Securing the Two-Tails Hunting Mission

Akatsuki's base, within the tower of Amegakure, a village shrouded in perpetual rain.

Beneath the shadow of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, the Deva Path of Pain stood still like a god. After listening to Neji's calm, concise report of the battle at the Sand Village border—Sasori's confirmed death, Deidara's severed arm, and the fleeting glimpse of the Kamui Dimension dojutsu—the atmosphere grew somewhat grave.

"So... Sasori had reached his end as well." Pain's voice carried little emotion, as if he were merely stating a fact. "His art ultimately failed to attain true eternity. How is Deidara?"

"He lost too much blood. His severed arm has been preserved with a temporary method, but it requires professional treatment," Neji replied, taking out the arm sealed within a layer of rock.

Pain's gaze swept over the arm. "Kakuzu."

From the shadows, Kakuzu, who had been counting a thick stack of bills, lifted his head. The stitches covering his body looked especially grotesque, and his green eyes flickered with impatience toward anything other than money. "What is it? I'm calculating last quarter's operating expenses. I still haven't finished tallying the additional compensation for damages caused by certain people." He glanced at Deidara, who was sprawled nearby, and Hidan, who was playing with an Evil God ritual.

"Stitch Deidara's arm back on," Pain ordered.

Kakuzu froze, the fingers counting money stiffening in midair. He looked at Pain, then at the severed arm in Neji's hand, before finally shifting his gaze to the groaning Deidara. His expression became wonderfully complex—a mix of Why is it me again?, Does this even count as a medical assignment?, You're wasting my money-making time, and a trace of Maybe I can charge a surgical fee?

"...Leader," Kakuzu tried to resist, "I'm the financial officer, not a medical ninja. This kind of delicate work, I think..." He looked toward Zetsu, who immediately sank half his body into the floor; then toward Kisame, who carried Samehada and grinned stupidly; then toward Itachi, who had his eyes closed as if meditating.

"Among the entire organization, only your Earth Grudge Fear stitching technique is reliable enough, and you possess sufficient chakra control precision." Pain cut off every route of escape with a single sentence. "This is a mission. Restore his combat capability as soon as possible. The tailed beast capture plan cannot tolerate further delays."

Kakuzu's face—if he still had one—seemed to twitch. He reluctantly put down the money, walked over, and "snatched" the severed arm from Neji's hand with all the delicacy of grabbing a piece of lumber. He moved to Deidara's side as black Earth Grudge Fear tendrils spread from his back, their tips becoming exceptionally thin and nimble.

"Hey! Old man Kakuzu, be gentler! This is an artist's arm! Yeah!" Deidara bared his teeth in pain.

"Shut up. Keep making noise and I'll stitch your mouth shut too. Or perhaps I should sell your arm to pay off your debts," Kakuzu said coldly. The black tendrils moved like the most precise surgical instruments, cleaning the wound, reconnecting blood vessels, nerves, and muscles... The process was astonishingly fast, but watching those writhing black tendrils drill in and out of the wound was genuinely sanity-draining.

Hidan leaned closer, his face full of excitement. "Whoa! Kakuzu, you're pretty good at this! Can you stitch up the wound I accidentally cut too deep during my last ritual? Make the stitching pattern cool—something worthy of offering to the Evil God!"

"Get lost. Custom patterns cost extra," Kakuzu replied without looking back.

Neji silently looked away. Making Kakuzu serve as a medical ninja too... Pain had truly taken resource exploitation to its absolute limit. Still, the efficiency was undeniably high.

After dealing with Deidara's "medical accident," Neji saw that Pain had yet to leave and stepped forward. "Leader, I have a request regarding the next tailed beast capture plan."

Pain's Rinnegan turned toward him. "Speak."

"I hope to participate in the mission to capture the Two-Tails, Matatabi." Neji's voice was steady and firm.

The moment he said that, even Itachi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slightly opened them and glanced at him. Kisame also showed interest. A newcomer who had joined the organization only three months ago had just gone through a major battle and witnessed Sasori's death. Rather than keeping a low profile, he was volunteering for an even more difficult mission?

Pain fell silent for a moment. "Your reason. Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki, is in Kumogakure, which is heavily guarded. Capturing her will not be easy. Furthermore, Kakuzu and Hidan were originally assigned to this mission."

Neji had already prepared his explanation. He lowered his head slightly, his tone carrying a trace of appropriately restrained, fabricated anger. "To be honest, while wandering and fleeing in the past, I encountered a squad of Kumogakure ninja. Not only did they attack me without cause and rob me of my only possessions, they were also... exceptionally arrogant. I have remembered that humiliation ever since. Now that the organization needs to strike Kumogakure, I hope to participate personally and wash away that disgrace. Of course, completing the mission comes first. I am willing to give my all." (The real reason: Kumogakure, the grudge over Hizashi's death would never end. Konoha might reconcile with you, but I, Neji Hyuga, never would. If I had a chance to cause you trouble, how could I possibly fall behind!)

