Akatsuki

In less than two days, Hyuuga Nen followed Pain into the Land of Rain.

The Land of Wind and the Land of Rain shared a border, and in truth, the Rōran Ruins were not far from the Land of Rain. However, Hyuuga Nen and Pain had to avoid patrols from Sunagakure along the way, which consumed a significant amount of time.

As soon as they entered the Land of Rain, Hyuuga Nen noticed the stark contrast between it and the Land of Wind. Within mere seconds, his clothes were soaked through by the rain.

Watching the incessant downpour, Hyuuga Nen couldn't help but sigh, "This weather is the polar opposite of the Land of Wind."

"It rains here year-round; that is how this country got its name," Pain said, his gaze fixed ahead.

Hyuuga Nen also noticed that the Land of Rain featured many tall buildings, a sight rarely seen in other nations. These towering structures were composed of stone and steel, providing a degree of waterproofing, and numerous drainage pipes connected the buildings throughout the country.

"The scenery of the Land of Rain is indeed unique," Hyuuga Nen concluded after taking a rough look around.

"I am taking you to meet the leader of the organization now. Be careful not to let the ninjas of the Land of Rain discover us. Follow me." With that, Pain headed toward a secluded area of the country.

"The ninjas of the Land of Rain—you mean Hanzo of the Salamander?" Hyuuga Nen asked, surprised. Was Hanzo not dead yet?

"He is currently holed up deep within Amegakure, never stepping out. He leaves daily affairs to his subordinates. Hanzo has become a coward."

"The control the Amegakure ninjas have over the country has weakened. Our organization now controls a portion of the Land of Rain," Pain continued.

Hyuuga Nen nodded, signaling that he understood.

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Pain led Hyuuga Nen, carefully avoiding the local ninjas, until they finally arrived in front of a modest building.

"Go in. This is our temporary base. Someone will meet you inside." Pain pointed in a direction before departing through a different entrance.

Hyuuga Nen followed the path Pain had indicated. At the end of the road, he saw a room with an open door, inside of which sat a young woman with blue hair.

"You must be Hyuuga Nen?" The woman turned her head to look at him.

Hyuuga Nen nodded in affirmation.

"I am Konan, a member of the Akatsuki and one of its founders. When Pain is not around, you are to follow my orders. Do you understand?"

"Understood," Hyuuga Nen replied.

"Also, unless it is necessary, do not activate your Byakugan within the organization if you wish to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Hyuuga Nen felt that Konan was being somewhat hostile toward him, so he remarked, "The way you put it, you don't seem to welcome me into your organization."

"That is indeed the case, but Pain insisted on recruiting you, so there is nothing I can do."

"If that's the case, why don't you talk to Pain and just kick me out?" Hyuuga Nen suggested.

"No one can change a decision once Pain has made it. Besides, even if Pain were to change his mind, the price of leaving this organization is something you cannot afford. Do you understand?" Konan warned.

"Fine," Hyuuga Nen replied, feeling a bit deflated.

"Wait here for a moment. I am going to get you some things. I have more to say to you later." With that, Konan left the room.

After a short wait, Konan returned with a set of clothes—a black cloak with red clouds, the uniform of the Akatsuki.

Looking at the handsome Hyuuga Nen now dressed in the uniform, Konan nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. The organization has gained someone who looks normal; the ratio of weirdos has decreased slightly."

Konan then produced a ring. "Pick one. Once you put it on, do not take it off. Pain uses these rings to contact members of the organization."

Hyuuga Nen randomly chose a ring engraved with the character for "three" and slipped it onto the index finger of his left hand.

He pointed to a small bottle of purple liquid on the tray. "What is this?"

"This is nail polish. Every member of the organization wears it," Konan replied.

"Huh?"

Only then did Hyuuga Nen notice that both Pain and Konan had their fingernails painted.

"It is nail polish," Konan repeated.

"Can I refuse?" Hyuuga Nen asked.

"As you wish."

Hyuuga Nen shook his head, declining her "kindness."

Konan set the nail polish aside, turned to look at Hyuuga Nen, and said, "Now, let me introduce you to the situation within the organization. Aside from Pain and myself, the other members are Zetsu, Kakuzu, Sasori, and Orochimaru."

"You should have already met Zetsu when Pain recruited you; he is our intelligence officer."

"As for Kakuzu, you had some unpleasant business with him previously, so you should not be a stranger to him."

"Unpleasant is an understatement; he tried to take my life," Hyuuga Nen said, a look of displeasure crossing his face.

Konan acted as if she hadn't seen his expression and continued, "Sasori was originally from Sunagakure—Sasori of the Red Sands. Have you heard of him?"

"I have," Hyuuga Nen nodded.

"As for Orochimaru, he is one of the legendary Sannin. He joined us only a few days ago, just a little before you."

"These are the only members for now, but our recruitment continues. There will be more in the future."

"I see. Most of the ninjas the organization recruits are quite famous. So, what is the organization actually trying to do? You aren't recruiting these people just for fun, surely?" Hyuuga Nen asked, looking at Konan.

"I cannot tell you the specifics yet, as I do not trust you that much. In a few days, the members will have a mission. Once that is completed and you have earned my initial trust, I will tell you."

"What is the mission in a few days?" Hyuuga Nen asked.

"I will tell you before we act."

Hyuuga Nen wore a displeased expression. "Isn't the way you people are doing things a bit too outrageous?"

"I can only tell you that the goal of our organization is the peace of the ninja world." Konan ignored Hyuuga Nen's expression and continued speaking to herself.

Seeing Hyuuga Nen's indifferent expression, Konan said, "You really are different from us."

"Different? How am I different?" Hyuuga Nen wore a puzzled expression.

"It's nothing." Konan turned her head away. "After you go out from here, there are empty rooms on both sides; you can choose one to stay in. Right, don't leave this place for the next few days. If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."

Seeing that Hyuuga Nen did not speak, Konan left the room.