A long and unmarked road, riddled with thorns and obstacles.
Without a clear guide, one could never be certain if this path was the right one, only by walking it could the truth be revealed. But one must endure the pain of the thorns, pressing forward with determination to avoid being struck down by the obstacles.
Even if one becomes covered in wounds from the thorns, even if exhaustion sets in from overcoming barriers, once the goal is near, all the suffering becomes worthwhile.
Only by refusing to give up can one grasp the desired outcome.
Perhaps Ye Zi was lucky. The road ahead was unknown, seemingly endless, with thorns and obstacles blocking the way, yet he resolutely chose to move forward in pursuit of an answer.
At any cost, he had crossed through the thorns and barriers, and at last, he finally saw a signpost pointing to the destination.
Yes, it was finally within reach.
This road, which had felt endless, was finally nearing its end.
—
The long-awaited Illusionary Projection Jutsu summoned the core members of the Akatsuki together.
The setting remained the same: a simple room, dimly lit by a single perpetual lamp in the center, the sole source of light in the room.
Eight distorted, wavering shadows stood silently in the room, only their sharp, solid eyes visible in the darkness.
Nagato, Konan, Sasori, Ye Zi, White Zetsu, Jūzō, Kisame and Shin, eight figures, formed a circle around the perpetual lamp.
Kisame's eyes were unique, making him instantly recognizable to Ye Zi. After all, Ye Zi was the one who had recruited him, albeit in a rather careless manner, he had simply thrown Kisame into the organization without much concern and had hardly paid attention to his progress within Akatsuki over the years.
When Ye Zi looked at Kisame, the latter also glanced back at him. After a brief moment of eye contact, both withdrew their gazes.
Their relationship was lukewarm at best.
It had been over a year since they had last gathered, making this meeting all the more significant.
Nagato remained silent as stone. Even after activating the Illusionary Projection Jutsu, he did not immediately state the reason for the summons.
During this prelude of silence, Sasori quietly observed Ye Zi's indifferent expression. If Ye Zi and Kisame's relationship was lukewarm, then Sasori and Ye Zi's was akin to water simmering at 18 degrees Celsius, not cold, but far from comfortable.
Sasori had switched bodies twice. The first time, he had used the body of a beautiful young girl. The second time, he had chosen the form of a delicate-looking young man. In the Illusionary Projection Jutsu, only the eyes were visible, and judging by those alone, one might mistake them for a young girl's eyes.
While Sasori watched Ye Zi, Ye Zi, in turn, focused on Nagato.
Kakuzu, for once, did not interrupt to make his presence known, at least, not before Nagato spoke.
Shin stood silently beside Ye Zi, appearing more like Ye Zi's subordinate than an independent member of Akatsuki.
Even with just their eyes visible, it was easy to imagine Jūzō's usual nonchalant expression.
Konan's gaze was calm as always, though she occasionally cast a subtle glance toward Ye Zi.
In this dimly lit room, some of the most powerful individuals in the shinobi world had gathered, with enough strength to take down an entire Great Shinobi Village if they wished.
Finally, after a period of stillness, Nagato's Rinnegan gleamed with an imposing light as he declared, "The plan is back in motion."
Aside from those already aware, the other members were visibly taken aback.
Restarting the plan meant resuming the capture of the tailed beasts, and the remaining targets lay within Kirigakure (Mist), Konohagakure (Leaf), and Kumogakure (Cloud).
"Oh, now this is troublesome," Kakuzu shrugged. "The Mist Village shouldn't be too difficult, but the Cloud and Leaf? Those aren't easy targets. Step one foot inside, and we might be wiped out instantly."
"You've got five lives," Jūzō reminded him.
"Which is exactly why it's troublesome, because even five lives might not be enough," Kakuzu muttered.
"The Cloud has two targets, right? Are we capturing them at the same time?" Sasori asked coolly.
Nagato glanced briefly at Kakuzu, who was still making his presence known, before withdrawing his gaze and stating:
"I will personally take the Nine-Tails from Konoha. Before that, you must bring back the Six-Tails from Kirigakure and the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails from Kumogakure, simultaneously."
"It takes three days to seal one tailed beast. If we seal them together, wouldn't that mean nine days?" Jūzō asked.
"Shouldn't you be thinking about how we're even going to capture three tailed beasts at once?" Kakuzu said dryly.
Nagato remained silent, but Ye Zi suddenly spoke up, "I'll handle the Cloud. I only need White Zetsu to accompany me, I need someone to help transport the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki back."
"As for the Six-Tails from the Mist… the rest of you can go together. With your combined strength, it shouldn't be a problem."
For the first time, Ye Zi did not address them by their codenames, he called them by name.
As soon as Ye Zi spoke, the room fell into silence. After a brief pause, Kakuzu spread his hands and said, "I have no objections, but… are you sure you can handle this alone?"
Ye Zi looked at him and said coldly, "Don't worry about whether I can or not. Just make sure you don't fail on your end, that would be embarrassing."
"Oh, now this is getting interesting," Kakuzu said, his interest piqued. "I've always wondered who was stronger, you or the Third Raikage. Looks like we'll have an answer soon enough."
In the shinobi world, the number of truly renowned powerhouses could be counted on one hand. Among them, the comparison between the Third Raikage and Ye Zi was particularly unique, both were masters of Lightning Release, both used Lightning Release chakra mode to enhance their physical abilities.
Because of these similarities, people often compared the two. However, most believed that the Third Raikage was stronger, his reputation carried more weight, forged through countless battles in the wars.
The others in the room glanced at Ye Zi. They, too, were curious about the answer to this unspoken question.
However, Ye Zi remained indifferent to Kakuzu's remark. His goal wasn't to prove himself against the Third Raikage, it was to capture the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails.
Ye Zi would handle the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails alone, while the others were responsible for capturing the Six-Tails.
Since Jūzō and Kisame were originally from Kirigakure (the Mist Village), they had no objections to this arrangement. However, they did feel that sending Ye Zi alone to capture two tailed beasts was an excessive burden.
Compared to the Cloud, Sasori and Kakuzu believed that capturing the Six-Tails would be easier—they had numbers on their side, and the Mist Village didn't have a powerhouse like the Third Raikage. However, they also felt that Ye Zi attempting to capture two tailed beasts alone in Kumogakure was far from an easy task, especially with the Third Raikage himself standing in the way.
As for Shin, he had already been briefed before this meeting that his mission was to assist the others in capturing the Six-Tails. He had complete faith in Ye Zi's ability to complete his own task.
After a moment of silence, Nagato finally spoke:
"The assignments remain as planned, Ye Zi and White Zetsu will capture the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails in Kumogakure. The rest of you will head to Kirigakure to capture the Six-Tails. You must all regroup in the village by 6 PM today, and we will depart together."
"This mission cannot fail."
Cannot fail…
Wasn't Ye Zi's mission the one with the highest risk of failure?
Sasori, who had been silent, voiced his disagreement in a calm tone, "Ye Zi is indeed strong, but this allocation is completely unreasonable."
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