Amegakure Village.
Saitama lay on the bed, lazily stretching his arms.
On the large wooden bed that could fit several people, Saitama lay diagonally across it, completely alone.
After completing that day's sealing ritual, Saitama had returned here directly and immediately fell asleep.
Fighting Danzo, battling Roshi, then nonstop sealing work day and night.
Even a steel statue would start to feel weariness.
And Saitama wasn't some iron-clad hero, just a nobody who happened to have Hashirama's cells.
Of course, Saitama technically didn't need rest — but as a frontline ninja who knew how to take care of himself, he still chose to play it safe.
"Now that the Four-Tails has been sealed, it's time to move forward with our follow-up plans."
"But considering most remaining Tailed Beasts are inside hidden villages, initiating captures will inevitably draw attention from the major ninja villages!"
Saitama slowly sat up. He had the habit of sleeping in the nude, wearing nothing but his underwear underneath.
This didn't mean Saitama lacked vigilance — perhaps it was just pure confidence?
After all, this was Akatsuki's headquarters. Nagato and Konan were watching overhead, while Zetsu patrolled below. Unless a few of the Five Great Ninja Villages launched a joint attack, this place wouldn't fall easily.
"If things go smoothly, we can capture the Tailed Beasts before other villages prepare themselves — probably starting with the One-Tail and Seven-Tails. We still lack full intel on the Six-Tails; we're not even sure if it truly abandoned its village."
"Sunagakure Village's current strength is weak, same with Takigakure Village. Except for terrain advantages, there's practically no one capable of resisting us!"
"Send Sasori after Sunagakure and Kakuzu after Takigakure. Both conveniently defected from their original villages, so they should have sufficient intel on their former homes."
"As for the remaining Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Five-Tails, and the uncertain Six-Tails, we'll make arrangements gradually!"
Walking toward the window, sunlight poured in, striking his chest. His toned chest shimmered under the sunlight like a sculptor's masterpiece… or so you'd think!
Though Saitama had muscles, they weren't exaggeratedly prominent — smooth streamline patterns without looking bulky.
Today was Sunday, Amegakure's only day each week when it wouldn't rain unless something special occurred.
Looking outside through the window, Saitama could see many market-goers crowding the streets.
Though not as bustling as Konoha, Amegakure had seen a drastic reduction in factional conflicts since Akatsuki took over.
Even common civilians wouldn't starve anymore.
Various industries began thriving. Although Nagato hadn't planned to open the village outward yet, he didn't object to villagers going out themselves.
Therefore, many people brought cool new stuff from outside into the village and made decent profits off it.
No one tried stopping such activities, since keeping contact with the outside world was necessary for village development.
Personal gains like these weren't even worth mentioning!
Nagato wanted me to stop by earlier. Since I've got nothing better to do now, I'll just head over.
Saitama watched the scene outside for a while and felt his condition had returned to peak performance. After casually stretching his limbs, he began getting dressed to go find Nagato.
He'd been asleep all day. To be honest, he was kind of starving now.
While pulling on his clothes, he grabbed milk and bread from the refrigerator pressed tightly against the wall.
They were standard perks of being in Akatsuki—an attendant would come in after asking permission and restock the snacks regularly.
With a long piece of bread hanging from his mouth, he placed a can of milk on the nearby table. Chewing slowly and savoring every bite, he pulled out a set of close-fitting battle gear from the wardrobe.
This combat uniform was custom-made by tailors based exactly on Saitama's specifications regarding proportions and materials.
There were two color options: pitch black and dark green.
Made of special fabric, this suit fit snugly yet allowed easy movement during combat.
Additionally, it offered some defense—but only against normal human attacks.
Also, to prevent others from mistaking him for Guy, the so-called "Youthful Beast," Saitama specifically requested the tailor to make this protective outfit in two separate pieces—a top and trousers—instead of a jumpsuit.
After dressing in his battle gear and putting on an ordinary pair of dark pants, Saitama finished his meal, solving his hunger problem.
Puffing out a breath, he pulled a black cloak bearing red clouds from another section of the wardrobe, shaking it open before slipping into it.
Click! He hooked a blade onto his waist and fastened the buttons.
"Perfect!" Smiling at his reflection in the glass, Saitama pinched his cheeks lightly to make his expression seem less stiff and cold.
You only get one shot at making a first impression—even among ninjas, Saitama believed that rule held true.
