The Akatsuki's new leader

Within the Kamui Dimension.

The Eight-Tails stood motionless on the ground, his eyes vacant.

Feng Yao jumped down from the Eight-Tails' bovine head, the ribs and single arm of his first-stage Susanoo manifesting around him.

A curved chakra blade formed in the hand and slashed down at the Eight-Tails' octopus tentacle.

Just like that, one of the Eight-Tails' octopus tentacles was gone.

Then the enormous Eight-Tails vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving only Killer B lying flat on the ground.

With that, Feng Yao left the Kamui Dimension.

Amegakure.

Through the Rain Tiger at Will Technique, Nagato had also watched the almost entirely one-sided battle from beginning to end.

To Feng Yao, dealing with the Eight-Tails was child's play; he had controlled him with ease.

Before, Nagato might have been wary, but after accepting Feng Yao's ideals and seeing the future, his mindset had changed.

Beside him, a vortex appeared in space.

Nagato and Konan, who stood nearby, both knew it was Feng Yao.

Feng Yao appeared and asked casually, "How was that?"

Part of the purpose of fighting Kumogakure was to demonstrate his strength.

He had demonstrated it once in Konoha before, but there had been nothing to compare it against.

Now, through his battle with a tailed beast, they could understand his strength more directly.

Offense and defense alike-get a load of that power over space.

"Activate the Magic Lantern Body Technique," Nagato said with a nod.

Feng Yao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Nagato naturally noticed Feng Yao's odd expression and smiled. "Since we've chosen to believe in you, we'll commit ourselves fully."

Feng Yao looked a little odd. Clearly, Nagato's decisiveness had stunned him too, but once he recalled Nagato's personality in the original story, he understood.

Elsewhere.

In an unnamed underground base.

"Obito, Nagato has called a meeting," Black Zetsu told Obito beside him.

Obito frowned. Whenever he thought of Nagato slipping out of his control, he seethed with anger.

Now he had even lost the means to oppose him. The Akatsuki was probably already entirely under Nagato's control.

"You go. See what tricks he's up to now."

Black Zetsu nodded. He would be the one going anyway.

"Wait!" Obito stopped Black Zetsu, suddenly saying excitedly, "Maybe Nagato is notifying the Akatsuki members that Uchiha Fengyao has joined!"

"Perfect timing, Black Zetsu. When you're there, sound him out if the situation allows!"

Obito was almost going mad now. He could not stop thinking about it.

What would that bastard Feng Yao do if he saw Rin's body?

Would he destroy Rin's body? Or simply throw her out of the Kamui Dimension?

Damn it!

Feng Yao, you'd better not touch Rin's body!

Otherwise, I'll make you wish you were dead!

Black Zetsu stared speechlessly at Obito before finally shaking his head. He no longer had any hopes for Obito.

He had already begun considering when to abandon him.

In a dim space, Feng Yao, Pain, and Konan stood atop the head of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Several haphazardly arranged iron chains bound the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, its face hideous.

Feng Yao, too, looked at the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path in wonder.

As the husk of the Ten-Tails, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was quite a marvel to Feng Yao.

In the original story, Hagoromo and Hamura had joined forces to seal Kaguya on the moon, and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had been sealed inside the moon along with her.

Only after Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan had he summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path from the moon to Earth.

Soon, several flickering projections slowly emerged one after another, taking their places around the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Kakuzu, Sasori, Orochimaru, Jūzō, and Black Zetsu had all appeared.

But a careful observer would have noticed that Kakuzu and those who had fought in the battle kept stealing glances at Feng Yao.

Feng Yao had simply left too deep an impression on them that night.

That giant that blotted out the sky.

The enormous chasm carved by that single sword strike and the hundred miles of devastation had convinced them that this man possessed the power to destroy heaven and earth!

Feng Yao also raised his head to look at them.

As Feng Yao's black eyes swept over them, both Kakuzu and Jūzō instinctively tensed.

Even though they knew full well that these were only projections, Feng Yao's presence was still intensely oppressive.

Orochimaru, however, was unaffected by Feng Yao. After all, he had long known Feng Yao's strength, as well as the secrets of this world.

Orochimaru grinned, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Feng Yao's gaze lingered on Black Zetsu for a moment.

Noticing Feng Yao's gaze, Black Zetsu gave him a friendly smile.

Feng Yao nodded, then looked away.

Pain also observed everyone's expressions before stepping forward.

Everyone turned to look at Pain in unison.

"I've decided to step down as the leader of the Akatsuki. The new leader will be Uchiha Fengyao!" Pain said slowly.

His words were like a stone striking a still lake, sending a ripple of shock through everyone!

Surprisingly, however, no one objected.

Even Black Zetsu merely furrowed his brows-if he had eyebrows.

"Now, who opposes? Who agrees?"

Silence immediately fell.

Sasori was the first to speak. "I agree."

He had no interest in who the leader was. He was interested only in art.

Besides, he had seen Feng Yao's strength clearly that night. It was fair to say he was at least as strong as their leader, if not stronger.

"I agree!" Kakuzu was the second to speak.

Kakuzu was a man who had seen much.

The pressure Uchiha Fengyao exerted on him was no less than what he had felt from Hashirama Senju back then.

That night had only strengthened Kakuzu's belief: Uchiha Fengyao was undoubtedly another powerhouse like the God of the Shinobi World or the Asura of the Ninja World of old!

There was no problem with someone that powerful becoming their new leader.

"We agree too!"

Orochimaru, Jūzō, and Black Zetsu also spoke up one after another.

Orochimaru had long since joined Feng Yao's side, so naturally, he had no objections.

Jūzō also held Feng Yao in great awe.

Black Zetsu had already taken Feng Yao for one of his own and was inwardly ecstatic.

He had originally worried that Nagato was an unpredictable factor who might refuse to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi after capturing the tailed beasts.

Now everything was fine. With these people's strength, capturing the tailed beasts would be all too easy.

Mother, I'll be able to rescue you soon!

Pain nodded expressionlessly, though his feelings were rather complicated. Konan, standing beside Feng Yao, felt much the same.

After all, the Akatsuki represented years of effort from them and Yahiko, and now they were handing it over to Feng Yao.

But to achieve peace and realize their ideals, they had staked everything on Feng Yao this time.

"Good. From this moment on, Uchiha Fengyao is the leader of the Akatsuki!"

"Leader..."

And so, with everyone as witnesses, Feng Yao became the Akatsuki's new leader!

Feng Yao stepped forward, looked around, and said, "The Akatsuki will continue as usual. For everyday matters, you'll still coordinate with Pain and Konan."

"Yes..."

Soon, the meeting ended, and everyone dispelled the Magic Lantern Body Technique.

Elsewhere.

Kumogakure, in the Land of Lightning.

Bang!

Fourth Raikage A slammed his fist viciously onto his desk, smashing it to pieces.

"Damn it! The Uchiha have gone too far!"