Inside a dimly lit cave, all the members of the Akatsuki gathered. Many were injured from their recent attack on Konoha. With the assault now over, Tobi, who had always hidden in the shadows, was finally exposed to the entire group.
Today, he openly revealed himself to everyone.
Uchiha Itachi, already familiar with Tobi, didn't display any surprise.
However, Sasori, Deidara, and the others looked curiously at the masked figure, wondering who this newcomer was.
Since when had the Akatsuki gained a new member, and how did they not know about it?
Moreover, based on his performance in Konoha, this masked individual clearly wasn't weak.
"Let me introduce a new member to everyone: Tobi," declared Pain (Deva Path). "With Hidan gone, Tobi will partner up with Kakuzu from now on."
"With this, we've filled the gap left in our ranks."
Just like in the original story, Tobi, under his alias, was officially introduced to the Akatsuki.
"Teaming up with me? Well, let's see if he's up to the task," Kakuzu remarked, eyeing Tobi skeptically.
It was typical of Kakuzu's personality to question the strength of a newcomer.
More importantly, Kakuzu was loyal to Uchiha Akira. He saw this as an opportunity to test Tobi's strength and report back to his master.
"Kakuzu, watch out. Tobi's no joke. Back in Konoha, he managed to go a few rounds with Uchiha Akira," Deidara said, wearing a mischievous grin, clearly anticipating some drama.
"Tobi, be careful. Kakuzu has a habit of... losing partners," Itachi added unexpectedly.
Itachi had his reasons. Since Kakuzu was under Akira's Kotoamatsukami control, Itachi understood the real purpose behind Kakuzu's desire to test Tobi's abilities.
By making this comment, Itachi aimed to divert attention from Kakuzu's true motives. It also fit their longstanding, tense relationship.
As expected, Kakuzu, not taking kindly to the comment, shot back at Itachi with a few choice words. The atmosphere grew tense, as if Kakuzu was ready to tear out Itachi's heart before dealing with Tobi.
"Alright, Kakuzu. Since you want to test Tobi's strength, let's have a spar," Pain (Deva Path) interrupted, looking at Kakuzu.
As the leader of the Akatsuki, Pain's authority was absolute, and his words immediately defused the tension.
Without further delay, Kakuzu activated his Earth Grudge Fear, summoning several tendrils and launching an attack on Tobi.
The rest of the Akatsuki members watched closely.
Although Tobi had already shown some of his abilities during the attack on Konoha, most hadn't seen him in action firsthand. This spar was an opportunity to evaluate his true strength.
Tobi's Kamui technique allowed him to phase through attacks, making his body shift between tangible and intangible states at will.
It didn't take long for everyone to realize how strange Tobi's ability was. As long as he used Kamui, he could avoid any attack and remain untouchable.
But it wasn't just Kamui. Tobi's body had been enhanced by Hashirama's cells, and with Uchiha Madara personally training him for a period, he had become one of the strongest among Kage-level fighters.
Despite Kakuzu's relentless assault, Tobi continued to evade effortlessly, all the while making playful and exaggerated comments. None of Kakuzu's attacks landed.
On the contrary, several of Tobi's well-timed counterattacks left Kakuzu with a lingering sense of danger.
The two clashed for nearly a hundred exchanges, with neither able to gain a clear advantage over the other.
"Alright, that's enough. I surrender! Kakuzu, you're as strong as they say!" Tobi shouted, raising his hand in mock surrender.
Hearing this, Kakuzu stopped attacking but internally became more wary.
Who would have thought the Akatsuki would bring in such a powerful and enigmatic individual?
Although Tobi had voluntarily conceded, the other members weren't fooled. They could see that Tobi's strength was formidable, and Kakuzu couldn't have guaranteed a victory.
Still, this sparring session was more of a formality, a way for Tobi to prove himself, rather than a real fight to the death. Since Tobi had acknowledged defeat, there was no reason for Kakuzu to continue pushing the issue.
"With that settled, Tobi is now officially a member of the Akatsuki," Pain announced after Kakuzu had stopped.
No one objected.
Based on what they had just seen, Tobi's strength was undeniable, and he had certainly earned his place in the group.
"Now, let's move on to the second matter," Pain said. "The first phase of the Akatsuki's wealth accumulation is complete. It's time for the next phase."
"We will now begin collecting the power of the nine tailed beasts."
"Leader, I don't mean to sound negative, but we barely managed to escape Konoha. If we couldn't even handle that, how can we go after the Nine Tails and the rest of the tailed beasts? We'll be going up against the entire shinobi world," Deidara voiced his skepticism.
It wasn't a criticism of Pain's strength but a reflection of the doubts he had about the Akatsuki's chances of success.
Deidara's concerns resonated with Sasori and a few others, who nodded in agreement.
This mission to Konoha had been aimed at killing Uchiha Akira, but not only had they failed, Akira had emerged even stronger, having awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan.
If they couldn't even succeed in Konoha, how could they expect to capture the Nine Tails, let alone all nine tailed beasts?
Pain glanced at Deidara but didn't offer a rebuttal.
It was true. Their mission in Konoha had been a failure, and it had shaken the group's confidence.
With doubts about their ability to capture the tailed beasts now surfacing, it made sense that Deidara would express his concerns.
"I see... I'll have to restore their confidence," Pain thought to himself.
"The truth is, the failure in Konoha was mostly my fault," Kisame suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone by taking responsibility.
"My plan was to attack Hinata Hyuga, forcing Uchiha Akira to split his focus so that the Leader could strike the final blow."
"But when I nearly killed her, it triggered Akira's Mangekyō Sharingan awakening."
"I hadn't expected that."
"So, this failure is on me," Kisame admitted candidly, taking the blame for the mission's failure.
Kisame's straightforward nature was evident. Just like in the original story, where he had committed suicide to avoid leaking information, here, he didn't hesitate to take responsibility for the botched mission.
His admission drew the attention of Sasori, Deidara, and the others.
When analyzed, Kisame's explanation made sense. Hinata had been like a hostage, and attacking her was meant to distract Akira and give Pain the chance to kill him.
But who could've known that Kisame would nearly kill her and, in doing so, trigger Akira's awakening?
It was like a hostage situation where the criminal accidentally kills the hostage, provoking the police into a full-scale attack.
Hinata had been that hostage.
"Kisame does bear some responsibility, but now's not the time to assign blame," Pain acknowledged, appreciating Kisame's honesty, and then shifted the conversation.
Pain's Rinnegan scanned the room as he continued, "Since some of you have started to doubt the power of the Akatsuki, allow me to show you just how much strength we truly possess."
One by one, figures emerged from the shadows, each clad in the Akatsuki's signature black cloak with red clouds.
As these individuals stepped forward, even Uchiha Itachi, known for his composure, couldn't hide his shock.
Every one of these figures had the same pair of Rinnegan eyes!
"Six pairs of Rinnegan? How is that even possible?!" Even Itachi's normally calm mind was racing.
"This... is the true power of the Akatsuki? Six pairs of Rinnegan?!"
Even Deidara, who had just voiced his doubts about their mission, was stunned by the sight. His confidence returned, bolstered by this overwhelming display.
Everyone knew the power of the Rinnegan. Without it, Pain wouldn't have been the leader of the Akatsuki.
Now, six pairs of Rinnegan stood before them.
Did this mean the leader's level of strength had been multiplied by six?
With this power, how could the Akatsuki possibly be defeated?
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 250+ at patreon.com/Emik01.