Kou's Asura's Arena (Kou: You're so great!)

"Expanding the roster?"

In the void, across the ten fingers of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, several phantom projections flashed with the same thought almost simultaneously:

"Gathering this bunch of monsters and demons for a meeting just to talk about this?"

With the exception of Pain and Konan, the rest of the Akatsuki members shared a rare moment of unspoken agreement.

Isn't this something already taken for granted? Is there really a need for such a grand display? Has this guy caught a case of bureaucratic power-tripping?

Kou muttered to himself in his heart.

His expression remained as indifferent as ever, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze resting lazily on Pain ahead.

Yet, deep within his eyes lay a calm, scrutinizing sharpness.

He did not believe for a second that Pain would waste time on such a trivial matter; there had to be something bigger coming!

Beside him, Tobi was waving his hands comically, but the single eye visible through the hole in his mask was fixed on Pain, pondering what exactly he was planning to say.

Pain looked down at everyone, his purple Rinnegan devoid of any ripples.

He had no intention of beating around the bush and continued his explanation:

"Currently, the core members of the Akatsuki, including myself, total seven people."

He deliberately ignored Tobi, who was waving his hands as if protesting being intentionally overlooked, and continued in a steady tone:

"We are still three people short of the organization's projected target. Recruiting at least three more powerful combatants is one of the Akatsuki's primary tasks at the moment."

His gaze swept over everyone present, devoid of any emotion, yet it made the air grow noticeably heavier:

"Once all ten are gathered, excluding myself and Konan, the remaining eight will be divided into four groups, two to a team, to execute missions together."

As his words fell, the void plunged into silence.

So that's what this was about?

Kou scanned the people around him, realizing in his heart:

That explains it. After all, when it comes to team-ups, you really do have to give these freaks a heads-up in advance.

These guys were all used to acting as lone wolves; if they were suddenly forced to work with someone else without prior notice, there would likely be bloodshed.

Well, though giving them a heads-up probably won't change much anyway...

Kou added silently to himself.

Scorpion and Kakuzu's eyes were filled with obvious displeasure.

For people like them, accustomed to solitude, a so-called "partner" was nothing more than an annoying obstacle.

But looking at Pain's purple Rinnegan, they swallowed their words of resistance instantly.

"As long as it doesn't affect the bounty I receive, it doesn't matter," Kakuzu responded to Pain first in a low voice.

"But if I don't like the look of them, I'll kill them."

He said it plainly, but there was no hint of a joke in his murky eyes.

Scorpion nodded in agreement, his puppet head bobbing up and down with a faint mechanical sound.

"If they get in the way, it shouldn't be a problem to dispose of them, right?"

As he spoke, his hollow puppet eyes stared straight in the direction of Orochimaru.

The killing intent in that gaze was undisguised.

Yet, at this moment, Orochimaru completely ignored the gaze from Scorpion.

His entire focus was on Itachi, his snake-like pupils filled with pleasant surprise.

Following the phantom projection, one could even see his long tongue flicking and saliva dripping down.

Itachi felt the intense gaze from Orochimaru and felt puzzled.

He did not know why Orochimaru was so enthusiastic toward him—he had no prior connection with this legendary member of the Sannin.

But his expression remained calm, his eyes lowered, revealing no emotion.

Kou watched Orochimaru's perverted gaze and, for the first time, felt grateful that his own talent was merely average.

When he first joined the Akatsuki, he had been pestered and harassed by this slippery snake as well.

Kou knew full well that Orochimaru had approached him with the intention of coveting his body and his eyes.

At that time, he already possessed the strength to contend with a Kage, and fueled by the dual motives of "testing his own strength" and "not wanting to be entangled further," he had fought the pestering Orochimaru.

In that battle, relying on his knowledge of Orochimaru's intelligence and his own diligent study of genjutsu, he had actually gained the upper hand.

Unlike him, who had grown more fluid and fired up as the fight progressed, Orochimaru's interest had shifted from the excitement and heat at the start of the battle to a growing coldness.

The light in those snake pupils had dimmed bit by bit, as if an expectation had fallen through.