...
Pain stood atop a wooden beam protruding outside the window, legs still, hands raised high above his head as if connecting with the divine to understand all living beings.
Konan stood behind him. The room wasn't brightly lit; sunlight only reached half her face, disappearing just near the bridge of her nose.
Observing Pain's actions, she remained silent, maintaining quiet like a guardian angel.
Her blue hair was neatly tied back in a strict bun, with a white rose pinned atop.
Konan had grown colder and more reserved lately, her expression blank like a statue.
The door didn't open, but within a second, Konan directly turned her head toward that direction.
Meanwhile, standing on the slender pole, Pain's Rinnegan eyes glanced over there too.
Creak!
The massive door creaked open as a tall figure strode in.
Smiling gently, Saitama first nodded toward Konan before moving beside her and turning toward Pain.
Ever since Akatsuki erased every trace of Hanzo, this highest-level chamber rarely saw visitors.
Konan was one exception. Saitama was another.
"Leader, Konan." Squinting as he looked at Pain, he noticed Nagato's absence—evidently, the other party had already begun being cautious around him.
"You did well handling the Four-Tails situation," Pain said, turning around completely. Rings shimmered faintly in his pale blue irises, exuding authority not to be trifled with.
"A minor matter. Our goals align, so these things don't really matter."
Saitama suppressed his smile. He realized he just couldn't pull off that cool-and-casual vibe. Being genuine wasn't necessarily a bad thing either.
Pain didn't respond, fixing Saitama with a blank, unblinking stare.
Saitama remained unfazed, meeting those sage-like eyes head-on. His own gaze was calm and clear, showing no trace of fear.
"Hehe…" A faint smile flickered across Pain's face, making Saitama briefly wonder if Pain was even capable of smiling.
"Konan, you may leave first," Pain said, looking past Saitama.
Upon hearing this, Konan didn't object. She glanced at the composed Saitama and immediately turned to leave, her movements swift and decisive.
Now alone in the room, Saitama and Pain locked eyes in prolonged silence, the atmosphere thick and still.
"This place is quiet enough. We can talk now..."
Pain took several steps forward until he stood directly before Saitama.
Their heights were nearly equal, though Saitama appeared slightly taller.
They stared into each other's eyes intensely, while dim flickers of firelight shimmered in the air.
...
In Konoha Village, inside the Hokage Building.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy, nobody speaking first.
The Third sat at the head of the table, flanked by Koharu Utatane on his left and Homura Mitokado on his right.
All three bore solemn expressions, their brows deeply furrowed.
On the opposite side sat Minato Namikaze and Shikaku, and even the normally amiable Minato wore a tense look this time.
With a clatter, the Third set down his pipe, slowly exhaling a puff of white smoke.
Even Koharu—who had always strongly objected to his smoking—remained silent this time.
"Let's hear the details," Minato finally spoke up. As the current Hokage, it was his duty to break the stalemate.
"Erm… Here's what happened…" Shikaku cleared his throat under Minato's encouraging gaze, then began recounting all the intelligence he had gathered.
Yesterday, members from Anbu collected information from Root.
At present, Root had been severely weakened, especially since Danzo—their central pillar—had already died outside and gone to join the Sage of Six Paths in death.
"You're saying Danzo already knew who he'd be facing this time?"
Koharu asked, frowning in confusion.
"That's correct. This time, Danzo brought every elite ninja when he left the village, including twenty-three Jonin and twelve Chunin."
"These constituted virtually all of Root's upper echelons. Those remaining at headquarters were mostly civilians handling paperwork and newly recruited Genin."
Shikaku nodded and relayed all the information he had.
"Now tell us what we've found out about the enemy."
Homura adjusted his glasses, then ran a hand through his graying hair.
"Although the scene suffered heavy damage, our Reconnaissance Squad was still able to piece together part of what happened."
"There was only one enemy fighting Elder Danzo, and that opponent specialized in [Lightning Release]."
At this point, Shikaku paused briefly, because the identity of this enemy did seem quite familiar.
The mysterious enemy who appeared on the night Kushina gave birth also fits this description.
"Still no sign of a ninja fitting this description? What are your thoughts, Shikaku?"
Sarutobi's face remained grim. He had worn the same dark expression since returning to the village that day.
"No clues yet. I need more evidence to confirm my suspicions!"
"This enemy seems to hold a longstanding grudge against Danzo. Intelligence from Root supports this."
