In Konoha's pitch-black night sky, Itachi Uchiha's crimson-eyed crow silently circled overhead.
It coldly looked down toward Konoha's brightly lit interrogation room, taking in Sasuke's hoarse roars and despair.
Then, with a soft pop, the crow turned into a cloud of ethereal black mist and vanished into the night wind.
Millions of miles away, in Amegakure, perpetually shrouded in rain.
Deep within the dark hall of the tallest tower, several brilliant pillars of chakra light suddenly lit up on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, its ten fingers interlocked.
An emergency meeting of the Akatsuki was being swiftly convened through the Magic Lantern Body Technique.
The members' differently colored holographic projections appeared one after another atop the statue's enormous stone fingers like ghosts.
The atmosphere in the hall was so heavy it nearly froze solid, even more oppressive than when they discussed the military movements of the great nations.
"Is everyone here? Calling an emergency meeting in the middle of the night—did some village's Kage get killed?"
Hidan grumbled impatiently, carrying his triple-bladed scythe.
Zetsu's half-black, half-white face was the first to break the silence, his hoarse voice unable to conceal its excitement.
"Everyone, the latest juicy gossip from Konoha just came in. It'll absolutely blow your minds."
"Spit it out. I'm busy counting bounties," Kakuzu growled, his voice reeking of money.
"That disgusting traitor Orochimaru was beaten into a dead dog in Konoha just now."
White Zetsu eagerly picked up the thread, gesturing wildly as he exaggerated like a stand-up comedian. "According to firsthand footage from my spore clone, he not only threw away his beloved Kusanagi Sword, but he also left in an extremely undignified manner."
"He actually had diarrhea in public on Konoha's streets, clamped his legs together, and bolted into a crack in the