Rasa: I'm the Clown, Folks

Hearing Pain's calm and clear instructions, the Akatsuki members instantly reached a consensus and nodded in unison.

"Wait a minute! You, what did you just say you were going to do?!"

Hearing Pain's instructions, Rasa felt a sense of foreboding and angrily questioned Pain:

"You just said... you wanted to capture Gaara?"

What's going on? This is completely different from the plan that Akatsuki originally agreed upon with Sand Village!!

Do you know that this is an attempt to break the pact already made with Sand Village?!

"Hahaha!!"

Hidan was the first to lose his composure, pointing at Rasa's slightly distorted face and laughing loudly:

"Hahaha, that's hilarious! This idiot actually believed we'd come all the way here to do something so big for such a small amount of money. He's so stupid, hahaha!!"

As Hidan's unrestrained laughter erupted, apart from Pain, Konan, and Itachi, the rest of the Akatsuki members also began to chuckle, some loudly and some quietly.

A joyful atmosphere instantly filled the entire stage.

Rasa listened to the Akatsuki members' undisguised mockery, his face instantly turned bright red.

He trembled uncontrollably, glaring at the group of villains who saw him as a clown. He suddenly mustered all his Chakra, preparing to fight back against these treacherous bastards:

"Gold Dust Funeral-- "

However, just as his hand was raised into the air, two long swords flashing with cold lightning were already firmly placed on either side of his neck.

"It's best not to act rashly, Fourth Kazekage."

Raiga Kurosuki leaned close to Rasa's ear and whispered a sinister warning:

"Recognize your current situation and stay put."

You are no longer of any use.

Rasa felt the icy, bone-chilling touch on both sides of his neck, and looked at the Akatsuki members who were still staring at him with mocking and sarcastic eyes, the anger and resentment in his heart were completely replaced by deep regret and helplessness.

"... hateful!!"

Pain looked at the Fourth Kazekage, who had lost all will to resist and was kneeling on the ground like a stray dog, and no longer spared any extra glance for this pathetic loser.

He turned to look at Itachi, who was standing at the edge of the group, and gave a stern order:

"Itachi, the task of capturing Shukaku is entrusted to you."

The Sharingan has a strong control over Tailed Beast. The current One-Tail is merely a product of the Jinchuriki in a state of loss of control, and it basically lacks complete self-awareness.

"It should be quite easy for you to handle it."

"... I see."

Itachi remained silent for a long while before finally nodding slightly. Gazing at Shukaku, who was still roaring madly on the arena, his crimson Three Tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated on his iris, gradually connecting to form a Mangekyo pattern.

However, before he could activate the fully condensed power in his eyes, the enormous creature that was still wreaking havoc on the arena suddenly fell silent to everyone's astonishment.

At the same time, a Mangekyo pattern, completely different from that of the weasel, appeared in those beastly eyes filled with madness and rage.

"That, that is..."

Itachi stared blankly for a moment at the unfamiliar pattern reflected in Shukaku's beastly eyes, a rare occurrence for him.

Pain, standing beside him, clearly noticed the abnormality in Shukaku. As he watched Shukaku shrink visibly in front of him, his brows furrowed slightly.

Under the incredulous gazes of the Akatsuki members and Rasa, Shukaku had already become a prisoner, Rasa, which had once covered the sky, shrank rapidly in just a few breaths, eventually transforming back into Gaara's thin and frail body, which fell heavily onto the already damaged arena.

"What... what exactly happened?"

Konan walked to Pain's side, looked at Gaara who had completely lost consciousness on the stage, and then glanced at Itachi, who was standing in front of her, silently watching the scene. Suppressing her doubts, she whispered to Pain:

"If I'm not mistaken, the Mangekyo that appeared in Shukaku's eyes just now doesn't seem to be Itachi's pattern."

Pain, what just happened...?

Pain did not directly answer Konan's follow-up question.

He slowly shifted his gaze from the fallen Gaara to the empty arena, his expression becoming exceptionally grave at that moment:

"Really? You've finally... taken this step after all."

"Pain?"

Konan looked at Pain beside her, who seemed to be pondering something, her ominous premonition grew stronger.

"Aren't you going to come out yet, knock?"

Pain looked down at the empty and silent arena and said authoritatively:

"You meticulously planned all of this; it couldn't have been just to show us your current strength, could it?"

As Pain finished speaking, the expressions of everyone in the Akatsuki changed instantly, and they all turned their gazes to the center of the seemingly empty arena.

"I must say, he truly lives up to his reputation as the boss; his reactions are incredibly fast."

No sooner had Pain finished speaking than a heartfelt exclamation of praise suddenly rang out from the empty arena without warning.

Kou's figure had appeared in front of Gaara without anyone noticing.

He looked at the Akatsuki members on the platform who were staring at him with all sorts of complicated expressions, and a calm and composed smile, completely different from his usual flamboyant and frivolous demeanor, bloomed on his handsome face.

Kou raised his hand and waved to the members of the Akatsuki with a smile.

"Knock, knock, young man?!"

Deidara looked at the familiar figure that had suddenly appeared on the arena below, his finger trembling slightly as he pointed to the door, and asked loudly with great confusion:

"What, what's going on?! Was it you, Kou-kun, who used Genjutsu to control Shukaku just now?!"

But... but among the remaining members of the Uchiha Clan, wasn't Itachi the only one who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?!

"Idiot, haven't you figured it out yet? This kid has been hiding his true abilities right under our noses!"

Sasori rolled his eyes at Deidara, who was still innocently asking questions beside him, then turned his cold gaze back to Kou on the ring, and said in a firm, deep voice:

"Not only that, if I'm not mistaken, he was also the one who leaked the specific details of our operation to Konoha in advance, allowing them to prepare for it."

From beginning to end, we were all completely fooled by that brat Uchiha Kuro...!