Outside the Hidden Rain Village, in the cave of the Akatsuki base. Pain, Konan, Tobi, Zetsu and Kisame had just completed the sealing of the
Outside the Hidden Rain Village, in the cave of the Akatsuki base.
Pain, Konan, Tobi, Zetsu and Kisame had just completed the sealing of the Six-Tailed Beast.
"Finally completed. Without Deidara, Kirito, and Itachi, it took longer than expected."
Kisame rubbed his sore neck.
"It can't be helped. Itachi is dead. Kirito needs to capture the Eight-Tails to stop the reinforcements from the Hidden Cloud Village for Sasuke. As for Deidara, let's not talk about it."
Black Zetsu continued, his voice hoarse as always.
"Speaking of the Eight-Tails, Kirito has been gone for a long time. Have you heard back?" Pain looked at Tobi.
Tobi pondered briefly and replied indifferently, "Not yet, but it should be soon." As long as Kirito doesn't slack off.
"Is it okay? That Eight-Tails is a perfect Jinchūriki." Konan spoke up.
She wasn't concerned for Sasuke, a stranger. She was worried about Kirito, who kept taking liberties with her.
Having been in the Akatsuki organization for so many years, she knew the tailed beasts well.
They were real battle machines.
Although she was confident in Fujiwara Kirito's strength, this time the opponent was the Eight-Tails, second only to the Nine-Tails, and a perfect Jinchūriki at that.
It was hard not to worry.
Tobi didn't know Konan's thoughts. Hearing her concern, he raised an eyebrow beneath the mask.
Just as he was about to respond, there was a sudden "hum", and Kirito's projection appeared on the right index finger of the Gedo Statue.
Tobi smiled under his mask. "Speak of the devil."
"Kirito, how is the situation over there?" Seeing him appear, Konan looked relieved and asked quickly.
"It's fine. Although Sasuke was beaten up, it should be considered a success. When I left, the fully transformed Eight-Tails had already been hit by Amaterasu."
Kirito gave an ambiguous response.
"When you left?" Pain frowned. Was this guy slacking again?
"Don't look at me like that. I went to intercept the reinforcements from the Raikage." Kirito said calmly.
"Haha. Mr. Kirito, facing another Kage? And the Raikage of Hidden Cloud Village no less." Kisame grew interested. "So, did you kill him?"
Kirito shook his head. "Not all Kage are as pathetic as Rasa and Sarutobi Hiruzen. The Raikage is actually quite capable. His Lightning Release Armor is like a turtle shell—ordinary attacks can't scratch him."
He smiled and added, "I gave him one cut on the back for fun, but at the cost of his two subordinates and the entire Hidden Cloud Village, I made him kneel and beg for mercy."
"Uh..." The scene went silent.
Then Kisame's gloating voice cut in:
"As expected of Mr. Kirito, same twisted taste as always. Making the Raikage kneel in front of his subordinates—worse than death."
"This has completely offended Kumogakure. With the Raikage's hot temper, he'll retaliate at all costs after losing his brother and being humiliated."
Black Zetsu took over.
"Revenge if he wants. Kirito can toy with Kumogakure alone. Sasuke also captured the Eight-Tails. No big deal."
White Zetsu disagreed.
Black Zetsu spoke in a deeper tone: "It's not that simple. Although the Five Great Nations have long been in an arms race and have fought multiple wars..."
"If a common threat arises, they are still likely to unite."
"And Akatsuki is exactly that threat now."
"Kumogakure may use this loss to call a Five Kage Summit and form a coalition against us."
This shifted the mood. Even if Akatsuki's members were arrogant, the Five Great Nations united would be overwhelming.
It was beyond the scale of simple combat.
Only Kirito remained unbothered. "Isn't this all expected? Akatsuki now has seven—no, eight tailed beasts."
"Forget a ninja coalition, there isn't even talk of a Five Kage Summit. Kumogakure's ties with the other nations aren't that strong. They'd need to be informed individually."
"Let's just capture the Nine-Tails before that happens."
With that, Kirito and Tobi glanced at each other, then looked at Pain.
Kirito wore a playful smile.
After the destruction of Konoha by Super Shinra Tensei, Sakura had shouted "Come back there" and rushed to Naruto, only to be stabbed by Pain's black rod, triggering the Nine-Tails' rampage.
Kirito had been waiting for this moment.
Pain didn't know Kirito's thoughts. Facing their gazes, the light of the Rinnegan flashed. "Once the Eight-Tails arrives, I will capture the Nine-Tails myself."
Three days later.
The heavily injured members of Team Hawk limped into the meeting spot agreed upon with Tobi.
Tobi had been waiting.
So had Kirito.
"Hey, Sasuke, how was it sparring with the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki? Bold of you. But your eyes must've grown stronger. Can you use Susanoo yet? If not, this beating was for nothing."
Kirito waved toward Sasuke.
"You bastard! If you had helped, we wouldn't have been crushed by the Eight-Tails!"
Suigetsu glared.
Unlike the original where he was nuked by a Tailed Beast Bomb, this time he barely survived thanks to Five-Layer Rashomon.
Still, he was beaten badly by Killer Bee.
The Hozuki Clan really was weak to lightning.
"Capturing the Eight-Tails was your mission. I had mine. I made sure you lived. Haven't you noticed? Not a single Kumo shinobi bothered you."
Kirito spread his hands innocently.
Tobi chimed in: "Kirito stopped the Raikage. Otherwise, even with the Eight-Tails, you wouldn't have escaped in that condition."
"Sasuke, so you really caught the Eight-Tails. Not bad."
]"Enough talk." Sasuke, nearly losing control, tossed 'Killer Bee' in front of Tobi. "Where's Danzo?"
]"Don't worry. I'll keep my promise. But with your current injuries, fighting Danzo would be suicide. Are you sure you want to face him now?"
Sasuke grunted and averted his gaze.
"Danzo is in Kirito's hands. Once you're healed, he'll turn him over to you." Tobi stood, slung the Eight-Tails over his shoulder, turned, and looked back. "I'm leaving now."
(End of this chapter)