Akatsuki getting ready for a team fight?

Amegakure.

Nagato manipulates Pain's Deva Path to use the Limbo: Border Jail.

The rings of the surviving Akatsuki Organization members received the signal, and the Akatsuki Organization members in various locations closed their eyes and linked together.

Soon, inside a stone cave, several illusory figures appeared on the ten fingers of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

"Boss, we've been having a lot of meetings lately."

A hunchbacked, blurry figure spoke.

Immediately following was a threatening reply, "Hidan, why do you talk so much?"

"Tch, you talk too much."

Hidan retorted dismissively.

These two were Hidan and Kakuzu.

At this time, they were hunting down some missing-nin had bounties on their hands, in exchange for money.

Pain's Deva Path's tone was cold. "Now that everyone has arrived, I have something to say."

Finally, after eight people had stood on his ten fingers, Itachi Uchiha's figure slowly spoke, "Kisame is dead. We don't need to wait for him anymore."

"Huh? Kisame is dead?"

Deidara asked in surprise.

"Hey, Kisame's dead, how did you get back alive?"

The question he asked is one that many people want to ask.

They could all sense Itachi Uchiha's concern for his younger brother Sasuke, but since their leader hadn't said anything, they didn't know what to say either.

After all, the ultimate form of the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan is the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Itachi Uchiha's concern for Sasuke was also quite justified.

But Kisame Hoshigaki's death this time deepened the suspicions of those present about Itachi.

Despite feeling several gazes fixed on him, Itachi Uchiha showed no change in expression.

"Dying in battle is normal, just like Juzo."

"That's strange. Everyone else in the other groups is fine, but the duo you're paired with always seems to have someone die. Now that Kisame isn't here, does that mean we'll have to find you another teammate?"

Deidara narrowed his eyes slightly.

The intended message in the words was self-evident.

"Which one of them isn't missing-nin? It only proves they're not strong enough."

Itachi Uchiha replied calmly.

However, his expression only fueled Deidara's anger.

"You--"

"Alright, Kisame's death was indeed unexpected, but there's something even more important to inform you about this time, for the sake of our dreams, including Kisame's."

Pain's Deva Path's Rinnegan emitted ripples, and a subtle sense of pressure emanated from his eyes.

Deidara glanced away and said nothing more.

"Today, Konoha Ninja invaded Amegakure and came before me."

"Huh? It's Konoha again?"

Deidara spoke, his gaze turning to Itachi Uchiha.

It's no wonder he was suspicious, mainly because it had only been two days since Itachi Uchiha left when Konoha Ninja appeared in Amegakure, as if the undercover agents had exchanged information with the other side beforehand and were now fulfilling their respective duties.

"Hahaha."

At this moment, Hidan, who was standing to the side, also laughed and said, "Interesting. Are you connected with your brother or with the village?"

Itachi Uchiha simply closed his eyes and ignored them.

Pain continued, "That person was Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin. Just as I was about to finish him off, another helper appeared and rescued him."

"Jiraiya the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, has been defeated. Who else can save him?"

Hidan scratched his head and asked.

"Kanami."

"Is that the variable I mentioned before?"

"No way, Konoha Village is too arrogant! They're even attacking our base directly. Should we just wipe out Konoha first?"

Hidan said with dissatisfaction.

"Hmph, Hidan, do you even have a brain?"

"Konoha has just captured two Tailed Beast from Cloud Village, and with the Nine-Tails they already possessed, they now have three Tailed Beast, and they've already destroyed Konoha?"

Kakuzu mocked.

"So what? Once the Lord Jashin descends, the three Tailed Beast will be nothing more than slightly larger pets."

Kakuzu chuckled dismissively, then turned to Pain's Deva Path: "Leader, Lord Jashin so powerful, let Hidan handle the task of destroying Konoha Village."

Pain's Deva Path spoke up, "Konoha's actions this time are a provocation against God. Let's move our plans forward."

"Weren't we supposed to be raising funds? You don't need them anymore?"

Kakuzu frowned and asked.

He and Hidan kept taking on bounty missions from Bounty Hunter, partly because they needed to kill people themselves, and partly because Konan told them that the organization needed start-up capital.

That's why they've been making money for the organization all along.

According to Konan's target amount of money, we are still far from reaching it.

"..." Pain's Deva Path silent.

Nagato, who was behind him, never expected that Kakuzu would love money so much. In fact, all the funds he collected were given to Konan, and very little of them were used by the organization.

After all, his organization doesn't need to pay these people salaries.

When they run out of money, they'll go find someone to kill.

In a secluded corner somewhere.

Konan didn't know what to say either.

She needs a lot of money, mainly to deal with the Masked Madara Uchiha.

She never really believed that the masked man was Madara Uchiha from the beginning, so she kept using the task of collecting start-up funds for the organization as a way to prepare for a possible future confrontation with the masked man.

Back to Pain's Deva Path's side.

He paused for a moment before saying, "It's necessary, but Kanami, that variable, is growing too fast. The plan can't be delayed any longer."

"With the Iwagakure's invasion of the Cloud Village and the establishment of a new Kage, the Tsuchikage, this Shinobi World could erupt into a new Ninja World War at any moment."

"The plan will begin ahead of schedule. The existing team composition will remain unchanged. Itachi Uchiha, you will team up with Tobi."

Pain looked at Itachi Uchiha and said.

Itachi Uchiha nodded, having no objections.

"Tobi? Isn't that kid a substitute? Can he handle it?"

Deidara asked skeptically.

In his view, even people like Juzo and Kisame Hoshigaki would eventually die if they teamed up with Itachi Uchiha, let alone the seemingly unreliable Tobi.

In front of them, Obito Uchiha mostly maintained an optimistic, cheerful, and goofy demeanor.

People within the organization didn't think highly of him.

"He's been a substitute for too long; it's time to give him a chance."

Pain's Deva Path, said this.

He wasn't actually sure if "Madara Uchiha" would really agree to join the organization, but he arranged it anyway.

Why?

Because Nagato believed himself to be a god.

Even if this "Madara Uchiha" is unwilling to follow his orders, it doesn't matter to him.

At most, it would reveal that the Ultimate Tailed Beast Weapon Plan was actually Tobi's ("Madara Uchiha") plan.

"That kid Tobi... never mind, Itachi, I hope you can cherish your teammate."

Deidara looked at Itachi Uchiha with a slightly cold gaze.

Although he didn't think highly of Tobi's abilities, he still had a good impression of Tobi.

Itachi Uchiha remained expressionless and did not respond to him.

"Snort."

Seeing this, Deidara murmured softly and ignored Itachi.

Pain spoke calmly, "First, we'll begin the capture operation of the Tailed Beast according to the groups, and search for the Jinchuriki who left the village."

Be efficient. If you encounter a tricky situation, such as two Tailed Beast Host together, remember to inform each other.

"Disband."