Satoru knew Black Zetsu was only temporarily injured.
If given the chance to escape, capturing him again would be exponentially harder.
His expression hardened as he prepared to attack again.
"What are you trying to do?"
Payne and Konan stepped between Black Zetsu and Satoru, blocking his path.
"Step aside," Satoru said, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
But this time, there was no mockery in his gaze.
His pale blue eyes, normally playful, had grown cold and unrelenting. His slightly drooping lashes lifted as he stared directly at the two before him.
As for the other Akatsuki members, he paid them no mind.
At this moment, his focus was singular.
His sole objective was to eliminate Black Zetsu.
The manipulative force behind countless tragedies and schemes, Black Zetsu was a threat that couldn't be allowed to linger.
Satoru had no patience to let this ancient shadow continue its machinations.
It was time to end this.
Satoru's focus on Black Zetsu, however, gave rise to a misunderstanding among the others.
The surrounding Akatsuki members exchanged glances, surprised by his boldness.
"Who does he think he is?"
Ignoring us entirely?
They were all S-class criminals, yet this newcomer seemed to disregard their presence entirely.
"This kid is way too cocky," Kisame muttered, his fingers brushing the hilt of his weapon.
"Who does he think he's dealing with? Did he forget where he is?"
Uchiha Itachi, standing beside Kisame, remained silent, his deep black eyes fixed on Satoru.
Itachi couldn't deny the uniqueness of Satoru's abilities. The boy's spatial ninjutsu was both novel and unpredictable.
But overconfidence was a dangerous flaw.
Infiltrating the Akatsuki and revealing one's abilities in front of everyone—did Satoru believe he could truly escape unscathed?
Itachi sighed softly, his thoughts drifting back to the connection he felt between Satoru and the mysterious child who had once saved him.
There was something familiar, almost familial, about the white-haired boy.
But now, facing six seasoned Akatsuki members, Satoru's survival seemed unlikely.
Unbothered by the murmurs and glances, Satoru remained focused.
In a split second, he recalculated his trajectory. Compressing the starting and ending points of his teleportation, he vanished from sight.
"Is this… spatial ninjutsu?"
Payne and Konan were momentarily stunned, caught off guard by the lack of chakra fluctuation.
Before they could react, Satoru reappeared directly in front of Black Zetsu.
"Vientiane Attraction!" Payne shouted, extending his hand to pull Satoru toward him.
Simultaneously, Konan unleashed a volley of paper shuriken in Satoru's direction.
But they were too late.
Satoru's hand clamped down on Black Zetsu's shoulder, yanking him free from the wall where he had embedded himself.
With a faint smirk, Satoru glanced over his shoulder at Payne and Konan.
His pale blue eyes gleamed with mischief as sharp paper fragments reflected in his pupils.
"Goodbye, everyone," he said calmly.
In the blink of an eye, both Satoru and Black Zetsu vanished, leaving behind only scattered pieces of Konan's paper.
The cave fell silent.
The Akatsuki members stood frozen, staring at the empty space where Satoru had been just moments before.
He had escaped.
Not only had Satoru managed to leave unscathed, but he'd also abducted a member of the Akatsuki right in front of them.
Kisame broke the silence with a disbelieving sigh.
"I didn't think he'd actually pull it off."
"And in front of all of us…"
"Itachi," Kisame began, but his partner raised a hand to cut him off.
Payne's expression darkened as he absorbed what had just happened.
Itachi, however, couldn't help but feel a hint of admiration.
Satoru's flawless escape demonstrated unparalleled mastery of space manipulation.
"To get away unscathed from six Akatsuki members…" Itachi mused, a flicker of respect in his eyes.
Scorpion, standing nearby, fiddled with his puppet strings, a glint of interest sparking in his gaze.
"A space-time capable ninja," he muttered.
"No wonder he's so fast."
"It's a cheating ability," Scorpion added, the thought of turning Satoru into a puppet now more tempting than ever.
He'd never encountered anyone with such mastery of spatial ninjutsu.
How fascinating.
Konan knelt by the wall Satoru had damaged during his escape.
She picked up a stray piece of paper, now stripped of chakra and sharpness, and held it in her palm.
"He's gone," she murmured, her voice heavy with disbelief.
To escape from both her and Payne so effortlessly…
How had Satoru managed it?
Payne, too, was lost in thought.
The realization that Satoru specialized in spatial manipulation suddenly made his earlier confidence seem naive.
No wonder the boy had acted so boldly.
There was reason behind his arrogance.
But why?
Why had Satoru joined the Akatsuki?
And why had he targeted Black Zetsu specifically?
Payne's mind raced as he considered the implications.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"The Akatsuki has two priorities now," he said, his voice calm but resolute.
"First, we complete the task of gathering the remaining tailed beasts."
"Second, we add Satoru to our list of targets. He must not interfere with our plans again."
The remaining Akatsuki members nodded, their expressions solemn.
But beneath their seriousness, a glimmer of curiosity lingered.
They hadn't realized someone like Satoru was among them.
His abilities, his motives, his true identity—everything about him was a mystery.
And mysteries, after all, made things far more interesting.