Amegakure, the Village Hidden in the Rain.
With the sound of shifting rock, a circular opening revealed the full view of a natural cave within.
"So this is your Akatsuki's base?" The white-haired man couldn't hide his disappointment as he surveyed the scene. He'd imagined that the Akatsuki, whose reputation echoed throughout the ninja world, would have more substantial funding than he did.
In the perpetually drizzling Land of Rain, his white, high-collared coat stood out conspicuously.
Konan, who was leading the way, heard him and turned back, her gaze meeting his crimson eyes directly. "This is merely a branch hideout."
"I certainly hope so."
Konan said no more. To put it kindly, every member of the Akatsuki was brimming with personality. To put it less kindly, not a single one of them was easy to deal with.
Hiruko stepped into the cave, his pupils constricting as he looked at the enormous statue in the center.
Half of the Demonic Statue was buried in the earth, only its upper torso and its shackled hands exposed.
After carefully examining it with a sensory ninjutsu, his expression changed. The energy contained within this statue was even more terrifying than his own. He found it hard to imagine what kind of earth-shattering scene would unfold if this 'object of terror' were to move.
"What is this thing?" he asked the blue-haired woman before him.
"The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path," Konan explained, forming several hand seals as she spoke.
Poof! Poof!
Several almost neon-like illusory figures appeared on the Demonic Statue's massive fingers.
"Did you memorize the hand seals I just made?" Konan asked.
"...Yes, I did." Hiruko replayed the blue-haired woman's hand seals in his mind and nodded slightly.
"Those are the seals for the Magic Lantern Body Technique. Wear this ring and perform those seals, and you can project your astral body here, no matter where you are physically," Konan said, taking out a ring and handing it to him.
The band of the ring was entirely white, with a red cat's-eye stone set into its face. Inside the cat's-eye stone, a black character for '青' (Ao - Blue/Green) was engraved.
"A chakra transmission device… a very interesting design…" Hiruko took the ring, turning it over in his hand with great interest.
"Is this the new guy?" Hidan's boisterous voice abruptly shattered the silence of the space.
"'Ao'? Looks like a replacement for that Deidara brat."
Hiruko looked towards the speaker, committing his appearance to memory. "Santai,' was it? I hope you're still this arrogant when we meet in person."
"Kakuzu, did you hear that? This guy's actually threatening me?" Hidan burst into a maniacal laugh, as if he'd heard something utterly outrageous. "You'd better try your damnedest to kill me! Otherwise, I'll be sending you to meet Lord Jashin!"
Lord Jashin? A madman…
A flicker of understanding crossed Hiruko's eyes.
"Shut up! Your laugh is hideous!" Kakuzu, annoyed by the noise, snapped.
"Silence," the astral projection representing Tendo Pain ordered.
Rei?
Watching the group instantly fall silent, Hiruko was inwardly astonished. To command such obedience from these S-rank missing-nin…
Truly befitting the terrifying individual who had defeated the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki of Both Scales.
"Sasori, the new member will be partnered with you," Pain instructed one of the other projections.
"Fine." Sasori had no objections. After all, the previous wearer of the Ao ring had been his partner.
"One more thing. For the next year, Akatsuki will cease all operations."
"What's the reason for that?" Kakuzu looked at him. Changing directives so arbitrarily wasn't a good habit.
"The Five Kage Summit is about to be convened. If things go as expected, the Akatsuki and the Dragon Heritage organization will likely be the main topics of discussion for the Kage," Zetsu provided the reason.
"What about funds? Are we still collecting?" Kakuzu asked. Even if they did nothing, the organization's daily expenses were a colossal sum.
"That will also cease. We need to temporarily disappear from the sight of the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
Tap, tap, tap!
Two figures chased each other across the surface of the water.
Thwump!
The figure in front suddenly spun around, delivering a fierce Konoha Whirlwind kick towards the man behind him.
Naruto's form abruptly dropped low. He brought his index fingers together, his gaze focusing on the point where the legs met, and then thrust forward with a sudden burst of speed that created visible ripples in the air.
Boruto caught the movement in his peripheral vision, and his face instantly paled.
Ngh…
A peculiar sensation shot from his rear, spreading throughout his entire body. His buttocks clenched instinctively, but like something shattered that couldn't be restored, his backside certainly wasn't listening to his commands.
Boruto's eyes rolled back, and he vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Pffft~"
From beneath the lake's surface not far away, a pineapple-haired head emerged. The boy gasped for air, his face still etched with an undeniable look of terror.
"Did you have to be so brutal?!"
"It was just a Shadow Clone. It's not like it can actually get hurt," Naruto said, looking at him with a half-smile.
"…" Hearing this, Boruto scratched his head in embarrassment.
Those were his own words from earlier…
"But I didn't actually hit you," he mumbled.
"We've been out for a few days now. Is Sasuke-sensei doing okay back there?" Boruto asked, hopping back onto the water's surface, the idea of a sneak attack completely forgotten.
"Relax, my Shadow Clone is keeping an eye on things." Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, with his strength, what could possibly happen…"
As he spoke, he suddenly trailed off.
"What's wrong?"
"Something's come up."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~
Within a dense forest, Future Sasuke and Young Sasuke leaped from branch to branch, one following the other.
"Shimura Danzo will represent the Fifth Hokage on a diplomatic mission to Sunagakure to negotiate matters concerning the Five Kage Summit…"
A voice echoed in Young Sasuke's mind – words Kakashi had spoken when he visited him yesterday.
At first, he hadn't understood why Kakashi would provide them with Shimura Danzo's whereabouts. But after Future Sasuke and Itachi had explained it, he understood: it was a transaction between both parties.
The Fifth Hokage wanted to reclaim authority over Root but was constrained by her position from acting directly. Itachi wanted to live peacefully in Konoha, which Shimura Danzo would not permit.
"Is Itachi going to be alright?" Young Sasuke asked worriedly, thinking of Itachi left alone in Konoha.
After this incident, he had come to understand something: whether or not the people in the village would show you a smiling face depended entirely on whether your existence benefited them. If there was no benefit, even if you were on the same side, they could turn on you without a second thought, no discussion.
"It's fine. Naruto promised me he would protect him," Future Sasuke reassured him.
"Can he really do it?" Young Sasuke couldn't help but ask. "Why do you trust him so much?"
Even if Naruto was stronger than him, how much stronger could he possibly be?
"Did Orochimaru restrict your contact with the outside world?" Future Sasuke was also puzzled. He, an 'outsider,' had quickly learned of Naruto's exploits. It didn't make sense that Sasuke, who had been with Orochimaru, wouldn't know.
"No."
"Do you know about the Dragon Heritage organization?"
"How can an individual's power possibly rival that of a hidden village?" Young Sasuke shook his head.
Powerhouses like Orochimaru and Itachi had to flee desperately when faced with the might of a hidden village. He couldn't believe that a ninja of his own generation could truly perform such heaven-defying feats.
"He can," Future Sasuke stated with certainty.
His counterpart in this world had yet to have his horizons broadened; he didn't know the true extent to which the truly strong could develop.
The power of the Nine-Tails combined with the Flying Thunder God Technique…
The Naruto of this world was defying expectations to a degree beyond anyone's imagination.
Especially that chakra of his, which had already begun to awaken…
His gaze flickered slightly towards Young Sasuke behind him.
It wasn't just Naruto. In this world, his own reincarnated chakra had also begun to awaken.
He even suspected that the current Sasuke wouldn't even need to experience the pain of losing loved ones. With just a slightly greater stimulus, Indra's chakra would help him awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan.