Naruto: From Ninja Academy to an Early Grave

The Raikage said, "Someone fed us false intelligence to gather the jinchūriki in one place, making it easier for the enemy to capture them."

Still badly weakened, Killer B had no mood for rapping. He answered seriously, "At the time, Yugito was the one who came to get me. She was brought by someone we both knew, and then we were ambushed."

Rasa asked curiously, "With your strength, couldn't you tell it was a Transformation Technique?"

Killer B shook his head. "It wasn't an ordinary Transformation Technique. There was no way to tell the difference."

The Raikage added, "We investigated afterward. The shinobi who supposedly led them was actually away on a mission when it happened and wasn't even in the village. Someone used a special secret technique to disguise themselves as him."

Rasa continued, "Then you must have seen who attacked you, right? And how did you survive after losing your Tailed Beast?"

Looking both embarrassed and dejected, Killer B replied, "The moment we met, we were restrained by Wood Release and genjutsu. We never even saw who the attacker was."

"As for how I survived... Gyūki voluntarily split off a portion of his special chakra and left it inside the seal. His main body lured the enemy away, giving me a chance to escape."

It could do that?

What kind of principle was that?

Makoto sensed him for a moment before saying, "He's telling the truth. The enemy's objective was the Tailed Beast's chakra, so the Eight-Tails left behind most of its consciousness along with a small amount of chakra to keep Killer B alive. The rest of its consciousness escaped with all of its remaining chakra."

"Looks like you and your Tailed Beast get along pretty well. A split like that is incredibly painful for a Tailed Beast. If it can't recover the chakra it lost, the Eight-Tails will remain asleep forever. It would be no different from being dead."

It had to be said, Gyūki really lived up to being a Tailed Beast proficient in Fūinjutsu to have a trick like that.

The Two-Tails had also shared a close bond with Yugito, yet it couldn't do anything like this.

Shibuki said, "Fū was originally in the village. But according to the villagers, she also left with someone she knew before disappearing. Even now... even now, we still haven't found the battlefield."

So there was no confirmation that Wood Release had been involved.

Everyone except the representatives of Iwagakure thought the same thing:

Then why are you even here?

Shibuki felt utterly miserable inside.

I didn't want to come either. The Tsuchikage dragged me onto this pirate ship by force.

Mifune asked, "What information do you have regarding Takigakure's rogue ninja?"

Shibuki replied, "His name is Kakuzu. He was once one of Takigakure's strongest shinobi. As for his age... he should be over ninety by now."

Ōnoki exclaimed in surprise, "He's even older than I am, yet he doesn't look old at all. Could he have an immortal body?"

Shibuki shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Tsuchikage-sama, but I don't know. I only know that he defected after stealing one of our village's kinjutsu called the Earth Grudge Fear."

"Perhaps that forbidden technique is the reason he's still alive. Unfortunately, Takigakure lost all the records from that era, so we have no way to confirm it."

The Raikage quietly committed that information to memory.

Who would've thought such a declining village had once possessed something so valuable?

If the opportunity ever came, he fully intended to pay Takigakure a zero-yen shopping trip.

Mifune turned to the next representative.

"Mizukage-dono, you're up."

The Mizukage said, "The Three-Tails' situation is rather unusual. Ever since it was revived, Kirigakure has never found a suitable jinchūriki, so we never sealed it again. Wood Release traces were also found where it disappeared."

"As for the Six-Tails, its jinchūriki had always been on bad terms with the village and spent most of his time wandering outside. According to the ANBU who had been tracking him, the battle at the scene caused extensive destruction—but it wasn't Wood Release."

Everyone understood what that implied.

This was Kirigakure, after all.

Their internal strife had been so severe that even the Fourth Mizukage, the Three-Tails' jinchūriki, had ended up dead.

It would've been stranger if the Six-Tails' jinchūriki hadn't run away.

Mifune continued, "Mizukage-dono, is there anything particularly noteworthy about Hoshigaki Kisame?"

Terumī Mei smiled faintly.

"Him? While people outside the village usually call him the Monster of the Mist, everyone inside Kirigakure calls him the Tailless Tailed Beast."

"He possesses an enormous amount of chakra and wields Samehada, one of the Seven Ninja Swords. It can absorb other people's chakra to replenish his own and can even heal its wielder's injuries. He's an incredibly powerful and troublesome opponent."

As expected, none of the people who joined the Akatsuki were weak.

Not just anyone could become an S-rank rogue ninja.

Before Mifune could ask another question, Minato took the initiative.

"Konoha's Nine-Tails is still in the village. As for Orochimaru, I'm sure everyone here is familiar with him."

"As for the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident all those years ago, he could use both Wood Release and a space-time ninjutsu. He could become intangible and ignore all attacks, but only for a limited time."

