Chapter 200: Joining Forces

How should Konan handle these young Jinchurikis?

She pondered deeply. According to the original plan, after capturing the Jinchurikis, their tailed beasts would be extracted using the Gedo Statue, resulting in the death of the Jinchurikis. However, only those possessing the Rinnegan could summon the statue.

With Nagato's death, the Akatsuki's plans came to a standstill. Lost in thought, Konan reflected on her life. She had always been led by others' visions, never truly having a dream of her own. Initially, she aimed to help Yahiko achieve his dream. Later, when Yahiko passed that dream to Nagato, and now, Nagato had entrusted her with that dream and his Rinnegan.

How could she fulfill the Akatsuki's mission?

Konan's gaze finally settled on Naruto. Like Nagato, Naruto was also a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. Among all the shinobi, only Naruto's body could possibly bear Nagato's Rinnegan.

Determined, she approached the unconscious Naruto. "From now on, you are the leader of the Akatsuki. You must complete its mission," Konan murmured. Taking out the container with the Rinnegan, she resolved to mold Naruto into the next Nagato. As for Gaara and Fū, she would keep them, training them to be Naruto's allies.

In that moment, as she looked at the young Jinchurikis, she was reminded of her younger self, Yahiko, and Nagato. She had found a new purpose: to create the next generation of the Akatsuki.

...

Hidden Rain Village.

Years ago, Pain, having replaced Hanzo, became the ruler of the Hidden Rain, regarded as a god by its citizens. Under his protection, they lived peaceful, untroubled lives, proudly calling themselves "Children of God." But now, as the Allied Forces of the Five Great Nations invaded, they realized their god was gone. Their protector was no more. The Hidden Rain had fallen.

Among those who had come with the Allied Forces was Dan. He had infiltrated the Hidden Rain earlier, disguising himself as a regular citizen and witnessed the entire takeover by the Five Great Nations.

At this point, the Akatsuki had been uprooted in the Hidden Rain. All captured members were executed. The ordinary Rain ninjas either were captured, killed, or fled. The village was now dominated by the Allied Forces, as they continued to hunt down any remnants of the Rain's ninjas.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, the villagers lived in fear.

Dan stepped out onto the main street from a tavern, only to be quickly noticed by several Cloud ninjas due to his suspicious behavior. He walked straight into a deserted alleyway, only to be surrounded.

Recognizing the leading figure as the dark-skinned, white-haired young woman named Mabui, the secretary to the Fourth Raikage, Dan muttered, "Finally, a worthy catch."

He had previously captured and interrogated many Allied Forces ninjas using himself as bait but didn't get the information he wanted. He hoped Mabui wouldn't disappoint.

Sensing something amiss, Mabui was taken off-guard as Dan's eyes transformed into the three-tomoe Sharingan.

After a brief confrontation, Dan emerged alone from the alley. Using his Sharingan genjutsu, he had interrogated Mabui and her team before erasing their memories.

From Mabui, Dan learned:

Konan had evaded capture, escaping with the three young Jinchurikis. No one knew their whereabouts. The Cloud ninjas didn't realize that Konan's most valuable possession wasn't the Jinchurikis, but the Rinnegan bestowed upon her by Nagato.

However, with Konan in hiding, it seemed the Rinnegan would remain dormant for some time.

Another piece of information: Samui was on her way to the Hidden Leaf. She had lived there as a spy for three years and was familiar with the village's intricacies. Thus, the Fourth Raikage had assigned her as the Cloud's ambassador in the Leaf. From now on, she would oversee all Cloud-related matters in the Leaf.

This news stirred something within Dan.

Half an hour later.

Dan left the Hidden Rain Village, intending to return to the Hidden Leaf. But as he moved, he halted, looking down at his left palm. The Sharingan he had transplanted from Obito was reacting, moving rapidly, signaling something.

Dan remembered Kakashi mentioning this phenomenon—it meant that Obito was nearby.

Indeed, it was likely that Obito would want to retrieve Nagato's Rinnegan. Dan decided to seek him out and have a little confrontation.

In an instant, Dan vanished from the spot.

Outside the Hidden Rain Village.

On a hill, Obito and Kisame stood in the rain, observing the fallen village.

"Why hasn't Nagato acted? Is it because the Six Paths of Pain were destroyed, leaving him without time to create new ones?" Obito murmured, furrowing his brow. Given what he knew about Nagato, the man would never let anyone trespass into the Hidden Rain. Yet, days had gone by without any movement from Nagato, leaving Obito puzzled.

