Akatsuki Gathers in the Land of Rain
The Land of Rain, where torrential rain is falling.
It seems that since some time ago, the people of the Land of Rain have never seen a clear sky again. A misty drizzle drifts in the sky all day long, but such torrential rain is also a very rare occurrence.
"Have we finally arrived...?"
"It's been a long wait..."
The tallest building in the Land of Rain is a new symbol of this country. Since Hanzo of the Salamander's regime was replaced by the Akatsuki, this country seems to have been revitalized in the rain. High-rise buildings have sprung up, and new decrees have been continuously conveyed to the entire country from the mouth of the man known as 'God'.
Although it is still not considered powerful, the lives of ordinary people in the Land of Rain have at least undergone earth-shattering changes.
Nagato Uzumaki sat quietly on the highest floor of the 'Divine Kingdom', with Konan standing beside him. The weather was gloomy and rainy, and occasional thunderclaps suddenly rang out, revealing the figures in the dimly lit hall in a flash of light.
"Whoosh... whoosh..."
Two rushing sounds suddenly came from afar. As soon as the sounds arrived, the figures landed in the hall. No one spoke, but everyone's eyes involuntarily fell on the newcomers.
Kato Osamu, draped in a black cloak, took it off and casually placed it aside. She then proceeded to straighten her slightly wrinkled clothes, seemingly until she was completely satisfied before slowly raising her head and looking at Nagato Uzumaki not far away.
Mei Terumi stood quietly behind Kato Osamu. After removing her cloak, she frowned slightly and subtly observed the Akatsuki members, some sitting and some standing, their eyes sharp.
"Konoha's missing-nin, Kato Osamu."
"Having been a member of Akatsuki for so long, this is the first time I've ever seen the legendary 'Zero'..."
The rain pattered Nagato as Nagato quietly observed Kato Osamu without uttering a word.
"Mist Shinobi, the missing-nin from Mei Terumi."
"Greetings, Chief..."
It seemed that Nagato was only slightly satisfied after Mei Terumi spoke up, nodding slightly before slowly opening his mouth.
"Kuchin and Vermilion Bird have suitable candidates, only Azure Dragon remains... but the plan can gradually begin..."
Mei Terumi seemed slightly surprised when she heard Nagato's voice. She didn't understand why Nagato seemed to accept their joining Akatsuki so easily. She glanced at Kato Osamu but received no response. Her gaze then fell on the group of people, matching them with the people Kato Osamu had mentioned.
"Is that the man who once fought against the First Hokage...?"
Kakuzu, almost entirely covered in clothing, attracted Mei Terumi's attention. As if sensing Mei Terumi's gaze, Kakuzu frowned slightly, seemingly recalling something in his mind. Perhaps unable to find any information about Mei Terumi 'Mei Terumi bounty, he nodded slightly to her, appearing to be the most amiable person in the entire Akatsuki.
"Kisame Hoshigaki..."
Mei Terumi Kisame Hoshigaki, then pursed her lips, her gaze suddenly drawn to a large clump of green pitcher plants. These unique creatures, half black and half white, were the most peculiar-looking beings in the entire Akatsuki. No wonder Kato Osamu said Zetsu was a special guy...
"Whee..."
He grinned at Mei Terumi, but the slightly menacing, dark half of his face made Mei Terumi abruptly look away. His terrifying appearance made her want to take back her previous words: the most treacherous person in the Akatsuki must be this guy named Zetsu!
"Now, with the addition of intern Tobi, the entire organization is divided into teams of two to carry out missions..."
"Nagato and I are a team, Hidan and Kakuzu a team, Sasori and Kisame are a team, Kato Osamu and Mei Terumi are a team, Tobi and Zetsu are a team..."
"Tobi and Zetsu are mainly responsible for intelligence gathering, spying on the various ninja villages, and trying their best to avoid attracting the attention of the Five Great Nations during the preparation phase..."
