Akatsuki Assemble!

Meanwhile, on a rooftop not far away, a girl with wheat-colored skin was swinging her slender legs, looking curiously in the direction where Naruto others were.

"Sigh... Are they the two people you mentioned before, Lord Kou?"

"They don't seem as amazing as you described, but I can definitely tell they're all very talented people."

As she spoke, she stood up from the roof and confidently proclaimed to the tall figure beside her:

"Okay, I've made up my mind! In the following plan, I'm going to protect them well, and then become good friends with them!!"

Looking at the confident girl in front of him, he raised his hand without hesitation and gave Chao Fu a clean and sharp rap on the head.

"Smack!!"

"Ouch! Sir, what are you doing...?"

Fu clutched her head in pain and loudly accused him with a wronged expression.

"Protect them? You're really drunk!"

Remember this: people who say things like that are usually the ones who get the hardest hit when they get spun around in a top!

He shook his hand and said with a serious expression:

"Don't think that everything will be fine just because you can currently use a portion of the Seven-Tails ' power."

If a fight really breaks out, unless you completely relinquish control of the Tailed Beast, you have absolutely no chance of winning against either of those two below!

"Just follow the plan. Once the third assessment begins, you must stay by Naruto and Sasuke's side."

Just in case, I've already had Guren Jonin, make preparations in advance. Don't worry, when things get chaotic, the people of Konoha will definitely protect you."

Fu rubbed her head and nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Seeing her obedient appearance, Kou finally smiled with relief, then turned his gaze to the lush forest on the outskirts of Konoha, his tone suddenly becoming extremely solemn:

"After all, by then, I might not be able to take care of you all anymore."

"Lord Kou, what did you just say?"

"No, it's nothing."

Kou turned his gaze away from the distant forest, and the usual smile returned to his lips.

"Alright, hurry up and go. If you don't leave now, you'll really be late for the Chunin Ninja Exams."

"Okay! I'll be going now, Master Kou!"

Fu responded and waved to Kou with a smile.

Behind her, a pair of transparent, dragonfly-like wings silently unfurled, carrying her slender figure away from the rooftop and swiftly flying towards the examination hall for the first written Chunin Ninja Exams...

Kou stood there, watching Fu's figure gradually disappear from sight, the gentle smile on his face also fading away.

He turned around and turned his gaze back to the silent forest on the outskirts of Konoha.

The next instant, Kou's figure disappeared completely from the rooftop.

Meanwhile, in the dense forest surrounding Konoha.

"Ha... how boring..."

Deidara sat listlessly on a pile of stones he had hastily erected by the roadside, and lazily yawned.

"Hey, Mr. Scorpion, don't you think it's incredibly boring to just sit here doing nothing?"

You hate waiting for people, right? This situation isn't artistic at all, is it? Hmm!

Scorpion, fiddling with the puppet to the side, said coldly without turning his head:

"This is Pain's arrangement. If you're not satisfied, you can go and complain to Pain when he returns."

"And don't even try to compare me to a brat like you!"

Unlike you, I'm very busy.

As he spoke, he stopped adjusting the puppet's joints and turned his cold gaze toward Konoha:

"Red-Eyed White Fang, Kakashi Hatake... If we could turn that guy into a puppet, White Fang's expression would be quite interesting."

"Here we go again. Lord Sasori really gets incredibly excited whenever he mentions that White Fang of Konoha."

Deidara muttered something under his breath, unfazed, and then glanced at the Akatsuki members scattered throughout the forest.

Konan stood in the shade of a grove of trees, intently checking the ridiculously thick financial report in her hands.

Kakuzu squatted under the tree roots not far from her, pretending to count money, his eerie green eyes involuntarily drifting towards the financial report in Konan's hand.

Hidan lay on his back on a boulder, fast asleep, while Itachi stood alone in a corner of the forest, silently gazing towards Konoha. Behind him, Raiga Kurosuki, as always, stared intently at him...

Deidara glanced at his colleagues, each with their own thoughts, and sighed heavily.

"Sigh... really, there's not a single person I can talk to."

He muttered in extreme frustration:

"If I'd known it would be this boring, I would have dragged that Tobi guy over."

Although that guy was a little weaker, at least he could chat with me and keep me company when Brother Kou wasn't around.

Sigh, I wonder when Brother Kou will finally be back...

The moment Deidara finished speaking, a tall figure dressed in Black Cloak with Red Clouds appeared unexpectedly in front of the group in the forest.

Deidara's eyes lit up at first, but then quickly slumped down after he saw who it was:

"What? So the chief has returned?"

Pain slowly turned his gaze to Deidara:

"Are you disappointed that I came back, Deidara?"

Deidara quickly waved his hand and said:

"No, no, no, that's absolutely not true! Chief, your return is wonderful news, ahahaha!!"

Pain nodded, shifting his gaze from Deidara's still somewhat guilty face to Konan beside him, and asked in a deep voice:

"He hasn't come back yet?"

Konan opened her mouth, about to answer Pain's question.

However, just as she was about to speak, a voice she knew all too well came from the woods behind her:

"Oh, you're looking for me, boss?"

Kou had already changed into his dawn robes and casually waved to Pain, who was looking at him.

"Brother Kou!!"

Deidara's face lit up with joy as he looked at Kou's figure.

Not far away, Itachi, who had been gazing at Konoha, also shifted his gaze and looked in the direction where Kouchi was.

Pain stared at Kou, who had appeared out of nowhere before them, inwardly marveling at his increasingly unpredictable speed, and asked in a dignified, deep voice:

"How's the mission going?"

He shrugged and said casually:

"The mission is going smoothly. The One-Tail Jinchuriki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was sent by Takigakure to study in the Land of Rice have all been confirmed to be in Konoha and will all participate in this Chunin Ninja Exams."

The information provided by Sand Village is completely accurate.

"... very good."

Pain nodded in satisfaction, then slowly scanned the faces of each member present:

"I have contacted the Fourth Kazekage, who is about to arrive in Konoha. After the third round of the Chunin Ninja Exams officially begins, the One-Tail Jinchuriki of Sand Village will create large-scale chaos in Konoha."

At that time, the Sand Village forces will seize the opportunity to launch a major offensive into Konoha, and that will be Akatsuki's... best opportunity!

He paused, then turned his gaze towards Konoha, his purple Rinnegan devoid of any warmth.

"An opportunity to capture the three Jinchuriki, including the One-Tail Beast from Sand Village!!"