In a dimly lit cave, the Akatsuki gathered for a meeting.
Pain sat at the head, his piercing gaze scanning the group. Konan stood beside him, silent and composed. Around them were Zetsu, Kakuzu, Hidan, Kisame, Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi.
One seat near Deidara remained empty.
He had only just recovered after being gravely injured by Danzo. The old war hawk had placed numerous seals and traps on him, including a Desperation curse that had nearly cost Deidara his life.
It had taken both Pain and Tobi significant effort to undo the damage.
Now, Deidara was livid. He wanted revenge—not just on Danzo but also on Sakiya, whom he blamed for his humiliation.
After learning about Sasori's death, he had even threatened to storm Konoha and blow the entire village sky-high.
But Pain had talked him down.
That was why they were here now.
Pain's cold voice echoed through the chamber.
"The Five Great Nations are preparing a summit. Their goal is to unite against us."
Itachi, as calm as ever, spoke next.
"We've been too active lately. They were bound to take action sooner or later. The Five Nations won't tolerate a powerful organization beyond their control."
Deidara scoffed, throwing his hands in the air.
"Then let's fight! I want them to witness the true power of art! Hmm!"
Kisame chuckled.
"A full-scale war? That doesn't seem like great odds for us. But hey, I don't mind a good fight."
Kakuzu groaned.
"War is expensive."
Hidan let out a loud, maniacal laugh.
"Hahaha! Kakuzu, wouldn't it be easier to just rob the Five Great Nations? They've got the most money!"
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed.
"For once, you actually have a point. The richest places are always the villages themselves. If we take them down, we take everything."
Tobi, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up.
"But… there's only a handful of us. Wouldn't we be outnumbered?"
His hesitant tone immediately earned Deidara's wrath.
"Shut up, you coward! If Pain says we fight, we fight!"
Tobi shrank back, pretending to be intimidated.
"S-Sorry, Deidara-senpai..."
Deidara glared at him.
"I don't even know why the boss brought a newbie like you along."
Tobi scratched the back of his head.
*"Still… if war breaks out—"
"I said shut up!"
Tobi fell silent instantly.
Pain finally spoke.
"Tobi isn't entirely wrong. We're not strong enough to take on all five nations at once. A direct confrontation would be difficult."
Itachi observed the exchange, silently analyzing the situation.
[As expected, it doesn't matter what the others say—only Pain's word is final. And…]
His sharp eyes shifted toward Tobi for a brief moment before he asked directly,
"So, Leader, are you declaring war?"
Pain nodded.
"Yes. But not immediately. We strike when they least expect it."
His voice was calm, yet carried absolute authority.
"Without all nine tailed beasts as weapons, our chances of victory are slim. That's why we must attack before they have time to organize their defenses."
Itachi considered this.
"A surprise attack… That could work."
He continued,
"However, with our current numbers, we can't afford to spread too thin. If we divide our forces too much, the effectiveness of a surprise attack will be lost."
Pain gave a firm nod.
"I've already planned for that. I will handle Konoha alone and bring back the Nine-Tails."
The room fell silent for a moment at Pain's declaration.
"The rest of you will focus on Iwa or Kumo. If we take out one of those major villages first, it will cripple their fighting strength. Suna and Kiri pose little threat in comparison. If this plan succeeds, our path to peace will be set."
A few members smirked at the simplicity of it all.
"That's it? Sounds easy enough."
But Kisame suddenly spoke up.
"Leader, if you're attacking Konoha, there's one person you shouldn't underestimate."
The casual atmosphere shifted.
Deidara and Kakuzu immediately turned their attention to him.
"You met her too?" Deidara asked.
Kakuzu's expression was serious.
"That girl… She's dangerous."
He crossed his arms, his voice low and thoughtful.
"She has an unusual ability—some kind of wide-range illusion technique. Within its area, all perception is thrown into chaos. Ninja rely on chakra to sense their surroundings, but inside her domain, it feels like it vanishes entirely. Even the five basic senses get distorted."
The room fell quiet.
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"If that's true, then she's a bigger threat than we realized."
Everyone fell silent, considering the weight of what had been said.
Kisame spoke first, his tone unusually serious.
"If all senses are thrown into chaos and you're trapped in an illusion, is there even a way to fight back?"
Itachi responded calmly.
"If what Kakuzu says is true, then stepping into that illusion would be like a helpless animal locked in a cage—completely at the mercy of its captor."
Deidara clenched his fists, clearly frustrated.
"As much as I hate to admit it, my explosions were useless against her illusion last time!"
His teeth ground together in irritation.
"But next time… I'll make sure my ultimate art wins!"
Kakuzu, deep in thought, turned to Kisame.
"Wait. The girl you fought—she didn't use illusions, did she?"
Kisame shook his head.
"No. She was strong, but she didn't use any kind of illusion against me."
That caught Kakuzu off guard.
"Then… are we talking about two different people?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Could Konoha really have two young prodigies at the same time?"
Kisame turned back to Pain, his voice firm.
"Whatever the case, my advice remains the same—don't underestimate her."
But Pain barely reacted.
To him, illusions and ninjutsu were insignificant in the face of true power.
Nagato, the true mind behind Pain, controlled his bodies remotely. That alone made him nearly immune to illusions. And with the Rinnegan's abilities, no trick of the senses could truly pose a threat to him.
Pain's expression remained cold as he spoke.
"Illusions? Against the power of a god, they are nothing more than parlor tricks."
His eyes swept across the gathered Akatsuki members.
"Konoha will fall. I will bring back the Nine-Tails."
----------------------
The Land of Iron
Inside a bustling casino, Tsunade, Sakiya, and the others stood in front of a dice game table.
Tsunade, ever the gambler, couldn't resist making a bet—though she kept it small this time. Well, "small" by her standards: a casual ten million ryo.
Shizune sighed, clearly exasperated. She had tried to talk Tsunade out of it, but as usual, there was no stopping her.
Sakiya, eyes gleaming with excitement, eagerly joined in.
"I'm in too!" she declared.
Shizune groaned. "Not you too..."
The dealer glanced around.
"All bets placed? No more bets!"
Tsunade, without hesitation, pushed all her chips forward.
"Big!" she said confidently.
Sakiya hesitated for a split second, then grinned and followed suit.
Shizune, already covering her face, braced for the inevitable loss.
But then—
"It hit! It hit!"
Sakiya practically jumped with joy, her eyes sparkling.
"Hah! My 'eyes of fate' never fail me! Reading the dice is child's play!"
Even Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"Not bad," he admitted.
But Tsunade?
She didn't look the least bit happy.
In fact, her face had gone pale.
Kakashi frowned.
"Hokage-sama… shouldn't you be happy you won?"
Tsunade's expression darkened.
She knew her own luck. She never won at gambling unless something terrible was about to happen.
She clenched her fists, a pit forming in her stomach.
"Damn it… I have a bad feeling about this."
She could only hope, just this once, that her instincts were wrong.
__________
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