Rain endless, ceaseless rain.
Jiraiya stood atop a rusted iron bridge, his custom raincoat from Mount Myoboku shielding him from the chakra-infused downpour.
He looked up at the towering steel spire rising out of the rain-soaked skyline. Nagato is probably up there somewhere.
The entire village of Amegakure was a tangle of metallic towers and endless pipes its aesthetic straight out of a cyberpunk dystopia.
Finally… I'm back here again.
Memories surged like a flood Yahiko's bright laughter, Konan's delicate profile as she folded origami, Nagato's shy smile and those legendary eyes.
Back then, Amegakure didn't have all these cold, mechanical towers. Just three war orphans and an unreliable teacher, living in a run-down wooden shack, sharing meals that were humble but heartfelt.
Jiraiya's expression turned complex. His days with the "Frog Team" were a precious chapter in his life.
"Konan… Nagato… Yahiko… wait for me."
With a flicker of motion, Jiraiya vanished, diving straight into the bustling red-light district of the Rain Village.
He pushed open the door to a specialty bar. Neon lights, thumping music, and the sultry chatter inside formed a stark contrast to the bleak world outside.
A quick glance swept across the room scantily clad hostesses smiled and blew kisses his way, and Jiraiya's face flushed ever so slightly.
"Heh heh..."
Time to gather intel. The old man's info had been spot-on, yet maddeningly vague.
Also… damn, Rain Village has a lot of beautiful women too. Heh.
Slamming down the wallet he'd borrowed from Naruto, Jiraiya shouted at the bartender, "I want ten hot girls! Now!"
…
"Jiraiya's already arrived in Amegakure, but there's still no response from Pain."
Deep in the shadows of a cave, Uchiha Obito muttered, cloaked in darkness and clearly up to no good.
Even in an underground lair, this guy insisted on hiding in the corner like a cartoon villain.
"Hmph. The Rain Tiger at Will Technique should have triggered the moment he stepped into the village, yet there's been no reaction at all."
Obito's lone Sharingan gleamed ominously. "It has to be Nagato or Konan interfering."
"If it's not Nagato, then it must be Konan," he added coldly.
Black Zetsu, lurking nearby, nodded in partial agreement but still voiced some doubt. "Could it be that Jiraiya somehow evaded the Rain Tiger technique?"
Obito paused to consider. "It's possible, but unlikely. That jutsu is a sensory barrier technique. Without knowing exactly how it works, dodging it is nearly impossible."
But didn't we just say the Akatsuki's intel has more leaks than a sieve?
Black Zetsu was about to say as much when Obito, being ever so "clever," continued, "Only four people even know that the rain itself is a detection barrier Nagato, Konan, you, and me."
That was true. The rest of the Akatsuki were always out on missions, using phantom projections to communicate. Most of them didn't even know where the boss's base actually was.
Besides, it wasn't like Nagato had told them this information directly. Black Zetsu had acquired it on his own being the so-called 'master of intel.'
Which meant, if that secret had been leaked… the traitor had to be one of the four.
Black Zetsu found himself reluctantly nodding. "You… do have a point."
Obito issued an order. "Zetsu, go contact Nagato. We'll find out if the problem is Konan… or Nagato himself."
Why do you keep suspecting Nagato? He's the one who led the team to ally with Konoha! It's obviously Konan!
Black Zetsu screamed internally.
"Fine. And if it is Konan, what then? You want Nagato to 'clean house' himself?"
Like that's going to happen, Black Zetsu thought silently.
"No," Obito said flatly. "Nagato won't harm her. But if they really have ties to Konoha…"
He stepped out from the shadows, voice low and ominous, "Then it's time to reclaim the Rinnegan."
Really, Obito? You still think you can take that from him?
Your phasing ability is already compromised everyone knows the cooldown time now. Nagato's in top shape. He has all six Paths. You think you can just… talk him into handing it over?
Even if I use the backdoor Madara left to catch Nagato off guard, and somehow succeed can you even withstand the power of the Rinnegan?
