"The main reason I called you all here is to discuss the Akatsuki's upcoming objectives."
Nagato took a deep breath, restraining the urge to eject Tama from the hideout then and there.
The man had an uncanny talent for testing his patience—but thankfully, he'd quieted down for once.
Ryujin Kenichi gave a nonchalant shrug, more or less understanding Nagato's intent.
He knew the Akatsuki wasn't yet the fearsome organization that would one day be synonymous with danger across the ninja world.
Right now, it was just a fledgling group trying to find its footing. Recruitment, funding, resource acquisition—everything still needed to be built from the ground up.
The organization was far from its future infamy. Right now, it was more scaffolding than structure.
There was so much to do: scouting and recruiting capable rogue ninja, acquiring funds for the organization's goals, gathering equipment, and maintaining the secrecy of their movements.
Konan, standing quietly at Nagato's side, was already preparing explosive tags in bulk—but even Kenichi found her supply impressive to the point of absurdity.
He eyed her curiously. How can she afford to use that many explosive tags? Even Kakuzu, despite his obsession with money, would struggle to keep up.
Does she have some unique ninjutsu... maybe using her Paper Jutsu to create them? That would explain it.
"Sora," Nagato said flatly, addressing Kenichi by his code name, "I want you to secure funds in the near future. The methods are up to you—but don't harm civilians."
His eyes shifted briefly to Orochimaru.
Nagato had already sensed that something was…off about this version of Orochimaru. He seemed shorter than he remembered.
Still, he had no intention of probing further. As long as the snake Sannin carried out missions as instructed, Nagato wasn't interested in micromanaging.
"No harm to civilians? Very well." Orochimaru's voice slithered through the air as he smiled. "But in exchange… I want to study your Rinnegan."
He licked his lips, eyes gleaming with dangerous curiosity.
Kenichi smacked a hand to his forehead. Here we go...
He had thought that by pulling some strings and helping his teacher join the Akatsuki earlier than in the canon timeline, he could avoid certain confrontations.
But clearly, Orochimaru's obsession with forbidden knowledge—especially anything related to kekkei genkai—wasn't something easily restrained.
In the original timeline, Kenichi remembered Orochimaru had tried to take Nagato's body, or at least his eyes, and was forced to retreat. He had hoped that history wouldn't repeat itself.
Apparently, some fates were hard to avoid.
"You can try," Nagato responded calmly, as if Orochimaru's open provocation were beneath notice.
Konan, on the other hand, scowled openly at the Sannin, arms crossed in disapproval.
But when Nagato shot her a glance, she fell silent again. Her posture remained tense, however—she clearly didn't trust him.
"I will try," Orochimaru hissed with a soft chuckle, his tongue snaking out to lick the corner of his mouth. The sound made Kenichi visibly shudder.
Why does it always have to be snakes?
Still, Kenichi couldn't entirely blame his teacher. When he'd first seen Nagato's Rinnegan, he'd also been tempted to learn everything about it.
"We're the same kind of person," he muttered under his breath. "Curious to a fault."
"Tama, your task—" Nagato turned back to Kenichi.
He had half a mind to just throw the guy out of the organization. Every time he opened his mouth, Nagato could feel a headache forming.
"You want me to make money, right?" Kenichi interrupted, giving a goofy thumbs-up and flashing a smile that was far too bright—like Guy-sensei's on a good day.
Nagato blinked, expression deadpan. Why is that smile so blinding?
"…Yes," he said at last. At least Kenichi wasn't arguing. Maybe his leadership still held some weight after all.
Yahiko… he thought, I really understand now why you were meant to lead the Akatsuki.
"I'll get it done," Kenichi said more seriously this time. He knew better than to mouth off too much on his first assignment.
"Good. I'll contact you when new members arrive." With a simple wave from Nagato, Kenichi's body vanished from the hideout—teleported away through Nagato's Rinnegan-powered summoning.
Kenichi reappeared at the underground lab base. He looked around, impressed.
No wonder the Akatsuki stays hidden for so long. This summoning ability is nuts—silent, fast, and completely untraceable.
Still, the most hidden member of all wasn't even in this meeting. Black Zetsu… now that's the real ninja ghost. And wasn't there an Otsutsuki manipulating things behind the scenes? Now that's what you call long-term planning.
"Kenichi." Orochimaru's voice startled him. He'd reappeared, now back in his regular body.
"Handle my task too. I'm heading to Amegakure."
Kenichi scratched his head. Even knowing what his teacher really looked like, he still preferred the previous disguise. It had been… easier on the eyes.
Still, Orochimaru was his mentor. The previous form had likely been just another experiment in identity and manipulation.
Kenichi's gaze drifted to his teacher's head, a mischievous thought occurring to him.
If I touch it… would he notice?
He had once attempted to replicate the concept of Pavlov's dog in a practical experiment with Yuuki. Back then, a mere touch to Yuuki's head would cause her to tremble reflexively. Whether that conditioned response still lingered was unclear now.
But considering the possible consequences of touching Orochimaru's head—of all people—Ryujin Kenichi wisely abandoned the idea.
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed, clearly displeased with Kenichi's prolonged silence. That alone was enough to bring Kenichi back to the present, forcing his mind to focus on his teacher's earlier words.
"Yes, sensei," Kenichi muttered, scratching the back of his head. A shame—his research had barely begun. His experimental chakra-based thermobaric explosives were still far from field-ready, meaning he had to shelve his ambitions for now.
Still, he'd already started brainstorming funding sources.
Gato came to mind.
Despite being a civilian, Gato's criminal influence in the Land of Waves was notorious. Judging by how things eventually played out there, Kenichi doubted Nagato would object if he decided to eliminate Gato.
After all, the Akatsuki, though publicly committed to peace, understood the necessity of sacrifice. And someone like Gato—a corrupt, abusive profiteer—was hardly the kind of person Nagato would mourn.
"Sensei, are you planning to test Pain's strength directly?" Kenichi asked, curiosity slipping into his tone.
"Yes. I want to observe the Rinnegan's abilities up close," Orochimaru replied, eyes gleaming with dangerous excitement.
Kenichi's own anticipation surged. The Rinnegan—an ocular power of myth, transcending even the Mangekyō Sharingan. If the Mangekyō was a masterpiece of tragedy and strength, then the Rinnegan was its divine successor—otherworldly, unstoppable.
"Wait for me, Obito," Kenichi whispered to himself, fingers brushing the sealing scroll strapped to his side. Inside was a precious artifact—Obito Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan.
"When I complete the chakra thermobaric bomb, I'm sure you won't mind helping me test its destructive power… right?"