A vein throbbed at Hidan's temple.
"You're a newcomer who just got here. What gives you the right to investigate me?"
"Investigate? This is my job."
Cangyue raised his head, his expression perfectly composed.
"I'm only working part-time, not switching employers. Of course I'm still registered with Konoha."
The hall abruptly fell silent.
Cangyue continued, "What I told Konoha was that I was coming to Akatsuki as a spy."
"Since I'm a spy, I have to bring back some intelligence."
"I can just put together a few records to keep Konoha happy."
"Otherwise, Konoha won't keep a freeloader on the payroll."
Several Holographic Projections fell silent at once.
Even Itachi, whose face had remained expressionless throughout, showed a fleeting change in his eyes.
He had spent years undercover in Akatsuki, taking extreme care every time he passed on intelligence for fear the organization would notice.
Yet Cangyue had only just joined and was openly declaring himself a Konoha spy in front of Akatsuki's leader and every member?
You've certainly got guts to spare.
He had utterly disregarded the very concept of being "undercover."
Kisame turned to look at Itachi.
He said nothing, but his small eyes were full of questions.
Are Konoha's undercover agents all this straightforward now?
The sheets of paper behind Konan trembled slightly.
Hidan's eyes widened even further.
"What did you say?"
"You came to Akatsuki as a spy, and you expect us to volunteer intelligence?"
"That's right."
Cangyue pointed his pen at him again.
"Quit wasting breath and give me your measurements."
"We'll start with you."
[Valor Points +80]
Hidan opened his mouth, momentarily unable to decide which insult to throw out first.
Pain's Rinnegan stared coldly at Cangyue.
"Akatsuki will not accept a spy working for Konoha."
Cangyue frowned.
"Then why didn't you say so before I came?"
"It isn't too late to say it now," Pain replied.
"Then shall I leave?"
Cangyue tossed his pen and paper onto the cushion.
The Flame and Thunder Swords changed direction in midair, carrying him straight toward the stone door.
"I might as well go back to Konoha."
Several Akatsuki members froze again.
He had just fought Pain, only to turn around and reject Akatsuki's invitation.
He left so decisively that he showed no intention of bargaining at all.
Kisame bared his pointed teeth.
"He really isn't giving our leader any face."
Deidara was somewhat surprised as well.
"He's just leaving?"
Hidan, on the other hand, grew excited.
"Then get lost!"
"Once I've recovered, I'll come to Konoha and slaughter you sooner or later!"
Without turning around, Cangyue merely raised one finger.
The Thunder Sword turned in midair, its tip pointing at Hidan's right shoulder from afar.
Hidan's voice cut off abruptly.
Cangyue continued flying toward the exit.
Pain's hand slowly clenched at his side.
The sheets of paper behind Konan spread out in an instant.
Thinking Pain intended to detain Cangyue, she had already transformed dozens of sheets into sharp spears.
"Wait."
Pain suddenly spoke.
The Flame and Thunder Swords stopped before the stone door.
Cangyue looked back.
"Anything else?"
Pain was silent for a moment before finally saying, "You may retain your identity as a Konoha Ninja."
The atmosphere in the hall froze once more.
Hidan whipped his head toward Pain.
"You're agreeing to that?"
Does he have something on you?
Deidara stared at Cangyue, clearly beginning to reassess this newcomer's value.
Konan was puzzled as well.
Akatsuki had never indulged anyone this much before they had even formally joined.
Pain continued, "You may also retain your so-called identity as a spy."
"But you must not disclose Akatsuki's core plans or important intelligence to Konoha."
"Some nonessential member records, public missions, and underground intelligence may serve as the results of your infiltration for Konoha."
Cangyue raised an eyebrow.
The meaning was simple.
Akatsuki would let him take worthless intelligence back to satisfy Konoha.
In turn, Konoha would trust him more, giving him opportunities to obtain intelligence for Akatsuki instead.
In Pain's eyes, this was a matter of exploiting both sides.
"After joining Akatsuki, you will need to complete the missions assigned by the organization."
"While carrying out those missions, you must put Akatsuki's interests first."
"If you cannot do that, our cooperation ends immediately."
Pain did not state the consequences.
But everyone present knew that ending their cooperation would mean far more than simply taking back the Red Cloud Cloak.
Naturally, Pain had not relaxed his conditions because Cangyue had something on him.
Their brief clash had already proved that Cangyue's combat strength alone surpassed the combined strength of Kakuzu and Hidan.
Capturing Tailed Beasts in the future would require precisely this kind of powerhouse, someone capable of handling an operation alone.
His identity as a Konoha Genin could instead make him a pawn Akatsuki planted within a major ninja village.
A few pieces of unimportant intelligence were well worth the price.
After a brief moment of thought, Cangyue guided the two swords back into the hall.
"Looks like you're a reasonable boss."
He extended a hand toward Pain.
"Here's to a good partnership."
Pain looked at the offered hand but did not shake it.
Unembarrassed, Cangyue casually withdrew his hand and lay back down on the cushion.
[Valor Points +50]
Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly.
Permission to retain his Konoha identity.
Permission to join despite knowing he would pass intelligence to Konoha.
Pain valued Cangyue more highly than Itachi had expected.
That also meant the strength Kambara Sogetsu had displayed very likely wasn't all he had.
Kisame gave a low chuckle.
"Looks like things will be lively from now on."
Hidan cradled his newly reattached arm, his face full of resentment.