"However, the moment he launches an attack himself, that intangibility disappears. Those two abilities cannot exist at the same time."

The Raikage sneered. "Wood Release and space-time ninjutsu? Don't tell me that guy is from Konoha too. By that logic, Konoha already has two members inside the Akatsuki. You're still the prime suspects."

Ōnoki seized the opportunity to pile on.

"Exactly. If you ask me, Konoha is the one pulling the strings behind the Akatsuki."

Minato replied solemnly, "Gentlemen, the Akatsuki's actions these past few days have clearly been aimed at collecting the Tailed Beasts. Konoha's jinchūriki is my wife. Do you really think I'd sacrifice my own wife's life for some grand scheme?"

Ōnoki snorted.

"Hard to say."

Makoto silently thought to himself that, if you counted the reanimated old Madara, there were actually three former Konoha shinobi in the Akatsuki.

And if Nagato and Konan counted as Jiraiya's disciples, then it was even more ridiculous.

The Akatsuki was practically Konoha's overseas branch.

If Makoto himself didn't know the whole truth, he'd almost think Ōnoki had a point.

Mifune said, "Enough. We now have a basic understanding of the Akatsuki's members. The real question is, why are they collecting the Tailed Beasts?"

Makoto shrugged.

"What else could it be? To unite the world. Neither I nor Konoha would ever do something like that, but that doesn't mean no one else would."

The Raikage frowned.

"You really think that's possible? The strongest Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails, is still in Konoha. And with someone like you around, I don't see how they have any chance of succeeding."

A possibility suddenly occurred to Ōnoki.

"So that's it... We've all been played. If Konoha isn't the one controlling the Akatsuki, then their reason for using Wood Release to capture the Tailed Beasts becomes obvious."

"They wanted to frame Konoha—to make it appear as though Konoha was attacking the other four great villages, forcing us into a united front against them."

"With Konoha outnumbered, they'd have no choice but to send out their strongest fighters to protect the majority of their shinobi."

"Now both the Hokage and Higashino Makoto-san have been drawn away from the village."

"In other words, this is the perfect opportunity to capture the Nine-Tails."

Makoto remained completely unfazed.

Not to mention that the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki was currently with the force behind him, Konoha wasn't a village where only he and Minato could fight.

There were plenty of top-tier powerhouses still back home.

It simply showed that Konoha's current strength had already surpassed even the bleakest estimates of the other four great villages.

Minato smiled.

"Rest assured, Tsuchikage-sama. The Nine-Tails is perfectly safe. Nothing will happen to it."

The Mizukage chuckled.

"If Konoha is that confident, then why don't we take advantage of the fact that all five great villages are gathered here and launch a preemptive strike? We can wipe out the Akatsuki once and for all."

"Does anyone know where their headquarters is? Tsuchikage-sama, Iwagakure worked with the Akatsuki before. Surely you have some intelligence?"

Ōnoki nodded.

"The Akatsuki seems to have originated in the Land of Rain. Coincidentally, Amegakure has become completely isolated over the past several years, cutting off all contact with the outside world."

"So I suspect that old Hanzo is already dead, and Amegakure is now the Akatsuki's headquarters."

Minato pointed north.

"There's more. According to Konoha's intelligence, the newly established Otogakure in the Land of Rice Fields also belongs to the Akatsuki."

"In other words, the Allied Shinobi Forces you've all brought are currently inside enemy territory."

"For all you know, the Akatsuki could even be hiding beneath your encampments."

The Raikage, Tsuchikage, and Mizukage were all stunned.

Damn it! Why didn't you say that sooner?!

The Hokage really was rotten to the core.

They immediately ordered messengers to return and strengthen their camps' defenses to avoid walking straight into an Akatsuki ambush.

Makoto thought to himself, If Konan really stuffed six hundred billion explosive tags beneath the Allied Forces, then once they went off... now that would be one hell of a fireworks show.

After sending Dodai back to relay the orders, the Raikage waved his hand decisively.

"The Mizukage is right. There's no reason for an organization like the Akatsuki to keep existing. We'll wipe them out, starting with the Land of Rice Fields."

At that moment, Makoto looked up at the sky and smiled faintly.

"No need. It looks like... they've already come."

Everyone followed his gaze.

A tiny speck in the sky rapidly grew larger until, with a thunderous crash, it landed between the Five Kage and the ANBU defensive line.

Within the billowing dust, a figure rapidly formed hand seals.

Summoning Technique!

One figure became five.

Then a sixth figure slowly descended from the sky, joining the five standing on the ground.

As the dust settled, the floating figure stood at the front while the other five lined up behind him, radiating an air of mystery and danger.

The Six Paths of Pain had arrived.

For some reason, as the Deva Path descended, Makoto could already hear Pain's theme playing in his head.