I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Dried Persimmon, Ghost Shark

"Nichizane, the leader of Uzushio Village, should be the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."

Seeing the Third Hokage's hesitant expression, Danzō already had the answer in his heart.

Knowing that Danzō could not be deceived, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to admit:

"That's right. The leader of Uzushio Village is Naruto. After leaving Konoha, he took Shisui Uchiha and the remaining Uchiha clan members to rebuild Uzushiogakure and restore the Uzumaki clan's former stronghold."

"Ran away? I'd call it a defection. You're still defending that traitor. He's built his own faction and even has his sights set on the Land of Waves. If Uzushiogakure truly takes control, they could use the Chūnin Exams to win over the neighboring minor nations. This could ruin everything."

Danzō's words were sharp, giving no face to the Third Hokage.

After all, whether it was wounding Konoha's Anbu and fleeing, or leading the last of the Uchiha to form a new nation, Naruto's actions mirrored those of Orochimaru. An S-rank missing-nin warrant would not be excessive.

"It's just a temporary measure."

Hiruzen, now irritated, shot back, "Do you want to brand Naruto as a wanted criminal? That will only invite ridicule from the other villages and push him further away. If possible, Uzushiogakure should still be considered under Konoha's influence."

Danzō snorted but said nothing.

He had tried to stop Naruto before his defection. But at that time, he couldn't do anything against the boy—especially after Shisui's return, despite the rumors of his death at Itachi's hands. He could only watch Naruto leave.

But this did not stop him from blaming Hiruzen, as this was ultimately the Third Hokage's failure.

After some thought, Danzō asked, "Since that's the case, who do you plan to send for this mission? Why not simply annex the Land of Waves? Kado's wealth is ill-gotten anyway."

Hiruzen did not refute Danzō but fell into deep thought, weighing the feasibility of the proposal.

---

Amegakure

Nagato sat in his wheelchair, maintaining the Six Paths of Pain. Though the Paths were merely puppets controlled through the Rinnegan, they were corpses that required careful preservation to prevent decay.

Having perfected the technique over the years, Nagato skillfully applied another layer of preservation fluid before sealing the Deva Path inside a reinforced glass chamber. As he gazed at Yahiko's face, he lost himself in memories.

Among all the Paths of Pain, the Deva Path was the most significant.

It was Yahiko's body, carrying both his ideals and his will. In this form, Nagato could become the god he envisioned—detached, omnipotent, unburdened by weakness or sorrow.

But now, without the mask of divinity, he was simply Nagato again—tired, contemplative.

As he listened to the rain, imagining a world without war, he couldn't help but worry about Akatsuki's three-stage plan.

Whether monopolizing small conflicts, exploiting the distrust between the Five Great Nations to gather the Tailed Beasts, or ultimately reviving the Ten-Tails, each step risked failure.

Akatsuki's enemies were not just the Five Kage but also the enigmatic Uchiha Madara—whose true identity remained unclear.

He was the first outsider to join Akatsuki after Hanzo's purge, and the key suspect in orchestrating the original Akatsuki's downfall.

Had it been Hanzo alone, some members should have survived. But in the end, only Nagato and Konan remained.

At that moment, Konan arrived, her paper wings dispersing as she landed beside him.

Nagato, instantly slipping back into the role of Pain, asked in a low voice, "Konan, is there trouble in the village, or is it Akatsuki-related?"

Konan glanced at his frail form, then at the frozen Deva Path, sighing inwardly before answering.

"It's about a commission. Someone on the black market is requesting Akatsuki's help. The Land of Waves has been attacked by ninja from Uzushiogakure, and they want us to repel them."

Nagato narrowed his eyes. "Uzushiogakure invaded the Land of Waves?"

"The client is Kado, the shipping tycoon. He claims his business has been targeted."

Nagato scoffed. "Of course Uzushiogakure would target him. Kado profits from smuggling, human trafficking, and drugs. His hands are filthy."

Konan frowned. "If we refuse the commission, it would be justifiable—Kado is no innocent victim, and Uzushiogakure is still technically your birthplace."

Nagato shook his head.

"No, we'll accept it. The organization needs funds, and we need intel on Uzushiogakure's strength."

"Remember, Akatsuki's goal is to unify the world through deterrence. We do not serve clans or nations."

"But Kado's survival is suspicious. How did he escape Uzushiogakure's attack, and why did he seek out Akatsuki? We must investigate."

---

Shortly after, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, stationed in the Land of Fire, received their orders.

Kisame took it in stride, but Itachi frowned.

The details were typical—protecting a client from enemy ninja. But the claim that the attackers were from Uzushiogakure was intriguing.

Kado was no shinobi. How did he identify his assailants? And more importantly, how did he escape?

Most concerning was the presence of Uchiha within Uzushiogakure. These were the same clansmen Itachi had once spared.

Facing them now would be… difficult.

But a mission was a mission. Refusing would raise suspicion, and being expelled from Akatsuki would render all his efforts meaningless.

Kisame, resting Samehada on his shoulder, grinned. "Hey, what's the holdup? I can't wait to see what these Uzushiogakure ninja are made of."

Itachi glanced at him, then silently took the lead.

Their first meeting had led to a battle with no clear winner. Back then, he thought Kisame was just a brute.

But after several missions, he understood him better. If Jūzō Biwa had been a decent man, Kisame was a pure ninja—loyal to his task, ruthless when needed.

He killed without hesitation if the mission required it, but never slaughtered indiscriminately.

A nearly perfect shinobi.

In terms of raw power, Kisame was formidable—an expert in Water Release and taijutsu, easily among Akatsuki's strongest.

Partnering with such a man was ideal—if not for the fact that Itachi was a double agent.

One day, their paths would diverge.

For now, he pushed those thoughts aside and picked up speed, dashing through the dense forests of Hi no Kuni.

By nightfall, they reached the Fire Country's eastern coast. Across the dark waters lay the Land of Waves—a desolate island barely visible against the horizon.

Just as they prepared to cross, they sensed a chakra disturbance ahead.

A spiraling distortion warped the air, and from the void stepped a masked figure.

Obito Uchiha.

He regarded them both with an easy, almost mocking air before speaking.

"Oh? Fancy meeting you two here." His single eye gleamed behind the mask. "On a mission, I assume? Mind if I tag along?"

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