He decided to stop overthinking and see what Pain's plan was first.
"Our strength is now sufficient. The major shinobi villages have not yet fully recovered from the Third Great Ninja War. Konoha has experienced the Nine-Tails' rampage, and now its powerful Uchiha clan has been eliminated. The other shinobi villages will certainly take this opportunity to make a move. This is a good time for us to act and capture the Tailed Beasts," Pain said slowly.
"However, we haven't fully monopolized the small countries' war commissions. So, even as we implement the Tailed Beast capture plan, we will temporarily have just a few people carry it out. The other members will continue with their previous tasks."
Pain's meaning was clear: some members would start capturing Tailed Beasts first, taking advantage of this perfect opportunity to get the plan on the agenda. This would make the further implementation of the plan easier in the future.
'Who would be chosen to carry it out?'
This question popped into everyone's mind.
Pain's gaze swept over the members, then settled on Lexon and Uchiha Itachi in turn.
"Uchiha Lexon and Kakuzu. Uchiha Itachi and Juzo Biwa. You will go."
'Oh? I was chosen?'
Lexon stared at Pain's figure, thinking.
"Uchiha Lexon and Uchiha Itachi are new members, so your two teams will go. Since you're capturing Jinchuriki, try to avoid alerting the shinobi villages. Lexon and Itachi, you both have the Sharingan. Hypnotize or kill anyone you see during the capture," Pain ordered.
"No problem..." Lexon replied casually.
"Fine..." Kakuzu responded, somewhat reluctantly.
When Pain had mentioned that only a portion of them would be sent, he had been hoping it wouldn't be him. He really didn't want to act together with Lexon.
"Understood," Juzo Biwa and Itachi also nodded in response.
"Do not target Konoha first," Pain warned.
In Nagato's view, although Konoha had suffered the successive blows of the Nine-Tails' rampage and the Uchiha massacre, it was not an opponent that Lexon's and Itachi's teams could handle.
The number one village in the ninja world was no joke.
It was, after all, the village that had produced the two titans, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. Its underlying strength was still hard to imagine.
"That will be all for now." After saying this, Pain prepared to end the meeting.
The new members had been introduced, the missions had been assigned. There was nothing more to say.
"Wait, leader," Lexon suddenly spoke up.
"Hm?" Pain looked at him, puzzled.
The other "Akatsuki" members also looked at him.
"The matter you promised me before. I want to have a friendly exchange with the other members."
'Friendly exchange? What does that mean?'
A question mark seemed to appear over everyone's head.
"..." Pain remembered what Lexon was referring to.
It was the "handshake" matter.
'But we're all holographic projections right now. Who can shake your hand?'
"Come find me in Amegakure after you complete your mission," Pain said, glancing at him.
Rather than bringing this up with the other members, speaking on his behalf, and confusing everyone, Nagato, who was controlling Pain, felt it was better to just let this guy come and shake his puppet's hand. Even if this guy had some ill intentions, it wouldn't affect his real body at all.
"Okay," Lexon smiled.
'That's even better.'
'Drawing a prize from the other Akatsuki members might get me an SR at best, but signing in on Pain could be a glittering SSR...'
'Although Lexon felt the other members' abilities shouldn't be passed up either.'
'But for now, I'll just aim for the best...'
Since Pain had voluntarily agreed to let him check in, Lexon had nothing more to say.
"Uchiha Lexon... I am very interested in having a 'friendly exchange' with you..." At this moment, Orochimaru suddenly said in his effeminate voice.
'Tch, I'm not interested.'
Lexon didn't even glance at him and just went offline.
His consciousness returned to his body. Lexon stood up from the rock he was sitting on.
Kakuzu had also clearly returned.
"Are we going to hunt a wild Tailed Beast or a Jinchuriki?" Kakuzu asked Lexon.
Currently, one Tailed Beast was without a Jinchuriki: the Three-Tails, Isobu.
But they didn't know its specific location and would need to gather information.
"I have something I need to do. You go and gather information on the Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki first, then pick a target," Lexon said with a slight smile.
A few dark lines seemed to appear on Kakuzu's forehead. 'You're really going to slack off...'
"Any problem?" Lexon tilted his head slightly and asked.
"No," Kakuzu replied.
'I'd be thrilled not to act with you,' Kakuzu thought.
"When you've chosen a target and are ready to move, remember to call me on the communicator." After saying this, Lexon's figure immediately vanished.
Kakuzu also left.
In truth, Lexon wasn't really planning to slack off. He needed to go and deliver the Uchiha children in his pot to Shisui for him to raise.
Otherwise, when those children woke up and found themselves in a completely dark space, they'd be scared to death.
Lexon, who had rushed out of Konoha all night, now rushed back, arriving at the cave where Shisui was hiding.
"Lexon?" Shisui was a little surprised to see him. 'This guy wouldn't come to see me for no reason. He must be here for something...'
He remembered the promise he'd made with Lexon.
His voice suddenly became a little low. "Did the Uchiha clan... already launch the coup?"
"Ah... no." Lexon met Shisui's one-eyed gaze and replied.
'Hm?'
Shisui was a little confused. 'If not, then why are you here?'
"Then what are you here for?" he asked.
"They were gone before the coup could be launched."
"What do you mean?" Shisui frowned slightly, not understanding Lexon's words.
"Your good friend, Uchiha Itachi, massacred the Uchiha clan, leaving only his younger brother. On the surface, he has defected as a Konoha rogue ninja, but in reality, he was following the 'clan massacre order' from the Konoha higher-ups. He slaughtered the clan and is joining a mysterious organization called 'Akatsuki' as an undercover agent."
Lexon explained, "Do you understand now?"
After hearing Lexon's explanation, Shisui lowered his head and was silent for a moment before looking up. "I understand Itachi's difficult position. I don't blame him. Perhaps this was the only way to resolve the conflict between the clan and the village..."
Lexon shrugged, saying nothing about it. "Speaking of which, my promise to you..."
"You... you really did it?" Shisui's eye lit up.
"I wouldn't be so bored as to lie to you," Lexon mused.
[Demonize]
'Blood Demon Art: A World within the Pot.'
[End Demonization]
Lexon's form changed in just an instant.
Just as Shisui sensed an extremely ominous aura surge forth, it immediately vanished. It came as quickly as it went, making Shisui wonder if he had imagined it.
His vision blurred, and Shisui found children lying all around him.
"They're all here," Lexon said, shaking the pot.
"This..." Shisui was dumbfounded. 'How did so many children appear in an instant?'
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]