Hidden Rain Village: March 24.
Tap… Tap… Tap…
The sound of the soft footsteps soon came to a stop as Konan looked at the man sitting on the balcony and observing their village. The morning sunlight barely cut through the dark clouds hovering above their lands.
"Pain. It's time."
The body of Tendo turned his head and gave a small nod. Seconds later, both of them vanished from their position.
After making their way to a more private setting, Tendo Pain made a seal and focused his chakra. "Gather."
A ring of spectral figures flickered to life around the room. Pain stood silently at the center as his Rinnegan focused on nothing and everything.
Konan stood by his side with a calm face while Zetsu emerged from the roots nearby.
"Let's begin." Tendo said with a soft but commanding voice.
"You called us again so soon?" Kisame said in a lazy voice while crossing his arms. "Must be serious."
"Tch! I was in the middle of creating a new clay bomb technique." Deidara clicked his tongue and said with displeasure.
"That can wait." Pain's cold voice stopped the blond haired missing nin from further complaining.
"Is this about Orochimaru?" Sasori's voice was flat as his eyes focused on their leader. "Did Kakuzu and Hidan finally get him?"
At that time Kisame looked around and found that the two in question were not among them. "Speaking of which, where are those two? Shouldn't they be here for this?"
"The matter regarding Kakuzu and Hidan is one of the reasons I've called you all here. There have been some new developments."
"What happened?" Itachi's eyes were half-lidded but he was carefully paying attention to everything that was happening around him.
"Yesterday around three in the morning, Kakuzu and Hidan made their way to Orochimaru's hideout in the Land of Earth. They didn't encounter Orochimaru but someone else. Someone going by the name Monkey D Dragon. They fought and Dragon was able to kill them in battle. Both Kakuzu and Hidan are dead." Pain finished and gazed at everyone.
The Akatsuki members, except Zetsu and Konan, were shocked and became quiet. They kept silent for a few moments as they tried to digest the news.
The grin on the swordsmen Kisame vanished. "Dead?"
"Both of them?" Deidara blinked, incredulous.
"Yes."
"Wait, wait! I thought those guys were immortal. Isn't that their whole shtick?!" Deidara couldn't believe two powerful ninjas like them died to someone unknown.
"Did this 'Dragon' have a team with him?" Itachi asked while keeping a calm face.
"No." Tendo gave a small shake of his head. "He was alone when he confronted them."
Kisame let out a low chuckle that didn't reach his eyes. "Kakuzu was a tough old cockroach. And Hidan, well… you don't 'kill' Hidan easily. How did that even happen?"
"Zetsu." Pain looked at the spymaster and the strange creature began giving them the details.
"I wasn't near the battle so I'm not sure what he did. But as to how he killed them, he used some kind of powerful Earth chakra nature jutsu to bury and crush them. His jutsu reshaped the terrain for a few kilometers and created a small mountain. Based on the aftermath of the jutsu I'd say it's on the higher end of an S Rank technique."
"Who is he?" Itachi hadn't heard of someone so powerful and that made him curious.
"The name Monkey D Dragon could be an alias. His real identity is unknown. But from what I've gathered, he has excellent taijutsu skills, powerful ninjutsu techniques, vast chakra reserves and exceptional stealth abilities."
"To kill Kakuzu and Hidan on his own… He's got some serious power. I'm half tempted to see how he'd fare against my super special clay bombs, Un!" Deidara had a grin as he looked at the spy.
"That's reckless, Deidara. He's at the very least a Kage level shinobi. We have to be careful when fighting someone like that." Sasori admonished his partner.
"I have to agree with him." Zetsu chimed in. "He also has a powerful lightning jutsu that reshaped a valley. Comparable to a tailed beast bomb. That tells me he's a skilled lightning user. And he can use the teleportation jutsu of the Fourth Hokage."
Zetsu didn't say anything more and Deidara understood what he was implying. 'The one thing that could become an annoyance. Lightning nature users. And a teleporter at that.'
Sasori on the other hand, while cautious, also had some ideas. 'If I can make someone of his power into one of my living puppets, it could greatly increase my strength… But the risk is too high.'
"Does this Dragon have any affiliation with Orochimaru? Was he one of his men?" Itachi asked.
Pain shook his head. "No. Based on our understanding, Dragon and Orochimaru are on opposite sides. Before he engaged Kakuzu and Hidan, he infiltrated the base with the goal of finding Orochimaru and possibly killing him."
"That snake sure knows how to make enemies." Sasori murmured. "I hope that guy kills him slowly."
