It was Muei, once the lord of Hozuki Castle and now Kakuzu's partner. He covered his mouth as if uncomfortable, glanced at Kakuzu to confirm his safety, then looked up at Hiruko with a frown. "Kakuzu, Nagato said we are to act together," he said. "That man is not easy to deal with. Why did you not wait for me?"
Kakuzu snorted. "That 'Shadow' type is always secretive and never even officially joined Akatsuki. Who knows how long it would take you to find him. Besides, even without you, I could have killed him." He paused, then corrected himself. "Even alone, I can still take him away."
Hearing the careless truth slip from Kakuzu, the corner of Muei's eye twitched despite himself. He had partnered with Kakuzu for a long time and knew this partner far too well by now. If not for the fact that he carried no bounty, Kakuzu would have killed him and traded the body for money.
This guy was not planning to take Hiruko away or subdue him at all. He was clearly using the excuse of capture to kill Hiruko alone, then drag the corpse to the Bounty Exchange to exchange for a reward. Muei opened his mouth, wanting to say something else.
But the Hiruko in the air had already recovered from his shock. He stared down at the horrifying shape and terrifying presence of Wu, as well as Muei and Kakuzu who had walked out from the mouth of the Guai creature. A sense of danger unlike anything before clamped hard around his heart.
He understood at once that this sudden newcomer, like Kakuzu, belonged to that organization called Akatsuki. Even if the man himself did not look especially strong, the aura of the Guai creature was deeply frightening, and anyone who could walk out of its mouth was clearly its controller. Cursing under his breath, Hiruko slapped the head of the Guai bird beneath him and shouted for it to leave at once.
With a sharp screech, the Guai bird twisted violently. The leg caught by Wu snapped off like a lizard's tail, and its massive wings beat frantically, whipping up savage air currents. Its huge body pivoted in an instant and shot into the sky like a released arrow, leaving behind only a blurred afterimage.
"Don't tell me you plan to just let him escape like this," Kakuzu asked coldly. "Of course not," Muei replied calmly without turning his head. "Muku."
Muku was the name of his son, the child he had personally sent into the Box of Ultimate Bliss after being tempted by its power. At first he believed this would let Muku obtain the strength of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, yet even after years it could not be opened. Later, his desire to open it had become nothing more than a wish to have his son return.
That original goal, however, had still been achieved. The Muku he called now was in fact Wu. The Wu separated from the Box of Ultimate Bliss by Shadow now used the consciousness of Muei's son as its core.
The Box of Ultimate Bliss itself had already been remade into the core of the Void Realm and Las Noches. Shadow did not like tools retaining independent consciousness, and would have separated Wu's will regardless of whether Muei had sought help. The current Wu was even stronger than before.
A roar erupted from the enormous mouth in the center of Wu's chest. As the sound echoed, the giant mouth lifted and opened to its limit, dark red energy rapidly gathering and compressing within. The massive body leaned back slightly, and then a glowing red sphere was expelled, carving a burning path through the sky.
The target was Hiruko, now so far away he was little more than a black dot. A thunderous explosion detonated in the distant sky, blasting apart the clouds and revealing a vast patch of blue. Even from this distance, the shockwave rushed over like a violent gale.
A black shadow fell from the horizon, clearly Hiruko and the Guai bird. Seeing this, the corner of Kakuzu's eye twitched again. Shadow was really that generous, handing over such a Guai creature so easily.
Muei gently patted the feathered body of Wu and spoke softly. "You did well, Muku." The giant lowered itself, and the mouth in its chest slowly closed.
"Let's go," Muei said as he turned to Kakuzu. "That guy should have calmed down by now."
In the Land of Rain, within Amegakure, cold rain fell endlessly from the low gray sky. It struck the demonic High Tower standing alone above the gloom at the center of Amegakure. Water flowed over the tower's metallic surface like winding tears before disappearing into the rain-shrouded city below.
Atop the High Tower, a figure sat quietly on the tongue of the demon. Nagato wore a loose black robe patterned with red clouds, his spiral-marked head opened to reveal his face. He tilted his head slightly upward, gazing into the ceaseless curtain of rain and listening to its dull, oppressive tapping.
Countless thin white paper sheets gathered silently like butterflies from all directions. They formed behind him into the shape of Konan, who stood there without speaking and watched his back. After a long while, her cool voice finally broke the suffocating silence.
"Nagato," she said. "According to Miyashiro En's intelligence network, the Five Kage have already left their villages. Judging from their last known movements, their destination should be the Land of Demons."
"The time is ripe. Should we start our plan?"
The recent large-scale appearance of Xu had caught them off guard. They knew it was Shadow's work, but they had not expected him to act on such a scale, even sending the Espada to attack Konoha and spreading Xu across the entire Ninja World. When Nagato and Konan received this news, they had truly fallen into shock.
For two people who sought peace, it was hard not to feel displeased with Shadow's actions. However, since Shadow was not truly a member of Akatsuki and their relationship was one of equal cooperation, they could not openly interfere. Fortunately, thanks to the abilities of Nagato's Human Path, Xu posed little threat, and after understanding its essence, it was swiftly dealt with.
Now that Akatsuki finally had enough manpower and the Five Kage had left their villages, it was clearly the best opportunity to seize the Tailed Beasts. Nagato gave a soft acknowledgment and stood up. His Black Red Cloud Cloak rustled faintly, the sound sharp in the silence.
"Before that," he said as he turned to Konan, "we should first meet our new members."
He raised his hands and formed seals. An invisible yet vast wave of Chakra spread outward, not as physical force but as a direct mental transmission that crossed distance and space. It was the Illusionary Projection Technique.
Through the rings held by members of Akatsuki, individual Chakra was received, converted into a special mental signal, and transmitted to Nagato. Amplified by the power of the Rinnegan, it projected illusions fully synchronized with the originals. As the technique activated, distant members responded, forming seals and closing their eyes.
In the next instant, their consciousness was pulled away and dropped into a dark, damp space. There was no light or sound, only stillness. At the center sat an outline of unimaginable size, like a sleeping Guai creature.