"Lord Raikage, we have a problem!" Darui, his skin dark as night, flashed into the Raikage's Office and hurriedly reported, "An enemy has infiltrated from the sky!"
"I saw them." The Fourth Raikage folded his arms across his chest and ordered without turning around, "Darui, send two more Anbu squads to protect Mizusawa To!"
"Yes, sir!" Darui answered loudly, then quickly turned and left.
As they spoke, the enormous, fearsome bird had already dived down to the height of the mountain peaks. It then flew brazenly among the seas of clouds surrounding them, apparently searching for something.
The Fourth Raikage narrowed his small, sharp eyes and stared fixedly at the group on the monster bird's back.
Black robes with red clouds... The Fourth Raikage's heart stirred. The Akatsuki?
On Yatagarasu, the newly revamped Six Paths of Pain stood together with Kisame Hoshigaki, Kakuzu, Hidan, and Yuki Kanpyo. The ten of them crouched, sat, or stood, striking poses that covered every angle without a single blind spot, and remained perfectly still.
In the howling wind, their cloaks snapped and fluttered. Clouds and mist swirled through their hair, creating an ultimate special effect—as if their entrance at a singer's concert had been enhanced with three bags of dry ice and three electric fans!
"Kumogakure's response is pretty good," Kisame Hoshigaki said with a soft laugh. "In such a short time, I've already sensed Chakra fluctuations from over a thousand people nearby."
"Over a thousand?" Kakuzu gave a disdainful snort, the corners of his mouth curling into an arrogant grin that said, "Is that all?"
"Confirm the Eight-Tails' exact location first, Kisame," Yuki Kanpyo urged.
"I'm looking." Kisame Hoshigaki gripped Samehada on his back and communicated with it mentally, searching for the Eight-Tails' Chakra Aura.
"Careful." Deva Path Pain suddenly opened his eyes.