In front of the Akatsuki members...
Chen Yiban stepped forward and announced, "The leader is changing!"
At his words, the Akatsuki members—including Itachi Uchiha, Kakuzu, and Kisame Hoshigaki—couldn't help but narrow their eyes.
Putting aside the question of why there were suddenly two "Uchiha Madaras"—one of whom might be a clone—
A new leader?
Uchiha Madara?
What was going on?
Tap—tap—
Chen Yiban had finished speaking, but the others still hadn't reacted. Only Konan remained kneeling on one knee before [Uchiha Madara], who stepped forward twice.
Then he folded his arms:
"Who has a problem with that?"
Thus,
Madara's imposing, icy question rang out.
And then:
Clang—
He closed his eyes for a moment. The instant he opened them again, a pair of pale purple [Rinnegan] appeared in his eyes!
"What?!"
"Th-those are the former leader's Rinnegan?!"
Deidara, Sasori, Kisame Hoshigaki, and the other Akatsuki members were stunned.
Looking at Uchiha Madara standing there with his arms folded, at that familiar pair of pale purple "Rinnegan," Itachi Uchiha and the others couldn't help but suspect that the former leader had been killed by the two Uchiha Madaras before them.
Then the former leader's Rinnegan had been taken!
And the power of the Rinnegan...
Most of the Akatsuki members knew, to some extent, just how powerful it was.
Otherwise, why would Pain Heavenly Dao have become the leader of [Akatsuki]?
Yet now, the Rinnegan were in the eyes of the legendary shinobi, the former Asura of the Ninja World, "Uchiha Madara."
This...
Anyone who looked into what had happened in Konoha recently would learn just how powerful the legendary shinobi "Uchiha Madara" was.
And now, he had a pair of [Rinnegan] on top of that.
Holy crap!
If he became the leader, who would be stupid enough to object?
Maybe only—
"Hey, you two look exactly alike. Who are you?"
"And where did you get those Rinnegan?"
"What happened to our former leader?"
Deidara still hadn't caught on. He had no idea who the two men in black cloaks before him were.
Until—
"Uchiha Madara!"
"He's the legendary shinobi... Uchiha Madara!!"
Kakuzu, standing not far from Deidara, spoke up, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"What?!" Deidara exclaimed.
The next second,
he looked at the two men before him again and suddenly realized—
They did! They really did!
Aside from the red armor they weren't wearing, they looked almost exactly like the "Uchiha Madara" described in the recent reports—the one who had effortlessly crushed the Konoha Ninja.
"Uchiha Madara..." Deidara's expression grew solemn too.
"Leader!" Just then, Kakuzu lowered his head and bowed to the two Uchiha Madaras.
Seeing this, Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Sasori, and Deidara couldn't help glancing at Kakuzu.
"Kakuzu, you won't avenge me, and now you're even accepting him as the new leader?"
Hidan's immortality was rather interesting. He had been pierced through by a single Yatsuka no Magatama, but after forcefully pulling the enormous "Yatsuka no Magatama" stuck in him out of his body, he complained to Kakuzu, who had already bowed his head.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Five black rods suddenly flew toward him.
In an instant, they pinned Hidan—who had just freed himself from the Yatsuka no Magatama—back against the wall of the underground base.
What's more, the black rods' special power restricted all the Chakra and strength in Hidan's body. He couldn't break free at all, and was left hanging on the wall, pinned in place by the five rods!
The one who had attacked was Uchiha Madara, who had already activated his Rinnegan.
"So fast!"
Kisame Hoshigaki, Sasori, Itachi Uchiha, and the others were secretly astonished by Uchiha Madara's attack.
"I'm asking... does anyone have a problem with this?"
Uchiha Madara clenched his right fist slightly.
Suddenly—
Boom—
An astonishing, terrifying Chakra erupted.
A powerful presence instantly bore down on all the Akatsuki members!
Except for Konan and Kakuzu,
everyone else—including Itachi Uchiha—was instantly crushed beneath that terrifying Chakra and nearly forced to their knees.
Even those who managed to stay on their feet were all in pain.
They couldn't fight back!
If someone tried to kill them now, they would have almost no way to resist.
"This... Is this what the legendary shinobi's power is like? Chakra so terrifying it's almost unfathomable?"
Kisame Hoshigaki forced a bitter smile.
"Madara..." Itachi Uchiha looked uncertain and confused.
Why was the Chakra of the two "Uchiha Madaras" before him different from the Chakra of the Madara he had met before?
The one in front of him seemed even stronger to Itachi Uchiha!
Was it because the former Madara had now obtained the Rinnegan, so...
Itachi Uchiha had no idea that the one he had met before was Obito Uchiha, not the real Uchiha Madara!
All the while, Chen Yiban stood behind Uchiha Madara, quietly watching with a faint smile.
Then,
Uchiha Madara decided that was enough and withdrew the pressure of his Chakra.
In an instant, all the Akatsuki members felt an immense sense of relief.
"With Chakra like that, and the Rinnegan too, I have no objections to you becoming the leader."
Next, "Sasori" was the first to voice his support respectfully.
"Sasori, man..." Deidara glanced at Sasori, his teammate, then pursed his lips. "If even you're on board, then I'll go along with it too. Hm!"
"Leader!" Itachi Uchiha said little, merely lowering his head slightly and uttering those two words.
"The legendary shinobi 'Uchiha Madara' becoming our leader? Of course he's qualified!" Kisame Hoshigaki voiced his support in his own way.
"Hey, hey, hey! You're all traitors!" Hidan could still speak, even though the black rods had pinned him to the wall.
But no one paid him any mind.
Then:
"The former leader's main goal was to capture the Nine Tailed Beasts and carry out some kind of plan."
"I wonder, as for you, what do you intend to...?"
Kakuzu hesitated, glancing at the two Uchiha Madaras in front of him.
At his question, Itachi Uchiha, Deidara, Sasori, and even Hidan, still pinned to the wall, couldn't help looking toward the two "Uchiha Madaras."
Itachi Uchiha especially wanted to know why Uchiha Madara, having already taken Konoha, had come to subdue the Akatsuki too. What was he planning?
In response,
Uchiha Madara turned and met Chen Yiban's gaze. The two exchanged smiles and nodded to each other.
"Our goal... is to unify the Shinobi World!"
The two Uchiha Madaras spoke in unison.
At their words,
Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara, Sasori, Hidan, and the others stared at the two "Uchiha Madaras" in astonishment.
They actually wanted to unify the Shinobi World?
They were crazy!
How could that be possible?!
"Oh, right."
Just then, Chen Yiban, his eyes black, suddenly spoke.
"Let me introduce a new member of the Akatsuki..."
"Uzumaki Nagato!"
Before you continue