Suigetsu and Jugo's Test to Join the Akatsuki!

Pain's arrogance ignited Suigetsu's youthful competitive spirit!

"If touching the hem of your robe is enough to qualify, remember—you said it yourself!!"

He unfastened the Scroll Obito had given him and unfurled it!

The Ninja Blade Summoning Scroll once used by Hozuki Mangetsu held three prized blades: Kabutowari, Exploding Blade Shibuki, and Nuibari!

As someone who aspired to join the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Suigetsu had memorized every blade's properties, even though he had never wielded them!

Poof!

The blade he summoned was—Exploding Blade Shibuki!

Shibuki had an enormous, double-sided blade. One side was purely a cutting edge, meant for slaying, while the other was closely integrated with an explosive Scroll, using blasts to injure enemies!

Each of Kirigakure's seven blades had its own distinctive traits. Shibuki had the greatest attack range of all seven, but its explosive nature made it all too easy to injure its wielder. Using it without proficiency was tantamount to suicide!

But with his blood boiling, Suigetsu no longer cared!

Brandishing Exploding Blade Shibuki, Suigetsu charged at Pain beyond the curtain of rain!!

Shibuki could flexibly employ three methods depending on the wielder's objective: a simple slash, a slash combined with an explosion, or an explosion triggered through summoning with the explosive Scroll!

Suigetsu chose the combined slash and explosion, whose power depended on the wielder's arm strength!

"Raaaaaaargh...!!!"

—Water Release: Hydrification Arm Technique!

Whoosh...!!!

Once Suigetsu closed in, both his arms swelled enormously. With his amplified strength, he brought Shibuki down at Pain's head!

"Rather than young, I'd call you childish..."

Pain watched him coldly, and at the instant the exploding blade came down—

—Shinra Tensei!

Whoosh! A force field with no blind spots stopped the exploding blade's advance and pushed it back, along with the wave of flames unleashed by its explosion!!

Suigetsu recoiled in shock. "What...!?"

Boom...!!!

The curtain of rain burst apart. Swept up in the rebounding blast of fire, Suigetsu was hurled backward in a sorry state. He rolled dozens of meters over the muddy ground before Jugo caught him!

Suigetsu's face was filled with shock and bewilderment. "What did that guy just do? He just stood there, but it was like an invisible wall around him shoved me back...?"

Rain shrouded Pain once more, and his cold, deep voice carried across the distance. "Decent cutting power, and decent resilience. Unfortunately, that level is nowhere near enough to qualify for the Akatsuki..."

"Damn it, this is ridiculous...!!"

Suigetsu planted the exploding blade against the ground and tried to stand!

But Jugo stepped in front of him.

"That hit shook you up pretty badly. Let me handle this!"

Hiss! The Cursed Seal spread across his body. A huge mass of flesh grew from his right arm, and his expression turned aggressive.

"So that's Orochimaru's Cursed Seal? His Chakra is increasing visibly..."

Pain gently raised his left hand.

—Banshō Ten'in!

Whoosh!

"What...!?"

An irresistible gravitational pull dragged Jugo toward him through the air!

Whoosh! A Black Rod slid from Pain's right sleeve and pierced Jugo's shoulder with a crunch!!

"Ugh..."

Jugo collapsed at once. Just as he struggled to rise, a powerful surge of Chakra hummed through the Black Rod in his shoulder and into his body, instantly immobilizing him!

Whoosh!

A Rinnegan set against a blurred background flashed through his mind!

With a hiss, Jugo's Cursed Seal transformation rapidly receded. His heart pounded. The Chakra flowing through this Black Rod even suppressed my Cursed Seal? Who on earth is he? And that faint sensation just now—what was...

But Jugo hadn't lost his composure. Pain's condition for passing was to touch his clothing!

So, lying at Pain's feet, Jugo endured the Black Rod's interference and shakily reached out to touch the hem of Pain's Akatsuki Robe!

But how could such a little trick escape Pain's notice? He kicked Jugo away!

"Spare me those cheap tricks..."

Whoosh!

Pain leaped into the air and flicked his sleeve, sending several Black Rods down at Jugo!!

Suigetsu lunged forward and swept the exploding blade viciously through the air, blasting away the falling Black Rods!!

"Hey, Jugo, get up!!" Suigetsu shouted.

"Ugh... the spike!" Jugo said. "This spike in my shoulder has immobilized me! Help me get it out!"

"This thing...!"

Suigetsu bent down, about to pull out the Black Rod!!

"Don't touch it..." Jugo warned. "It might interfere with you too!"

"Tch! What a pain!"

Suigetsu used the edge of his exploding blade to pry out the Black Rod.

Clutching his shoulder, Jugo rose and said with difficulty, "Suigetsu, if he really wanted us dead, he could do it in the blink of an eye!"

Still bitter over Kakuzu's death, Nagato wanted to embarrass Obito, who had brought it all about!

You recommended these two to me, but I'll refuse to let them join. Their lack of strength is their own fault. They can't blame anyone else!

Pain coldly ordered them to leave. "You're not strong enough. Go back and train for another two years..."

"Give up, Suigetsu," Jugo said. "If he's determined not to let us pass, we'll only humiliate ourselves!"

Suigetsu tightened his grip on his Ninja Blade, an unprecedented solemnity settling over his youthful face.

Yeah, of course I know that. Honestly, falling into the Akatsuki's hands, having a Sharingan implanted, then being forced to join them—this whole string of events still makes no sense to me! I only wanted to trick them into giving me a Ninja Blade, then take the chance to slip away! But that guy calling himself Tobi actually brought the Scroll my brother used when he was alive! My brother was a loner. He couldn't possibly have had a friend he'd entrust something that important to! That leaves only one possibility: that Tobi guy was the one who killed my brother!!

I can overlook what that guy did to me!

But my brother was the only person I could rely on!

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... brought me right to that guy's side!

How could I... pack up and leave without accomplishing anything!

"It's still too early to give up!" Suigetsu declared.

"You... still want to fight?" Jugo asked.

"Did you notice, Jugo?" Suigetsu said. "That guy's abilities are probably attraction and repulsion!"

"That's not hard to notice," Jugo said. "The hard part is... how to deal with them!"

"Attraction and repulsion—that's beyond the level of Ninjutsu!" Suigetsu said. "If he could use that power without restriction, wouldn't he already be invincible throughout the Shinobi World, instead of just being the Leader of a terrorist organization?"

"Then what are you saying?" Jugo asked.

"This is only a guess," Suigetsu said, "but there should be an interval between uses of his abilities! Finding the exact interval and responding accordingly is our way through!"

"That probably works in theory," Jugo said, "but putting it into practice will be harder than climbing to heaven..."

Suigetsu smiled. "That Tobi guy said it, didn't he? The Sharingan can only unleash its true power when both eyes are together. Let's work together to do what neither of us can do alone. Honestly... I never thought the day would come when a disgusting word like 'cooperation' would leave my mouth!"

That feeling... reminded Jugo of Kimimaro, his dear friend who had died, for the first time in a long while.

His fighting spirit rekindled. "All right... but you and I probably won't ever be friends!"

Suigetsu bared his pointed teeth in a grin. "Hmph, don't flatter yourself. We're just teaming up to survive in a dangerous organization like the Akatsuki!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suigetsu and Jugo charged side by side!

"Oh?" Pain said. "You've seen the overwhelming gap in our strength, yet you still won't give up? Very well. Show me what you can really do!"