Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

BANG!

The interrogation room door burst open.

Hidan immediately turned his head toward the entrance.

Morino Ibiki had stormed in with overwhelming momentum, only to freeze the moment he saw the prisoner.

"What's wrong? Never seen a guy who's just a head before?" Hidan sneered. "Watch it, or I'll curse you to death!"

That was right.

At the moment, Hidan consisted of nothing but a single head suspended from heavy chains.

Unfortunately, after spending a long time pinned beneath Naruto's massive boulder, his head had become somewhat flattened.

His facial features were squashed together in a way that made his once-decent appearance look ridiculous.

A rough seam ran down the center of his face where it had been crudely stitched back together, and blood still dripped from his neck.

He looked exactly like a freshly severed head hanging on display.

Except this severed head wouldn't stop talking.

"...What the hell?"

Even Ibiki, who had seen countless horrors, was briefly caught off guard.

But only briefly.

The chief interrogator of Konoha quickly recovered his professional composure.

"You want to say that again?"

"Huh? I said I'd—"

Before Hidan could finish, Ibiki grabbed a spiked club from the wall and smashed it directly into his face.

WHAM!

Hidan's head swung wildly on the chains.

"I've got a bad temper," Ibiki growled.

"Even if you're only a head, I can still work with that."

"Ow! That hurt!"

Hidan's flattened face twisted strangely.

"...But that actually felt kind of good."

The room fell silent.

"It's been so long since I felt pain like this!"

Hidan's eyes practically sparkled.

"Being trapped inside that rock was awful!"

"...?"

For the first time in years, Morino Ibiki wasn't sure how to proceed.

Meanwhile...

Inside a hidden cave somewhere in the shinobi world.

Several colorful, translucent figures appeared one after another.

Only their outlines and eyes were clearly visible.

It was the Akatsuki using the Phantom Dragon Lantern Body Technique.

"Not everyone's here."

"Why did the Leader summon us so suddenly?"

"Let's make this quick. I'm busy."

"Exactly! Danna is working on his amazing puppets right now. And I'm extremely busy too! Hmm!"

"You're playing with clay. Don't compare yourself to me."

Ignoring the usual argument, Kisame looked around.

Then he noticed something strange.

Most members hadn't arrived yet.

But there was also an unfamiliar pair of eyes among them.

"Who are you?"

His question immediately drew everyone's attention toward the mysterious figure.

"Allow me to explain."

The figure beside Pain spoke.

Its silhouette resembled a gigantic flytrap.

It was Zetsu.

"That is Kakuzu."

"He's currently... unable to speak properly."

"Hmph."

The figure identified as Kakuzu let out a low grunt.

"What happened? What happened? What happened?"

Tobi instantly jumped into the conversation.

Zetsu explained succinctly.

"Kakuzu and Hidan encountered Konoha's Kakashi and Kirigakure's Mei Terumi in the Land of Water."

"After the battle, Kakuzu escaped with injuries and contacted me."

"Hidan, however, was captured."

"Wait a second."

Deidara's eyes lit up.

"Kakashi and Mei Terumi?"

"A teammate gets captured?"

"Haven't we heard this exact story before?"

"Isn't that right, Uchiha Itachi?"

"...Jūzō and I were ambushed."

"Hmph. So... were... we..." Kakuzu replied slowly.

His newly acquired replacement head still wasn't fully synchronized.

"And... they were disguised... as you..."

"I see."

Itachi's voice remained calm.

"They've encountered me before."

"Using my appearance isn't surprising."

He paused.

"However, suffering the exact same outcome against the same opponents means you ignored the information I previously reported."

"You brought this upon yourselves."

"You—!"

"Enough."

Pain's voice immediately silenced the brewing conflict.

"The purpose of this meeting is simple."

"Someone in Konoha appears to be conducting targeted operations against our organization."

"Everyone must remain vigilant."

He turned toward Zetsu.

"Inform the absent members afterward."

"Understood."

While the others focused on the warning, Itachi quietly noted something.

No mention of Kirigakure.

He didn't react outwardly.

After helping Kakashi eliminate Jūzō Biwa months earlier, Akatsuki had assigned Kisame Hoshigaki as his new partner.

The implication was obvious.

Surveillance.

Since then, he and Kisame had spent most of their time carrying out missions, leaving him with limited insight into the organization's current movements.

Kakuzu's failure should help clear some of the suspicion surrounding me.

Nicely done, Kakashi-san.

"Regarding Hidan," Pain continued, "I will assign you a new partner eventually."

"Until then, Kakuzu, remain hidden."

"...Fine."

"Just make it quick."

Kakuzu clearly understood that Akatsuki had already written Hidan off.

Still, Hidan had only recently joined the organization.

Kakuzu wasn't particularly attached.

Konan glanced toward Pain.

Finding a replacement member would be troublesome.

"Everyone else may leave."

"Sasori, stay behind."

"Hahaha! Looks like Sasori-danna has to work overtime! I'm off to pursue my art! Hmm!"

"...Get lost."

As Pain dismissed them, the projections disappeared one after another.

Soon only Pain, Konan, and Sasori remained.

"You mentioned Orochimaru's plan before."

Pain turned toward Sasori.

"Do you know when he intends to act?"

"Less than a year from now."

Sasori answered immediately.

"He seems to be planning something during the joint Chūnin Exams Konoha will host."

"The one involving three villages."

"...Kabuto, was it?"

Pain narrowed his eyes.

"Can the information provided by that pawn be trusted?"

"Orochimaru is extremely cunning."

"He is completely trusted by Orochimaru."

"And completely under my control."

"The intelligence is reliable."

Pain slowly closed his eyes.

After a long silence, they opened again.

"Both Kakuzu's encounter and Itachi's earlier report suggest the same thing."

"These incidents are no longer isolated."

"Furthermore, Konan has noticed unusual activity recently."

"Konoha's interest in Akatsuki has become excessive."

His Rinnegan glowed faintly.

"As an obstacle..."

"They can no longer be ignored."

Sasori remained silent.

Pain's voice grew colder.

"Cancel the pursuit of Orochimaru for now."

"I intend to make use of his plan."

His gaze turned toward the darkness beyond the cave.

"We will use it to destroy Konoha."

"And at the same time..."

"Capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."

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