"I heard this intelligence came from Orochimaru himself?"
Koharu Utatane lowered her head slightly, eyes half-closed. She had a naturally sensitive heart, being a woman.
While she and Danzo had never gotten along in life, witnessing his mysterious death stirred something deep within her. Recalling all those years they had shared through thick and thin, she couldn't help but feel a deep tremble in her chest.
"Minato, what do you think?" Sarutobi now turned his questioning gaze toward Minato Namikaze. A thin stream of smoke curled from the corner of his lips, twisting like a pair of coiled white serpents.
Upon hearing Sarutobi's words, Minato Namikaze did not immediately respond. Instead, he pressed both hands together and rested his chin upon them.
"The intelligence gathered by Shikaku closely resembles the enemy I encountered before. It could be the same person."
"I believe I might already have a rough idea of who this person is."
After a pause, he raised his head and spoke.
"Who is it!" Sarutobi fixed his gaze on Minato, removing the pipe from his mouth.
"I still need more information. Revealing my speculation now would serve little purpose."
Minato answered—not because he didn't want to speak, but because even he considered his theory somewhat incredible. All these deductions were based on the earlier analysis Shikaku had shared with him.
"Then let's move on to the other scene. The two locations were very close, and the Reconnaissance Squad determined the battles occurred nearly simultaneously."
Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at Minato's explanation but let it drop. Sitting beside him, Koharu and Mitokado Homura seemed to want to say something, but held back instead.
Minato had been Hokage for quite some time now. He was no longer the rookie leader they used to push around in the early days.
"It's highly likely that whoever killed Danzo was the same one who fought Roshi."
"According to a villager's account, Roshi was apparently defeated—and taken away!"
"Have we notified Iwagakure?" Sensing the gravity of the situation, Sarutobi shifted focus away from the enemy's identity.
Roshi wasn't just any ordinary ninja—he was the Jinchuriki of Iwagakure.
Although he hadn't seen eye to eye with the Tsuchikage and hadn't returned to the village in years, everyone throughout the shinobi world knew that behind Roshi stood an entire village.
"We've already sent word via Ninja Pigeon." Shikaku nodded. Upon receiving intelligence suggesting Roshi may have been captured, he and Minato discussed it immediately and swiftly relayed the report directly to the old Tsuchikage.
"Hmph," Sarutobi nodded quietly without speaking further. At first, he thought this matter involved only Danzo, but now it seems the Tailed Beasts are involved as well.
"Minato, I heard you have several Anbu squads belonging to the Uchiha clan under your command?"
The meeting room fell silent for a long moment. Then Sarutobi took another long puff from his pipe and finally spoke up.
"That's correct."
Minato Namikaze paused for a moment and answered truthfully. There was no need to hide this matter. Back then, when he recruited Uchiha ninja into his ANBU team, he hadn't employed any underhanded tactics.
He had simply used completely straightforward methods.
"Then we'll go with that. If there's new intelligence, be sure to inform us!"
The Third stood up directly. The other two exchanged glances before following him.
Before stepping out the door, The Third turned back and stared at Minato Namikaze, looking deeply into him with complicated eyes.
Minato was no longer the rookie Hokage who needed this old man's intervention in everything he did. Now, he had grown more steady and mature, carefully considering every action he took.
"Shikaku, could it really be him?" After the others left, Minato gazed blankly at the table.
"I hope both my thoughts and your deduction are wrong, Minato," Shikaku replied. His face looked unwell, his lips somewhat pale.
"You should rest first. You've worked hard these past few days."
Minato turned his head slightly, speaking toward Shikaku while displaying his signature smile.
"Sure thing. You should also return early. It's getting late. If you get home too late, your wife will get angry again."
Shikaku pushed his chair back, got up, and left, reminding Minato even as he departed.
The entire meeting room was now empty except for Minato Namikaze. Outside the window, evening glow poured in through the narrow opening, illuminating Minato's back and casting a thoughtful shadow onto the floor.
In his mind, all the details of that night's battle flashed by.
Even though so much time had passed, Minato would never forget.
[Lightning Release], [Sharingan], [Swordsmanship]!
[And Danzo's Death]!
Everything gradually connected in Minato's mind.
His hands, resting beneath his chin, clenched tighter, his knuckles whitening under the pressure.
"Saitama Uchiha, is it really you!?"
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