Shadows of the Akatsuki

With Itachi's personal matters temporarily settled—though Sasuke was still seething—the group moved to the Hokage Tower's conference room. Every influential figure in Konoha had gathered.

The air in the conference room of the Hokage Building was thick with tension. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows over the gathered figures, some living, some resurrected, but all carrying the weight of history on their shoulders. Souta Kazuki stood to the side, arms crossed, his sharp gaze fixed on Uchiha Itachi as the latter continued his report.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat stiffly, his old hands folded before him, narrowing his eyes, deep in thought. It had been a long time since he had been involved in such a meeting, and the resurgence of these legendary figures—Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara, and others—only made the weight of the situation more surreal.

Uchiha Itachi, his expression calm but his voice steady, continued, "In short, the Akatsuki organization is a formidable force. Every member is an S-rank rogue ninja from their respective villages, highly skilled and extremely dangerous. Among them are Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara of Iwagakure, the Red Sand Scorpion from Sunagakure, Hidan of Jashinism, and Kakuzu of Takigakure. Their abilities are nothing to scoff at, but their real danger lies in their goals."

At this, Sarutobi exhaled heavily. "A gathering of powerful criminals... This is worse than I feared."

But Itachi wasn't finished. His voice lowered, almost cautious. "Then, there's the leader of the Akatsuki—Pain. He is an enigma, but what I can confirm is that he possesses the Rinnegan."

A silence fell over the room. Even for the resurrected legends, the mention of the Rinnegan was no small matter.

Souta's expression darkened. The Rinnegan—the fabled eyes of the Sage of Six Paths—was something that should not exist in this world so easily.

Itachi nodded. "Yes. But that's not all. The supposed 'leader' of the Akatsuki, Pain, doesn't feel like a normal human. He acts like a puppet, controlled by someone unseen. And…" Itachi hesitated, his eyes shifting toward Uchiha Madara before continuing. "There is another figure within the organization. A man who claims to be you, Uchiha Madara."

Madara, who had been silent until now, let out a low chuckle. His crimson Sharingan gleamed in the dim light. "Someone is using my name?"

Itachi inclined his head. "Yes. He wears a mask, revealing only a single Mangekyō Sharingan. He was present during the Uchiha Clan's massacre, assisting me… but his true identity remains unknown."

Souta frowned. "A pretender. That could mean he's trying to manipulate events from the shadows."

"It gets stranger," Itachi admitted. "After joining the Akatsuki, he changed his persona, calling himself 'Tobi' .' His behavior became erratic, almost as if he had two personalities. But one thing is clear—he is Uchiha, without a doubt."

A deep, brooding silence followed.

Then, a quiet voice broke the stillness. "It's Obito," Minato Namikaze said.

All eyes turned to him. His expression was unreadable, but the cold rage simmering beneath his blue eyes was unmistakable. "My student. The one I thought had died that day… he's alive."

Hiruzen exchanged glances. "Obito? The boy who was with Kakashi?"

"Yes," Minato confirmed. "And if he's the one behind the mask, that means he's the true mastermind behind the Akatsuki's movements."

The revelation hit like a hammer. To think that a once-promising Konoha shinobi had become such a significant enemy… it was a bitter pill to swallow.

Madara chuckled once more, the amusement not reaching his eyes. "If he truly is Uchiha, then perhaps he found that tablet in our clan's sanctuary. The one that speaks of the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan and the path to the Rinnegan."

At this, Hashirama's eyes hardened. "So this is how it all connects…"

Madara leaned forward, placing his hands on the table. "Listen well. That boy, Obito, is merely another pawn. The real manipulator… is something much older and darker than any of us."

Souta narrowed his eyes. "You're talking about Black Zetsu."

A slow nod. "Yes. That creature has existed in the shadows for centuries. It whispers to the Uchiha, feeding them lies and hatred, all to serve a hidden purpose. It was the one who led me down my path, making me believe I was fulfilling the will of our ancestors. But in truth… I was merely a tool."

Jiraiya, who had remained tense through most of the meeting, suddenly paled. He looked at Itachi. "Tell me more about this 'Pain' and the Angel. Their appearance."

Itachi recounted the details. The moment Jiraiya heard the descriptions, he trembled. His fists clenched as he whispered, "Nagato… and Konan…!"

Orochimaru, who had been listening with a smirk, raised an eyebrow. "Well, well… It seems we're dealing with a ghost from your past, Jiraiya."

Bang!

Tsunade's fist slammed down on Jiraiya's head with a force that sent cracks through the ground beneath him. The legendary Sannin groaned in pain, rubbing the growing lump with an exaggerated wince.

"Hey! I said you're an idiot! If you have something to say, say it already! What the hell are you getting all worked up about?!" Tsunade's sharp golden eyes glared at him, fists still clenched. "Don't tell me you actually know the leader of the Akatsuki organization?! That would make you an even bigger idiot than I thought!"