In the end, he left behind a disappointed remark of "So, you were just a mortal after all," and took his leave.

Only Uchiha Kou, who had been enjoying the thrill of the fight, was left standing there in the wind, feeling utterly bewildered.

Thinking back on it now, that guy Orochimaru, with his impossibly high standards, must have realized during their exchange that Kou's natural talent was actually quite mediocre, and that he had only reached his current level of strength through hard work and other means.

He had likely been evaluating whether "this body was worth using as a vessel" during that sparring session, and had ultimately reached a negative conclusion.

At this thought, Kou's mouth twitched involuntarily, and he felt an inexplicable sense of annoyance.

What did he mean by "just a commoner"? What was wrong with being a commoner? Did a commoner eat your rice?

But upon seeing Itachi being pestered by Orochimaru, his mood improved significantly.

"Itachi-kun."

Orochimaru's voice rang out once more, that viscous, sticky tone enough to send a chill down anyone's spine:

"How about considering teaming up with me?"

His snake-like pupils were filled with anticipation, his long tongue licking his lips:

"With your abilities, if we join forces, we could certainly accomplish many interesting things.

I am very interested in your eyes and your body... no, I mean, your talent."

"...I will consider it."

Itachi looked at him expressionlessly, his voice flat, devoid of any discernible emotion.

He responded perfunctorily, his gaze drifting toward Kou's direction without realizing it.

Pain watched the atmosphere grow increasingly rowdy, a flicker of imperceptible impatience flashing through those purple Rinnegan eyes.

His voice sounded again, steady as ever, yet carrying an unquestionable authority:

"This was merely an advance notification; as for the specific follow-up arrangements, we shall wait until everyone has assembled."

He paused, his eyes sweeping over everyone present:

"This meeting is now concluded."

As the words fell, the projections of Scorpion and Kakuzu vanished instantly.

Orochimaru watched Itachi, who was eager to form hand seals and depart, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.

He turned his head and cast a meaningful glance in Kou's direction, a strange light flickering within those snake-like pupils.

His fingers moved rapidly to form seals, and his projection gradually dissipated.

"Heh heh..."

That laughter echoed through the void, lingering for a long time.

Kou was busy calculating the Mangekyo experiments in his mind and was just about to form his own seals to leave.

"Kou."

Pain's voice came from above, not loud, yet it caused Kou's fingers to freeze in mid-air.

"You stay behind for a moment."

Hm?

Kou's brows furrowed slightly, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.

He looked up at Pain, whose purple Rinnegan were gazing at him calmly.

To the side, Obito slowly relaxed the hand he had been using to form seals.

He did not speak, merely watching Pain with cold eyes.

Although he was only a projection, the invisible pressure still permeated the entire space.

Pain ignored this completely.

Those purple Rinnegan met Obito's gaze without the slightest hesitation.

The look was calm, without a single ripple, yet it stood like a wall, firmly blocking the pressure coming from Obito:

"I have already said it."

"Everyone except Uchiha Kou may leave."

He paused, his gaze still not shifting from Obito:

"That includes you, Madara."

In the void, a deathly silence fell.

Tobi stood there, his single exposed eye staring coldly at Pain.

His body did not move, but the invisible pressure grew heavier and heavier.

Kou felt the stifling atmosphere and, watching the two men at daggers drawn before him, found himself uncharacteristically dumbfounded.

"Is this... an Asura's Arena?"

The thought flashed through his mind, only to be ruthlessly extinguished.

"No, that's not right—what kind of Asura's Arena is it when two grown men are standing here radiating killing intent?!"

His gaze subconsciously turned toward Konan, the woman standing at Pain's side who had remained silent from beginning to end.

She watched everything with a calm expression, showing no intention of intervening.

"Konan, why are you just standing there watching?"

Kou screamed silently in his heart:

"Hurry and pull your Pain back! Say something, Konan, anything at all!!"

Konan: OMO

(All depictions of same-sex relationships in this text are strictly platonic; if it feels a bit "gay"... that is simply the friendship of Konoha, do not doubt it!)