*Chapter 196: Discussing Relocation with the Akatsuki*

Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully; he had discovered yet another secret.

He hadn’t expected that the true leader behind the Akatsuki was actually another Uchiha.

And not just any Uchiha—Uchiha Obito?

That name sounded somewhat familiar.

However, Orochimaru had paid little attention to the Uchiha clan in the past.

He had once only focused on Uchiha Itachi; the rest of the clan seemed like nothing but mediocrity to him.

He didn't even bother to remember their names because they weren't worth his attention.

But why did this name sound so familiar?

Orochimaru pondered his connections and gradually thought of Minato Namikaze.

One of Minato Namikaze's former disciples, a peer of Kakashi's, was an Uchiha, wasn’t he?

Suddenly, Orochimaru remembered—he hadn't expected it to be someone from his junior generation.

And it was even Jiraiya’s grand-disciple!

Immediately, Orochimaru felt a sense of distaste.

He hadn’t expected to end up working under the grand-disciple of his own peer.

"So, what do we do?" Orochimaru asked, looking at Raijin. He sensed that Raijin wasn’t the type to cause trouble.

This guy seemed different from the usual Uchiha.

He looked exceedingly cunning—almost the embodiment of cunning itself.

It was unlikely he would take such a risk; he was probably plotting something right now.

"The true leader behind your Akatsuki organization is either dead or alive; nobody knows. The organization is now leaderless—what’s the point of staying here?"

"Moreover, I’ve almost reached an agreement with your current leader. He will bring along some people when the time comes."

"And as for research talents like you, you will belong to me, so it's time to discuss moving your base with your leader."

Raijin looked at Orochimaru and said.

Raijin had no interest in investigating whether Obito was alive or dead. After all, Obito’s usefulness had already been exhausted.

Whether it was the Uchiha fan symbol or his Mangekyō Sharingan, they were already in hand.

Why bother with him now? What would be the point?

Better to focus on something more tangible.

As for Obito, let him be. He could live or die on his own.

As for Black Zetsu?

Without any combat power, what could he do?

Could he possibly resurrect Uchiha Madara using Danzo’s Edo Tensei and then come knocking?

That was completely impossible!

"It seems you are quite eager for talent, aren't you?" Orochimaru licked his lips and looked at Raijin.

He felt he had come to the right place!

Only from Raijin could he get the attention he deserved.

Even the treasures in Raijin’s possession were unforgettable to him.

Such a good leader!

Hmm!

For now, Orochimaru had no intention of betraying him.

Maybe, when he finds a technique to free his soul, then he’ll consider it.

"Tell your leader to gather all Akatsuki members for a meeting!"

"Oh, and let him know that Black and White Zetsu don't need to attend!"

Raijin nodded in satisfaction, planning to go check out his spoils of war.

Originally, Raijin had planned to secretly take away the Akatsuki members from Amegakure under Uchiha Obito's nose.

But now!

Raijin didn’t plan on hiding anymore; he wanted Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu to watch.

He wanted them to see the organization they worked so hard to build being taken over right before their eyes.

Their expressions at that moment would be priceless.

Who knows if Obito is even doing okay now, or how severe his injuries are?

At this moment, Raijin really wanted to have Shizune or Tsunade check on him.

At the very least!

This is Uchiha pride at stake.

Obito should feel proud to be an Uchiha.

"What a twisted fellow," Orochimaru muttered as he watched the black portal vanish, a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes.

But he wasn’t in a hurry; once he reached the Uchiha clan’s stronghold, there would be countless Uchihas waiting for him.

Moreover!

The Uchiha clan seemed to be quite advanced in their research on genetic factors.

Perhaps!

Orochimaru might open a pair of Sharingan using his own body.

Imagining the bright future ahead, Orochimaru felt a sense of clarity.

A moment later, he channeled his chakra into the ring given to him by Pain to contact his leader.

"The air is really fresh here, isn’t it?"

Raijin, holding an umbrella, walked down the streets of Amegakure with Hancock in his arms.

However, Raijin’s appearance seemed out of place, and people avoided him.

After all, Amegakure had closed its borders and rarely communicated with the outside world.

And Raijin's appearance clearly marked him as a ninja.

It wouldn't be long before the “Angel” of Amegakure came looking for him to eliminate the intruding ninja.

"The air here reeks! What’s so fresh about it?"

Hancock gave a disdainful glance around and looked down at her cheongsam, soaked from the rain.

The environment here was indeed terrible; how could anyone live in such a place?

While there were many winter islands on the sea, the conditions were never this bad.

"Haha! You don’t really understand the conditions in the ninja world; that’s why you think so."

"This country has been tormented by war for years. As long as there is no war, they can endure even the harshest conditions."

Raijin was in an exceptionally good mood today, so he patiently explained the basics of the ninja world to Hancock.

He even described the First and Second Great Ninja Wars in detail.

Hancock looked around at the environment. A village caught between the cracks of great nations, huh?

It seemed quite tough, but—

A cold glint flashed across Hancock's face. Only the weak would wish to stand on equal footing with others.

The strong always carve their paths with their fists.

"Hmm?".

Raijin suddenly looked toward a shop and noticed a woman standing at the entrance who looked somewhat familiar.

Her appearance and confident figure reminded him of Tsunade.

It seemed like Jiraiya had once sought comfort here.

Raijin quietly made a mental note.

