He rose, standing on his own power, and draped the Akatsuki cloak over his shoulders. He slipped on the 'Rei' ring, the one belonging to the leader of the Akatsuki.
Guided by Konan, Nagato slowly emerged from the dimly lit room. Unlike the others, Nagato didn't appear drastically altered at first glance. The only real change, perhaps, was that he looked… more human.
For Nagato, any further modifications would have been superfluous. Possessing the Rinnegan, he inherently mastered chakra nature transformations for all five basic elements, along with Yin and Yang Release. Combat strength wasn't what Nagato lacked; it was life force. The Rinnegan placed an immense burden on him, leaving his body frail and weak.
Therefore, compared to the others, Nagato didn't require extensive enhancements. What he truly needed was a stronger body and increased vitality. Amado had effortlessly provided both. Now brimming with vibrant life force, Nagato's Uzumaki constitution had been terrifyingly enhanced. This surge of power even seemed to strengthen his Rinnegan.
Nagato surveyed the assembled group. Every single one of them had been granted a new beginning.
Deidara was practically vibrating with excitement. "This! This is truly perfect art! I've finally obtained the power of ultimate art!" He seemed utterly consumed by exhilaration, teetering on the edge of blissful madness.
Seeing his fervor, Nagato offered a faint smile. "It seems you are all quite satisfied with your current transformations."
At Nagato's words, everyone turned to face him. Their expressions held a subtle mix of emotions upon seeing him in person. Hidan and Kakuzu looked particularly confused. "Who the hell is this guy?" They'd never seen him before.
Sasori and Deidara, however, appeared thoughtful. Perhaps they had harbored suspicions all along, lacking only confirmation. Now, their guesses were unequivocally validated. The Pain they knew before wasn't the true leader after all. This man standing before them was the real head of the Akatsuki.
"My name," Nagato announced, "is Uzumaki Nagato. Also known as Pain."
Hidan flinched at the name but, seeing the ring on Nagato's hand, had no choice but to accept it. "Leader, now that we all have this new power, we're itching to test it out! To see what this strength is truly capable of!" Hidan's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Even the usually stoic Sasori seemed unable to remain entirely calm. Empowered by Scientific Ninja Tools, his Puppet Jutsu had been utterly transformed into something new. He too seemed eager to trial his newfound capabilities.
Nagato observed them, then glanced towards Konan. Nearby, Jigen approached.
"The modifications are essentially complete," Jigen stated. "Your people have largely acquired their new abilities." The two organizations were merging. The Akatsuki members had gained new life, but the Kara members were still undergoing their own transformations. After all, integrating Scientific Ninja Tools was one thing; incorporating the forbidden jutsu brought by the Akatsuki was another challenge entirely.
That aspect of the research wasn't progressing as quickly. Amado was still working to comprehend the vast array of forbidden techniques and find ways to replicate their effects through scientific means. This process was proving significantly more complex than augmenting the Akatsuki members.
"Is it time to make our move?" Jigen asked Nagato.
Nagato nodded as if it were obvious. "Of course." A glint entered his eyes. "What's the point of gaining new power if not to make the world feel it? Action is essential."
Turning back to the Akatsuki members, he asked, "Are you ready?"
Diverse, eager smiles spread across their faces as they gazed intently at Nagato.
"Definitely!" they replied in unison. Clearly, this rebirth had left the Akatsuki members desperate to immediately unleash their enhanced strength. They were acutely aware, from the history of this era they'd learned, that the Akatsuki had been destroyed. Each member had heard the details of their own demise, learning exactly who had defeated them.
Of course, none of this had actually happened to them yet. Hearing these accounts felt more like listening to distant stories. But the endings of those stories left them deeply unsatisfied – being picked off one by one, often by mere youngsters. Hidan and Kakuzu were especially incensed; one blown to pieces, the other defeated by an incomplete jutsu. Their expressions had been thunderous when they heard those parts.
"Leader, just say the word!" Hidan urged. "What's our first move?"
Nagato didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned, walked to the side, ascended a short flight of stairs, and stood overlooking them.
"The objective," he declared from his elevated position, "remains unchanged. We still target the Tailed Beasts."
"And for our first mission… let's follow the original script."
"The first target is the One-Tail."
At the mention of the One-Tail, the irrepressible Deidara stepped forward immediately. "So, does that mean the first mission is for me and Sasori, my man, yeah?"
Hidan started to object, but Deidara cut him off sharply. "The same thing won't happen twice. I'd like to see anything kill us this time!"
"Dissatisfied with past events, are we?" Jigen chuckled softly. It seemed this group was quite unhappy with the historical accounts of their deaths. And to vent that frustration, they specifically wanted to replay the original scenario?
Thinking this, Jigen felt obliged to offer a reminder. "Circumstances are different now, you know."
"The Hidden Sand Village currently boasts the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Kazekage, all active."
"Furthermore, the Fifth Kazekage's strength is not to be underestimated."
Three Kage-level shinobi – masters of Iron Sand, Gold Dust, and regular Sand respectively. Going after the One-Tail now… that would be a mission of hellish difficulty.
Yet, not only did Nagato seem completely unfazed, but Deidara and Sasori appeared equally indifferent.
"Perfect," Sasori stated coolly. "I now realize my past creations were flawed. With superior materials…" A glint shone in his eyes. "I can craft far more perfect works of art!" Hearing the Third Kazekage's name didn't bother him in the slightest; after all, he had personally turned the man's corpse into one of his prized puppets. What could a living Third Kazekage possibly do? Plus, adding the Fourth and Fifth to his collection… crafting a Kazekage puppet series sounded quite appealing.
"The Sand Village doesn't just have one Tailed Beast now; there's another one present!" Nagato interjected, cutting Jigen off. "Then capture both of them. Can you handle that?"
Hearing the challenge, Deidara looked down at the new type of explosive clay forming in his hand. He confidently patted his chest.
"Don't worry, Leader…"
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