The Hiruko puppet was shattered by Raiden's punch, its fragments scattering at the courtyard entrance. Meanwhile, Sasori's true body quickly leaped from the wreckage without hesitation, immediately opening a hole in the ground and disappearing into it.
"He runs fast."
Uzumaki Raiden lowered his fist and glanced at the hole, momentarily surprised. He activated Kagura Mind's Eye, instantly detecting Sasori's movements—he had already traveled several hundred meters in just a few seconds.
"Forget it for now. After all, my target isn't Sasori."
Deciding against pursuing him further, Raiden turned toward Orochimaru and walked back into the courtyard.
"Itachi, make tea for your uncle."
Raiden casually gave the order as he entered the tea room. Orochimaru's expression darkened slightly but quickly turned into an amused "hohoho" as he followed behind Raiden with light steps, as if returning to his own home.
Inside the House
Raiden and Orochimaru sat on the tatami floor, while Uchiha Itachi prepared tea for them before silently excusing himself, leaving the two alone.
"Brother, you took such a big risk coming to see me. Is there something important?"
Raiden's expression was calm, unchanged despite Orochimaru's status as a traitor. In Raiden's eyes, Orochimaru was still the same person who had once saved his life—just someone whose vision had become clouded.
"I joined an organization, and the leader has sent me to invite you."
"That's it?"
Orochimaru lounged on the tatami in a relaxed posture, seemingly without any defenses.
"An assignment? Someone can actually command you?"
"It seems there's a force in the ninja world larger than I imagined," Raiden remarked, sipping his tea.
"So now that I've already refused, what are you planning to do, brother?"
Hearing Raiden's words, Orochimaru simply spread his hands with a smirk.
"If you refuse, you refuse. What else is there for me to do?"
He sounded completely indifferent, as if the mission's outcome had nothing to do with him.
Raiden fell silent for a moment, contemplating.
"So Akatsuki is expanding rapidly right now, and they're lacking strong members… but why me?"
As the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, he wasn't exactly a recruitable target. Even attempting to sway him was a massive risk—approaching him directly meant exposing Akatsuki's existence. If the organization's secrecy was compromised, all its operations in the shadows would be dragged into the light.
"Does this mean Akatsuki doesn't care about being exposed?"
"Or… do I have something valuable enough for them to take such a risk?"
"Is it the Tailed Beasts?"
For a moment, Raiden considered the possibility that Orochimaru and Sasori had come to capture the Tailed Beasts—perhaps targeting Rin or even himself. But after some thought, he dismissed the idea.
Now wasn't the ideal time for Akatsuki to start collecting Tailed Beasts.
Besides, from Orochimaru's words and behavior, it was clear that Akatsuki wanted to recruit him, not capture him.
If their primary goal had been to take him away, they wouldn't have given up so easily—and Sasori wouldn't have fled so quickly.
Orochimaru, despite being pressured by Raiden's chakra, had stayed behind to talk.
This was more than just a simple recruitment attempt.
"Brother, I'm suddenly very interested in this organization you mentioned. Can you tell me more about it?"
Raiden swirled his teacup slightly, feigning casual curiosity.
"Ah, gathering intelligence?"
Orochimaru chuckled, then answered,
"Normally, only members are privy to that information. But since you asked, I'll tell you."
"The organization I belong to is called Akatsuki, and its leader is a man named Pain—a powerful individual with the same eyes as the legendary Sage of the Six Paths."
"His goal? Eternal peace in the ninja world."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a mocking smile as he said the words "eternal peace," as if ridiculing the idea.
"'Eternal' isn't always a good thing," Raiden mused.
"From what you've described, Akatsuki sounds dangerously close to an extremist group."
But his thoughts lingered on something else.
"The same eyes as the Sage of the Six Paths… The Rinnegan?"
Raiden's fingers tightened slightly around his teacup.
He had history with those eyes.
"If Orochimaru's information is correct, then this 'Pain' must be Nagato."
"Which means some of my past efforts have completely failed."
He knew that Madara Uchiha had implanted his Rinnegan into Nagato, intending to use his Uzumaki lineage to nurture the eyes until he could be resurrected.
If Nagato was now calling himself 'Pain' and leading Akatsuki, it meant that the situation had spiraled out of Raiden's control while he was in a coma.
"During those years I was unconscious, so much slipped through my fingers."
"I need to put things back on track myself… and with my current strength, I should be able to."
Raiden clenched his fist slightly, deep in thought.
Orochimaru, seeing his contemplative expression, simply gazed out at the courtyard scenery, remaining silent.
For a brief moment, there was a strange sense of tranquility between them.
Despite their differences, the years they had spent as comrades still lingered in the air.
"Brother, did you join Akatsuki because you want the Rinnegan?"
Raiden finally broke the silence.
Orochimaru's pupils flickered for an instant.
"If that's your plan, I'd advise you to give up."
"You won't get the chance."
"Even with Edo Tensei, you still won't have a chance."
A cold gleam flashed through Orochimaru's eyes.
Hearing "Edo Tensei" from Raiden's mouth was shocking.
That was a secret technique he had buried deep within his research. He had never spoken of it to anyone—it was still in its developmental phase.
So how… did Raiden know?
"You… you are…"
Orochimaru opened his mouth, but quickly caught himself, forcing his expression back into neutrality.
Raiden smirked slightly.
"You want to ask how I know about Edo Tensei?"
"It's simple. I've read everything in the Forbidden Scroll."
"Among all the forbidden jutsu, only two require extensive human experimentation—Edo Tensei and bodily modifications."
"Both were created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju."
"However, once his older brother, Hashirama Senju, discovered them, they were banned and classified as forbidden techniques."
Raiden's sharp gaze locked onto Orochimaru.
"Looks like you've chosen to pursue both paths, huh?"
Orochimaru's pupils shrank.
For a moment, the room fell into an unnatural silence.
Then, after a long pause, he finally spoke.
"…You've studied it too?"
(End of this chapter)