He had heard that Jiraiya might become Hokage, and to prevent the Hokage from having such bad habits, Raijin decided to help them make some changes. Perhaps he could take this Tsunade away when the time came.

“Tap!”

At this moment, the sound of footsteps clearly splashing on water came from behind.

Hancock’s eyes filled with vigilance as she prepared to lift her leg to counterattack.

Raijin, however, stretched out a hand and directly pressed it on Hancock's thigh to prevent her from exposing herself at this moment.

"Is Black Zetsu the mastermind behind everything?" Nagato directly approached Raijin and asked.

He was eager to know all the inside details, but this guy seemed to be keeping him in suspense.

He would always say half of what needed to be said, leaving the rest unspoken.

"You should already know. After all, Black Zetsu is in a hurry for you to collect the Tailed Beasts."

"This guy clearly isn't on the same side as you," Raijin said, looking at Nagato.

Now, within Amegakure, Nagato's Six Paths of Pain would not be limited by distance in terms of power.

So, Nagato was now at his peak strength. But what did it matter?

Konan was now in his hands; even if Nagato had any reckless ideas, he’d have to think twice.

“Are you certain that the masked man won’t show up again? I’m not sure of his strength, but his abilities seem troublesome.”

“If there’s no way to counter his jutsu, he might make a comeback,” Nagato said, looking at Raijin.

He didn’t know what gave Raijin such confidence.

During this time, Nagato had been clearing out the White Zetsu spies around him, but he still felt like he was constantly being watched.

So Nagato remained extremely cautious!

“I can guarantee he won’t show up again!”

At that moment, Nagato's pupils shrank sharply. Unnoticed, a figure had already appeared beside him.

Looking at this figure, who wasn’t wearing a headband, he knew it was one of Raijin’s subordinates.

But the fact that Raijin’s subordinates were this elusive was surprising. He had thought his sensory jutsu was top-notch.

As long as it rained, he could sense everything. But now, Kakashi’s abilities showed him the gap between them.

"This is that guy’s eye! He can no longer use Kamui," Kakashi said, raising a bottle in his hand while glancing at Pain.

Yo!

Rinnegan, huh?

Unexpected.

Now in Dressrosa...

The Rinnegan, Byakugan, and Sharingan were all together.

Almost all of the ninja world's ocular jutsu were now in their possession.

Of course!

Kakashi knew that the end of the Sharingan was the Rinnegan.

He was now contemplating who else would qualify to awaken the Rinnegan.

And for so many years, there had been no movement until this guy seized the opportunity.

Kakashi looked toward the high tower in Amegakure.

As expected, his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) found Nagato's location.

Naturally, Nagato also sensed Kakashi's distant gaze.

"Hatake Kakashi of Konoha, it seems your strength is indeed formidable," Pain remarked, glancing at Kakashi. He hadn’t expected him to see through his Six Paths of Pain so quickly.

This guy's abilities were indeed strong, especially his speed.

“Oh, no, no! I’m just an ordinary rogue ninja now, no need to call me a Konoha ninja,” Kakashi said, waving his hand dismissively.

“I have no connection with Konoha now, and I don’t have any fondness for that village.”

Pain looked at Kakashi with surprise.

Though he didn’t know what had happened, Kakashi’s words seemed sincere.

So there was no need to worry about this guy deceiving him.

Good!

One less enemy.

"Go check out the members of your organization. I’ll be taking a few with me; the rest can stay as your main force," Raijin said.

“After all, without any subordinates, you’d be like a tree standing alone.”

Raijin still cared about Nagato.

If Nagato ventured into the sea, he’d only help divert pressure away from him.

There could soon be a ninja with the name "God" appearing in the sea.

He might even directly take on the Celestial Dragons!

Raijin thought he might buy a couple of Celestial Dragons to play with.

“I don’t want any of them. Just give Konan back to me,” Nagato said, his face expressionless as he looked at Raijin.

He had no interest in the other members of the Akatsuki; they were dispensable to him.

But Konan was his friend from childhood, and he wouldn’t allow her to be left with someone as dangerous as Raijin.

He still didn’t know what Raijin’s intentions were; Konan could easily become a bargaining chip against him.

“You should know that’s not possible, but once we reach the place, I’ll allow you to call Konan once a week.”

“Don’t worry, as long as you work hard to achieve your vision of peace, I will never make things difficult for you. I’ll silently stand behind and support you.”

“You probably want the people of Amegakure to have enough food and clothing, right? When you return, you’ll be able to achieve all that.”

“You could even come back with a group of like-minded friends. Tsk tsk! It looks like you might still have friends,” Raijin said, patting Pain on the shoulder.

He didn’t think he was harming Nagato; wasn’t everything he was doing a good thing?

Long-starved of love, Nagato might just gain new friendships after losing Yahiko.

By then, he might develop a new vision for peace.

Nagato clenched his fist, stopping himself from punching Uchiha Raijin in the face.

What kind of look was this guy giving? It looked like he was rewarding him or something.

He didn’t need so-called friends; he needed to find peace.

And...

The food and clothing Raijin mentioned.

That was what Nagato wanted.

But Amegakure couldn’t achieve it on its own.

Now, Nagato planned to follow Raijin and see what these like-minded people he spoke of were like.

After all!

No place could be worse than the current ninja world.

Though he couldn’t see Konan, he was satisfied knowing she was safe.

He certainly didn’t want Konan doing anything foolish, like Yahiko once did.