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Pain ignored the commotion between Orochimaru and Sasori.
"Kakuzu, you and Dousan are in a team. Head to the Land of Earth."
He paired Kakuzu with a character who was merely an extra in the original story, one who didn't even have a name and was ultimately killed by Kakuzu.
Kakuzu had no objections to this. In fact, he was slightly pleased. Kirito had just destroyed four of his hearts, and he needed replacements—high-quality hearts from elite jonin, which were rare. Now, a high-quality heart had practically delivered itself right to his doorstep. All Kakuzu had to do was stage an "accident" during their mission.
"Konan will remain in my group," Pein continued.
As a senior member and Nagato's close companion, Konan had no objections either.
"Jūzō, you'll be teamed up with Itachi. Head to the Land of Water."
"Understood," Jūzō responded reluctantly. If he had a choice, he would never return to that country filled with bloodshed and tears. He was among the weakest in the Akatsuki, ranking only slightly higher than the soon-to-be-dead teammate of Kakuzu. He had no right to refuse. Fortunately, they weren't heading to the Hidden Mist Village; otherwise, he might have preferred death. After all, he had barely escaped the bloody reign of the village.
"And as for Kirito…" Pain paused, considering the powerful strength Kirito had just displayed. "You will be paired with Zetsu for now. Zetsu's primary task is intelligence gathering, and he's not suited for combat. You'll have to carry the team for a while. I'll find a more fitting partner for you soon."
Kirito, though slightly disappointed, responded with a shrug, "As long as Zetsu doesn't appear when I'm asleep, I'll be fine."
His disappointment was clear. He had hoped to be paired with Konan. After all, she was a young lady, and now he had to work with Zetsu, a being created through Yin-Yang Release. Changing the subject, Kirito spoke seriously to Zetsu, "I like to kill people in my sleep. When I'm resting, you better stay far away."
"What do you mean?" White Zetsu asked, confused.
"If you pop up when I'm resting, I'll cut you to pieces," Kirito replied bluntly.
Black Zetsu hesitated before asking, "How should we call on you then?"
"Knock. Got it? Also, my residence in the Rain Village is off-limits. If anyone besides Konan dares to get close, I'll cut them into pieces." As Kirito said this, he cast a threatening glance at the surrounding Akatsuki members, radiating arrogance.
Those who had witnessed Kirito's strength had no objections. In this world, the strong made the rules, and it was best not to provoke someone like Kirito. Plus, they weren't foolish enough to wander into a grown man's room uninvited.
"I understand," Black Zetsu responded, choosing to yield. Kirito didn't play by anyone's rules. He had wiped out both the Sarutobi and Shimura clans without hesitation. Black Zetsu couldn't guarantee Kirito wouldn't carry out his threat of chopping him and White Zetsu to pieces.
"Alright, leader, since we've covered the Land of Wind, Earth, and Water, you're not planning to send me to the Land of Fire or Lightning next, right?" Kirito asked, turning to Pain.
"Not yet. There's no need to focus on the Land of Lightning for now," Pain explained. "The Cloud Village isn't like other villages, prone to internal conflict. For now, Akatsuki can't infiltrate it. As for the Land of Fire, after what you did—wiping out the Third Hokage and Danzo's families—it would draw too much attention if you went there now. You'll be traveling among smaller countries for a while. I'll assign you specific missions soon."
As Pain spoke, his Rinnegan glowed, and with a simple motion, everyone was lifted into the air. They flew away from the Rain Village and finally landed on the peak of a vast mountain, suspended above the clouds.
Everyone gathered around Pain, standing silently at the edge of a bottomless chasm. Mountains surrounded them, with clouds weaving through the valleys below. The members, dressed in their signature red clouds on black cloaks, stood poised.
The first generation of the Akatsuki organization had officially formed.
"The mission begins," Pain announced. "Let the world feel pain!"
With that, the members scattered in groups according to their assignments. Kakuzu was the first to run, dragging his unfortunate teammate along as if fleeing from Kirito, eager to replenish his lost hearts.
Watching them disappear, Kirito mourned silently for the extra character and then glanced at Jūzō, the next character likely to meet a grim fate. He knew that soon enough, Obito would send Jūzō and Itachi to the Hidden Mist Village to test Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan. When that time came, Jūzō would famously try to cleave a Tailed Beast Bomb in half with his sword—a move that would prove fatal.
"Hey, newcomer, let's go," Jūzō called to Itachi, sensing Kirito's gaze. He hefted his beheading sword and started walking back without delay.
Uchiha Itachi gave Kirito a long, thoughtful look before following Jūzō. Soon, only Kirito, Zetsu, Pein, and Konan remained at the mountaintop.
"Let's move," Kirito sneered at Black and White Zetsu, his figure blurring as he vanished from sight, leaving the two Zetsus behind.
White Zetsu was left speechless. "…"
Black Zetsu sighed. "…"
White Zetsu muttered, "Itachi's a dutiful son, Kakuzu's obsessed with money. It seems Kirito looks down on all of us. At least Orochimaru gets to be called 'Snake Uncle.'"
"Let's just follow," Black Zetsu urged. With that, Black Zetsu melded into the ground, disappearing as he pursued Kirito from below.
Moments later, space distorted beside Pain, and a masked man with an orange spiral mask, his right eye exposed, appeared. His arms were crossed, and he radiated a sense of confidence.
"What's the current situation?" Obito asked in a deep voice.
"Including Kirito and Itachi, everyone is out collecting funds," Konan replied.
Pain looked over at Obito. "What about the next member? Have you found a candidate?"
Obito shook his head. "Still searching. We can't afford to recruit weaklings. How strong are Kirito and Itachi?"
"Itachi hasn't made a move yet, but he has the Mangekyō Sharingan, so he's at a certain level. As for Kirito, he's extremely powerful—Kakuzu was no match for him," Konan explained.
Obito wasn't surprised by this news. Beneath his mask, he recalled his own near-fatal encounter with Kirito. Not only was Kirito incredibly strong, but he also had the ability to see through Obito's intangibility. It was because of Kirito that Obito had almost lost his life—and one of his Sharingan.
"He's likely even stronger than we realize. Keep an eye on him. If used properly, he'll be a great asset to our future plans," Obito said before his body warped and disappeared into the vortex.
(End of Chapter).
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