Looking at Tsunade, who was getting more and more excited, Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. "The enemy... you really didn't kill him?"
"Of course not!" Tsunade stopped speaking, staring at Hiruzen Sarutobi in disbelief. "Old man, don't you believe that Ren is that strong?"
"He's an Anbu ninja. Are you telling me you still don't know his strength? You still have to ask me such a question?"
"He has never displayed such strength before," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, shaking his head and taking a long breath. "This time the opponent was Kakuzu..."
"A man of the same era as the First Hokage, though not as strong as the First, he is still..."
Kakuzu. When Hiruzen Sarutobi was still a mere boy, Kakuzu was already a renowned figure. He had lived for so many years... possessed five hearts... In addition to the secret treasure of Takigakure... To be honest, Hiruzen Sarutobi himself, facing Kakuzu, wouldn't dare claim a guaranteed victory, even as the Hokage!
But Ren had brought back Kakuzu's head from this mission?! This truly exceeded his previous estimates of the boy's strength! Even after Ren had just reported the specific details of the incident, Hiruzen still found it hard to believe.
"Tsunade, are you sure you didn't help Ren deal with Kakuzu together?"
"Where would I have been free? You know my current situation, and you know why I left Konoha in the first place. When Ren was fighting Kakuzu, I was facing Kakuzu's comrade. That was a monster that wouldn't die even if its head was cut off! I could barely protect myself!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
'Ren,' Hiruzen thought. 'This kid...'
Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could ponder further, Tsunade on the side grew impatient. Known as Konoha's Princess, although she had been away from Konoha for many years, this was still the Konoha she was familiar with. That's why her princess-like temper flared immediately.
"Hey, old man!"
"Ren has done a great job this time; you can't play any dirty tricks on him!"
"For such a talented person, even if you don't treat him as the Hokage's successor, he should at least be promoted!"
"Anbu Captain... tsk!" Tsunade smacked her lips in disgust. This position was a piece of garbage; when trouble came, didn't they still have to rush in like cannon fodder?
Tsunade had received the Tracking Bow from Ren earlier and liked the ninja tool very much. Tsunade owed the kid a favor. And Tsunade liked the way the kid behaved. At first glance, he was a very smart kid, and his strength was quite good. So Tsunade brought it up at this time.
"What are you thinking? How could I plot against Konoha's own people?"
"As Hokage, you have to be suspicious of everyone..."
"But you are so optimistic about Ren. Very well then, I won't test his loyalty." Immediately, Hiruzen Sarutobi grinned. "Let's not talk about the successor of the Hokage."
"But promotion..."
"Hmm."
"Ren has indeed made a great contribution this time, and he truly deserves a promotion."
There was also something Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say, due to a lack of information. According to Ren and Tsunade, the two opponents both wore uniforms and cloaks with red cloud patterns on a black background, and they seemed to be part of the same organization. An unknown force! Five hearts, beheaded yet not dead... a very strange force! And this force could even absorb people like Kakuzu... This force should not be underestimated! It seemed more people needed to be sent to gather information.
---
Amegakure (Rain Country), Akatsuki Organization Base
Yahiko, controlled by Nagato Uzumaki, stared with his awe-inspiring Rinnegan at Hidan's head, which had been brought back. His voice was low.
"Black Death God..."
"Konoha truly cannot be underestimated."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Beside Yahiko, sheets of white paper gathered together, forming the beautiful figure of Konan.
Konan: "Pain, what do you want to do?"
"Does that even need to be said?"
"The Akatsuki organization has not yet officially begun its operations, and some companions have already been killed..."
"If we don't deal with the people who killed our companions, how can we, who have not taken action so far, make the members of the Akatsuki organization feel at ease?"
"Konan, go collect information on this Black Death God, and let me know as soon as you have any news!"
"Understood." Konan replied coldly, then turned into scraps of paper and flew away.
"Konoha... Black Death God..." In the dark, a masked man muttered these words in a low voice, then tilted his head, as if deep in thought.
"You..."
On the ground of the Akatsuki hideout, Yahiko (Pain) looked at Hidan, who was just a head, and didn't know what to say for a while. He sighed. "Can you recover by yourself?"
Kakuzu was dead, and there was no one who could help Hidan reattach his body...
"This..."
"No, I cannot." Hidan, only a head, was also extremely depressed.
The Akatsuki organization's base was silent. Silence reigned tonight.
Even with the Rinnegan, Yahiko (Pain) couldn't restore Hidan's body like Kakuzu could... The Rinnegan wasn't omnipotent! The Rinnegan did possess a very extraordinary technique... The Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique (Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life). This was a powerful forbidden technique that could revive the dead, even those who had been reduced to dust, but the price was that the life of the user would be absorbed! For Hidan... Pain—no, Nagato Uzumaki—would definitely not use such a technique. And... it was embarrassing to use it. The Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique was the art of bringing the dead back to life. Although Hidan only had a head... he was still alive! The Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique wouldn't work for a special case like Hidan!
"Let me try!" At this moment, Obito walked out, wearing his mask, his voice low. "I have a way to get him back."
Hidan, who only had his head left, was surprised when he saw the person. "Tobi?!"
Yahiko (Pain) was silent for a while, then introduced him to Hidan. "Tobi is just his pseudonym."
"His true identity is Uchiha Madara!"
"Hidan, Madara's identity is only known to me, and now there's one more, you..." After a pause, Yahiko (Pain) continued, "Don't let me hear rumors about Uchiha Madara talking outside!"
Hidan, with only his head, could still make a normal expression. His mouth dropped open in shock at this news. His entire self—no, his entire head—was stunned.
"Madara... Madara... Madara?!"
'Uchiha Madara?!' Hidan had been brought into the pit by Yahiko... To be precise, he had been brought into the pit by Nagato Uzumaki. He truly believed that Obito Uchiha, who was wearing a mask before him, was Uchiha Madara!
"Don't worry, I won't talk nonsense!" Recalling Yahiko's (Pain's) last threatening remark, Hidan responded immediately. He was immortal... but he was also afraid of Pain! Pain's eyes were the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. There were ancient rumors that the Sage of Six Paths possessed a sealing technique to create the moon with a mere raise of his hand... Hidan was afraid that Pain would take him and turn him into a small moon!
Obito Uchiha, pretending to be Madara, approached Hidan's head. He walked around Hidan's head a few times, then lifted Hidan's head. "I'll take Hidan with me!"
"Go." Pain, pretending to be Yahiko, using Yahiko's corpse as his body, responded to Obito Uchiha, who was wearing a mask and pretending to be Uchiha Madara.
"Ah... that's right!" Obito Uchiha stopped. "I heard a very interesting thing from you just now."
"Black Death God... Konoha..."
"The Akatsuki organization cannot be exposed at this stage, so leave this to me too!"
Pain frowned. 'Uchiha Madara... Even Uchiha Madara can't make people die silently anymore, can he?' Nagato Uzumaki still believed Obito Uchiha was Uchiha Madara.
Watching Pain pause, a dull sound escaped his mouth. Obito Uchiha saw through Pain's thoughts. Nagato Uzumaki, who had been consumed by the death of his comrade, naturally couldn't bear to see his companions in the Akatsuki organization he created without success.
Obito said: "I don't need to step in myself!"
"Did you forget that there's a partner in Konoha who worked with us a few years ago?"
"Let him help out!"