Suddenly, Zetsu emerged from the ground, delivering grave news, "Nagato is dead."

Dead? Obito was taken aback, then demanded, "Who did it?" Knowing Nagato's immense power, especially in the Hidden Rain, it was hard to believe he could be defeated by the Five Great Ninja Villages.

Zetsu replied, "It's still unclear. But it seems Nagato died even before the invasion of the Five Great Nations. Perhaps he overused his chakra during the battle at the Hidden Leaf."

Kakuzu, emerging from the shadows, added, "I confronted 'Angel' (Konan's code name within the Akatsuki) but she escaped with the three young Jinchurikis. Furthermore, it seems she possesses the Rinnegan."

Kakuzu had once been approached by Obito during his time in the Akatsuki. Now, with Nagato gone, Kakuzu felt he needed a new alliance.

"Mr. Kakuzu, welcome to our side," Obito greeted, arms open. But Kakuzu coldly replied, "I haven't decided yet."

Obito nodded, understanding. "Then, our next target is to hunt down the 'Angel', reclaim the Rinnegan, and the Jinchurikis."

With the combined might of Kisame, Zetsu, Kakuzu, and Obito, they believed they could corner Konan.

As they were about to depart, a voice echoed from behind, "Can I join too?"

The four men turned, scanning the surrounding woods. From the trees, a figure emerged, saying, "You won't see me, but you'll hear me."

Kakuzu, unimpressed, launched a surprise attack, his arm extending like a whip, attempting to strike the unseen opponent.

But, to everyone's shock, a force pulled back against Kakuzu, drawing him towards the forest.

Doton: Earth Spear!

In mid-air, Kakuzu remained calm, quickly forming a hand seal to harden his skin, turning it pitch black. Now, his offensive and defensive capabilities were heightened, enabling him to shatter walls or resist explosive blasts.

Spotting the figure lurking in the woods, Kakuzu lunged, throwing a punch.

The shadowy figure seemed to counter with a punch of their own.

With a thunderous clash, a gust of wind erupted, dispersing the rain.

Against all expectations, Kakuzu, considered one of the strongest in the Akatsuki, was sent flying by the force of the punch, his body disintegrating in the air.

Indeed, he was disassembled by the single blow.

Black threads emerged from his remains, combining to form four mask-like creatures, products of the Hidden Waterfall Village's secret technique—Earth Grudge Fear. Kakuzu could seize the hearts of other ninjas, extending his lifespan indefinitely. And with each heart, he acquired a new chakra nature transformation. Each mask represented a different nature—Wind, Lightning, Water, and Fire.

The reason only four emerged was that the Earth heart had been destroyed by the mysterious figure's punch.

It was clear: this was a formidable opponent.

Under the watchful gaze of Obito and the others, a seemingly ordinary man stepped out from the trees. "Hey, I just wanted to join you guys. No need for all this hostility, it's pretty scary," he said with a hint of jest.

Obito looked serious. The man seemed vaguely familiar, and Obito's right eye kept twitching in his presence.

"Kisame," Obito signaled.

Kisame grinned menacingly, "He seems like a worthy prey."

Without hesitation, Kisame lunged with his sword, Samehada, aiming a powerful blow. But the man blocked it effortlessly with his bare arm.

How was that possible?

Kisame's eyes widened in shock as they locked onto the man's, which suddenly transformed into a three-tomoe Sharingan.

Before Kisame could react, he was ensnared in a genjutsu and, like Kakuzu, was sent flying with a powerful punch, finally crashing into a lake.

Whether it was Kakuzu or Kisame, both were easily defeated by this man.

Kakuzu, however, was not done. "You destroyed one of my hearts; I'll replace it with yours," he growled.

His Fire and Wind masks combined their abilities, releasing a powerful combined ninjutsu—Blazing Wind Wave. A sea of flames surged towards the man, trapping him.

But just as the flames were about to engulf him, the man's three-tomoe Sharingan transformed once more, revealing the Yin-Yang symbol.

In a flash, the man was between the Fire and Wind masks, his movements too swift for Kakuzu to react. With a swift motion, he grabbed and smashed the two masks together, shattering them and thus destroying two more of Kakuzu's hearts.

Obito, witnessing all this, gasped, "You... you're still alive!"