Black Zetsu's expression darkened, but his voice remained smooth. "Obito, maybe you should reconsider. There could be something else going on. Like Itachi he's disappeared without a trace. Some say he's dead, but we both know there are other possibilities."
"I might be a genius at intel, but even I'm not omnipotent."
"Itachi Uchiha would never abandon Akatsuki unless he was dead," Obito said firmly. "He's not the kind of man who walks away from everything."
"A direct conflict with Nagato would be… costly," Zetsu tried again.
"You're saying I can't beat him?! I'm Uchiha Madara!"
That was Obito's usual mindset: once the mask went on, all the bad decisions became Madara's fault.
But this time, Black Zetsu took charge. "Regardless, I'm going to inform Nagato first. For the sake of the Eye of the Moon Plan, we should avoid internal conflict unless absolutely necessary."
Obito was surprised Zetsu rarely made decisions on his own. After a brief pause, he nodded. "Fine. I'll keep an eye on Jiraiya."
With that, space twisted and warped. Obito's body flickered, distorted by a vortex, and then vanished completely.
Black Zetsu sighed.
Pawns are tricky things. Too smart is a problem. Too dumb is a problem. Madara was the sweet spot smart enough to be useful, but dumb enough to control.
He missed the old days when Madara was still alive.
Zetsu dove underground.
…
Inside the high tower, mechanical devices buzzed and whirred.
Nagato was livid as he chewed out Zetsu.
"Are you and 'Madara' both insane? You think Konan and I are working with Konoha?"
You look more like Danzo than I do! Maybe you're the real infiltrator!
What if you're the one who's been feeding intel to Konoha?!
Maybe you two just want to use Akatsuki for your own ends!
"You're fired!" Nagato roared.
Clearly, his trust in Konan was absolute.
Naturally, Zetsu couldn't accept being ousted from the very organization he helped create.
White sheets of paper swirled silently through the air, forming a snow-white spiral above the tower's dome.
Deva Path raised its hand if Zetsu didn't explain himself fast, Almighty Pull was incoming.
Panicking, Zetsu cried out, "Nagato! I swear my loyalty! Jiraiya really is in Amegakure right now!"
Nagato exchanged a look with Konan.
Konan nodded slightly. The intel might be legit.
"Silence!" roared Deva Path. Its hand snapped up, and the force of the gravity technique warped Zetsu's entire body.
"Why have Akatsuki's secrets been leaking nonstop?! Why is it always intel that only you and 'Madara' knew that ends up in Konoha's hands?!"
Clinging to the floor to stabilize himself, Zetsu shouted, "I swear! Jiraiya's in an izakaya right now he even ordered ten models! Konan can go verify it!"
Konan nodded again.
Deva Path's pressure subsided.
Nagato, still hooked up to his life support machine, fell into a contemplative silence.
Finally, he spoke. "I'll deal with Jiraiya myself. As for you and the man calling himself Uchiha Madara…"
His voice echoed through the tower.
"Leave Amegakure. Our alliance is over."
Obito's definitely not going to take this well.
This is bad. If they fight for real, what happens to Mother?
Zetsu scrambled for a new approach. "Leader, Madara may be old, but he's always believed in your ideals! He sees you as the true leader! He deeply supports your 'make the world feel pain' philosophy!"
Seven pairs of Rinnegan eyes stared straight at him.
Zetsu didn't flinch. He was used to pressure. Calmly, he continued, "Our goals are the same. Let's not destroy ourselves over a misunderstanding."
"Do we really want to delay world peace even longer? Madara may be old, but he's still a powerful asset."
"He only claims to be Madara. I don't trust him," Nagato said coldly. "If he wants to prove himself, let him bring us the Eight-Tails. Otherwise, our cooperation ends."
Well… that's about as good as it's going to get, Zetsu thought, already planning how to break the news to Obito.
Just as he prepared to sink into the ground, Nagato's voice rang out across the metal halls.
"I am the leader of Akatsuki. Make sure he remembers that."
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