"Do you want the Akatsuki to go to war with the Five Great Shinobi Countries, or would you prefer they remain in hiding?" Shishou asked Mei Terumi with a smile.
Although the Akatsuki members were formidable, they still couldn't match the combined might of the Five Great Shinobi Countries.
Mei sighed in response, "Honestly, it doesn't really matter."
"If the Akatsuki continues to lie low, it might give Kirigakure a few years to develop. But that bomb will eventually go off, and the war it causes later might result in even more casualties than if we confront them now."
Shishou nodded in agreement. The Fourth Great Ninja War was a prime example of this.
However, his primary concern wasn't the fate of the Akatsuki but how to spend some quality time with Mei Terumi.
In the Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
The Raikage's Office.
The Fourth Raikage, A, sat at his desk, his expression stern as he read the letter from the Fourth Kazekage.
"Mabui, what do you make of this battle outside the Sand Village?" he asked, tossing the letter onto the desk and leaning back in his chair.
The revelation that the masked man from the Akatsuki had used the Deep Forest Emergence wasn't surprising to the Fourth Raikage. What caught his attention was the jutsu that created a miniature moon.
"I just received a letter from the Third Hokage. He suspects that the destructive fire release jutsu was likely performed by the masked man from the Akatsuki," Mabui said, holding the files close to her chest and speaking calmly.
"We don't know the exact details of the battle, but this alone means we should take the Akatsuki more seriously. As for the masked man's opponent, I believe it might be the Flying Thunder God user who once helped Kirigakure."
The Fourth Raikage nodded in agreement. An individual capable of wielding two large-scale jutsus was indeed a threat that needed to be addressed, as was the organization behind him.
"But is the opponent really the Flying Thunder God user from Kirigakure?" he pondered aloud.
"Raikage-sama, a new intelligence report from the Mizukage has just arrived," Samui announced, entering the office with a fresh letter.
The Fourth Raikage quickly opened the letter and read its contents. Suddenly, his hand slammed down on the desk, causing a loud thud.
Mabui and Samui exchanged puzzled looks, wondering what had shocked the Raikage so much.
"Read it for yourselves," he said, handing over the letter, his face darkened with concern.
"What? The combatants were the Akatsuki's masked man and their leader?" Mabui's face turned pale as she finished reading.
If both fighters were from the Akatsuki, then their previous assessment of the organization would need to be completely revised. The existence of two such powerful individuals within the Akatsuki meant that they could indeed pose a significant threat to the Five Great Shinobi Countries.
The descriptions of giant summon beasts, vast fire release techniques, Deep Forest Emergence, and the creation of a miniature moon left Mabui deeply unsettled.
"Calm down," Samui said coldly, trying to regain her composure after reading the letter.
The Fourth Raikage, having made up his mind, turned to Samui. "Samui, summon Bee and Yugito back to the village. We might need them soon."
Yugito Nii was currently training on Turtle Island with Killer Bee, striving to perfect her control over the Two-Tails to prepare for a potential rematch with Shishou.
"Send a message to the other villages. Kumogakure agrees to join the joint investigation," he ordered Mabui.
The threat posed by the Akatsuki, with their apparent focus on the tailed beasts and their hosts, had to be eradicated as soon as possible.
"Yes, Raikage-sama," Mabui and Samui responded in unison, leaving the office to carry out their tasks.
In the Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
The Tsuchikage's Office.
"So, they have such hidden strength?" chuckled the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, as he floated midair, reading the letters from the Fourth Kazekage and the Fifth Mizukage.
Neither the masked man's Deep Forest Emergence nor the Akatsuki leader's miniature moon creation threatened someone with Onoki's Dust Release.
What surprised him was the revelation that the Akatsuki had two such powerful members.
"Two tigers cannot share one mountain," he mused. The infighting between the masked man and the Akatsuki leader seemed natural to Onoki.
Still, the Akatsuki's potential threat to the Five Great Shinobi Countries could not be ignored.
"Inform the other villages that Iwagakure will participate in the joint investigation," he instructed Akatsuchi.
"Understood," Akatsuchi responded, leaving to relay the message.
Perhaps I should find a successor for the Dust Release, Onoki thought as he floated to the office window, watching the people of Iwagakure below.
Though he felt confident in his own abilities, facing the Akatsuki leader and the masked man alone could be overwhelming. It was time to cultivate some strong allies.
Both the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki harbored significant resentment towards him and were unlikely to help. Deidara had the potential but lacked the motivation, being more interested in his explosive art. Akatsuchi was too slow, and Kurotsuchi, while talented, wasn't quite ready.
"Finding a successor is proving difficult," Onoki sighed, worrying about Iwagakure's future.
An explosion suddenly echoed from the village square, causing Onoki to twitch before darting out of his office.
"Deidara! You've blown up another statue! Get back here!" he shouted.
"You old fossil! I never liked those statues. I'll blow them all up!" Deidara retorted, flying away on his clay bird.
"I'll teach you a lesson today!" Onoki yelled, chasing after him.
"Catch me if you can!"
Kurotsuchi, just out of school, watched the chase with a shake of her head. "You two are so annoying. Can't you find something else to do?"
At dusk, in an unnamed cave.
Before the Gedo Statue, spectral images of the Akatsuki members began to appear.
On the statue's right thumb, Pain opened his eyes and addressed the group coldly, "This is our new member, Shinnō."