Shimizu slid back into its sheath with a quiet click, and a gentle breeze swept across the grassland, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.
If not for the upturned black soil and scattered debris of crushed vegetation, one might have thought the two had simply been engaged in a peaceful conversation.
"I had to resort to some... unconventional methods earlier. I hope you don't mind."
"...I don't."
From the perspective of a Kage-level within Akatsuki, acting decisively, and even violently when circumstances demanded it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Just as Logan had shamelessly sought out Sasori in the past, the law of the jungle prevailed. If one lifted a finger and the enemy couldn't withstand it, their death was simply proof of their weakness.
This was precisely the case now. Logan understood the logic. The reason they could part ways so casually today, brushing off the conflict, ultimately came down to one thing… his own strength.
Strength was the foundation of everything.
"So we're done here?" Logan confirmed.
"That's right," Pain replied. "You've said what needed to be said and done what needed to be done, haven't you?"
"Hahaha, yeah, I suppose so."
Logan played along with the act. The contrast between their earlier hostility and now, where they stood as if nothing had happened...
'Well, if Itachi could keep up his flawless performance, why couldn't I share the stage for a little awkward theater?'
'Pain was more than willing to participate in the charade.'
The trouble surrounding Logan's sudden disappearance from Akatsuki had been resolved far more smoothly than he'd anticipated.
Of course, looking ahead, there would undoubtedly be more conflicts. Old grudges and new scores to settle, with who knew what kind of intensity. But for now, this was good enough.
It was time for Pain to leave. Maintaining this state while simultaneously summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and sealing the Ichibi had already strained his energy. After the brief clash with Logan, the power sustaining his projection was on the verge of collapsing.
Naturally, there were still a few matters to address, particularly Logan's status within the organization, his objectives, and the issue of future conflicts.
Returning to Akatsuki meant getting back to work. With Pain's Biju Capture Plan in full swing, he wasn't about to let such a valuable asset go to waste.
According to Akatsuki's unwritten rules, each member was assigned a tailed beast to capture, and Logan was assigned the Kyubi on the spot.
Pain's reasoning was that the targets had been assigned to each team long ago. Since Logan was joining late, to avoid stepping on anyone's toes, he'd be paired with Itachi, someone he already had a good relationship with, to assist in the mission.
But the underlying intention was obvious. Pain was well aware of Logan's past connection to Naruto. This was a deliberate little jab.
In response to the various instructions, Logan nodded in agreement, but he didn't listen anyway.
"Do you still have your ring?"
The projection flickered intermittently, like a lagging connection. As the final moments approached, Pain asked.
"Yes."
After hearing this, Logan promptly pulled out the 'Void' ring from his pocket. He always carried it with him, after all, who knew when it might come in handy?
"Don't forget to attend the organization's meetings and discussions from now on." Pain said, raising a hand and performing some unseen adjustment. A faint spatial ripple passed through the air, "There. It's done."
After the other party finished his actions, Logan realized Pain must have reactivated his communication privileges and no longer 'blocked' him due to his unexplained absence.
After doing all this, Painraised his eyebrows slightly, showing a hint of fatigue.
"I look forward to your performance." The projection wavered, beginning to dissipate like smoke.
"Got it! Today, I take pride in the organization, and tomorrow, the organization takes pride in me!" Seeing the cold, domineering CEO finally about to leave, Logan couldn't help but cheerfully pump his fist in exaggerated enthusiasm.
"...Hm." Pain seemed at a loss for how to respond. After a pause, he managed to say, "...Well said."
The illusory shadow finally vanished like dissipating mist.
…
"Whew."
Once certain Pain's presence was truly gone, Logan relaxed completely. There was no denying the immense pressure of being in his presence.
Surveying the wreckage around him, he casually took a seat on a relatively untouched patch of ground. As he recovered the Chakra expended in their brief clash, his mind churned with thoughts.
"Capture the Nine-Tails? Yeah, right. What a joke." Logan muttered under his breath, like an employee badmouthing their boss's idiotic assignment the moment they were out of earshot.
Pain's arrangement was clearly a calculated move, but Logan had no intention of playing along.
"Still, this means I'm officially teamed up with Itachi now, huh?" Logan mused, stroking his chin. The idea suited him just fine. He conveniently ignored the existence of a certain shark-faced partner.
After indulging in a bit of self-amusement, Logan's expression gradually became serious again. His position in Akatsuki didn't actually change much in the grand scheme of things. The tides of fate were surging forward, sweeping everyone along in their crushing momentum.
Itachi's time in Akatsuki would soon come to an end. Witnessing this shift firsthand, Logan's goal was clear, to ensure that his life didn't end along with it.
Logan clenched his fist. He would never allow that tragedy to repeat itself before his eyes.
Boom!
Just as he was deep in thought, a deafening explosion rocked the area, the sound of collapsing stone echoing from the Akatsuki's hideout behind him.
"What the..." Logan sprang to his feet and turned around to look.
The initial blast was only the beginning. Like a switch had been flipped, a relentless barrage of crumbling rock filled the air, the tremors spreading like an earthquake.
"This is…?!" Logan's eyes widened as he watched the hideout's stone structure begin to cave in from the center. He suddenly remembered that it was a fight in the original work that caused the collapse of the hideout.
Sakura's monstrous strength, combined with Sasori's Sandaime Kazekage puppet and its devastating Iron Sand Kekkei Genkai...
Logan smacked his forehead. He'd been so focused on dealing with Pain that he'd completely forgotten about the life-or-death battle raging nearby.
The moment he recalled this iconic fight, its inevitable conclusion flashed through his mind.
"Sasori..." Logan frowned. Without thinking, he stepped forward, darting toward the chaos.
An emotion he couldn't quite name stirred within him, driving him onward.
When Logan arrived, the battle between Sasori, Sakura, and Chiyo was nearing its end.
Because the collapsed section of the hideout had blocked the original passage, and to save time, Logan flickered through the ruins, taking the most direct route possible.
The hideout had now become a half-dome with its top blown off, so he simply leaped onto the highest remaining edge of the stone wall.
Concealing his presence, Logan peeked over the edge to look at the battlefield below.
The sporadic clang of metal striking metal echoed like the final notes of a fading song. Chiyo lay face-down on the ground, seemingly exhausted beyond recovery, while Sakura knelt on all fours, her body succumbing to poison.
Only Sasori remained standing. At this time, Sasori, who looked like a young boy, looked down coldly at Sakura who was half-kneeling in front of him. His long blade was buried in her abdomen, pinning her in place.
Logan let out a quiet breath, 'It seems that I hadn't arrived too late.'
But in the next instant…
Sasori suddenly lunged forward, manipulating a weapon to deliver the final blow at Sakura.
"Wait… this feels familiar." A bad premonition rose in Logan's chest.
Unnoticed by the combatants, Chiyo's fingers twitched, pulling on a Chakra Thread. Blood trickled from her lips as she lifted her head with great effort, her gaze fixed on Sasori, her own grandson, filled with resolve.
Logan saw it.
Under the slanted light, the battlefield was a wasteland of shattered stone, not a single patch of ground left untouched.
This was a legendary battle, every second teetering on the edge of life and death. Sakura had grown and transformed through it, while audiences beyond the fourth wall reveled in the spectacle.
But for one person...
A flash of white light cut through the air.
Two puppets, marked with 'Father' and 'Mother', holding sharp blade, shot out from the blind spot between the rocks and stabbed directly into Sasori's heart.