Satoru blinked, his pale blue eyes sparkling with amusement as the corners of his lips curled into a sly smile.
His ability to locate Kisame and Itachi had been effortless. With the heightened perception of his Six Eyes, no movement escaped his notice.
"'It doesn't matter at first'?" Satoru mused, echoing Kisame's earlier comment with a teasing lilt. "Well, when will it start to matter then?"
Without hesitation, he slipped into step with the pair, blending into their small team as if he belonged.
Kisame shot him a sidelong glare, his sharp teeth grinding slightly.
Why is this guy acting so familiar?
The stark contrast between Satoru's casual demeanor and the Akatsuki's shadowy reputation felt almost absurd.
"Hey," Kisame said gruffly, "you're not even a member yet. Don't get ahead of yourself."
"Well, aren't you the serious type," Satoru replied, feigning surprise.
"Isn't it just a matter of time? Why didn't you wait for me?"
His white hair swayed in the breeze as he tilted his head innocently.
"Hmph." Kisame snorted, suppressing a laugh.
"Even if you do join, you'd only be an alternate member at best."
"An alternate?" Satoru blinked in mock disbelief. "A talent like me? That's insulting. Seems your organization has some issues to work out."
Kisame's eye twitched. The casual confidence in Satoru's tone was both infuriating and baffling.
"Itachi, we're almost there," Kisame muttered, cutting off further conversation.
Hearing this, Kisame fell silent, leaving Satoru without his chatty companion.
Satoru's gaze shifted to Itachi, who was walking slightly ahead.
Is he being cautious of me? Satoru wondered, tilting his head.
Well, that's fair, I suppose.
He stifled a grin.
After a while, the group arrived at a hidden location—a temporary base used by Akatsuki for gatherings.
It was rare for most members to meet at the same time, but today seemed to be an exception.
As Satoru stepped inside, he felt the weight of multiple gazes settle on him.
"Is this the new candidate?" Deidara muttered, his arms crossed.
"He doesn't look like much."
Deidara's gaze flicked to the bandages on Satoru's forehead, and his frown deepened.
"What's with the bandages? No sense of art at all," he sneered.
Satoru ignored the judgmental stares, taking a moment to observe the infamous Akatsuki members around him.
So this is Akatsuki... More intense than Orochimaru's crowd, but just as theatrical.
Just as he was getting comfortable, someone handed him a sheet of paper.
"What's this?" Satoru asked, blinking as he took the form.
"Akatsuki membership application?"
Satoru's brows arched in surprise.
They make you fill out a form? Is this a joke?
He scanned the paper while munching on a skewer of dango he had mysteriously procured.
"Name, age, height, weight... hobbies?" Satoru mumbled, holding his chin thoughtfully.
"This is oddly specific. Aren't most of us criminals? Why so detailed?"
His pen hovered over the "hobbies" section for a moment before he scribbled something down.
"Hmm... 'Creating a world of macarons'...?"
He paused, frowning at his own handwriting.
"No, that's not it."
He crossed it out and replaced it with:
"'Peaceful World Planning Guidelines: Step 1...'"
Satisfied, he handed the form back, his pale blue eyes shining with pride.
Konan accepted the form, raising a brow at the lengthy essay in the hobbies section.
Curiosity piqued, she skimmed through it.
"'Step 1: Eradicate inequality between ninjas and daimyos...'"
Her gaze lingered on the bold declaration.
What is this guy thinking?
Konan glanced at Satoru, who was smiling proudly, his hair as wild as ever.
He's... certainly unique.
Later that evening, the application form landed on Uchiha Obito's desk.
Though he rarely involved himself in such trivial matters, the recommendation from Black Zetsu had intrigued him.
Obito's Sharingan flicked over the paper.
At first, it seemed like standard information. But then his gaze froze.
"'Creating a world where only Kakashi exists...'?"
His Sharingan widened, momentarily caught off guard.
The crossed-out line was still faintly visible, and the absurdity of it made Obito pause.
What is this nonsense?
With a scoff, Obito tossed the form aside, his expression grim.
Black Zetsu must have some hidden agenda for this guy.
Meanwhile, back at the Akatsuki base, Satoru was leaning against a wall, pondering.
"Hmm... Did I make a typo earlier?" he muttered to himself.
"Well, it's crossed out anyway. Doesn't matter."
Elsewhere, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Sasuke finally found Tsunade after an arduous journey filled with surprises and an ambush from Orochimaru.
Back in Konoha, the newly instated Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, listened to Jiraiya's report.
"So that's what you know about Akatsuki?" Tsunade said, her expression serious.
Jiraiya nodded. "Yes, and there's one more thing."
He paused.
"Their members mentioned recruiting a white-haired ninja—Satoru."
Tsunade leaned forward, her brows furrowing.
"That same ninja who fought in the Chunin Exams and left with Orochimaru?"
Jiraiya nodded again.
"His motives are unclear, but he's highly capable. If Akatsuki succeeds in recruiting him, they'll become even more dangerous."
Tsunade sighed deeply, leaning back in her chair.
"Storm clouds are gathering," she murmured. "Satoru... just who is he?"