In Amegakure, a gray curtain of rain shrouded the sky year-round. Drizzling droplets slid endlessly from the eaves of the towers, gathering into rivulets on the ground.
Inside the Akatsuki base, dim candlelight cast wavering shadows on the walls. An enormous stone statue stood in the center of the main hall like a silent behemoth.
Several figures stood or sat scattered around the hall.
Danzo surveyed his surroundings darkly. Neither Pain nor Obito had shown up. Had he not still had designs on the Rinnegan, he would have defected from the organization days ago.
As the Akatsuki's treasurer, Kakuzu had not seen Konan these past few days either. Could Ōnoki have killed Pain and Konan while they were capturing the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails?
No, that was impossible. Ōnoki was not strong enough to kill Pain.
For now, everyone was waiting.
They had received no orders from their leader for several days. Ever since the last tailed beast capture operation, Pain had vanished without a trace, and there had been no word from him.
Just then, a vortex silently appeared on a platform high above the hall.
Obito, wearing the Spiral Mask, and Zetsu slowly materialized out of thin air, looking down at everyone below.
The Akatsuki members all frowned.
Sasori spoke first, his raspy voice carrying an undisguised challenge. "Zetsu! Where's our leader?"
Hidan immediately chimed in, banging his scythe against the floor. "Yeah! We haven't seen him for days! We haven't received a single order since we finished capturing the tailed beasts. What the hell is going on? Did that bastard run off?"
Though the other members said nothing, their gazes fixed on the two figures above, waiting for an answer.
Black Zetsu slowly separated from White Zetsu's body. His black form hovered in midair, his voice calm