Within a subterranean cavern, several spectral figures formed by condensed thought waves stood silently upon the outstretched fingers of the Gedo Mazo.
"How are your injuries?" Projected onto one finger, the masked Obito turned his head towards the Deva Path's projection.
"Completely recovered," the Deva Path replied evenly. He then addressed Kakuzu and Sasori. "This is Tobi, a new member joining the organization. For the time being, he will operate alongside Zetsu."
Hearing the Deva Path's introduction, both Kakuzu and Sasori directed their gazes towards Obito, now operating under the alias Tobi. They both recalled how, during the battle a few days prior, Tobi had appeared and disappeared out of thin air using his inexplicable space-time ability. Furthermore, the tone of his conversation with Nagato indicated their relationship was definitely not a simple superior-subordinate one. To be treated with such seriousness by the organization's leader, who possessed the Rinnegan, Tobi's own strength likely wasn't simple either. As for the claim that he was a "new member," neither Kakuzu nor Sasori believed a single word of it.
Compared to the original timeline, Obito's public appearance within Akatsuki had occurred several years earlier.
After introducing Tobi, the Deva Path gestured towards another figure beside him. "This is Uchiha Hiroaki. He is also a new member. Uchiha Hiroaki, Kisame Hoshigaki – you two will operate as a team from now on."
"Understood," Uchiha Hiroaki and Kisame Hoshigaki acknowledged simultaneously.
Hearing the name Uchiha Hiroaki, Kakuzu, Sasori, and Konan all focused their attention on him. They all remembered the Mangekyō Sharingan user from the Divine Court and his incredible power. They wondered if this newly joined Uchiha member had also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
However, the Uchiha Hiroaki standing before them now lacked any trace of his former arrogance. This change stemmed from two primary sources. Firstly, the act of personally killing his beloved wife, Uchiha Yukie, had inflicted immense mental and physical torment upon him. Secondly, he had already suffered significant setbacks since joining Akatsuki. Setting aside Tobi, who had inducted him with his unpredictable space-time abilities, Hiroaki couldn't even defeat his own newly assigned partner, Kisame Hoshigaki. After awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan using the method Obito provided, Hiroaki had been taken away from Konoha and met up with Zetsu and Kisame. His unstable emotional state led him to immediately challenge Kisame. The result? He lost, badly. Not yet fully mastering his Mangekyō abilities, Hiroaki was no match for Kisame wielding Samehada; after just a few clashes, his chakra was completely absorbed by the sentient blade, leaving him utterly drained and helpless for several days before recovering. Furthermore, according to Tobi, the other Akatsuki members possessed strength comparable to Kisame's, and the leader wielded the legendary Rinnegan. Entering such a mysterious and powerful organization, how could Hiroaki dare maintain his former arrogant posture?
Observing Hiroaki's unusually subdued demeanor, the other members present found it quite peculiar.
"Sasori, has it been confirmed that Orochimaru has defected?" the Deva Path asked, turning his attention back to Sasori.
Sasori nodded. "Yes. He vanished completely after that battle. He's entirely unreachable."
A brief silence fell over the cavern after Sasori's confirmation. After a moment, the Deva Path continued, "With the loss of Iwamoto in the battle at Yakugakure and Orochimaru's subsequent defection, our two vacant positions will be filled by the new members. Sasori, Kakuzu, you two will form a temporary team. Your first mission is to hunt down Orochimaru!"
"Understood," Kakuzu and Sasori replied, exchanging a brief glance.
"There are still several years before our plan truly begins," the Deva Path's cold voice resonated once more. "Considering that some of the organization's intelligence has likely been compromised, the Five Great Shinobi Villages will undoubtedly pay closer attention to our movements from now on. Therefore, all members are to transition to covert operations and maintain a low profile. For the next few years, the organization's primary objectives will be accumulating funds and recruiting new members."
The battle at Yakugakure not only failed Nagato's objective of recruiting Jizo into Akatsuki but also exposed a portion of the organization's strength and intelligence – particularly the existence of Nagato's Rinnegan. This revelation would inevitably attract intense scrutiny from the Five Great Villages, which was disadvantageous for Akatsuki during its current preparatory phase. While the Great Villages might not pose a direct threat to Akatsuki's powerful members, they could certainly create trouble and obstacles. Moreover, Nagato was more concerned that exposure of his and Konan's identities would draw unwanted attention from other powers towards the Land of Rain and Amegakure itself.
After relaying these instructions, the consciousness projections of the Akatsuki members quickly dispersed.
Back in Amegakure, atop a high tower, the Deva Path and Konan stood side-by-side.
"Konan, prepare yourself. Our identities may soon be exposed. Scrutiny of Amegakure from the outside will undoubtedly increase significantly. We need to make preparations early," the Deva Path stated.
"Nagato, should we station a team permanently here in Amegakure?" Konan suggested, her voice laced with deep worry. Nagato had been injured in the Yakugakure battle. More concerningly, the members of that Divine Court organization seemed to possess prior knowledge of the Six Paths of Pain – they had somehow used the black receiver rod from the Preta Path's arm to quickly locate Nagato's main body. What is the ultimate goal of this suddenly emerged Divine Court? Who is their leader? How strong are they?
"Konan, you needn't worry," the Deva Path said, turning to face her. "I did not use my full strength in that battle. The Ocular Power of that Divine Court member's Mangekyō Sharingan is clearly inferior to my Rinnegan; it's impossible for him to defeat me. Furthermore, after that battle, it's unlikely he can maintain his previous level of combat power." A cold glint flashed in the Deva Path's eyes as he spoke of Jizo. That was the first time anyone had managed to injure his main body since he had formed the Six Paths of Pain.
However, Nagato wasn't overly concerned about Jizo himself. Ultimately, he admitted to himself, he had been careless in that fight. If the Deva Path had gone all out from the beginning, Jizo would have had no chance to resist. The main reason Nagato had agreed to withdraw after being injured wasn't because of the Divine Court members, but because of the appearance of Obito, the man claiming to be Madara Uchiha. Obito was the one Nagato remained truly wary of and guarded against.
Konan listened silently.
Elsewhere, in a forest within the Land of Fields.
Sasori materialized back into his puppet body as the projection ended, a cold sneer forming as he uttered Orochimaru's name. Sasori had always disliked Orochimaru. His parents had been killed by a Konoha ninja, Sakumo Hatake, fostering a general distaste for all shinobi from the Leaf. Orochimaru's dismissive attitude towards him when they were partners only exacerbated this dislike. Now, with Orochimaru having defected, Sasori saw his chance for payback.
Beside him, Kakuzu glanced indifferently at Sasori, then simply stood up and began walking out of the forest. While Sasori was eager to hunt Orochimaru, Kakuzu had absolutely no interest in the task. Although Orochimaru's head undoubtedly carried a high bounty, the man himself was extremely troublesome to deal with. Kakuzu was unwilling to waste precious time on him.
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