"How about joining the Akatsuki? You should understand the pain this endless war brings."
The masked man spoke again, watching Ash narrow his eyes. He knew his current strength wasn't quite on Ash's level — but he still held his own trump cards: the unique power of his Mangekyō Sharingan, the space-time ninjutsu Kamui.
"Yes… but I have conditions."
Ash thought quickly. If he refused, then the next time they met wouldn't be an invitation — it would be a hunt. Besides, he had already planned to oppose the major Hidden Villages. Having a powerful organization like Akatsuki behind him would make that far easier.
More importantly, Ash had already made a decision — he wanted to copy space-time ninjutsu, and the masked man's Kamui was the perfect target.
His battle with Minato had taught him well: even when he had the advantage, space-time ninjutsu could render his attacks useless.
Power without a way to hit your opponent is meaningless.
"Let's hear it," the masked man replied, relieved. Every Akatsuki member was a Kage-level powerhouse. Ash might not fully be there yet — but he was certainly not weak.
Ash raised his hand.
A floating, eight-sided gemstone emerged from within his body — a fragment of the Infinite Gems.
The masked man and White Zetsu stared, confused, as Ash stored it away again.
"What was that?" the masked man asked. It looked beautiful — but felt like a completely ordinary gem.
Of course it did. Without the system, the Infinite Gems were useless to anyone else. As long as they weren't too far, the system could locate them — so Ash did not fear betrayal.
"It's a natural gemstone. Useful for my research," Ash lied calmly.
"Help me find the rest — and I'll join Akatsuki."
"That's simple enough. Welcome to the Akatsuki."
The masked man nodded. Finding gemstones wasn't difficult.
Over an hour later, they reached Amegakure — the Village Hidden by Rain.
Ash had been living not far from there, so the travel was quick.
Amegakure was a mid-sized Hidden Village at the junction of the Lands of Fire, Earth, and Wind. Because of its location, it was always the first to bleed when wars erupted.
"Hm?"
It was the first time Ash saw the inside of a Shinobi village. After living in the forest since arriving in this world, the sight made him pause.
"What is it?" the masked man asked. He had already briefed Ash on Akatsuki's members earlier.
"There's a massive chakra signature in the rain," Ash said slowly.
"It's subtle… but constant. Without strong sensory ability, you wouldn't notice it."
The masked man's lone Sharingan narrowed.
This guy is dangerous…
The rain here was infused with chakra — Pain's jutsu: Rain Tiger at Will.
Anyone it touched could be perceived instantly through his Rinnegan.
It was a constant surveillance system. And in Amegakure, it rained nearly every day.
"They've arrived."
At the tallest tower in the village, Nagato opened his Rinnegan and spoke to Konan beside him.
The overuse of the Rinnegan had left Nagato's body thin and skeletal, black receivers linking him to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path…
But his gaze remained as cold as a god watching mortals approach.
As Nagato's voice faded, Ash and the masked man appeared before him in the tallest tower of Amegakure.
White Zetsu had already slipped away — his job was to hunt for tailed beasts, a mission far too important to delay.
"Obito! This wasn't part of the plan. Why did you bring him here?"
Konan instantly stepped in front of Nagato, wings of paper rustling.
Nagato's emaciated body had long since lost its combat strength due to the strain of the Rinnegan.
Very few had seen Nagato's true form — only Obito, Zetsu, Kisame, and Konan.
"Relax. He won't attack Nagato," Obito replied calmly.
"He's also a victim of war… just like us. And his sensory abilities are dangerous. If we didn't bring him to you now, he'd eventually find you himself."
Obito's single Sharingan narrowed slightly.
"It's better he joins us without suspicion than becomes a threat later."
"…Stand down, Konan."
Nagato spoke, his voice calm but heavy, and Konan reluctantly lowered her guard — though her eyes remained sharp.
Even under Akatsuki's cloak, Konan's beauty was impossible to hide — short blue hair, an elegant face, a poised and lethal grace.
Ash's only thought of critique was the short hair — he preferred long, traditional styles.
But his attention soon shifted.
"So those are the Rinnegan…"
Ash stared directly at Nagato.
"It truly lives up to being the supreme dōjutsu… the first among the Three Great Eye Techniques."
Even without a battle, Ash could feel the overwhelming presence those eyes commanded.
As someone who also wielded a powerful dōjutsu, he could sense their connection — the unmistakable link between the Rinnegan and the Sharingan.
...
TN:
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