Bait

Zetsu was a unique hybrid, easy to identify by his two halves. The first half, White Zetsu, had short green hair and a single yellow eye, along with man-like features and rounded teeth. The second half, Black Zetsu, was a dark mass that merged with White Zetsu.

Surrounding them were Venus flytrap-like extensions that enclosed their head and upper body, creating a shell-like look.

Rin's gaze was drawn to the green Akatsuki ring on Black Zetsu's little finger, marked with the kanji for "sign of the boar." Even the small details were striking; the pink fingernails and blue toenails added an unusual element to their intimidating shape.

"You?!" she managed to ask. "What are you two doing here?!"

With a deep, resonant tone, Black Zetsu replied, "That is our line…"

"Ah," White Zetsu chimed in an almost playful tone. "We sensed a strange chakra in this area and wanted to take a look. But by the time we arrived, the chakra was gone. We decided to stay because we heard you mention Arthur."

Rin's chest tightened at her mistake. She felt a cold dread. These creatures, whatever they truly were, were enemies of Arthur, and if they were his enemies, then without a doubt, they were also hers.

There was only one solution in her head: run.

"That's not very nice!" White Zetsu called after her as she dashed off against the rain-soaked ground.

In the midst of her run, she felt sudden resistance pulling at her legs. Vines erupted from the earth, wrapping tightly around her ankles and halting her escape.

"Wood style?!" she gasped, recognizing the technique instantly.

Without haste, she reached for her kunai and infused it with her own chakra before slicing through the vines, freeing her legs in the process.

Black Zetsu gave an impressed compliment. "Not bad at all! But—"

Before he could finish, she saw more vines erupting from the ground. They slithered toward her like snakes to try and ensnare her once again. She acted quickly.

"Water style: surface slice!"

With one wave, she sent a sharp wave of water toward the encroaching vines. They splintered and fell, but the relentless nature of them wouldn't let up. Her surroundings soon became a mixture of plants and water as she began to carve away at the thick ropes.

This was honestly Arthur's signature water technique, of which she was glad to have perfected.

Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Zetsu lunged forward to attack. In that split second, he pivoted and delivered a kick to the creature's torso.

Bang!

The impact sent it flying back with a force that created a brief pause in the rain. When Zetsu hit the ground, he looked genuinely startled, taking a moment to recover.

"That was uncalled for," White Zetsu remarked with a slight irritation in his voice.

"Quiet," Black Zetsu demanded. "We'll need reinforcements for this one…"

Rin didn't have the luxury of time to ponder their words. The fact that Zetsu wanted reinforcements meant there was only one way they would call for backup—through the Mayfly technique.

Immediately, she took off running again, desperate to evade any cavalry. She dashed through the narrow village streets, looking over her shoulder to assess her pursuers.

The rain had intensified, causing the droplets to hammer against her. Every corner felt familiar yet foreign as she searched for an exit to the village, but with each turn, she couldn't seem to find a way out. The village was on lockdown!

Just as things seemed bleak, she caught a glimpse of something overhead. She slowed her pace, looking skyward where a blue-haired woman floated gracefully with white paper-like wings extending behind her.

"Oh no!" Rin exclaimed upon recognizing the newly arrived Akatsuki member.

It was Konan, and it wasn't just her who appeared. Eight more figures emerged from the shadows, taking their places in a semi-circle around her. Each face was one she recognized, which made her feel utterly dreadful.

There was Itachi, his expression unreadable; Kisame, with eyes glittering like a predator's; Sasori, his body encased in his puppet; Deidara, a manic grin spread across his face; Hidan, clutching his scythe with an unsettling glee; Kakuzu, dark-eyed and calculating; and finally, Pain, their leader, his piercing gaze settling on her with contempt.

This was the worst situation anyone could ever find themselves in!

Arthur had only fought two of them before, of which he lost that battle, opting to escape rather than continue. Rin herself knew of everyone here because of him.

The Akatsuki consisted of various members, each with exclusive abilities and distinct appearances, showcasing their prowess in combat as well as their individual fighting styles.

Hidan, a notable member, had a rare form of immortality, protecting him from death regardless of injuries or dismemberment. He utilized a signature weapon, a triple-bladed scythe, which he controlled with a long cable, enabling both short- and long-range attacks.

He also employs a ritualistic curse that links his vitality to his opponent's, allowing him to inflict damage on himself and share that pain with his foe, making him a menacing adversary.

Kakuzu, another prominent figure of the Akatsuki, was characterized by his tall stature, green irises, and dark brown hair, along with many stitches decorating his tan skin—evidence of the "Earth Grudge" technique that forms the centerpiece of his abilities.

He can manipulate his body through thick, grey tendrils, allowing him to separate body parts for long-range attacks and to heal quickly from injuries he sustains in battle. That ability also grants him a degree of immortality, as he can extract hearts from his defeated opponents to extend his own lifespan and gain their elemental affinities.

With his four elemental masks—fire, lightning, water, and wind—he can unleash powerful elemental techniques, providing him with formidable versatility in combat.

Next was Deidara. His explosive artistry was a key feature among the members, with his signature techniques stemming from his "Explosion Style" Kekkei Genkai.

He had special mouths on his palms and chest capable of molding explosive clay, which could explode at his command. This allowed him to create diverse and complex explosives, ranging from lethal clay minions to massive dragons that rained destruction from above.

With a long blond ponytail, slanted blue eyes, and traits typical of a flying artist, his artistic flair was paralleled by a sharp tactical mind, allowing him to outmaneuver opponents through clever traps and misdirection.

Finally, Konan stood out in the Akatsuki not just for her abilities but also for her appearance. Her abilities revolved around her perfection of "Paper Ninjutsu," allowing her to manipulate her body and clothing into countless sheets of paper that she could control at will.

