The Land of Rain — Amegakure.
Within the gloomy halls of the Akatsuki's hidden base, the conference room was shrouded in silence.
Rain tapped softly against the windows, like nature itself was too afraid to speak.
Three figures sat in near-perfect stillness, dressed in the iconic black cloaks adorned with crimson clouds.
Pain, Konan, and Zetsu — the current core of the Akatsuki — waited. They could tell something was off.
The quiet wasn't from peace. It was anticipation. And confusion.
A moment later, a silent swirl of space distorted the air, and the masked man — "Madara" — emerged from the void.
No smug entrance. No dramatic pause.
He stormed straight in, slapped the table, and sat down with enough force to make even the sturdy Akatsuki chairs reconsider their existence.
SLAM!
Pain raised an eyebrow. Konan blinked. Zetsu tilted his head — or at least, one of them did.
It was rare to see the masked man lose composure. Scratch that — it was unheard of.
He was always calm, always calculating.
Now, he looked like he'd just been conned into buying a fake Sharingan.
What the hell happened?
Did his grand plan collapse?
Did someone outplay him?
…Did Itachi say "no" to something?
Pain's eyes narrowed. Or could it be… Zeldris?
Before anyone could ask, the ever-curious Zetsu broke the silence.
"What happened, Madara? You look like someone kicked your moon."
The masked man took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and spat out his frustration:
"…That damn Zeldris played me like a flute."
All three blinked in sync. Even Zetsu's plant half seemed to recoil in surprise.
Pain leaned forward. "Wait — didn't he go to Konoha like we expected?"
"That's the problem," the masked man growled. "He went. He saw. And he… conquered."
They waited. He continued, voice low and bitter.
"I thought the Leaf would slow him down. Wear him out, even if just a little. Instead, he walked in like a damn ghost and came out untouched."
"I'm not exaggerating — it's like Konoha thanked him for showing up!"
"…Worse." He gritted his teeth. "He even recruited Uchiha Itachi."
Konan raised an eyebrow. "You're saying he took Itachi? The same Itachi you spent months luring in with your creepy speeches and vague threats?"
"Yes." The masked man's voice dropped into a dangerous calm. "And Itachi agreed to go with him."
Pain folded his arms, thoughtful. Konan was already frowning.
Zetsu? He looked like he was trying to process betrayal on a spiritual level.
After a beat of silence, the masked man leaned back with a heavy sigh.
"That guy, Zeldris… there's something wrong about him. Too calm. Too calculated. He's not just strong — he's strategic. Manipulative. Like he's five moves ahead while we're still arguing over the rules."
Pain nodded slightly. "He's already interfering with our plans."
"He's not just a wildcard," the masked man muttered. "He's reshuffling the whole deck."
The room fell into silence again. Even the rain seemed to pause outside.
Then Konan, ever direct, broke the stillness.
"So what now?"
"Is the plan for peace still moving forward? Or are we just going to sit around and cry about it?"
The masked man didn't answer right away. His fingers tapped against the table. Finally, he spoke:
"Our plan continues."
"One Zeldris won't stop the Akatsuki."
"But we can't ignore him either."
He turned to Zetsu, voice sharp.
"Keep an eye on him. Everything he does, everywhere he goes — I want to know. No bathroom breaks missed."
Zetsu nodded. "On it."
And with that, he melted into the floor like a disappointed ghost plant.
The masked man then turned to Konan.
"Kakuzu. Is he back?"
Konan didn't even blink. She knew where this was going.
"He's back. You're paying Zeldris, aren't you?"
"I'm not thrilled about it," he muttered. "But yes. Business is business."
She sighed, stood, and left the room without another word.
Meanwhile, in a dark corner of Amegakure...
Kakuzu stared lovingly at his latest mountain of cash — his precious, his hoard, his life's mission.
He hadn't counted it yet. No need. He felt the amount. It was a pile worthy of a miser's tears.
Then he heard it — soft footsteps behind him.
He turned sharply, and his eyes darkened.
"…Konan."
"Don't look at me like that," she said flatly.
"How much this time?" he asked, already grieving.
"One hundred million."
"…Excuse me?"
"One. Hundred. Million," she repeated.
Kakuzu went stiff. His soul left his body. He looked at the money pile like it had just been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Before he could process the loss, Konan had already taken the payment and disappeared like smoke in the wind.
Kakuzu stood in silence.
The treasure hill was now… a sad little mound.
"…All those years. All those hearts collected. For what? To be robbed in my own home?"
Trembling, he clutched his cloak.
"…I swear, if they ask me for another payment — I'm joining Zeldris too. At least he respects money."
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