Heavy rain began falling from the sky.
Uchiha Itachi still sat at the edge of the cliff, looking thoughtful.
"Thud!"
Roshi's barely breathing body was suddenly flung down beside Itachi.
Itachi turned his head slightly, watching Kisame walk up behind him.
"Finished?"
"Yes. Capturing him was quite a hassle. I had no choice but to get a little serious."
As Kisame answered, he looked up at the pouring rain:
"This rain just keeps getting heavier. Getting soaked isn't good for your health, Mr. Itachi. Let's shelter under a tree for a while, or we'll catch a cold..."
Uchiha Itachi said softly, "The leader is waiting for us to contact him. The other members are almost finished with their captures, too. He told us to notify him as soon as we finished here."
"Heh heh heh..." Kisame's serrated teeth parted and closed:
"It won't hurt to make them wait a little. Once the sealing starts, we'll all be busy nonstop for a while anyway. We might as well take a good rest now."
With that, Kisame swung Samehada up, hooked Roshi onto the blade, and turned toward the shade of the trees.
Uchiha Itachi followed quietly behind him and glanced at Roshi. "He looks like he's about to die. You should be gentler with the elderly..."
Kisame felt a little wronged. "You're only saying that because you don't know him. He's a Jinchūriki, after all. He's not that fragile... You didn't fight him, so you probably don't know how hard that fight was for me..."
Just as the two reached the shade, Pain's voice suddenly rang out in their minds.
"All members, find a safe place and sit down within one minute..."
One minute later.
At the Akatsuki's secret base.
Shadowy projections appeared before the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path,