CHAPTER 27:Encounter With the Akatsuki

Hiro moved swiftly through the forest, the evening sun casting long shadows as it began to set. His mind was focused, his senses sharp. The Akatsuki was beginning to form, and he knew he had to remain vigilant even though he felt almost invincible. The challenges ahead were formidable, but he was prepared to face them head-on, honoring the sacrifices of those who had come before him touching him deeply although he wasn't of this world but he has gradually come to accept his identity as a Konoha ninja and protecting Konoha with every ounce of his strength.

In the depths of the forest, three figures gathered. Konan, Pain—represented by one of his Rinnegan clones—and Sasori, with his lifelike puppet, were plotting their next moves. The world was changing, and their ambitions were slowly coming to fruition.

Hiro had left the Hidden Sand Village not long ago, seeking to gather intelligence on emerging threats. As he ventured deeper into the forest, he felt the presence of the Akatsuki members nearby. He steeled himself for the confrontation, knowing this encounter was inevitable but was a must if he wanted to foiled Zetsu's plans in reviving Kaguya.

Meanwhile, back in Konoha, Orochimaru received the news of Hiro's departure to the Hidden Sand making him smile. Panic suddenly seized him when he realized that his hideout had been discovered with movements heading towards his laboratory. He knew that if Minato and the Konoha shinobi discovered his laboratory, his experiments and scientific items would be compromised and it won't end well for him. He had to act quickly. Orochimaru taking every valuable thing from the laboratory then brings it down using explosive talismans.

Orochimaru then fled the village knowing he'll be tagged as a traitor but he didn't care anymore because he had more important things to do although he will miss some people in the village his thoughts drifting to Tsunade and Jiraiya, his movements frantic as he dashed through the forest, desperately trying to evade Minato's swift pursuit.

"Curse that Minato," Orochimaru muttered to himself. "His speed is unmatched. I must resort to drastic measures."

Orochimaru released a wood clone, infused with Hashirama cells, to distract Minato and the Konoha shinobi. As they engaged the clone, Orochimaru implemented his backup plan. He began preparing the incomplete Reanimation Jutsu, ready to summon Hashirama Senju if Hiro intervened. The stakes were too high, and he couldn't afford to take any chances.

Hiro, now face-to-face with the early Akatsuki members, assessed their power. He used Rokushiki and Sun Breathing techniques to test their abilities, effortlessly dodging Pain's Shira Tensei with the World technique. Konan unleashed her paper ninjutsu, but Hiro's Armament Haki rendered it ineffective, the paper shattering against his hardened skin.

Back in the forest, Minato and the Konoha shinobi battled Orochimaru's unstable wood clone. The clone used wood styles to catch them off guard, but Minato's reflexes allowed him to dodge the attacks. The clone's weaker wood styles, producing roots no thicker than a bucket, still managed to restrain all of the shinobi excluding Minato. Minato, however, remained unhindered, his speed and precision unmatched.

As Hiro continued to toy with the Akatsuki members, Pain realized their attacks were futile. He utilized all the powers of the Six Paths to try and gain an upper hand, but Hiro effortlessly dodged each one, his movements a blur. Hiro searched for the real Pain but found nothing. Deciding it was time to end the game, Hiro activated his time-stopping ability.

"Time to finish this," he said, his voice calm yet authoritative.

In an instant, he moved to Konan, delivering a swift punch to her stomach, then appeared behind Sasori, knocking him unconscious with a strike to the head. He turned to the Pain clone, noting with interest the slow movement of its eyes. Armoring himself with Armament Haki, Hiro delivered a powerful punch, sending the clone flying.

Releasing his time-stopping ability, Hiro watched as Konan and Sasori collapsed, unconscious, while the Pain clone was thrown far away. Hiro contemplated summoning Ryujin to carry them, but he decided against it, not wanting to risk angering the slumbering eternal dragon. Instead, he created shadow clones to bind and carry Konan, Sasori, and Sasori's puppets. With his captives in tow, he headed towards Konoha Village.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, reached a hidden laboratory he had established long before his plans to betray Konoha. Fear of Hiro kept him moving swiftly. Along the way, he encountered the last survivor of the Kaguya clan, barely clinging to life. Orochimaru injected the man with a revitalizing fluid, bringing him back from the brink of death. The revived Kaguya warrior, driven by instinct, attacked Orochimaru, but a swift counterstrike from Orochimaru rendered him unconscious. Smirking, Orochimaru carried the man on his shoulders, thinking of how useful he could be to him as he noticed that that the person was of the Kaguya clan know for their almost indestructible bones and bone techniques.

Minato who was engaged in battling Orochimaru's wood clone saw something was wrong.He started making plans of moving the konoha shinobis to konoha in an instant using his flying thundergod technique as he started forming hand-seals, realizing the danger of the unstable wood clone, he then teleports the Konoha shinobi back to the village just as the clone exploded, leaving behind a massive crater where the forest once stood. The blast left nothing but ashes and scorched earth, a stark reminder of the destruction Orochimaru was capable of.

Orochimaru suddenly staggered as memories from his wood clone flooded his mind. The pain was intense, the unstable nature of the experimental clone taking its toll on him. He grimaced, trying to shake off the discomfort, but the loss of his scientific materials weighed heavily on him.

As Hiro approached Konoha, he decided to utilize his Zanpakutō's shadow realm to keep the unconscious Akatsuki members contained without harming them. He placed Konan, Sasori, and the Sasori's puppets into the shadow realm, ensuring they would remain unconscious and unable to escape.

With his mission complete, Hiro made his way back to the village, determined to report his findings to Minato and prepare for the inevitable battles ahead because he knew with him capturing the Akatsuki he had foiled Zestu plan again. The shadows of the Madara and Zetsu loomed large, but Hiro was ready to face them, his resolve unshakable. The world was changing, and Hiro would be at the forefront of protecting it, no matter the cost even if he has to battle his former Patriarch and founding father of Konoha.