The Akatsuki Gathers

Seeing Nagato fully submit, Uchiha Yoru nodded slightly, his gaze as deep as an abyss, as if he were already calculating the next grand chess game.

Beside him, Orochimaru's eyes burned with fervor, locked onto the aura emanating from Nagato—an aura fundamentally different from the Impure World Reincarnation. It was the pure force of life, carrying the warmth and fluctuations of a living being, devoid of the coldness and stagnation inherent to the dead.

He licked his lips, his eyes flickering with a manic light.

"Black Zetsu... to think it could achieve such a thing? That black sludge... it is practically the source code of life." Orochimaru muttered, his voice thick with unconcealable greed. "I must obtain a sample to study it properly... If I can crack its mysteries, all my previous research on immortality can be scrapped and started anew."

At a signal from Uchiha Yoru, he performed a rapid sequence of hand signs, releasing the technique of Impure World Reincarnation.

In the center of the battlefield, the figure of Senju Hashirama dissolved into specks of light, scattering with the wind.

"Hashirama!!"

Uchiha Madara stepped forward, the flames of his Rinnegan dancing wildly. "Rest easy in the Pure Land, and watch closely... I shall reshape this Ninja World with my own hands!"

From within the fading light, Hashirama's final, reluctant words echoed:

"True peace is not achieved through suppression, but through understanding... Madara, I will always be watching you..."

"Hmph, the words of the dead are worthless." Madara snorted, his back as steady and resolute as a mountain.

A brief silence blanketed the battlefield.

The next instant, Madara's gaze fell upon a corpse on the ground with a shattered mask—Uchiha Obito.

His Rinnegan flickered slightly, and fragmented memories surged into his mind like a tide:

—Obito had infiltrated Kirigakure, manipulating the Blood Mist alone and bringing the entire high command under his control;

—Yet, driven by personal grudges, he lost control, turning Kirigakure into a living hell; the name "Blood Mist" spread, and the plan was tarnished.

"Hmph... what a waste." Madara said coldly, his tone dripping with disappointment and mockery.

"You were meant to follow the path I laid out, yet you managed to ruin even that."

He walked slowly toward the corpse, looking down at the face that was both familiar and strange.

"You claimed it was for that girl... but you never even understood the significance of her sacrifice."

"The new world is not for mourning."

"It is for reshaping."

Madara's gaze was as sharp as a blade; he flicked his sleeve and turned away.

"A pity... if you had been more like me, perhaps you would have had some value."

Two days later.

Amegakure, Akatsuki base.

The once secretive and somber base now looked as if it had endured an apocalyptic catastrophe—the ground was shattered and collapsed, mud mixed with scorched earth, and fragments of ruined buildings lay scattered everywhere, like a battlefield swept by a rampaging beast.

Nagato and Konan had initially worn expressions of distress, but after the Konoha renovation captain—Yamato—arrived to lead the repairs, their moods gradually stabilized.

In the shadows, Uchiha Yoru had utilized the Yin-Yang Release power of Black Zetsu to quietly enhance Yamato's abilities, allowing him to reshape the terrain with incredible speed.

In just two days, the main building of the base had already been rebuilt. Yamato stood silently not far away, sweat beading on his forehead as he continued to weave his techniques.

Such efficiency left the returning members of Akatsuki stunned.

"Hey... Sasori-senpai, what happened here? Un!"

Deidara crossed his arms, looking around with eyes full of incredulous surprise.

"A battle."

Sasori's voice remained cold and steady, his gaze lingering on the scorch marks on the earth. "A very intense battle."

"Hehehe... destruction of this scale... is our leader truly that powerful?"

Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, his shark-like teeth gleaming with a cold light.

"Ehehehe! What a lively place! Lord Jashin will surely love the scent of blood here!!!"

Hidan clutched his trident, pacing back and forth by the ruins with excitement, like a beast that had caught the scent of prey.

"Shut up, you're noisy."

Kakuzu frowned, casting a cold glance at Hidan.

Just then, a low voice came from the side:

"It seems... only the leader can avenge this blood feud for me."

The group turned to look, only to see a new face standing among them, his expression dark and gloomy.

He was none other than the former Konoha elite—Sarutobi Asuma.

"Yo, I didn't expect it to be you."

Kisame grinned. "A survivor of the Sarutobi Clan?"

"Survivor?"

Asuma gritted his teeth, anger and killing intent surging in his eyes. "I was only outside the village on a mission... when I returned, my clansmen had been slaughtered, and I had been branded a traitor..."

"All of this is because of that bastard Uchiha Yoru!!!"

The atmosphere froze instantly.

"Rest assured," Juzo Biwa said slowly, "the current leader is far stronger than any ninja you have ever seen. His goals reach much further than mere revenge."

Asuma fell silent for a moment, emotions surging in his eyes, before finally nodding slowly.

"Then let me see—whether the path he intends to walk is worth me following with my life."

Off to the side, Kakuzu kept his eyes locked on Asuma. That face, which had long held a high position on the black market bounty list, was already etched into Kakuzu's mind.

"This guy's bounty is no small sum..."

He mused to himself, his gaze turning slightly cold. If not for the need to recruit Hidan, he would have likely struck by now, taking Asuma's head to exchange for that massive reward.

"Hmph... there will be an opportunity sooner or later."

A flicker of killing intent crossed Kakuzu's mind before he returned to his calm demeanor.

Just then, paper began to flutter in the sky.

Konan descended slowly from mid-air, her figure upright, her paper wings shining like snow under the sunlight, her temperament stern and cold.

She stood still, her gaze sweeping indifferently over the group, and spoke calmly: "Has the assembly been completed?"

Several of the new members showed looks of surprise.

"She is... the leader?"

"A woman?"

Hidan scratched his hair in surprise, and Deidara stared wide-eyed at Konan, his tone filled with doubt.

"No, the leader—should be arriving shortly, right, 'White Tiger'?"

Juzo Biwa spoke in a respectful tone, bowing his head slightly.

Konan did not respond, merely nodding gently before slowly turning, her gaze fixed on a high platform within the base.

"He is here."

Thump—thump—thump—thump—

The sound of footsteps approached from afar, steady and powerful, like war drums striking at the heart.

Everyone turned in unison to look.

Two figures emerged slowly from the interplay of light and shadow.

The former wore a deep black robe with a slightly raised collar, his face as cold as a blade, carrying an air of aloof arrogance.

Beside him, a man clad in red armor walked with his hands behind his back, his black hair cascading like a waterfall, his gaze sweeping over the world with a sense of supreme disdain.

"That is..."

"You... you are—?!"

Kakuzu's pupils shrank, his voice trembling.

"Uchiha... Madara!?"

This exclamation caused the expressions of many new members to change drastically. Even Sasori and Kisame frowned slightly, shock appearing in their eyes.

This name had long since vanished into the legends of the Ninja World, yet his reputation remained an indelible terror.

"How is this possible... didn't Madara die a long time ago...?"

Uchiha Madara stepped forward, his eyes filled with disdain. "So weak..."

"Be grateful—that you are now standing on the right side."

His voice was calm, yet the pressure he exerted was like a collapsing mountain and sea, instantly silencing everyone.