"I wouldn't mind seeing that fight." Kisame said with a laugh.
Pain raised a hand and silence returned. "I have news regarding Orochimaru as well. Zetsu."
"Orochimaru clashed with a team of Leaf ninja in the Land of Earth. It was around the same time Dragon fought those two. The Leaf ninjas who went to him are Kakashi Hatake, Jiraiya, and Daichi Hekima." Black Zetsu's deep, grating voice filled the chamber. He quickly filled everyone in on the plans the Snake Sannin hatched with the Finance minister.
"No wonder that snake moved around all over the map these last few months. He's been busy trying to start a coup." Sasori had to admit that it was a bold plan and if it had worked it would have been a big boost to Orochimaru's influence. "What happened to Orochimaru? Did he escape?"
"No. When I investigated, I saw signs of a large-scale battle. Massive S level chakra readings. But some of the white Zetsu near the area saw a large pillar of fire rising to the sky during that time. And just yesterday, I got news from the Leaf village that Orochimaru is confirmed to be dead. Jiraiya killed him."
"So Orochimaru's dead too? That's a shocker. Figured he'd have disappeared if things got too hot for him."
"Yes. I have to agree with Deidara on this." Sasori spoke as he looked at Zetsu. "Are you sure he's dead?"
"Jiraiya and the Hokage confirmed it. This is the news they've told the Fire Daimyo." Zetsu had been meticulously gathering information as fast as he could and it bore fruit.
"What about Tsunade and her assistant?" Itachi asked.
"Safe. They're back in the Leaf village. Tsunade is undergoing some kind of treatment. They're keeping her in the Hokage tower. I can't get close so I don't know what's happening in there." Zetsu replied.
Deidara's fingers twitched. "So the Leaf ninjas slipped in, grabbed their Princess, and slipped out, hmm? In the Hidden Stone's backyard no less? Haha! That's a bold move right there."
Kisame tilted his head. "How did they get in and out of that country so quickly without setting off any alarms? Just the travel time from the Land of Fire to the Land of Earth alone would have taken days. And finding that snake shouldn't have been that easy."
'Reanimated Tobirama Senju… if he was with them, then teleportation like this would be child's play.' Black Zetsu kept that thought to himself.
"How did you find out about the Finance minister?" Itachi suddenly asked the spy.
"I was following Dragon's movements. He attacked the Finance minister and his wife in their home and interrogated them."
"A shinobi messing with the Daimyo and nobles will create problems." Kisame spoke. He knew the line between the rulers of the land and the ninjas who guard it.
"Yes. Not only did he interrogate them and extract a confession, but he also crippled the minister's wife." Pain spoke as he recalled the memories he saw.
Kisame gave a low whistle. "That's not something you do unless you're angry."
"That's the point," Pain said. "It suggests a personal trigger-rage. He might have some connection to the matter regarding Tsunade Senju's abduction."
Itachi's voice was mild. "If his trigger was the Sannin Tsunade or Shizune, the timing aligns."
"Yes. But still, this is all speculation." Zetsu spoke and gained everyone's attention.
"Why do you say that?" Sasori asked.
"The Leaf village has declared Dragon as an S Rank criminal responsible for infiltrating the village and killing Danzo Shimura."
Itachi's eyes flashed with surprise. 'Danzo is dead?'
Pain and Konan were also surprised by that news. "I thought he left him alive after that raid." Pain asked with narrowed eyes. The grudge he had against the man was still fresh in his mind.
"Yes, but they've just released the news that he's dead."
"What are you guys talking about? What raid?" The explosive specialist asked the leader and the spy.
Zetsu sighed and answered. "I only discovered Dragon's existence when he infiltrated the Hidden Leaf village to attack Danzo Shimura and his people. It happened two days ago. He attacked Root and took several Hidden jutsus exclusive to the village and valuable intelligence. Danzo and Dragon fought and then Danzo was captured by the Third Hokage. But now they're saying Dragon killed him."
"Interesting," Sasori murmured. "So that warmonger finally fell, huh."
"I see! So that's why you're not sure about Dragon's connections." Kisame spoke as he analyzed the situation. "If he had any friendship with that Leaf Sannin, he wouldn't have stolen from them and killed such an important figure. At least, the possibility is low."
"Yes. Robbing intelligence and secret jutsus wouldn't be something he'd do if he had a connection to her." Pain agreed.
"I also got reports that someone destroyed Orochimaru's hideouts in the Land of Rice Paddies. It could be him." Zetsu came upon this news recently and shared it with the group.
