"Yo, boss, so this is where you were. You sit here watching the rain every day—doesn't it get tiring?"
A man dressed in a black robe patterned with red clouds stepped out, a massive sword wrapped in white cloth resting on his shoulder. A faint, almost imperceptible smile hung on his shark-like face.
The Deva Path did not turn around, maintaining the same posture as before. "What do you want?"
The man shrugged. "Well, that masked guy who calls himself Uchiha Madara recruited me. I only came to report in yesterday, sure, but don't you think it's a waste to have someone as talented as me sitting around here watching the rain? How about giving me a mission so I can stretch my legs?"
The Deva Path fell silent, seemingly considering it. After a while, he said, "There are no special missions for you at the moment. But since you don't want to stay in the Land of Rain, go to the Land of Earth with Itachi and Sasori. There is someone named Deidara whom we need to recruit into the organization. His abilities will be useful to us.
"Also, from today onward, you will operate as a team with Uchiha Itachi. His former partner, Orochimaru, has gone to the Land of Sound. Word is that he plans to establish a village of his own. Ignore him."
"Oh?" The shark-like man raised a brow, his expression turning amused. "That Uchiha Itachi who personally slaughtered his entire clan? How interesting."
He swung Samehada in his hand, then turned toward the stairs. "See you, boss. Hopefully, by the time I return, you'll have found somewhere else to watch the rain."
Amid the sound of footsteps, the man named Kisame gradually walked farther away.
Somewhere in the Land of Earth, howling winds