"Hidan and Kakuzu responsible for acquiring sufficient funds to support the organization's operations..."
"Sasori and Kisame are in charge of missions related to the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Iron, the Land of Bears, and the Land of Craftsmen; Kato Osamu and Mei Terumi are in charge of missions related to the Land of Birds, the Land of Grass, the Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Snow, and the Land of Rice Fields..."
"If a suitable candidate comes along, they can be targeted by the Azure Dragon..."
Nagato didn't say much. Konan's words could almost be taken as Nagato's meaning. The daily management of Akatsuki was mainly handled by Konan. After speaking, Konan's gaze swept over everyone present. Seeing that no one seemed to have any other opinions, she nodded expressionlessly to everyone and then pushed Nagato slowly out of the hall.
Seeing Nagato and Konan leave the hall, Mei Terumi's gaze fell on Kato Osamu. She had thought it was the Akatsuki headquarters, a den of dragons and tigers, but it turned out to be just a meeting similar to a regular mission Akatsuki, more like a meet-and-greet.
Mei Terumi the Akatsuki seemed completely different from what she had expected.
"Kakuzu, do you want to follow the Evil God Cult? The Jashin will protect you!"
Kakuzu walked away on his own, a greedy glint in his eyes as he left. He glanced at Kato Osamu, his fingers rubbing together incessantly, as if he was extremely impatient. He then punched the talkative Hidan hard.
"Damn it! Shut up! Do you know how much money I lost by teaming up with you? A whole hundred million taels! A hundred million taels!"
Kisame Hoshigaki seemed to have his eyes on Mei Terumi from the very beginning. At this moment, he grinned, revealing sharp teeth, and slammed his Samehada into the ground.
"Mei Terumi ... I know you, the genius of the Terumi Family ..."
"I really didn't expect that someone would join the organization like me..."
"Oh, what a pleasant surprise to meet an old friend in a foreign land..."
Zetsu, still grinning, with a slight smile on half of his black face, slowly walked to a spot not far from the two. However, his gaze was not on Mei Terumi, but rather on Kato Osamu beside Mei Terumi with a puzzled look.
"Why do you smell like her...?"
"Are you two already sleeping together?"
Upon hearing this, the air seemed to suddenly fall silent. Obito Uchiha, who had remained silent until now, seemed to have a hint of surprise and complexity in his eyes, mixed with three parts joy, three parts doubt, and perhaps three parts respect.
"..."
A hint of unease flashed Mei Terumi's face, but her incredibly sharp senses also deeply surprised her. After a heavy rain and thousands of miles of travel, such subtle traces could still be detected...
"Jue, your senses are as sharp as ever, so..."
"Does the White Zetsu that has followed me all this way still have any reason to exist...?"
"Kato- kun is joking..."
Zetsu's eyes flashed, and his noncommittal attitude showed that he still regarded Kato Osamu as a very dreaded existence. After all, in the entire Akatsuki, only he and Obito Uchiha had truly met Madara Uchiha and knew some deeper things.
"Wow~, like the leader and Konan, Kato- kun and Terumi- san are a couple too? How enviable..."
Obito Uchiha's sudden words startled Mei Terumi. This was completely different from the Masked Man she had encountered before. She had simply looked at Sasori, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Zetsu with an air of nonchalance, suppressing her doubts—was this the Masked Man's persona within the Akatsuki?
Turn out to be...
Masked Man = comedian?
"Oh? Perhaps I have a suitable candidate..."
Kato Osamu chuckled softly, a hint of mockery in his eyes. Obito Uchiha's voice faltered slightly. Their gazes met, and they both understood each other's thoughts.
Zetsu's gaze held a hint of skepticism, as if watching a spectacle unfold. Of those present, only Kisame Hoshigaki, Mei Terumi, and Sasori remained baffled, observing the three's bewildered expressions...
"Hey, Tobi, how many times have I told you? The leader and Konan aren't a couple!"
"Oh, really? I forgot..."