"He went after his labs in another country? What kind of grudge does this guy have with that snake?" Kisame was genuinely surprised at the lengths this guy went to, to attack Orochimaru.
"What do we know about Dragon's background?" Itachi asked.
Zetsu crossed his arms. "Almost nothing. He doesn't have a paper trail, and his chakra signature is masked, always. He leaves no traces, no consistent technique pattern. His teleportation technique makes it nearly impossible to track him."
"Sounds like the kind of slippery fish you don't net on the first cast." Kisame said, folding his arms.
"There has been some speculation about his origin… Itachi!" Tendo Pain turned to look at the man with the Sharingan. "There is a possibility that he could be of the Uchiha clan. So I want to ask you. Did anyone other than your brother survive the massacre?"
"No. I killed everyone else." Itachi shook his head. "Why do you think he's from my clan?"
Pain turned to Zetsu and the plant creature began to explain his findings. "He's displayed several fire style jutsu exclusive to the Uchiha clan. He has deep knowledge about the Leaf village and the Sharingan."
Itachi was silent for a few moments after hearing those words. Then he gave his thoughts. "If he is from the clan, then I don't think I've ever met him. He might be someone who left the village in secret before I was born."
"I see…" Pain closed his eyes for a moment and nodded.
"What do you want us to do?" Sasori asked the leader.
"Do not pursue Dragon," Pain said. "He's dangerous, and unpredictable. Until we understand his motives and capabilities, do not engage. We will not bleed resources on curiosity."
"Wait! Wait! You want us to avoid him?" Deidara said, incredulous.
"Correct," Konan answered. "He's not our objective at the moment."
Sasori gave a nod of agreement. "Hmm… You're right. It's wasteful to provoke an unknown when we already have a plan in motion."
Kisame dramatically sighed and grinned. "Okay. So don't go after the mysterious new ninja. Got it, boss."
"What about our losses? Will Kakuzu and Hidan's position be kept vacant?" Itachi suddenly asked what was on his mind. Hearing that question everyone turned to Pain.
"Yeah, that's right. We haven't even begun the tailed beast collection plan and we're already down two members." Deidara spoke as well.
"I will have Zetsu look at new prospects. But for now, that is all." Pain gave the command and dismissed everyone.
The gathered projections faded one by one, vanishing into nothingness. Soon, only Zetsu remained in the silence beneath the roots.
"Zetsu," Pain said, "continue your investigation. Quietly. I want to know everything about this man."
White Zetsu gave a thumbs up. "On it." Black Zetsu just grunted. "Hm." He too quickly took his leave after glancing around.
Konan turned her head slightly toward Pain. "Do you believe Dragon is truly tied to Tsunade Senju?"
Pain's gaze did not shift. "Belief is immaterial. We need proof. His actions could also be a ruse. Right now, he's everyone's enemy. We need to wait and see until he chooses a side... Till then, we prepare for all possibilities."
—-
A short while later, Zetsu phased through the ground and emerged in a secluded cave—bare, damp, lit only by the flickering glow of torches lining the wall.
A ripple of space twisted a few feet away. Obito appeared in front of him, half-hidden by shadow, his single Sharingan eye gleaming from behind the mask.
"You heard all that?" Zetsu asked calmly.
"Yes." The masked Obito nodded.
"You were right. Dragon has drawn the attention of everyone now."
"Yes. But we have something else to discuss. Danzo." Obito's tone was different. "He was still alive when Dragon left the Root Headquarters. I confirmed it myself."
"Then either Dragon returned secretly to finish the job," Zetsu said, "or someone else did—and used it to frame him."
"The Third Hokage," Obito murmured. "The two possibilities in front of us… Dragon returned to kill him or maybe Danzo tried to run and the Hokage cut him down and then pinned it on Dragon to keep the village clean."
White Zetsu blinked. "Oohh.. I like door number two.." "Quiet you!" Black half scolded him. He then looked at Obito and spoke. "It could be the Third Hokage. He wouldn't want the truth about Danzo coming out."
"There is also the possibility that Danzo learned something about Dragon that he didn't want anyone to know."
Zetsu tilted his head. "You want me to confirm which?"
"Yes. And I want Dragon's trail. Names he uses. Faces he wears. Where he sleeps. Whether he's working for someone or moving on his own."
"Understood," Black Zetsu said.
As Obito stepped back into the Kamui vortex, his voice echoed into the dark. "If 'Dragon' is someone's weapon… I want to know who's."
White Zetsu scratched his chin. "He didn't even say please."
"He never does." Black Zetsu grunted and slid back into the earth.