Chapter 95: A New Recruit

"There aren't many Hashirama cells from left," Shin remarked, glancing into his inventory in the dark dimension. He turned to Orochimaru. "Besides the enzymes needed for natural energy absorption, you could also cultivate some of those cells."

Orochimaru, who had already undergone a transformation with Hashirama's cells, felt less interested in acquiring more of them now. However, since the process of cultivating Hashirama cells was straightforward and didn't require much effort on his part, he nodded absentmindedly.

At that moment, Shin felt the chakra ring on his hand pulse—his wood clone was contacting him. Shin frowned. Even though he'd created the clone disguised as Nagato mainly to maintain appearances, the chakra he'd left in it was meant to last so that it wouldn't need constant reinforcement. The clone typically refrained from using chakra unless absolutely necessary, making this an unusual occurrence.

Narrowing his eyes, Shin sent part of his consciousness into the shared connection, materializing within the space of a massive golem.

As Shin stood atop the Gedo Statue, his gaze sharpened momentarily as a new idea came to him. Now that his strength had increased significantly, perhaps he could attempt to absorb the Gedo Statue again. However, it wasn't quite the time to fully absorb it yet. Looking around, Shin noted the gathered figures: Konan, Nagato, Black and White Zetsu, Uchiha Obito, and, interestingly, another addition besides Kakuzu.

"Obito brought in another new recruit," Shin mused. "He's certainly been busy."

"At this rate, the Akatsuki will be at full strength soon," he commented to himself.

Standing next to Obito, the new arrival was a striking young man with red hair and an expressionless demeanor. Shin quickly recognized him: the rogue ninja of the Sand Village, "Sasori of the Red Sand."

Shin's thoughts wandered briefly. "Why's he showing his true face now? I remember he was always hiding in that odd puppet of his in the original story."

Unknown to Shin, the Sasori of the Red Sand hadn't yet created his puppet armor, Hiruko, hence he appeared in his original form.

"I've gathered you all here for two reasons," announced Pain, Shin's puppet, with a solemn expression.

Shin observed, amused, that Pain's stoic puppet face made role-playing relatively easy. With no facial expressions to slip, maintaining character came effortlessly.

As for 'Nagato' himself, he kept a careful distance from everyone—even Obito never saw him in person, only through Pain's projection. 'Nagato's' physical fragility made his seclusion necessary.

"Our first order of business: we welcome a new member," continued Pain, his voice resonating in the vast chamber. "This is the rogue Sand ninja, the Sasori of the Red Sand."

"Clap, clap, clap!" Sara, one of the newer members, enthusiastically clapped her hands, only to stop awkwardly as the other members stared at her, unamused.

"Um... no welcome ceremony?" she asked, a little embarrassed.

"Do you remember your own initiation into the Akatsuki? You could call that a 'welcome ceremony,' courtesy of Kakuzu," someone muttered.

Sara gave an awkward smile. Kakuzu's introduction to the organization involved a rather forceful 'initiation' after he offended Shin, resulting in him being dragged in like a beaten puppy. If this "welcome" was any indication, the handsome new member might face a similar fate.

Sara glanced at the red-haired Sasori with some sympathy and quickly decided not to wish for a 'ceremony' on his behalf.

Sasori of the Red Sand, however, seemed oblivious to the murmurs. His gaze swept around, prompting Sara to shrink back slightly, as his eyes evaluated everyone as if they were objects.

Shin, knowing Sasori's personality well, chuckled to himself. Sasori was indeed sizing up everyone present—though not as allies or enemies, but as potential puppet materials. In particular, he was probably eying those with bloodline limits or unique abilities. For him and Orochimaru, the Akatsuki was a treasure trove of rare skills and materials, not to mention the coveted Rinnegan. Both men were likely just waiting for the right opportunity to claim such assets for themselves.

Shin thought that if any of the Akatsuki's stronger members fell, they'd probably be looted by these two immediately.

The Sasori's gaze lingered briefly but didn't convey any interest in mingling. True to his introverted nature, he remained silent.

After a pause, Pain spoke again. "Now that Sasori has joined us, let's discuss the second matter."

"Kumo and Konoha are preparing for war."

The announcement was met with surprised looks from everyone.

"Didn't Kumo just negotiate a peace treaty with Konoha recently?" Sara asked, confused.

"Yes, they were supposed to finalize the treaty soon," Obito replied, casting a sidelong glance at Shin. "Over a month ago, a delegation from Kumo visited Konoha."

"But during that time, someone caused a massive upheaval in Konoha, giving Kumo's delegation the perfect opportunity to kidnap the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter. That's what triggered this conflict."

Shin blinked in surprise. 'So, this war, which didn't even happen in the original timeline, is partly my fault?'

And had Hinata Hyuga actually been kidnapped this time? It seemed her luck had indeed taken a turn for the worse.

However, Shin's brow furrowed, still puzzled. "Even if they lost someone as important as the Hyuga heiress, I'd expect Konoha to avoid a full-scale war over it."

"Normally, they would," Obito responded, his tone calm. "But Konoha's back is against the wall. They reached out to Kumo, seeking a peaceful resolution, but Kumo's leadership sensed Konoha's weakness and exploited it. They accused Konoha of slander, tore up the peace agreement, and have since been mobilizing troops along the border."

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