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The base of the Akatsuki in Amegakure.

The pattering rain flowed down the dilapidated steel pipes, striking the muddy ground and filling the surroundings with a damp, oppressive atmosphere.

Two figures approached slowly through the curtain of rain, their footsteps steady.

"Shisui, from now on, you will follow me on missions."

Uchiha Shisui said indifferently, patting Shisui on the shoulder.

"I understand, Brother Shisui. Since I am following you, I will carry out your will to the very end."

Shisui replied, his eyes filled with determination.

Shisui followed closely behind Uchiha Shisui, his black Akatsuki cloak with red clouds flapping in the wind and rain; though he was younger, his spirit was in no way inferior to Uchiha Shisui.

Uchiha Shisui looked at the resolute Shisui, nodded with satisfaction, and said:

"Is that so? Then you must work hard. When the time comes, we shall establish a new order in this Shinobi World."

The two walked side by side into the dim room. The interior was dark, permeated with the scent of rust.

"You're a bit slow, Uchiha Shisui."

A cold voice broke the silence of the room. Deva Path Pain looked up slightly, gazing at Uchiha Shisui before him.

He sat in the darkness, his expression cold and stern, his eyes radiating a chilling indifference.

"I, above all else, hate waiting for others."

Hiruko crawled on the ground, emitting a hoarse voice.

The Hiruko had a hideous appearance, its eyes flickering with a ghostly light in the darkness, like a beast waiting to devour its prey.

"Oh, Uchiha Shisui, a ninja with a bounty over a hundred million. The Akatsuki really knows how to surprise me."

Kakuzu revealed a trace of greed in his eyes and spoke slowly.

His face, covered in black stitches, remained expressionless, yet the greed in his eyes betrayed his extreme desire for money.

His hands moved slightly, as if he were already calculating how to pocket Uchiha Shisui's massive bounty.

"It's you brat! You let us escape back then, and we of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were severely punished by the Mizukage because of it!"

Biwa Juzo shouldered the Kubikiribōchō, glaring fiercely at Uchiha Shisui.

The Kubikiribōchō glinted with a cold light in the dim surroundings.

Biwa Juzo was burly, and the red stripes on his face only added to his ferocity; upon seeing Uchiha Shisui, the anger from the past reprimands by the Mizukage seemed to burn fiercely in his heart once again.

"It seems everyone's emotions are not very stable."

Uchiha Shisui looked at the new members of the Akatsuki, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly to reveal an unruly smile. That smile in the dim room carried a hint of wantonness, as if he completely disregarded the hostile or greedy gazes before him.

His Sharingan spun lightly, light flowing within his eyes as if he were peering into the thoughts of everyone present.

"Hmph! Your head is worth quite a lot of money!"

Kakuzu's patience reached its limit, and the greedy light in his eyes instantly transformed into ferocity.

With a cold snort, his arm, reinforced by the winding black threads, suddenly elongated at an incredible speed like a strange, retractable whip.

At the same time, the Earth Spear jutsu was activated, his arm turning pitch-black as if indestructible, smashing fiercely toward Uchiha Shisui standing at the door with a whistling wind, as if intending to crush Uchiha Shisui into meat paste in a single blow.

Shisui hurriedly stepped forward and kicked the arm away, changing its trajectory and causing the nearby wall to collapse.

Uchiha Shisui also moved in tandem, brushing past Kakuzu.

"How is this possible! It was only a single exchange, when did he—!"

Kakuzu widened his eyes in disbelief; he had only seen a black shadow flash by.

At this moment, he felt one of the hearts within his body rupture without warning, and another heart had vanished from his body entirely.

A chill shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

His breathing became rapid and heavy, his eyes filled with terror.

"Sorry, I don't really like things stitched together with thread."

Uchiha Shisui's expression was indifferent, as if the fierce attack that had just occurred were merely an insignificant interlude.

In his hand, he gripped a mask, and beneath the mask was a strange, black, thread-like object—the very Earth Grudge Fear that Kakuzu took such pride in.

With that, he applied slight pressure with his five fingers, and the mask in his hand shattered like fragile glass with a "crack," falling in countless fragments, much like Kakuzu's shattered confidence.

"This brat..." Biwa Juzo narrowed his eyes; he might not have been able to handle an attack of that caliber himself.

"Perhaps he would make for a fine material."

Inside the Hiruko, Sasori's face also revealed a hint of interest.

Seeing that the new members' arrogance had been dampened, Deva Path Pain looked at Uchiha Shisui and said:

"That's enough, Uchiha Shisui. They are new members of our Akatsuki, and from now on, they are your comrades."

"Of course, I was merely testing them. This level of skill doesn't even pique my interest."

Uchiha Shisui wore a faint, contemptuous smile, walking at a leisurely pace toward his seat.

He walked to his seat, turned slightly, and sat down. Crossing his legs and resting his hands casually on the armrests, he exuded an air of complete ease.

Shisui Uchiha stood silently behind him.

Deva Path Pain tilted his head slightly. His eyes, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, looked toward the youth behind Uchiha Shisui, his voice carrying a hint of authority:

"Is he the companion you found? Didn't you say you would be operating alone?"

Hearing this, Shisui looked up at Deva Path Pain but remained silent.

"Indeed, but I changed my mind. I only preferred to act alone before because I was worried about being held back."

Uchiha Shisui's expression remained calm, his tone devoid of any ripples, as if he were stating the most ordinary of facts.

"I see. It seems this one behind you has earned your approval."

Deva Path Pain nodded slightly. Although his face remained expressionless, his words seemed to tacitly accept Shisui's inclusion.

At this moment, a black vortex twisted abruptly in the center of the room. Under the gaze of everyone present, Obito stepped slowly out of the vortex, his mask-covered face revealing a single Sharingan that flickered with an eerie red light.

"Everyone, let's save the small talk for later."

Obito's voice was low and raspy, echoing through the dim, oppressive room as everyone's eyes focused on him.

"Konan has already departed for Yugakure to recruit a new member. We cannot afford to slack off now. Kakuzu, you are to head out first to provide support for Konan."

He paused slightly, his aura deepening as if to emphasize the urgency of the situation.

"We need to fill the ranks of the Akatsuki as soon as possible; it is vital to the progress of our plan. At the same time, intelligence gathering must not fall behind. It is the key pillar of our operations."

As he spoke, Obito's gaze swept slowly across the group, finally settling on Zetsu and Sasori.

"Zetsu and Sasori, you two are more adept at this. I'll leave it to you for the time being."

His tone was beyond reproach, carrying the authority of a superior.

Zetsu's strange body, half-white and half-black, swayed slightly as he let out a mocking, discordant laugh:

"Heh heh, leave it to me. Not a single whisper will escape my eyes."

Hidden within Hiruko, Sasori merely nodded slightly. The cold puppet shell shimmered with a chilling light in the dim room, as if silently acknowledging Obito's orders.