Kakuzu, Where Are Your Teammates?
"Kakuzu, where are your teammates?"
Tendō Pain slowly turned his gaze toward the source of the voice, his brows tightening unconsciously into the shape of the kanji 「川」, resembling the flow of a river. Although this outcome had long been within his expectations, he still felt compelled to ask the question aloud.
"That unlucky guy was killed by the enemy," Kakuzu replied in a calm, indifferent tone. "So I took his head and collected the bounty."
As he spoke, Kakuzu's grotesque face one that could frighten a child into tears in the dead of night twisted into a sinister smile, as if he were merely discussing an insignificant, everyday matter.
Yet the truth of the situation was far more ironic.
During the mission itself, that "unlucky teammate" had in fact been killed by Kakuzu's own Fire Release ninjutsu, burned down without hesitation or remorse.
Just as expected.
Regarding Kakuzu's habit of sacrificing or outright killing his partners, the veteran members of Akatsuki were no longer surprised in the slightest.
After all, this kind of incident had happened far more than once or twice.
However, the ninja world was not vast when it came to truly powerful missing-nin, and those who met Akatsuki's standards were exceedingly rare.
As a result, the requirements for Kakuzu's teammates had been lowered again and again, merely to ensure that someone anyone could accompany him on missions.
In response to such criticism, Kakuzu had once coldly stated:
"My teammates died because they were too weak. You can't blame me for that, can you?"
Faced with this logic, Tendō Pain could only feel a trace of helplessness. No matter how one looked at it, there was little justification to openly reprimand Kakuzu.
"Very well," Tendō Pain said after a brief silence. "Zetsu, continue searching for a suitable partner for Kakuzu."
His gaze shifted and settled upon the strange humanoid figure resembling a pitcher plant the being formed from both Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, collectively known simply as Zetsu.
"Wait a moment…"
Zetsu interrupted before fully withdrawing.
"Speaking of suitable candidates, I've already found someone fitting. His name is Hidan. He comes from Yugakure, the Hidden Hot Water Village. He is a fanatic follower of the evil god Jashin, and more importantly, he possesses an immortal body. He perfectly meets Kakuzu's requirements."
Zetsu proceeded to explain Hidan's abilities, beliefs, and background in meticulous detail.
After hearing the full report, Tendō Pain nodded in quiet satisfaction. Soon after, his attention shifted toward the two newcomers who had only recently joined Akatsuki.
Among them, the one who drew his gaze most strongly was Uchiha Itachi.
Based on the intelligence Pain had gathered, Itachi was known as a cruel, cold-blooded, and extremely ruthless individual someone who had slaughtered his own clan without hesitation.
It was difficult not to wonder whether such a man might one day lose control and turn his blade against the organization itself.
Although Tendō Pain remained wary of someone so dangerous and unstable, Akatsuki was currently in desperate need of manpower, and turning away a shinobi of Itachi's caliber was simply not an option.
What truly mattered was only one thing:
Strength.
Moreover, before the power of the Rinnegan, no matter how exceptional Uchiha Itachi might be, he would still remain under the dominion of God.
At present, the more pressing concern was how to arrange Itachi's role properly and extract the maximum value from his abilities.
As for Uchiha Yi, whose strength Tendō Pain had personally tested and acknowledged during their earlier clash, Pain harbored faint suspicions regarding his identity. However, such matters were insignificant for the time being.
"Welcome," Tendō Pain announced solemnly, "to the Akatsuki organization."
He produced two rings from within his cloak.
"Uchiha Itachi, this is your ring. Your codename is [朱 / Shu]."
He tossed the ring toward Itachi, then turned his gaze toward the other newcomer.
"And you"
For the first time, Tendō Pain realized he did not yet know the man's name, causing him to pause briefly.
"The leader may call me Ah Huo," Uchiha Yi replied calmly, offering a pseudonym at precisely the right moment.
"Very well," Tendō Pain said. "Ah Huo, this is your ring. Your codename shall be [Fire]."
With that, he produced another ring and tossed it forward.
Uchiha Yi reached out, caught it effortlessly, and slipped it onto his finger without ceremony.
For reference, Tendō Pain himself bore the codename [Zero], Konan was [White], Zetsu [Xuan], Kakuzu [North], Sasori [Damask], Orochimaru [Sky], and Biwa Jūzō [South].
Uchiha Itachi's canonical codename was [Zhu / Scarlet].
Later recruits would include Deidara [Blue], Hidan [Three], Kisame inheriting [South], and Uchiha Obito inheriting Sasori's [Jade].
However, the [Fire] ring on Uchiha Yi's hand had never appeared in the original canon.
It was likely that Akatsuki had forged more rings than were ultimately used, and only a handful of shinobi ever proved worthy of wearing them.
As Uchiha Yi's thoughts drifted, Tendō Pain continued speaking.
"Uchiha Itachi and Ah Huo, you will collect your Akatsuki cloaks later."
"From this moment onward, you represent the identity and will of Akatsuki."
"The next matter concerns future recruitment."
"Our first target is Hoshigaki Kisame of the Hidden Mist Village"
Before he could continue, the space within the cavern suddenly distorted and twisted.
A familiar figure emerged.
"Ahahaha! Senior Ah Huo is really incredible!"
"It almost killed me!"
Uchiha Obito currently acting under the persona of A Fei appeared before everyone, waving his arms exaggeratedly, patting his chest, and speaking as though he had narrowly escaped death.
Uchiha Yi merely let out a faint chuckle, offering no response. His gaze remained cold and detached, silently observing Obito, wondering how long this farce would continue.
The other members showed little interest in A Fei's foolish antics.
What truly caught their attention was the fact that A Fei had somehow emerged completely unscathed.
Clearly, this so-called Akatsuki "intern" was not as simple as he appeared.
At the same time, this realization further deepened their recognition of both Ah Huo's strength and A Fei's mysterious abilities.
With this in mind, no one responded to A Fei's performance, leaving him to act alone in awkward silence.
"In the mission to recruit Kisame, include me," A Fei suddenly said.
"As an intern, I shouldn't be left doing nothing!"
"Besides, this mission might be troublesome. How about letting Senior Ah Huo join me?"
"I refuse."
Uchiha Yi rejected him without hesitation.
Only a fool would willingly draw close to Uchiha Obito while knowing full well of his hidden intentions.
"In that case," Tendō Pain said after a brief consideration, "Biwa Jūzō will take charge. Uchiha Itachi and A Fei will assist him."
Seeing the tension between Ah Huo and A Fei, Tendō Pain had no desire to force cooperation between them.
Orochimaru and Sasori, though experienced, were unsuitable due to long-standing conflicts and recent injuries sustained during the purge of Hanzo's remaining forces in the Hidden Rain.
With limited options remaining, this arrangement was the most practical.
"What a shame!"
"I can't go on a mission with Senior Ah Huo!"
"So this is what discrimination against interns feels like!"
A Fei squatted in the corner, poking his fingers together dramatically, radiating exaggerated sorrow.
The sight immediately drew silent disdain from everyone present.
Everyone knew he was acting.
"Yes," the assigned members replied flatly, without objection.
"Next," Tendō Pain continued, "the second target is Hidan."
"Konan, this mission will be entrusted to you. Kakuzu and Ah Huo will accompany you."
Given the circumstances, even the newly recruited Ah Huo was sent out immediately.
This alone demonstrated how severely understaffed Akatsuki currently was.
"Understood," Konan replied, nodding calmly.