugan and check it for herself but Tobi had prohibited them from using chakra.
"Yes and No... let's leave that discussion for some other time. Right now I am here for something else." Zetsu said as a grin appeared on his black-and-white face.
___________________________________
Hidden Leaf (same night)
Jiraya was having Ramen at Ichiraku's. The past few weeks that been boring for Jiraya. He wanted to go to the hidden sand to deal with the Akatsuki and gather clues but Tsunade had told him to stay in the village. He was also called in by the Toad Sage but after going there the Toad Sage said that he didn't remember why. The Toad Sage was known for doing such stuff but it must have been an important reason for him to call Jiraya right away. As Jiraya was thinking about all that, he felt someone come and sit beside him.
At first, he didn't turn to look at the person but continued to focus on his Ramen.
"Ahem...I know you are upset because I am keeping you in the village but stop behaving like an immature kid Jiraya." Tsunade who was sitting beside him said. She was staring daggers at him while he was eating Ramen without a single care in the world.
Jiraya finished his entire Bowl and left out a nice loud burp irritating Tsunade even more.
"Tsunade I know if you are making me stay here then it is truly necessary but I hate staying in the dark like this. The news that Naruto and the others are coming back also reached me through a few clan leaders who had assumed that I already knew about it." Jiraya said. He wasn't a petty person but he hoped that he would be the person Tsunade trusted the most. He had waited the entire day and didn't hear a single word from her and here she was in the darkness of the night, sitting beside him.
Jiraya slid the Ramen bowl toward Teuchi and said "Reminded of the good old days Teuchi..."
"Always a pleasure to serve you Mr Jiraya." Teuchi took the bowl and went inside to his daughter. Jiraya stood up and started walking out of Ichiraku "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"It's not much to talk about but there is something I must show you. But I need to know that you won't let it affect you much."
Jiraya stopped as he heard that. He had always been an easy going person and wouldn't get affected by things easily and even Tsunade knew that but if she was saying this, the matter must be pretty serious.
"Follow me Jiraya." Tsunade said as she started walking toward the stone faces. After a few minutes, as they reached the stone faces, Jiraya couldn't hold his curiosity in and asked "You are dragging this longer than it needs to be Tsunade. What is it? Spit it out."
"I am not the one who will tell you but it's him." Tsunade said as she pointed behind Jiraya.
Jiraya wasn't too surprised by this as he had already sensed someone else in the vicinity but neglected it thinking that it was an Anbu for Tsunade's protection.
As Jiraya turned back he saw a man standing wearing a black mask. "Isn't this guy the new guard that fought with the kids last week?"
He was about to turn back to Tsunade for confirmation but the man in the black mask removed his mask.
"Y-You...how can it be" Jiraya muttered with a shocked expression on his face.
_______________________________
Extra chaps are now available on P@treon.
https://www.p@treon.com/lazarus898