Inside the dark mountain cave, under the summons of the Projected Image Technique, the Akatsuki members' spiritual projections reappeared on the fingers of the Outer Path Demonic Statue.
"Why did you all fail? I want a detailed account of this mission," Tendō Pain said, his gaze sweeping across the group before settling on Kakuzu, whose spiritual projection was flickering slightly. "Kakuzu, you speak first."
"This old fool was careless," Kakuzu replied after a long silence, his face contorted in a grimace. "Hatake Kakashi suddenly awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan. His ocular techniques inflicted some losses on me, ultimately leading to my defeat at the hands of Uchiha Sasuke."
"Mangekyō Sharingan..." Tendō Pain murmured, nodding slightly. "And what about Uchiha Sasuke? Has he also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Kakuzu's expression darkened further. After another long pause, he growled, "I don't know! But if I ever encounter him again, I'll kill him myself."
Seeing this, Tendō Pain understood more than he let on. He shifted his gaze to Uchiha Itachi, who had remained silent throughout the exchange.
"No," Uchiha Itachi replied, his eyes half-lidded, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.
"Though he's grown much stronger, he still lacks the capacity to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan."
After uttering these words, Uchiha Itachi fell into silence, not uttering another word.
"Let me add something," Zetsu suddenly interjected with a cheerful grin. "Uchiha Sasuke indeed shows no signs of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, but his strength is undeniable. He likely used some immensely powerful, high-temperature Fire Release technique to kill Hidan. Despite Hidan's claims of immortality, being reduced to ashes proved fatal—heh heh."
"Kakuzu probably... probably underestimated him, just as he said. Heh heh."
Zetsu's repeated use of qualifiers like "probably" and "well" fully revealed his cunning, manipulative nature.
"Zetsu, you bastard! Are you looking for a death wish?" Kakuzu snarled, his face darkening as he caught Zetsu's veiled insinuations.
"Enough," Tendō Pain said, pressing his hand down to quell the escalating tension between the two. He then shifted his gaze to Hoshigaki Kisame.
Tendō Pain had gleaned some understanding of Uchiha Sasuke's strength during the Aoi Rokusho incident two months prior.
However, he hadn't anticipated Sasuke being this strong—capable of eliminating and defeating two Akatsuki members.
Given this, it was only natural that Uchiha Itachi's Image Clone Technique lost to Uchiha Sasuke.
But what about Hoshigaki Kisame?
Seeing Tendō Pain's gaze turn toward him, Hoshigaki Kisame shrugged. "I underestimated him."
'Another underestimation?'
Tendō Pain felt a surge of displeasure. The Akatsuki were engaged in life-or-death operations, their heads hanging by a thread.
Were these members treating it like a game of pretend, a childish ninja game?
"Meeting adjourned!"
Tendō Pain swept his gaze across the group and abruptly waved his hand, declaring the meeting over.
As Tendō Pain emerged from the Projected Image Technique, a swirling vortex materialized on the sofa before him. Uchiha Obito emerged from the spatial distortion.
"Mr. Madara, is there something you need?" Tendō Pain asked coldly.
Uchiha Obito leaned back slightly, adjusting his posture on the sofa for greater comfort.
"While Uchiha Sasuke did kill Hidan, you know that if Uchiha Itachi were still alive, he would never have allowed anyone else to harm his brother."
"Uchiha Itachi," Tendō Pain said, his gaze hardening slightly. "He remains a member of our organization. If Uchiha Sasuke continues to obstruct our operations and no other members can eliminate him, I will personally handle the matter."
"Before the power of the gods, all is meaningless," Tendō Pain said calmly, his gaze fixed on the Sharingan beneath Uchiha Obito's mask.
Obito chuckled lightly, as if he hadn't grasped the underlying meaning of Pain's words, and changed the subject.
"What about your subordinates? They might expose Amegakure's connection to the Akatsuki."
"Rest assured, they ceased being Amegakure ninjas a month ago. They're merely wandering shinobi now," Pain replied flatly, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "As for their current fate... they're likely all dead by now."
Obito wasn't particularly surprised. He smiled. "You truly are a cold-blooded individual."
That night, in Takigakure Village...
The night sky was dark and oppressive, with only a crescent moon hanging high above, its pale light occasionally swallowed by drifting clouds.
A chilling night wind swept through the village, biting and frigid.
Moonlight, like frost or water, gently caressed Sasuke's face, illuminating his handsome, serene features.
He tilted his head slightly to gaze upward, uncertain whether it was the region's terrain, his own psychological state, or some other strange cause that drew his attention.
Though only a crescent moon hung in the sky, Sasuke suddenly felt its radiance tonight was exceptionally bright and hazy.
And even more eerie!
Earlier that day, when he had rushed to Takigakure to support Sakura and Naruto, he was surprised to find they had already concluded their battle.
This unexpected development made Sasuke regard his two comrades with newfound respect.
After several fierce battles, Naruto, the inexhaustible powerhouse, remained as energetic and radiant as ever.
Sakura, however, had exhausted too much chakra. Upon seeing Sasuke arrive, she finally relaxed her guard, her taut nerves loosening completely, and she immediately fainted.
With Naruto and the volunteered Fu guarding the three unconscious figures, Sasuke assisted Village Chief Shibuki in imprisoning the Rain Ninja captives and handling the aftermath.
This task consumed most of the day. Though some loose ends remained, they were now Shibuki's responsibility.
Glancing up at the sky, Sasuke estimated the time to be around eight or nine in the evening.
Having nothing else to do, he decided to stroll leisurely through the Takigakure.
Step by step, Sasuke slowly walked in the direction his instincts guided him.
Before long, a colossal tree that pierced the clouds, its trunk and branches completely enveloping Takigakure, came into view.
Moonlight streamed down, and a night breeze rustled through the massive tree, causing its branches to sway gently and its leaves to whisper.
A faint, ancient call seemed to resonate from the depths of Sasuke's very cells, from his very genes.
It was the same sensation he had sensed within fragments of his genetic code when he merged with Ido Sasuke.
Unconsciously, Sasuke's black-and-white eyes shifted to a crimson hue, and a bizarre, six-pointed star manifested within them.
Through the vision of his Mangekyō Sharingan, the tree's thick trunk resembled limbs, and its countless branches appeared like countless tails.
Bathed in moonlight, the tree's shadow and the eerie moonlight combined to form a monstrous silhouette with ten tails.
The Ten-Tailed Beast!
___
This Sasuke Is Strange 300 advanced chapters: (5 ch updates everyday)
Patreon.com/rashta
Be a member so you can also read:
1. 345 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto (Completed)
2. 487 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird
3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin
4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Completed)
5. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother
6. 274 adv ch of I'm Huo Yuhao's System
7. Adv chapters of Naruto: Galgame System (Upcoming)