"All conflict in this world is born from humanity's inability to understand one another. And this Sky Screen—whatever it may be—is nothing more than another stray noise amid that conflict."
The voice was cold, detached, and utterly inhuman in its loftiness.
"If it dares to obstruct peace, then—"
The Deva Path of Pain slowly raised one hand, palm facing the heavens, as if proclaiming divine authority.
"I will make the world feel pain. That will resolve everything."
Konan gazed at the familiar yet profoundly alien silhouette of "Yahiko," listening to Nagato's words transmitted through him—words steeped in obsession and absolute power.
The worry in her eyes did not fully fade, but in the end, it transformed into silent trust.
She nodded softly.
"…I believe in you."
After a brief silence, the Deva Path spoke again, returning to matters of reality.
"Itachi Uchiha has been confirmed as a missing-nin of Konohagakure. He will soon join the organization."
Konan's brow immediately furrowed.
"Itachi Uchiha? The man who slaughtered his entire clan with his own hands?"
Her voice carried clear unease.
"Someone like that must be deeply twisted. His mind cannot be sound. Bringing him in—"
"The organization requires manpower," the Deva Path replied bluntly.
"His strength is worth exploiting."
A glint of icy killing intent flashed through the Rinnegan.
"If he harbors ulterior motives… then I will show him that divine authority is not to be challenged."
A few days later, the shinobi world's public opinion completely detonated.
If the appearance of the Sky Screen had been an unsettling question mark hanging over the world, then the news that followed—
"The Uchiha clan was annihilated overnight by Konoha rogue ninja Itachi Uchiha"—
was a thunderous bomb that shook the entire shinobi world.
At first, everyone who heard it reacted with disbelief.
"Are you kidding me? The Uchiha? One of Konoha's strongest clans?"
"Itachi Uchiha? That legendary prodigy? Slaughtering his own clan? That rumor is absurd!"
No one wanted to believe it.
It sounded more like a tasteless joke—or a smokescreen deliberately released by Konoha.
But as spies from every nation risked everything to transmit confirmed intelligence—
The Uchiha district reduced to a land of death.
The sole survivor, Sasuke Uchiha, personally placed under the Third Hokage's protection.
And the official issuance of an S-rank bingo book notice for the missing-nin Itachi Uchiha—
All doubt was utterly crushed.
The shinobi world truly erupted.
Unlike Konoha's internal turmoil, however, the reactions of the other great nations and villages—after their initial shock—were dominated by schadenfreude and cold observation.
"Hahahaha! Those Konoha fools—cutting off their own sharpest blade!"
"The Sharingan terrified every battlefield. Now they wiped themselves out!"
"Konoha's military strength just took a massive dive. The heavens are on our side!"
"So much for the so-called strongest village—rotten to the core!"
No one pitied Konoha.
In the brutal calculus of the shinobi world, a rival weakening itself was nothing short of a blessing.
The destruction of the Uchiha clan meant a catastrophic loss of high-end combat power for Konoha.
It meant the Sharingan's battlefield threat was drastically reduced.
The balance of power among the Five Great Nations had undeniably shifted.
As the leaders of every nation reeled from the ruthlessness and strength displayed by Itachi Uchiha, they also quietly rejoiced.
Some had already begun reassessing Konoha's threat level—
And contemplating whether profit could be carved from the chaos.
Konoha was pushed onto the edge of the storm—
internal strife unresolved, while external dangers had already emerged.
Land of Rain – Akatsuki Base
"I have summoned you today because a new member will be joining us."
The Deva Path of Pain's cold voice echoed through the cavern, devoid of emotion.
"A newcomer?"
Kakuzu snorted, his green eyes reflecting interest in nothing beyond money.
"Let's hope he doesn't die too quickly."
Hidden within Hiruko, Sasori let out a low, rasping chuckle.
Zetsu's flytrap-like body slowly rose from the ground, its half-black, half-white face twisted in a bizarre grin.
Meanwhile, genuine curiosity flashed through Orochimaru's golden, slit-pupiled eyes.
Someone important enough to warrant a full gathering…
Who could it be?
The answer soon revealed itself.
A figure slowly walked in.
Short black hair.
A scratched Konoha forehead protector marking him as a missing-nin.
And most striking of all—
Those eyes.
Deep crimson, three tomoe rotating slowly, carrying a cold, deathly stillness utterly mismatched with his age.
"Uchiha… Itachi?!"
Orochimaru's golden snake-like pupils contracted violently, shock written unmistakably across his face.
Of course he knew about the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
Of course he knew Itachi had defected.
But he never imagined that the genius he had once coveted beyond measure—
Would appear here, in the Akatsuki base, in this way.
After the initial shock, a near-greedy hunger ignited in Orochimaru's eyes.
He extended his long tongue, licking his lips, unable to suppress his excitement.
"Heh… hehehe… these eyes… this perfect kekkei genkai… magnificent… simply magnificent…"
He murmured softly, gazing at Itachi as though admiring a peerless treasure.
Itachi Uchiha remained calm, his expression like still water, utterly indifferent to the curiosity, scrutiny, and naked greed directed at him.
Yet inside, waves were rising.
He could clearly sense it—
Every person present radiated terrifyingly powerful chakra.
This organization called Akatsuki was far stronger than he had anticipated.
Such a gathering of elite missing-nin—
What was their true objective?
And how great a threat would they pose to Konoha?
"Itachi the clan-slayer—"
The Deva Path had just begun to speak—
Suddenly.
Pain's Rinnegan snapped upward, as though piercing through layers of solid rock.
And not just him.
Zetsu. Orochimaru.
Even the newly arrived Itachi Uchiha—
All of them simultaneously sensed a strange, vast fluctuation.
From the sky.
"What's going on?" Kakuzu spoke first.
"There's… something outside," Sasori's hoarse voice carried rare gravity.
Without hesitation, the Deva Path moved first, his figure blurring into an afterimage as he rushed toward the base exit.
The others followed instantly, each vanishing using their own methods.
Even Itachi—still unfamiliar with the situation—instinctively sensed that something extraordinary was unfolding and flashed after them.
When they burst out of the base and looked up at the heavens—
The enormous Sky Screen, which had hung silently above the entire shinobi world for days,
Was now radiating a gentle yet undeniable glow.
The image upon it—
Had finally begun to move.