Jiraiya sighed, rubbing his head. His usually carefree expression darkened as his mind churned with thoughts of the past.

Before he could answer, Orochimaru let out a sinister chuckle, his serpentine tongue flicking out as he wiped his face in an oddly unsettling manner. "Hahahaha... now this is interesting..."

Tsunade frowned, turning her glare toward Orochimaru. "And what about you?! Why are you acting all amused? You and Jiraiya really are two of a kind!"

Jiraiya, still nursing his bruised skull, widened his eyes in horror. "Tsunade... that's just cruel!"

Orochimaru, on the other hand, had an unreadable expression. A faint shade of red appeared on his pale face before he quickly cooled himself down—by licking his own face.

Then, as if recalling something crucial, his expression turned serious. "Tsunade, perhaps you don't remember, but there was a mission in Amegakure years ago. Do you recall the three orphans we encountered?" His voice carried an eerie, nostalgic weight.

Tsunade's brows furrowed. "Orphans?"

Jiraiya's heart clenched. He knew exactly what Orochimaru was referring to.

Orochimaru continued, "At the time, I suggested eliminating them to prevent future threats. But Jiraiya, in his usual naive nature, disagreed. Instead, he took them in and trained them in ninjutsu... Hahahaha... And now, if Uchiha Itachi's words are true, then the leader of Akatsuki is none other than one of those three brats. Interesting, isn't it?"

The room fell into stunned silence.

Tsunade's expression was one of pure disbelief. "Are you telling me that Jiraiya's students—orphans—became the leaders of a terrorist organization?!"

Jiraiya let out a bitter chuckle, nodding. "That's right… Uchiha Itachi mentioned the the description of the leader. It is similar to a boy I once knew named 'Nagato.' That was one of the three kids. Now, everything makes sense. But I never expected… that the children I once taught would become the ones leading an organization that threatens the entire world." His hands clenched into fists. "What happened to them...? And Pain… Yahiko… Did something happen to that kid?"

Souta Kazuki observed the scene, feeling a mix of intrigue and exasperation. These revelations were coming one after another, and it seemed that no one had fully grasped the true scale of what was unfolding.

And then, there was Black Zetsu.

Souta took a deep breath before addressing the room. "You're all caught up in this Akatsuki situation, but the bigger problem isn't just them. It's something far worse. The entire conflict in the ninja world… the clan rivalries… the wars… everything has been manipulated by one entity from the shadows. And that entity is Black Zetsu."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Jiraiya turned to him sharply. "What are you talking about?"

Souta crossed his arms, his voice unwavering. "Madara was deceived by Black Zetsu. The so-called Eye of the Moon Plan? That was never his plan to begin with. Black Zetsu manipulated everything from the start with one goal—reviving its true master, Kaguya Otsutsuki."

Even Madara Uchiha, who had remained stoic thus far, narrowed his eyes at this claim. "You mean to tell me… that everything I've done, all the sacrifices I made, were just part of some scheme by this… Black Zetsu?"

Souta nodded. "Yes. That stone tablet you read in the Uchiha shrine? It was altered by Black Zetsu. It wanted you to believe the Eye of the Moon Plan was your own ambition. But in reality, it was a trap designed to turn you into a vessel for Kaguya's resurrection."

Madara's hands clenched at his sides. His entire life had been built on the belief that he was the one controlling fate, yet now he was being told he had been a mere pawn? His anger boiled beneath the surface. "Tch… ridiculous."

But Hiruzen, standing quietly in the corner, suddenly spoke. His aged voice carried a weight of wisdom. "If what Souta Kazuki says is true… then the fate of the ninja world is even more fragile than we realized. All this time, we thought our greatest threats were other villages, political struggles, and wars. But if an enemy like the Otsutsuki exists… then we are nothing more than insects on a battlefield far greater than we imagined."

Tsunade crossed her arms, a rare seriousness in her voice. "Otsutsuki... I've read about them in ancient texts. Legends speak of a celestial race that came from beyond the stars. But I never thought they were real... Let alone that one of them was sealed away and still poses a threat to the world."

Souta nodded. "They are not just real, but powerful beyond anything this world has ever seen. The abilities that we treat as legendary are just common traits among their clan. Kaguya herself had both the Byakugan and the Rinne Sharingan."

The sheer weight of this revelation caused everyone to fall silent. Even Uchiha Madara, who had once considered himself the strongest being, found himself questioning everything. His fists clenched tightly, his Sharingan spinning.

"If the Otsutsuki clan is that powerful... then the ninja world as we know it is doomed," Madara muttered darkly.

The room was heavy with tension. A war against the Otsutsuki clan wouldn't be like anything they had faced before. These beings didn't just wage war—they consumed entire worlds.