A day had passed since Yamamoto was killed.
With someone who was practically Akatsuki's second-in-command murdered in the street, many opportunists who had joined the organization for its perks began leaving one after another.
The people Hydra had sent to assist Yamamoto also began departing.
In their eyes, Akatsuki probably would not last much longer with the United States targeting it like this.
As the others began leaving, Konan ultimately took over management.
However, she had little management experience, and she had not been the one to recruit the other members.
Her standing among them was considerably lower.
Inside a secret Akatsuki base somewhere.
Pain's eyes were gently closed, the Rinnegan beneath his eyelids giving off a brilliant glow.
Konan sat in another seat, looking somewhat restless.
"Pain, we've been losing members awfully quickly lately."
Konan kept gesturing as she chatted with Pain.
She could tell that Pain did not really care much about Akatsuki's current membership situation.
"Don't worry too much about people who are ready to leave at any moment. They aren't the core members we want to recruit."
Pain's response to the restrictions imposed by the United States was simple.
Stay the course, whatever changed.
The organization's benefits and funding had not actually decreased by much. Akatsuki was not yet on the brink of collapse.
Of course, those opportunists could not simply leave after enjoying its benefits for free.
When Pain was in a good mood, he made them repay twice the value of everything they had taken. When he was in a bad mood, he returned them to life's original state and let them leave this world in peace.
Not everyone in Akatsuki was an opportunist or a freeloader just muddling through. Hydra's planted agents had not all withdrawn.
Cherry Blossom Country, at a certain military