Konan didn't keep them in suspense. Under the puzzled gazes of the group, she slowly said, "According to the latest intelligence, Uchiha Shinji has been confirmed to have awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan!"
"I knew it!"
Hiruko's face twisted with resentment.
Unlike the confusion of the other Akatsuki members, when Konan mentioned paying attention to Uchiha Shinji, his reaction was the smallest.
Having suffered multiple setbacks at Shinji's hands, he knew better than anyone how troublesome Shinji could be.
Ranmaru chimed in, "No wonder. So he's already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan!"
Like Hiruko, Ranmaru had also been bested by Shinji and instinctively sensed that Shinji was different from the average Hidden Leaf shinobi.
Deidara scoffed, "Even if that kid named Uchiha Shinji has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, is it really necessary to specifically warn us about a brat like that?"
Hidan added, "Yeah, he's just a twelve- or thirteen-year-old kid. We're not like Hiruko, constantly getting tripped up by a punk like that!"
Hiruko erupted in anger, "Bastard, what's that supposed to mean?"
Kakuzu coldly remarked, "If you hadn't failed repeatedly, the Nine-Tails would already be in our hands!"
Hiruko choked, then shot back, "You have no idea how troublesome that kid is! Ranmaru and Shinno have also been taken down by him. Ask them if you don't believe me!"
Seeing the blame shift to him, Shinno hurriedly said, "I wasn't at my best back then, and I was surrounded by a horde of Hidden Leaf shinobi, so that kid got lucky!"
Hiruko glared furiously at Shinno, "You—"
As the group descended into bickering, the Deva Path spoke up, "Enough!"
The Leader's command silenced the Akatsuki members, and even the seething Hiruko could only swallow his anger.
Konan continued, "Awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan is only part of it. What you truly need to watch out for is Uchiha Shinji's Mangekyo dojutsu, 'Takamagahara'!"
"Takamagahara?"
Juzo Biwa paused, glancing at Itachi beside him.
Itachi shook his head, indicating he was unaware of it.
At that moment, Zetsu stepped forward, sharing all the intelligence he had gathered about 'Takamagahara' with the group.
"What!?"
Upon learning that Shinji's Mangekyo dojutsu 'Takamagahara' could simulate any environment, any hypothetical enemy, and even manipulate the flow of time, the Akatsuki members were visibly shocked, even Itachi, who typically kept his emotions hidden.
Ranmaru murmured, "Can such a dojutsu really exist?"
Ranmaru's reaction was less awe and more skepticism.
Thus, the Akatsuki members turned their gazes toward Itachi, who also possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, hoping for insight.
Itachi calmly stated, "I know nothing about 'Takamagahara.'"
Juzo Biwa, standing nearby, said, "This could be tricky! If that kid's 'Takamagahara' can simulate everyone he's seen, even with just fifty or sixty percent accuracy, it's enough for the five great shinobi villages to analyze our fighting styles and dismantle our tactics!"
The group nodded in agreement.
Though the Akatsuki members were proud, they understood how terrifying a dojutsu like 'Takamagahara,' capable of freely simulating environments and hypothetical enemies, could be!
Shinobi often relied on the advantage of information disparity. For instance, Kakuzu and Hidan's so-called "immortal bodies" weren't without weaknesses. Once their flaws were discovered, their threat level would plummet.
Thus, 'Takamagahara' was like a cheat device, allowing the elite of the five great shinobi villages to repeatedly test strategies and develop counters tailored to each of them.
Sasori asked, "Who among us has fought Uchiha Shinji?"
Zetsu replied, "Hiruko and Ranmaru clashed with Uchiha Shinji during the last invasion of Hidden Leaf Village. Their information may have already been recorded by his 'Takamagahara.'"
Hiruko spat, "Damn it!"
Ranmaru furrowed his brow deeply.
Relatively speaking, with their multiple Bloodline Limits, they were harder to counter. Yet, learning their information might have been recorded by 'Takamagahara' still left them uneasy.
Zetsu continued, "During the operations to capture the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, Shinno and Sasori briefly fought Uchiha Shinji. Your information may also have been recorded by his 'Takamagahara.'"
Shinno's face darkened.
"Hmph!"
Sasori let out a soft grunt, as if dismissing it or expressing irritation.
Zetsu added, "Among the others, Itachi faced Uchiha Shinji during the Uchiha Clan massacre. It's unclear if he had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan at the time, but there's still a chance his information was compromised."
Itachi nodded slightly, acknowledging Zetsu's assessment.
Hiruko, enraged, shouted, "Enough with the analysis! This guy needs to be eliminated immediately. Every day he lives, the risk of our information leaking grows!"
Hidan, for once, agreed with Hiruko, "Yeah, that kid's dojutsu is too disgusting. Better take him out sooner rather than later!"
Sasori declared, "I'll turn him into a human puppet!"
Kakuzu said, "I want his heart!"
Hiruko urgently added, "I want his Mangekyo Sharingan!"
Moryo chuckled, "A human puppet needs a heart and eyes. How are you three planning to split him?"
Deidara suggested, "Easy. Whoever kills the kid gets his body!"
The three nodded, agreeing to the arrangement.
Konan then looked at the Deva Path, "I'm worried that acting now might prematurely trigger a war with the five great shinobi villages!"
The Deva Path shared her concern. Though he had already turned the jinchuriki into the new "Six Paths of Pain," he needed more time to fully master their powers.
After all, those jinchuriki were top-tier shinobi in their own right. If Nagato only used the Rinnegan's abilities without tapping into their inherent strengths, creating the new "Six Paths of Pain" would be pointless!
Noticing Nagato's hesitation, Obito said, "I'll handle the intelligence! Rest assured, I'll pick the right moment!"
Kakuzu remarked, "He's just a twelve- or thirteen-year-old kid!"
Hidan grinned wickedly, "Yeah, if the Akatsuki gets scared off by a brat like that, we'd be a laughingstock!"
Moryo added, "This time, I'm joining the mission to Hidden Leaf Village. Someone promised me a shrine maiden, and I still haven't seen her. I'm done waiting around!"
Hiruko's face darkened.
The "someone" Moryo referred to was clearly him, but this time, he didn't argue. Compared to bickering with his comrades, he felt eliminating Shinji was far more urgent.