Terumi Mei opened her eyes, groaning weakly, and looked around, taking in her surroundings.
All her companions were restrained. She gritted her teeth, trying to use her chakra, but quickly realized she couldn't—her chakra had been sealed.
With a sigh of frustration, she reflected on the situation. She had never imagined that the youngest and most elite generation of the Hidden Mist Village could be subdued so quickly.
A metallic smell filled the air, and Terumi Mei turned and found Ao with a dark, hollowed socket where his Byakugan had been, blood staining his face.
"Ao, are you alright?" she called softly. A voice from the doorway responded instead, "Don't worry, he's fine. I only took his Byakugan. I didn't do anything else to him."
Mei looked up, her face tense with wariness, as Shin stepped through the doorway.
"What do you want from us?" she asked, her tone defiant yet wary.
Shin chuckled. "Well, I just came to Kiri to, let's say, see what I could take. You and your team arriving was unexpected but a welcomed gift nonetheless."
Mei clenched her fists in frustration, realizing that their mission had backfired so severely that they'd essentially delivered themselves into his hands.
"What are you planning to do to us?" she questioned again, glaring at him.
Shin appeared thoughtful. Truthfully, while he had captured them, he hadn't decided on their fates. Making puppets out of them for Sasori? That idea didn't sit well. This group wasn't comprised of bloodthirsty fanatics; they leaned towards stability within their village.
And then, unlike his alliances with Orochimaru and Sasori, this group hadn't willingly chosen to align with him.
Just as he was mulling it over, Shin felt a vibration from a ring on his finger. Surprised, he realized it was a signal from his wood clone.
"What's going on?" he muttered, channeling his consciousness into the clone. He soon saw it had taken on his appearance, abandoning its 'Nagato' disguise.
"Uh…" the clone began, a bit sheepishly. "Black Zetsu just tried to ambush me, hoping to control me into using the Rinne Rebirth to revive Madara."
Shin's eyebrows shot up, and the clone continued, "Since I'm just a wood clone, he realized something was wrong immediately and fled before I could trap him."
Shin smirked. "So, the cat's out of the bag with Obito."
"Good," he replied, his face calm. "We were bound to clash with him eventually, and now's as good a time as any. Obito is useless now that he's finished recruiting for the Akatsuki anyway."
"Should we hold a meeting with the others and make it official?" the clone suggested a glint in its eye.
"Absolutely. Let's convene and formally eject him from the Akatsuki."
"Tsk, cold-hearted as ever, boss," the clone muttered, smirking. "Let's boot him from the organization he mostly built himself."
The wood clone activated the Astral Projection Jutsu without further ado, summoning the other members.
Orochimaru, Sasori, Shin, Konan, Kakuzu, Hidan, and the Deva Path Pain all appeared within the ethereal projection of the Gedo Statue.
"The masked 'Madara' and Zetsu have betrayed us," Deva Path Pain announced bluntly. "The next time any of you encounter them, kill them on sight."
"The 'Madara' guy, huh?" Kakuzu muttered, rubbing his chin. "Wonder what kind of bounty he'd fetch."
Hidan cackled. "I've wanted to sacrifice that masked lunatic to Lord Jashin for ages."
At that moment, Sasori and Orochimaru, stationed near Hidden Mist Village, exchanged a look, intrigue flashing in their eyes. The Sharingan was always an irresistible "specimen" in their view.
Shin couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. If Obito knew that his closest allies were now the most eager to hunt him down, he'd likely feel betrayed. Still, Shin mused, even if the Akatsuki members united against him, capturing Obito was no easy feat. With Kamui, Obito could escape nearly any trap. Even Shin, without a method to counter Kamui, couldn't detain him.
In fact, Obito in his prime, wielding both Mangekyo Sharingan, would be almost untouchable. His abilities were among the most broken ever seen.
The meeting concluded quickly after the defection was announced. Back in the holding cell, Shin refocused on Mei and her restrained companions.
Since he had initially been deep in thought, Terumi Mei had assumed his silence meant a death sentence. Her face had paled, and she appeared visibly shaken.
Finally, Shin broke the silence, looking down at her with a faint smile.
"What would you say," he asked slowly, "if I wanted to become the Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village?"
"Become Mizukage?" Terumi Mei's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed with suspicion. "You're not even from the Hidden Mist Village! Who do you think you are?"
"True," he acknowledged, as if considering her words. "Then maybe the Hidden Mist Village could simply join the Akatsuki. You, too, could join our organization, and we'll help you become Mizukage."
"To be your puppet?" Mei scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Shin shrugged nonchalantly. "Do you have a better option?"
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