A special thank you to my patrons:
—Cain, Shahzaam, Varun Madhu, Mp Gaming, Gonzalo Sumalavia, kevin Williams, Jose Carrillo, ZaberZ, Jose Sierra, Salim, Silver, ManyEB, Александр Радняный, John Doe, Kyle Bates, Acedia.
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hidan made the first move, raising his scythe and swinging it at Kakuzu.
Kakuzu dodged it with ease.
Kagaya and Konan jumped onto a tree branch, quietly observing the battle between the two below.
"Who do you think will win?"
Konan suddenly spoke, asking Kagaya.
Kagaya watched the fight below, remained silent for a moment, then spoke.
"In the short term, there probably won't be a clear winner. That is, if that guy is truly immortal."
Konan looked at Kagaya, her tone seemingly hinting at something.
"After recruiting him into the organization, he will become Kakuzu's partner."
Kagaya nodded, speaking without surprise.
"Of course. Their abilities are quite compatible."
Konan continued watching the battle below. "If he joins the organization, then we will be at full membership."
Kagaya realized something and looked at Konan. "What are you implying?"
Konan spoke expressionlessly.
"You might be left without a partner, becoming the only one in the Akatsuki who operates alone."
Kagaya raised an eyebrow. "Solo operations offer no benefit to the organization. I believe the Leader would not agree to such an arrangement."
Konan tilted her head slightly.
"The Leader has agreed."
Kagaya instinctively frowned. The Akatsuki's two-person team model existed not only for mutual support but also for mutual supervision, to prevent the leakage of organizational secrets. Now, Pain was agreeing to let him operate alone? What was the purpose?
Was it trust? Impossible. What relationship did Kagaya and Pain share that warranted such trust? If Pain allowed Konan to operate alone, Kagaya wouldn't find it strange in the slightest, because Konan was undoubtedly someone Pain could trust completely.
But was he? Was Uchiha Kagaya? No.
"Having an extra member is better than having one less. I hope the Leader will reconsider and assign me a partner."
Solo operation was too conspicuous, and Kagaya couldn't figure out Pain's intentions. If possible, he'd rather have a partner for safety.
"The Leader has already decided. After that immortal individual joins the organization, you will operate with Haku. However, because Haku is a trainee and cannot be counted as a full member, you will be officially designated as operating alone. But in practice, you will still be a team of two."
Konan answered Kagaya calmly.
Kagaya fell silent for a moment. Pain's decision had been made. It seemed that whatever Pain planned for him, he had no choice but to accept it.
Solo operations... this was a hot potato.
As the saying goes, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down." And now, Kagaya had been lifted up by Pain, becoming the "nail that sticks out" within the Akatsuki.
Standing on the branch, neither Konan nor Kagaya spoke further, quietly watching the battle between Kakuzu and Hidan below.
Kagaya's mind raced furiously.
'Solo operations? Solo operations?! Why? It didn't make sense. Allowing someone to operate alone either indicated extreme trust, or an intention to move against that person, or...'
Considering the first option: the rulers of the Akatsuki—whether Nagato or Obito—could not possibly have extreme trust in Kagaya. Now the second option: Obito had just made a move against Kagaya not long ago. The probability of him moving against Kagaya again so soon was very low. After all, Obito had personally experienced Kagaya's speed through the Fourth Mizukage. At that speed, no one currently in the Akatsuki could restrain Kagaya, unless the Deva Path himself took action.
But for the Leader to personally move against a member who hadn't defected... that was utterly unreasonable. Doing so could even risk the collapse of the Akatsuki. Therefore, Kagaya also dismissed the second possibility.
Currently, the probability of either Pain or Obito taking action against him was extremely small.
That left the third, and most likely, probability.
'They want me to carry out some unsavory tasks, and they are confident that I would be very willing to undertake those tasks. Thus, the reason for allowing me to operate alone emerges.'
So, what task did Pain and the others want Kagaya to perform? Or rather, what kind of task was both unsavory and something Kagaya would be particularly eager to do?
What was it?
What was it?
It was Konoha...
Yes! Konoha! Only matters related to Konoha would Kagaya be enthusiastic about. For example, assassinating Danzō. Most others would be unwilling to take on such a task, as Danzō was a ruthless man known as the "Darkness of the Shinobi World," and he was within the Number One Shinobi Village—Konoha. Who would dare to casually attempt his assassination?
But if the task were given to Kagaya, he would absolutely be excited to plan how to kill Danzō.
Therefore, only concerning Konoha could there be tasks that others were unwilling to do, but which Kagaya would readily accept.
However, as for the specifics, Kagaya had no way of knowing. He wasn't a god; he couldn't know everything. He had done his best to deduce this far.
In any case, since Pain had already decided he would operate alone, then presumably, a mission from Pain would arrive soon.
Meanwhile, in the battle below, Hidan had managed to acquire some of Kakuzu's blood. He pulled out a black long rod and stabbed it fiercely into his own heart.
"Die!"
Kakuzu's eyes widened abruptly. Then, the Akatsuki cloak on his back trembled violently. A few seconds later, a masked black monster broke free from his back and slowly dissipated.
Kakuzu had lost one of his hearts to Hidan's technique.
Hidan exclaimed in surprise.
"Eh? Why aren't you dead?"
Kakuzu straightened up, glaring at Hidan.
"You bastard... I'll kill you!"
Hidan grinned.
"You can't do it!"
In the tree, Konan looked at Kagaya.
"You stop that immortal one. I'll stop Kakuzu."
Kagaya nodded.
In the next instant, before Hidan could even react, he was sent flying by a powerful kick, forced away from the pattern he had drawn on the ground.
However, just before being kicked away, the sensation of the impact was transmitted to Kakuzu as well.
Kakuzu grunted. He seemed to have understood Hidan's ability. He looked at Kagaya.
"You...!"
Kagaya's expression remained unchanged. "Do you need a kick too?"
Kakuzu's eyes darkened.
"Try it!"
Konan appeared in front of Kakuzu.
"That's enough, Kakuzu."
"Hmph."
Faced with Konan's intervention, Kakuzu ultimately did not force the issue. He snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Next came Konan's attempt to persuade Hidan.
"Don't be ridiculous, I refuse! I don't know anything about this 'Akatsuki'. My mission is to spread the teachings of the Jashin Cult."
Hidan flatly refused Konan's invitation.
"Even to fulfill your mission, you should join the Akatsuki."
Konan continued.
Hidan asked, puzzled.
"Why?"
Konan spoke.
"Because the Akatsuki is a killing group that will do anything. For instance, we undertake assassinations and incite wars."
Hidan's brows gradually relaxed. He seemed somewhat interested.
Some time later, at a certain location, the full Akatsuki membership assembled once again.
Hidan scratched a line through his forehead protector and donned the Akatsuki cloak.
"I'll still continue spreading the teachings of the Jashin Cult as usual."
Pain replied indifferently.
"As you wish."
As he spoke, he handed a ring marked with the character "Three" to Hidan.