Pain's Rinnegan seemed to see through everything, yet he exposed nothing. After considering the team reshuffling following Sasori's death, as well as the calmness, strength, and strange Rock Transformation Kekkei Genkai that Sake had displayed in previous missions—something Pain considered a useful supplement for battlefield control and breakthrough—he slowly spoke. "Kakuzu needs time to ensure Deidara's arm recovers, as well as handle the subsequent financial... and 'medical' matters. The Two-Tails capture mission can be carried out by you and Hidan."

He looked at Hidan, who was pestering Kakuzu for Evil God-pattern stitches. "Hidan."

"Huh? Leader?" Hidan turned around.

"You and Sake will form a temporary team. Go to Kumogakure, gather intelligence, and seize an opportunity to capture the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki. Zetsu will provide the necessary intelligence support."

"With the newcomer?" Hidan raised a brow and looked at Neji. Then he grinned, revealing his pale teeth. "Whatever! As long as I can offer even better sacrifices to the Evil God, I can team up with anyone! Those Kumogakure bastards must have scorching hot blood! Hahaha!"

Neji felt reassured. Teaming up with Hidan was much easier than working with Zetsu, that elusive figure with terrifying powers of observation. At least he would not need to constantly worry about more of his secrets being exposed. Besides, Hidan's abilities were strange but predictable, making him easy to work with—or rather, easy to use.

"Thank you for your trust, Leader." Neji bowed.

"Make preparations. Depart immediately." Pain's figure slowly melted into the shadows.

After leaving the tower, Neji did not immediately seek out Hidan. He first returned to his temporary residence in Amegakure—a crude but secluded room. After closing the door and setting up simple soundproofing and warning barriers derived from Orochimaru's improved techniques, he swiftly took out two different communication scrolls.

The first was for Orochimaru:

Its contents were concise and data-driven, like an experimental report:

- Wind Release chakra conversion rate: 95%. The final 5% conversion and stabilization were expected to require approximately one month. Hashirama Cell fusion remained stable. Wood Release activity had increased subtly, with no rejection symptoms.

- Byakugan evolution observation: Recent changes were extremely minimal. Preliminary conclusion: the direct promotion provided by Hashirama Cells or Sage Arts had reached its current bottleneck. Higher-level energy or a specific trigger would be required for further stimulation. This was only a personal hypothesis and required investigation.

- Mission summary: Sasori of the Red Sands had been confirmed killed by Chiyo and Sakura Haruno. Preliminary intelligence had been gathered and organized on the abilities of Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Kakuzu, Hidan, and Deidara, with brief traits and response recommendations attached. The new member "Sake," namely himself, had gained an initial foothold within the organization.

- Request: More suppressants for the Improved Earth Curse Mark would likely be needed, as frequent missions might cause the Curse Mark's power to become restless. He hoped a new batch could be provided soon.

What he really wanted was at least two more years' worth of medicine. Although Orochimaru had given him enough to last until one month before Living Corpse Reincarnation when he left, according to the original plot, Orochimaru would be killed by Sasuke once. If the medicine ran out, he would be finished too. His strength might completely crush Orochimaru's, but if that mad scientist's Improved Earth Curse Mark truly struck his heart, he was not the protagonist. He did not have some Six Paths old man to grant him another life. Then he would truly be dead. Konoha had that old bastard of an uncle controlling the Caged Bird, and now Orochimaru was eyeing him covetously as well. Other transmigrators got systems and golden fingers. He got every kind of Curse Mark designed to kill him. Neji cursed so viciously in his heart that it was almost obscene.

Neji calmly sealed the scroll. Through a specific Summoning Technique formula, he summoned a thin, nearly transparent miniature snake. After it swallowed the scroll, he dismissed the summon. Orochimaru valued data and results, so this kind of report suited him best. The reminder about the medicine was merely a hint; Orochimaru definitely would not continue supplying him with it. Before Living Corpse Reincarnation, he would still need to return and meet Orochimaru to settle the matter.

Next came the secret report for Konoha—specifically, for Tsunade:

He deliberated over this one for far longer. It had been a year and a half since he last sent intelligence to Konoha. Experimenting under Orochimaru had been like extreme sports; he had practically been gambling the entire time. Fortunately, his luck had been good, and he had always won. In the end, he decided to reveal part of the truth, carefully polished:

- Identity declaration: Neji Hyuga had successfully infiltrated Akatsuki under the codename "Sake." This demonstrated his continued loyalty and value.

