As Orochimaru finished speaking, the atmosphere turned icy, plunging into a suffocating silence.
"Orochimaru, do you even understand what you're saying?"
The Deva Path was the first to respond, his voice low and menacing. A powerful repulsive force exploded outward from him, radiating in all directions.
Boom!
The ground trembled violently as spiderweb-like cracks spread across its surface. It was as if a natural disaster had struck, despite Nagato intentionally restraining the force to avoid harming Konan or Sasori.
"Why should I trust a traitor like you?" the Deva Path's Rinnegan locked onto Orochimaru, his intense gaze brimming with the intent to strike.
Despite the immense pressure, Orochimaru stood motionless. Once, he might have been shaken by such a display of power. But after witnessing Tobirama Senju unleash his full chakra during the Konoha Crush, Pain's oppressive aura hardly fazed him anymore.
Now, with Guren's body integrated into his own and mastery over the Crystal Release Kekkei Genkai, Orochimaru's confidence had reached a new peak.
"Of course, I understand what I'm saying," Orochimaru hissed, flicking his tongue as he tossed a scroll toward Pain. He observed silently as Tendo caught it and inspected its contents.
Pain's expression remained stoic, but within the shadows of the Rinnegan, Nagato's face hardened.
Pain didn't speak, but his silence conveyed enough—he believed the scroll. The information it held, about Itachi Uchiha leaking Akatsuki's secrets to Konoha, was undoubtedly true.
Orochimaru smirked, his voice carrying a wicked undertone. Though he had defected from Konoha, it didn't mean he had severed all ties.
Itachi had traded the annihilation of his own clan for Sasuke's protection within Konoha and had infiltrated Akatsuki as a double agent. The intelligence he uncovered was quietly passed to Sarutobi Hiruzen and, by extension, Danzo Shimura, who oversaw Konoha's covert operations.
By a stroke of luck—or cunning planning—Orochimaru had access to this information through his prior dealings with Danzo. Their collaboration extended as far as Orochimaru transplanting the Sharingan into Danzo's right arm.
"You believe me now, don't you?" Orochimaru sneered, licking his lips. "So, shall we discuss cooperation?"
He leaned closer, his voice dripping with fervor.
"For your plans to succeed, you'll have to deal with Tobirama Senju sooner or later. After all, the One-Tails and the Nine-Tails are both within Konoha's grasp. Who's to say the Hokage won't make a move for the other Tailed Beasts?"
"I, however, have a way to deal with Tobirama Senju. All I need… is Uchiha Itachi."
Orochimaru fell silent, his serpentine gaze fixed on Pain, awaiting a reaction.
Konan stepped forward, her calm demeanor betraying her concern. "Pain?" she murmured.
The two exchanged quiet words, inaudible to anyone else, before Pain turned back to Orochimaru.
"Why should I trust that you can hold back Tobirama Senju?"
Prepared for this question, Orochimaru chuckled softly.
"Allow me to show you."
His hands formed a series of seals:
Tiger – Snake – Dog – Dragon
Bringing his hands together, he intoned, "Impure World Reincarnation!"
The ground beneath him rumbled ominously, and from the shadows, a coffin emerged, its surface glowing faintly with black light.
As the coffin rose, it creaked open, spilling dust into the air. Inside, a figure gradually became visible—the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
"This," Orochimaru declared, gesturing toward the revived Kazekage, "is my method. Find me the corpses of strong shinobi, or even a single strand of hair, and I can bring them back under my control. And I haven't even perfected this technique yet."
He continued with a sinister smile.
"Once perfected, I'll be able to control dozens of Kage-level shinobi simultaneously, each at approximately 80 to 90 percent of their original power."
"Now tell me… isn't this enough to threaten Akatsuki? Even if Tobirama is strong, sheer numbers can wear him down. And if you were to provide me with Madara Uchiha's remains, eliminating Tobirama wouldn't just be possible—it would be inevitable."
At the mention of Madara, both Pain and Konan stiffened. Nagato's mind flashed to a man with a swirling mask.
Orochimaru's demonstration and his audacious words left Nagato momentarily wary. He remained silent, deep in thought.
After a moment, Pain finally spoke.
"I'll agree to your terms—but I will dictate when and how the Impure World Reincarnation is used against Konoha."
"As for Uchiha Itachi… you'll get him, but not right away. I'll need a few days."
"Deal." Orochimaru nodded, his satisfaction barely concealed. He had spent years planning to claim Itachi's body, and a few more days wouldn't matter.
Sasori, however, interjected coldly, "I want Itachi's corpse after he's dead."
All eyes turned toward the puppet master.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a sinister grin. "Of course. I'll have no use for it by then."
Though he once desired Itachi's body as a host, Orochimaru now knew better. Years of observation had revealed the toll Itachi's illness had taken. What he wanted now were only Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan.
As long as he had a healthy vessel, there was no need to settle for a dying one.
The deal was struck, and plans for Itachi's assassination quietly set in motion, unbeknownst to anyone beyond the five present.
Meanwhile, Itachi and Kisame were on a mission in a small country, hired by a minor shinobi village.
The battle was one-sided, with Kisame slaughtering their opponents while Itachi finished off the wounded. His mind, however, was elsewhere, preoccupied with thoughts of Sasuke.
Itachi knew he needed to return to Konoha. The agreements he had with the former Konoha leadership no longer held weight—most of them were either dead, captured, or exiled. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was confined to house arrest.
He had to meet Tobirama Senju, the resurrected Second Hokage. While Itachi knew little of Tobirama's character, Danzo's stance on the Uchiha was clear: annihilation.
Itachi feared for Sasuke's safety, and if that meant confronting Tobirama himself, so be it.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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