Chapter 274:
"Apologies, Leader. The operation to capture the Nine Tails has failed."
Kisame's projection spoke to the projection of Tendō Pain.
Using the Magic Lantern Body Jutsu, the Akatsuki members projected their thought waves into images, which were then received by Pain and transmitted into each member's brain.
"My, my... I never thought there'd be a mission you two seniors—Kisame and Itachi—could actually fail."
Tobi spoke in his usual goofball tone.
"We were close to succeeding... but then Jiraiya showed up."
Kisame offered a brief explanation.
"Jiraiya, huh? Now that's a familiar name..."
Tendō Pain muttered, his expression momentarily blank, as though lost in memory.
"If Jiraiya showed up, then it's understandable the mission failed."
Konan, standing beside Tendō Pain, added.
"If Jiraiya is protecting the Nine Tails, then the mission to capture it will have to be put on hold for now." Pain recovered from his daze, scanned the group, and continued, "Next, everyone except Kisame and Uchiha Itachi, report on your mission status."
"We ran into some troublesome opponents along the way, but nothing unexpected happened."
Kakuzu responded.
"Same on our end."
Sasori followed up.
Whether it was the Kakuzu-Hidan pair or the Sasori-Deidara duo, both teams had been completing black market missions to earn funds for the organization's upcoming operations.
"Good." Tendō Pain nodded in satisfaction and continued, "The failure of the Nine Tails capture will definitely attract Jiraiya's attention. From now on, our focus shifts to raising operational funds."
Because of Pain's overwhelming strength, no one in the Akatsuki dared oppose him. Kakuzu, in particular, raised both hands and feet in support—after all, a group making money was far more efficient than doing it alone.
"Speaking of which, something major recently happened in the Hidden Leaf Village."
Zetsu suddenly chimed in.
Upon hearing news about the Leaf, everyone—except the duo obsessed with figurines and fireworks, and the duo focused solely on money and proselytizing—showed a flicker of interest.
Tendō Pain and Konan were intrigued because of Jiraiya. Uchiha Itachi, because he was a spy sent from the Leaf. Kisame's interest, in turn, stemmed from Itachi.
"Something major? What, did the Leaf Village increase its defenses after Kisame-senpai and Itachi-senpai showed up?"
Tobi's exaggerated, clownish tone chimed in again.
Zetsu cast a glance at Tobi, as if reminded of the old Tobi—when Rin was still alive.
Clearing his throat, Zetsu glanced at Uchiha Itachi before continuing, "Actually, Uchiha Sasuke officially defected from the Leaf... because of Orochimaru..."
At the mention of Orochimaru, everyone present instinctively frowned. Orochimaru had once been a member of the Akatsuki, and he'd left without suffering any consequences. That alone had seriously damaged Tendō Pain's authority.
"Uchiha... Sasuke? Huh? That's the same surname as Itachi-senpai, but didn't Itachi-senpai wipe out his entire clan?"
Tobi kept up the act, turning toward Itachi as everyone else also turned their eyes on him.
"Itachi-san..."
Kisame murmured, looking at his partner.
"Uchiha Sasuke is merely my worthless little brother. The reason I let him live... was because I had other plans for him."
Itachi replied calmly, expressionless.
"That's not the main point." Zetsu shook his head, regaining the group's attention. "The night Sasuke fled, a masked man also left the Leaf. Not only did he escape unscathed after fighting off four Jōnin—Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, and Kurenai Yuhi—but he even used a jutsu that almost destroyed half the Leaf Village. That man's strength... might be on par with the Leader's."
"A single jutsu nearly destroyed half the village?" Pain asked, ignoring Zetsu's comparison to himself. "Do you know what jutsu it was?"
"It seemed to be... Sage Art: Super Giant Rasengan... or something like that…"
Zetsu replied with feigned uncertainty.
"Sage Art? What's that?"
Deidara asked.
"Sage Art is also called Senjutsu. It's a special type of ninjutsu that can only be used after entering Sage Mode…"
Pain explained briefly. While it sounded like he was withholding intel, the truth—known only to Nagato, the real one behind Pain—was that he had learned even this much from Jiraiya.
Jiraiya had once believed Nagato could bring peace to the shinobi world, and so had taught him diligently, even revealing a bit about Sage Techniques.
"The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was called the God of Shinobi... supposedly because of this."
Kakuzu said, furrowing his brow.
"Huh? How do you know that?"
Deidara asked.
"Hmph. I once fought the First Hokage, after all. So I know a thing or two about him."
Kakuzu always claimed he once clashed with Hashirama—battling from sunrise to sunset and then from sunset to sunrise again until both were too exhausted to continue, ending in a handshake. But most of the Akatsuki dismissed it as a tall tale.
"That masked man has also been listed in the Leaf Village's wanted records. Judging by the timeline, Uchiha Itachi and Kisame were probably the closest to him."
Zetsu said, glancing at Tendō Pain. His implication was clear: he wanted Kisame and Itachi to recruit the masked man into Akatsuki.
From Pain's perspective, the more powerful allies the better. But for Zetsu, letting someone that dangerous run free might jeopardize his Moon's Eye Plan, not to mention his legendary save-mother-by-splitting-the-mountain mission.
Black Zetsu, shinobi world's most devoted son—his reputation wasn't for nothing.
"Very well. Kisame, Itachi, I'll leave it to you two to find that man and bring him into the organization."
"But... he's wearing a mask. How are we supposed to find him?"
Kisame asked.
"That man also abducted a young girl from the Hyūga clan when he left the Leaf. I imagine that detail might help you locate him."
Zetsu added promptly.