- Intelligence summary: He listed in detail the Akatsuki members he had encountered so far. He had only met one of Pain's bodies and had not yet investigated deeply. He emphasized Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan—Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu—Kisame Hoshigaki's large-scale Water Release and Samehada, Kakuzu's multi-element hearts and Earth Grudge Fear, Hidan's Evil God ritual immortality and curse, Deidara's Explosion Release, Sasori's Performance of a Hundred Puppets and Third Kazekage puppet, as well as Kakashi-sensei's newly awakened Mangekyo dojutsu, Kamui, which enabled spatial transfer. This intelligence was packed with valuable information, enough to shake Konoha's upper ranks and highlight his contribution. The previous Akatsuki intelligence from Orochimaru had earned him the Yin Seal: Strength of a Hundred.

- Current mission: He had been authorized to form a team with Hidan and travel to Kumogakure to investigate and seize an opportunity to capture the Two-Tails. This implied that he was valued within Akatsuki, that his worth was considerable, and that he could also obtain intelligence on Kumogakure for Konoha.

- Closing statement: Living among the enemy was like treading on thin ice, yet for Konoha, for Lady Hokage, and for the future of the Hyuga Clan, Neji would not hesitate even if it meant dying ten thousand deaths. He hoped the Hokage would take care of herself. This was an emotional appeal, while also emphasizing the key point—keep Hiashi steady and do not let him cause trouble.

At that point, Neji's brush paused. In his mind, he saw his uncle Hiashi, the man who always spoke of clan rules, yet had also shown complicated emotions after Neji's "death" in the original timeline. Sigh, you old bastard, don't get hot-blooded and do something stupid like purging the clan or declaring war on Kumogakure. For now, Granny Tsunade still has to keep you in check. He shook his head, wrote the scroll in a more complex ancient Hyuga script, and sealed it away. He would deliver the intelligence to the designated location while traveling to Kumogakure with Hidan.

After finishing everything, Neji let out a breath and removed the barrier. He adjusted his breathing, and all the complicated emotions belonging to Neji Hyuga vanished from his eyes. Once more, he became the calm, mysterious newcomer of Akatsuki.

When he pushed open the door, the drizzle still fell outside. Hidan was already carrying his signature Three-Moon Scythe and pacing impatiently nearby.

"You took too long, Sake! Hurry up! I can't wait to head to Kumogakure and have some fun! The Evil God is calling for new sacrifices!" Hidan shouted.

Neji walked toward him, his voice calm and unruffled through the mask. "Let's go, Senior Hidan. I hope Kumogakure's ninja will not disappoint you."

The two figures vanished one after the other into Amegakure's hazy curtain of rain and night, setting off toward the distant Land of Lightning. A hunt for the Two-Tails—and Neji's quiet settling of his personal grievances against Kumogakure—was about to begin. Before long, certain higher-ups in Konoha and the Sound Village would also receive top-secret intelligence capable of influencing their judgment of the future situation.

To Orochimaru, Neji's intelligence was more significant as information about an experimental subject. Had the Byakugan's evolution stopped? Was the wildest Wind Release chakra finally about to complete its conversion? The current Orochimaru was no longer a match for that brat from two years ago. But Orochimaru had never made a losing deal. At that thought, he could not help but chuckle darkly.

Inside the Hokage Office in Konoha, Tsunade stared at the intelligence Neji Hyuga had sent after a year and a half, unable to calm herself for a long time. A year and a half had passed. To be honest, she had already been disappointed in Neji. After all, his name was on the missing-nin list, even if it had originally been part of an act. Yet who would have expected him to send intelligence again—and Akatsuki intelligence at that, even more detailed than Orochimaru's last report? And he was Sake. The moment Kakashi returned to Konoha, he reported the full details of the operation to recover Gaara. His description of Akatsuki's abilities completely matched the report. He had only said that Sake was an exceptionally difficult tactical master and that anyone fighting him needed to be extremely careful. Based on the description of Sake's ninjutsu, he had been judged to be a Kekkei Genkai ninja proficient in Water and Earth Release. Hyuga Clan ninja having attributeless chakra was common knowledge. Could Neji have implanted his grandfather's cells and converted Wind chakra into Water and Earth chakra? If so, everything made sense. That would mean Neji could use Wood Release too. With such a powerful Kekkei Genkai in his hands, Tsunade did not know whether it would be a blessing or disaster for Konoha. She shook her head. As long as Neji was willing to provide Konoha with intelligence, it meant that he was at least currently loyal to Konoha. As for what came afterward, they could only take things one step at a time. Then she thought of Akatsuki's leader, Pain, who possessed the Rinnegan. Did he have anything to do with Nagato, Jiraiya's former student? Jiraiya had always wanted to investigate, but she had delayed him for a long time. The Pain in Neji's report did not resemble Nagato at all, but even Itachi Uchiha had been recruited. Pain's strength was clearly unfathomable. If Jiraiya went, the odds would be against him. Better to keep delaying.