This capability granted her offensive and defensive options, enabling her to create shuriken, clones, or constructs that could restrain opponents or detonate with explosive tags. Notably, she could transform into paper wings for mobility, which could also launch paper projectiles, making her a versatile and deadly opponent in any confrontation.

No one could argue that this was the most dangerous group in the ninja world.

There was no way Rin Nohara, who was revived not long ago, could face them all. She was in a pinch. Or worse, she was like a sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves closing in on their prey. Pain's presence was particularly large.

"You mentioned something about Arthur," their leader inquired to Zetsu. "So where is he?"

"I didn't say that," Black Zetsu replied.

"That's right," White Zetsu agreed. "We said the intruder spoke Arthur's name."

"You called us for one intruder?!" Deidara exclaimed with a smirk.

"One or one hundred," Sasori remarked. "An intruder is an intruder."

Now Rin was truly screwed. No amount of talking could deliver her from their hands. While they might not kill her, they were hunting Arthur, so she might as well be considered bait at this point.

She twitched as if preparing to run again, but then a wire from underground kept her in place. It was Kakuzu's technique. "We wouldn't want you leaving now, would we?"

Pain raised his hand slowly as he prepared to unleash his technique: "Almighty push!"

The moment he released it, an intense force began obliterating the space in front of her. Then something happened. A figure intervened, blurring next to her before tackling her to the side.

Rin gasped as the two crashed in a puddle. She blinked and regained her bearings, locking onto the person who stood between her and the impending force: it was a boy with curly brown hair and the eyes of a man who's seen his fair share of turmoil.

"Oh, now isn't this a surprise," Kisame sneered with a grin.

"A surprise indeed," Kakuzu remarked upon seeing his very threads had also been cut.

It was Arthur who had saved her, and Rin couldn't recognize him; this was her first time seeing him in his real form. But something about his eyes. They strongly resembled the person she thought it was.

"My lo—" she started, but before she could finish her gratitude, Arthur dropped a smoke bomb, causing a cloud to form in their surroundings. Then he activated the Flying raijin technique, whisking her away from the battlefield.

The moment she vanished, a sinister presence emerged from the smoke behind him. Hidan materialized, his weapon already arcing toward Arthur's neck. "Gotcha!" But Arthur backflipped over the swing, narrowly avoiding the strike.

As he landed with finesse on a rocky ledge, his body screamed in protest, causing him to take a knee. Mixed with the cough came grains of sand from his throat, showering Hidan's face.

"What's the big idea spitting…!" Hidan snapped as he rubbed his forehead, only to pause upon seeing what it was. "Sand?"

Little did they know, Arthur was still recovering from the ordeal with Gaara. His body was on the verge of collapse. The sand was a telltale sign of his condition.

What made it worse was that it was so bad that he couldn't even perform the basic Transformation technique before he came to save Rin. That brief use of the Flying raijin technique had drained him considerably, to the point that he couldn't perform it well enough to teleport both of them.

Pain leaned forward after scanning Arthur with his Rinnegan.

"Looks like our friend here's suffering from some illness," he calmly remarked.

Leave it to Pain to see right through him. Such was the power of the Rinnegan, and it was Arthur's first time seeing both it and Nagato via Yahiko's corpse.

The Akatsuki leader had distinctive short spiky orange hair, multiple facial piercings, and a pallid complexion—exactly as Arthur remembered.

Arthur recalled the story of Nagato, a figure who had received his eyes secretly from Madara Uchiha during his childhood. Being a descendant of the Uzumaki clan allowed him to perfect the immense power of the Rinnegan without the drawbacks typically associated with it.

This exceptional resilience contributed to his reputation, earning him the title of "Third Six Paths," placing him alongside legendary figures like Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki and Madara Uchiha.

And what made Nagato so powerful was the "Six Paths Techniques," which let him control six distinct corpses linked to the numerous powers. The Deva Path allowed him to manipulate gravitational forces, while the Animal Path summoned various creatures to aid him. Other paths, like the Preta and Human Paths, granted him the power to absorb chakra and manipulate souls, respectively. Additionally, the Asura Path let him augment his combat prowess with mechanical enhancements, and the Naraka Path allowed for resurrection through a summoned devilish entity.

That innovative approach rendered him a near-unbeatable adversary, of which everyone would say he was the strongest ninja in this era.

Arthur feigned coolness under pressure but felt his body waning hard.

"What do you see, Itachi?" Pain asked, turning to his stoic teammate.

"It's odd," Itachi replied with his pre-activated Sharingan. "But that's definitely the same person who Kisame and I fought back in the Water Country; they have similar chakra signatures."

Now this was bad. His identity was in jeopardy, and being recognized wasn't just a concern—it was a liability. He knew the risks of entering this village, yet the thought of Rin being captured was imperative enough to override his sense of self-preservation.

"Are you sure you wanna recruit this guy?" Kakuzu interjected, narrowing his eyes at Arthur.

"Last I heard," Konan continued from above, "he attacked the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki again."

Arthur coughed, trying to keep his mind steady. The Akatsuki's reputation for intelligence gathering was terrifyingly efficient. His past encounters were catching up to him, and under these conditions, there was no escape.

The coughing returned again, this time with more blood and sand. He put effort in by pushing the pain to the back of his mind. Then, with confidence, he finally cocked his head back and spoke.

"Why don't all of you attack me at once and see what happens?"

Deidara offered a whistle, feeling genuinely impressed. He could hate Arthur for his audacity or fully appreciate the guts it took, and for a moment, he was torn.

"Don't mind if we do!" Sasori declared with a deep voice.

Raising his hand, Pain needed only to say one word: "Disperse…" And in that moment, all the Akatsuki members launched into action.