Cangyue picked up his pen and paper again and immediately looked at him.
"We'll start with you."
"Give me your measurements."
Hidan's expression darkened.
"Why me again?"
"Because you talk the most."
Hidan gritted his teeth, but ultimately rattled off a set of numbers.
Cangyue lowered his head to record them.
Kakuzu glanced at Hidan.
"You exaggerated your height."
"Bullshit!"
"You aren't that tall without your shoes."
"I fight with my shoes on, so of course they count!"
Kakuzu couldn't be bothered to argue and gave his own measurements as well.
He even thought Cangyue's effort to record the members' builds wasn't entirely pointless.
"Standardizing clothing sizes could reduce the cost of custom Red Cloud Cloaks."
Cangyue looked at his notes field.
"Very financially conscious."
Kakuzu nodded slightly, accepting the assessment.
"Next, Deidara."
Deidara gave his height but refused to answer about his weight.
"An artist's weight is an artistic secret too, hmm."
Cangyue put pen to paper and added a note.
"Weight unknown. Suspected lack of confidence in the number."
"Who lacks confidence?!"
Deidara immediately gave his weight.
"Delete what you just wrote!"
Cangyue crossed out the note.
Sasori, hidden inside Hiruko, said coldly, "The puppet and my actual body have different measurements."
"Record them separately."
Cangyue added two fields for him.
One for Hiruko.
One for his actual body.
Hidan watched, the corners of his eyes twitching.
"You're seriously cooperating with him?"
"It's faster than listening to you talk," Sasori replied coldly.
After all that fuss, what had once been a solemn Akatsuki meeting had completely turned into a member registration session.
[Valor Points +30]
After finishing Sasori's measurements, Cangyue called out without lifting his head, "Next, Akatsuki South."
Konan was silent for a moment.
She was just about to give her measurements when Cangyue raised his head.
"It isn't your turn yet."
Konan's gaze paused briefly.
Cangyue raised his pen and pointed at Kisame.
The smile on Kisame's face vanished for an instant.
"You meant me?"
"Of course."
Cangyue pointed at the ring on his hand.
"Your designation in Akatsuki is South Star."
"Akatsuki South for short. Any problem with that?"
Silence fell over the hall once again.
Hidan hung his mouth open, actually feeling that this logic almost made sense.
Kisame glanced down at the ring marked "South" on his finger, doubting his organizational codename for the first time.
"No problem."
In the end, he reported his height and weight.
Cangyue then looked at Samehada.
"Weapon weight."
"That varies."
Kisame patted Samehada, which was wrapped in bandages.
"It weighs differently depending on whether it's full or hungry."
Cangyue wrote "living weapon, variable weight" in his notes.
"Next, Akatsuki Vermilion."
Itachi raised his eyes.
"Me?"
"Who else?"
The Vermilion Bird ring was on Itachi's hand.
By the logic Cangyue had just used, Akatsuki Vermilion naturally referred to him.
Itachi did not argue. He only gave the basics: his height, weight, and place of origin.
As for his abilities, tactics, and weaknesses, he remained completely silent.
Cangyue did not press him.
He already knew most of Itachi's abilities.
Recording this data now merely made it easier to slip in information he should not have possessed when he later sent intelligence back to Konoha.
Only at the end did Cangyue finally turn his attention to Konan.
"Akatsuki White."
Konan's temple twitched slightly.
Her ring was marked "White."
Logically speaking, that name was valid too.
But why did every Akatsuki codename sound so unserious coming out of Cangyue's mouth?
[Valor Points +30]
Konan did not continue arguing over the name.
After giving her basic measurements, she took an Akatsuki cloak out of her sleeve.
Cangyue did not take it, instead continuing, "A few measurements are still missing. You haven't given your bust, waist, and hips."
"What would Konoha want that data for?" Konan paused in surprise.
"For my personal collection," Cangyue said solemnly.
Expressionless, Konan hurled the Akatsuki uniform at him.
The Red Cloud Cloak flew toward Cangyue.
"Thanks, Akatsuki White."
Konan ignored him entirely, turning and retreating behind Pain.
Cangyue caught the cloak but did not put it on right away.
First, he spread it between the Flame Sword and the cushion, then lay down on his side to test it.
The fabric was soft and just thick enough.
It was certainly more comfortable than sleeping directly on the sword.
Cangyue nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad for padding a sword."
Several Akatsuki members looked beneath him at the same time.
The Red Cloud Cloak was a symbol of membership in the Akatsuki.
This was the first time they had seen someone receive the uniform and immediately turn it into bedding.
Hidan was about to start cursing, but remembered the Thunder Sword Cangyue had pointed at his right shoulder earlier and swallowed his words.
[Valor Points +40]
Pain gave the meeting no further chance to go off track.
"Kambara Sogetsu."
"For now, you are only an auxiliary member."
"You may retain access to the hideout only after completing a trial mission."
Lying on the Red Cloud Cloak, Cangyue casually asked, "Who's my partner?"
"That has yet to be decided."
As Pain finished speaking, the Holographic Projections around them began to fade.
His first induction meeting thus came to an end.
The hall sank back into dimness.
No one noticed space silently twisting in the shadows deeper within the hideout.
A figure wearing a Swirl Mask appeared without a sound.
His lone eye peered through the darkness and settled on Cangyue, who lay atop the Flame and Thunder Swords.
Before you continue