On the other side, Kirito had already arrived at the meeting place with Sasori and the others.
"Is it finally here?" Sasori murmured, watching as Kirito approached like a shadow.
Deidara was the first to approach, his curiosity evident. "Brother Kirito, how strong is the new Fifth Mizukage? Is she powerful?"
Kirito stroked his chin, preparing to speak. "She's quite formidable. She's got a Water Style jutsu strong enough to counter my Fire Style, a Dissolution Technique that can cover large areas with sticky, corrosive material, and a Boil Release that can melt even the toughest metals. Her attack power is nothing to scoff at—she's worthy of being called Mizukage. If anyone else had faced her, they'd be in trouble."
Deidara nodded, digesting the information. "To hear such praise from you, Brother Kirito, means she must be quite skilled."
"Alright, enough talk. The leader is waiting for us," Sasori said, clearly uninterested in the conversation. He had little patience for Deidara's endless questions.
"I get it, I get it," Deidara sighed as he reluctantly summoned two clay birds. "You're always so impatient, Brother Sasori."
Deidara and Sasori rode together on one bird, while Kirito and Pakura took the other. They flew toward Amegakure, the hidden village of the Rain.
It was only after they had been in the air for a while that Pakura finally spoke. "Thank you for what you did earlier."
"Don't mention it. I was just following protocol," Kirito replied, turning to glance at her with a teasing smile. "Besides, I couldn't stand by and let my future partner get turned into a pincushion."
"But you know, we won't be able to keep the fact that you're alive a secret for long. The leadership of Kirigakure will likely blame you for the deaths of hundreds of their ninjas today. They'll probably use this as a pretext to pressure Sunagakure as well."
"Those bastards," Pakura growled, her face darkening. "I'll settle the score with the Sunagakure leaders soon enough."
She clenched her fists, her anger boiling as she thought about the betrayal she had faced.
Amegakure - Akatsuki's Temporary Base
Once they arrived, Pain had summoned all the members of Akatsuki to hold a customary welcome for the newcomers. Not only had Pakura been recruited, but Hidan had also been brought back by Kakuzu, Konan, and Itachi.
After Pakura and Hidan scratched the symbols on their forehead protectors, officially cutting ties with their former villages, Pain distributed the standard Akatsuki uniforms, rings, and nail polish.
Hidan's ring bore the usual 'San' symbol, while Pakura received a new ring, which, unlike the others, wasn't connected to the Outer Path Golem but did have a communication function.
Pakura was quick to speak her mind. "Let me make it clear—I will not give up my revenge against the Sunagakure leadership."
Hidan chimed in, "And I won't stop spreading the word of Jashin."
Pain was unphased. "That's fine. As long as you complete the tasks assigned by the organization on time, we won't interfere with your personal vendettas."
Pain looked around at the assembled group. "The Akatsuki members are all here—Konan, Kirito, Itachi, Kisame, Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan, Zetsu, and now our newest additions, Pakura and Hidan."
"Each of us has our own motives and ambitions, and that's why we've gathered here," Pain continued. "But starting today, our mission begins. We will hunt the nine tailed beasts, from the One-Tail to the Nine-Tails."
"We will face strong opposition, but we must gather all the tailed beasts. Only then will we be able to achieve Akatsuki's ultimate dream."
"Now, let's begin. Eleven of us are gathered here. We cannot afford to fail."
With that, Pain raised his hand, and the stone doors of the base slowly opened, letting in the sunlight that illuminated the eleven members of Akatsuki.
"Let's move out," Pain ordered.
As the members of Akatsuki filed out of the cave, Obito watched them from above, perched on a high cliff. "So, the Akatsuki's prelude is finally starting… No, it's the beginning of the Moon's Eye Plan," he murmured.
Kirito, walking behind Pain, overheard Obito's words with his enhanced senses and couldn't help but think to himself, What a typical chuunibyou.
The Akatsuki members split into pairs and began to disperse across the ninja world. Kirito, along with Pakura, was assigned to a relatively peaceful country—the Land of Hot Water, Hidan's homeland.
As was his routine, Kirito returned to his residence before embarking on his next mission. He spent his days with Izumi and his nights with Mikoto.
Just as he was preparing to leave for Amegakure, Konan stopped him. "Kirito, wait a minute."
Kirito raised an eyebrow, surprised. Ever since the mission at Tanzaku Street, Konan had barely acknowledged him. He suspected that Black Zetsu might have told her about his… situation with Tsunade.
"What's up?" Kirito asked.
Konan didn't answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at Pakura.
Kirito sighed. "Pakura, go ahead. When you reach Amegakure, Juzo will arrange a place for you to stay."
Biwa Juzo, now serving as the captain of Amegakure's Anbu, was responsible for security and handling external threats, allowing Pain to focus on more significant matters.
Pakura nodded and disappeared.
After she left, Konan finally spoke, her voice tinged with disdain. "Mikoto is pregnant."
Kirito froze, his mind racing. When did that happen? But without waiting for an explanation, he disappeared in a flash, heading straight for Amegakure.
Konan, momentarily taken aback, quickly followed, her wings of paper unfurling behind her. "Aren't you going to explain yourself?" she called after him.
"What's there to explain?" Kirito replied matter-of-factly. "I'm a man, and she's a woman. We're both adults. It's natural."
"She's Itachi's mother!" Konan shot back. "She's over twenty years older than you, and her son is the same age as you!"
Kirito shrugged. "So what? They say women who are a few years older than their partners are worth their weight in gold. Mikoto is only about twenty years older than me, so that's like seven gold bricks. I can't complain."
Konan was exasperated. "You're impossible."
But Kirito, undeterred, simply laughed. "Besides, I have my ways to ensure age won't be an issue. After all, what's a twenty-year age gap in the grand scheme of things?"
(End of chapter).
🖤John_smith| Patreon🖤
Let's celebrate November by reading one chapter each day instead of taking two days for each chapter, special offer!! available only this month! Don't forget to check out the additional chapters on Patreon! :)
Visit our Patreon for more:
https://www.patreon.com/john_smith_