The plan to ambush Uchiha Itachi had been approved by both Tobi and Zetsu.
Tobirama Senju's lightning-fast assault on Sunagakure, which crushed the village and captured their One-Tail Jinchūriki, had unsettled Tobi. This display of power made him suspect that Tobirama intended to control all the tailed beasts—a dangerous ambition that posed a direct threat to Akatsuki's plans.
Just then, Orochimaru approached the Akatsuki with a proposition. He offered to use the Impure World Reincarnation to suppress Konoha, which was growing stronger by the day. After consulting with Zetsu and Nagato, Tobi agreed to the deal. As part of the agreement, Uchiha Itachi was used as a bargaining chip to acquire Orochimaru's forbidden jutsu.
However, they underestimated Itachi. Using Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi cast a genjutsu on Konan, putting Tobi and his group in grave danger.
Tobi was furious. The Akatsuki couldn't afford to lose vital members—not at this critical stage of his plan. If Orochimaru died here, Tobi would lose a key tool against Tobirama. After all, he'd already experienced defeat during the Nine-Tails incident at the hands of Minato Namikaze and his Flying Thunder God technique. Facing its original creator was a risk Tobi wasn't willing to take.
Then there was Deva Path Pain, the cornerstone of Nagato's Six Paths of Pain and their best weapon against the Nine-Tails. He, too, could not be lost.
As for Sasori and Konan, their survival mattered less, though Sasori's puppetry was a useful asset.
Amidst these racing thoughts, Tobi's figure distorted and vanished.
Moments later, space twisted near Orochimaru, Pain, and Sasori. Tobi stepped out of the void.
"Ah, Tobi?" Sasori sighed in relief at the sight of him. While Tobi hadn't shown much combat ability, his mysterious space-time ninjutsu was their best hope for survival.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Tobi's Sharingan beneath his mask. His mind raced.
Who is this masked man? Another Uchiha survivor?
There was no time for deeper speculation. The paper bombs detonating around them left no room for delay. Without a word, Tobi activated Kamui, drawing Orochimaru, Pain, and Sasori into his pocket dimension just as the explosions erupted.
The detonations rocked the landscape, obliterating everything within a few kilometers. When the smoke cleared, the once-majestic cliffside waterfall had been reduced to a massive crater. Even civilians in the far-off Land of Fields witnessed the strange explosion that lit up the sky.
Inside Kamui's dimension, Orochimaru marveled at the strange, cube-like world, clicking his tongue in fascination. Meanwhile, Sasori inspected his Third Kazekage puppet for damage.
Deva Path Pain stood silent, his expression dark. Uchiha Itachi had escaped.
Despite their careful planning and coordinated ambush involving Orochimaru, Pain, Sasori, Konan, and numerous traps, Itachi had slipped through their grasp.
Still, the mission wasn't a total failure. Orochimaru had obtained the Sharingan as promised.
But Konan…
"Konan is under the influence of Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan," Pain said coldly, his Rinnegan fixed on Tobi. "Can you break her free?"
Tobi froze, his expression hidden behind the mask, though his mood soured.
"Kotoamatsukami," he muttered.
"What's that?" Pain asked, frowning.
"A genjutsu hailed as the strongest. It can completely rewrite someone's thoughts and will without them realizing it. If Konan is under its influence…"
Tobi trailed off, his visible Sharingan gleaming coldly.
"I won't allow anyone to harm Konan!" Pain said firmly, stepping between Tobi and Konan's unconscious body.
Tobi raised his hands in mock surrender. "Relax. Maybe Itachi couldn't fully wield Kotoamatsukami. Perhaps Konan is only temporarily under his control. Seal her chakra for now—it might disrupt the technique."
After a tense pause, Pain nodded. "Fine."
Tobi vanished and reappeared moments later, Konan's limp body in his arms. Pain summoned black rods and inserted them into her, sealing her chakra.
As things settled, Orochimaru finally spoke, his tone sharp and curious.
"Who are you, really? As far as I know, the Uchiha clan is extinct save for Sasuke and Itachi. So where did you get those eyes?"
Tobi's Sharingan glinted as he cast a cold gaze at Orochimaru.
"I have no identity. You only need to know this—Akatsuki is something I and Pain created."
Sasori, still tinkering with his puppet, glanced up in surprise. So… this guy isn't just some intern?
Tobi continued, "Your deal with Pain is settled. You've got Itachi's Sharingan now. When the Akatsuki calls on you, Orochimaru, you are expected to fight for the organization."
Orochimaru smirked but didn't press further. "I'll need more bodies for my experiments. The strong ones are hard to come by."
"The organization will provide them," Tobi replied curtly.
With that, Tobi activated Kamui again, ejecting Orochimaru from the dimension. Turning to Pain, he said,
"Itachi knows too much about us. He must be eliminated."
Pain nodded. "I'll send the others to hunt him down."
Soon, Akatsuki members received their orders to locate and kill Uchiha Itachi at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Fields.
Among them, Hoshigaki Kisame frowned.
"Itachi… What are you up to this time?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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