Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 344: The Akatsuki Organization

’The space-time movement of Kamui!’

Sora understood clearly in his heart; Obito wanted to test the "White Tiger’s" mettle. Wind Release chakra erupted at his feet, his figure swiftly sliding backward, while his hands simultaneously formed seals.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"

Several sharp blades of wind slashed towards Obito.

Obito neither dodged nor evaded; the wind blades passed directly through his body as if striking empty air.

’Intangibility!’

Sora’s eyes narrowed; Obito’s signature ability was indeed troublesome.

With one strike missing, Obito once again merged into the Kamui dimension, appearing the next moment behind Sora, a black rod sweeping horizontally!

Sora reacted extremely quickly, manipulating iron sand from the ground with Magnet Release to condense into a black shield.

Clang!

The black rod smashed against the Iron Sand Shield; the immense force sent a slight numbness through Sora’s arm, and cracks also appeared on the shield.

"Good reaction."

Obito commented, yet his attacks did not cease in the slightest, the black rod striking from all sorts of inconceivable angles.

The two engaged in rapid exchanges within the forest, figures flickering, iron sand flying.

Obito relied mainly on Kamui’s intangibility and sudden assaults, while Sora relied on his solid mastery of Wind and Magnet Release, along with his rich combat experience to respond.

For a time, they were actually locked in a stalemate.

After a moment, Obito actively withdrew, creating distance, and said with surprise:

"That kid Sora said you were only Quasi-Kage level; it seems he was being modest. With strength like yours, you’re not inferior to an ordinary Kage-level."

"Flattery. One always needs some ability to preserve one’s life."

Sora stabilized his breathing and replied calmly.

He understood clearly in his heart that Obito had not used his full power; many of Kamui’s more bizarre applications had not been displayed. This felt more like a probing action.

"Your life-preserving skills are indeed good."

Obito nodded: "Then, I now formally invite you to join our organization—’Akatsuki’."

He directly extended the olive branch.

Sora fell silent for a moment, pretending to weigh the decision.

Obito did not urge him.

As for the White Tiger’s identity, a missing-nin from Takigakure?

He simply hadn’t found any information, but just like him, a ghost who should have been dead, having no past wasn’t very strange, was it?

What ’Akatsuki’ needed was power; as for the past, it wasn’t important.

After a while, Sora raised his head to look at Obito:

"What is the organization’s goal?"

"To gather the Tailed Beasts and create a peaceful world without war, without loss."

Obito said in his mesmerizing voice: "A perfect world where the deceased can return."

Sora showed a pensive expression, and after a moment, slowly nodded:

"Fine, I’ll join."

"A wise choice."

"Come with me, I’ll take you to meet the other comrades."

Obito reached out and placed a hand on Sora’s shoulder.

The surrounding space once again spun and distorted.

The next moment, Sora felt his vision blur; he had already left the dense forest outside Takigakure and appeared in a place of drizzling rain, filled with steel structures.

’This place is... Amegakure.’ Sora understood in his heart.

Obito led him, familiar with the route, into the interior of a tall tower structure.

Several figures were already waiting there.

In the main seat was a red-haired man sitting in a specially-made wheelchair, his frame emaciated, his face pale, pierced with numerous bizarre black rods, his back connected to a huge, spider-leg-like mechanical apparatus.

’Nagato... or rather, the main body of Pain, the Deva Path.’

Sora’s gaze swept over, sensing the vast, seemingly bottomless yet carrying a sense of desolation, chakra within the other, and those purple eyes hidden in the shadows, emitting faint ripples of the Rinnegan.

Beside Nagato stood a blue-haired woman, Konan.

On the other side was a tall man with a face resembling a shark.

’Kisame Hoshigaki! He actually joined this early?’

Sora was somewhat surprised inwardly.

It seemed life in Kirigakure was not easy these days.

The "Akatsuki" organization, currently centered around the "Eye of the Moon Plan," had not been established for long; Sasori, Hidan, Deidara, Uchiha Itachi... and others had not yet joined the organization.

And Kisame Hoshigaki should have been the same, a pity.

Originally, Sora had thought about using Samehada to lure this guy into working for him...

Strong, lots of chakra, and quite obedient, what a good tool...

A pity, Obito had recruited him first.

"The person is brought." Obito said to Nagato in the main seat.

Nagato’s Rinnegan slowly lifted:

"You are the ’White Tiger’?"

"It is I." Sora replied calmly.

Nagato slowly began to speak, introducing:

"I am Nagato, the leader of the Akatsuki organization."

"This is Konan, one of the organization’s founders."

"This is Kisame Hoshigaki."

"Hehe, a new member? You don’t look bad." Kisame Hoshigaki grinned.

Sora nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"Your strength has been tested by Madara and meets the organization’s requirements."

Nagato continued: "This is your ring."

He gestured; Konan stepped forward and handed Sora a ring engraved with the character for "Void," along with a black cloak with red clouds.

’Void, huh.’

Sora remembered this ring would later belong to Orochimaru, but even if Orochimaru truly survived the Valley of the End, who knew when he would reappear on the shinobi world stage again.

Without overthinking it, Sora took the ring and cloak and put them on directly over his clothes.

Nagato added:

"Currently, the organization has few members. You will partner with Kisame for now. We are actively seeking new members."

"Originally, we had our eyes on the bounty hunter Kakuzu. This person is powerful and experienced, but a pity..."

Nagato’s voice held no fluctuation:

"According to intelligence, he was killed not long ago at the Valley of the End by Konoha’s Azure Dragon."

The corner of Sora’s mouth under the mask twitched slightly.

"However, there is another noteworthy target in the bounty hunter world."

Konan interjected, handing over a scroll: "Codename ’Vermilion Bird.’ Reportedly, his strength is not inferior to Kakuzu’s. He specializes in Fire Release and is elusive. The organization is currently attempting to find and recruit him."

Sora took the scroll, opened it, and saw it described his other alias—the Vermilion Bird!

There was also a portrait on the scroll, wearing a Vermilion Bird mask and a black cloak.

Sora: "...".

He closed the scroll expressionlessly and said hoarsely, "Understood."

"Good. Now that everyone is acquainted, you may each go about your business." Nagato waved his hand.

Konan pushed his wheelchair, slowly disappearing into the shadows.

Kisame Hoshigaki grinned at his new partner Sora and also transformed into a flow of water, disappearing.

Only Sora and Obito remained in the hall.

"This is the method to contact me."

Obito handed a small scroll to Sora, implying meaningfully: "Within the organization, we... are considered on the same side."

Sora naturally understood what Obito meant.

Although the Akatsuki organization currently had few people, internally there were also faintly divided factions: one centered around Nagato, the other around "Uchiha Madara."

And Sora, as someone brought into the organization by Obito, naturally belonged to his faction.

Sora took the scroll and nodded:

"Understood. What arrangements follow?"

Obito thought for a moment and said:

"Currently, the organization is still in the preparation stage and needs to accumulate funds and resources. We typically take on some high-value bounty missions..."

"I have no interest in those trivial missions."

Sora interrupted directly, his tone cold.

He joined for intelligence and monitoring, not to actually work.

Obito looked at him, unsurprised by this attitude. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

"Since you’re unwilling, then forget it. However, not long from now, there will be an important mission targeting Konoha that will require your assistance."

"Acceptable."

"The specific time and location, I will notify you later."

After saying this, Obito disappeared into the Kamui space.

In the empty hall, only Sora remained.

He stood by the window, looking at the seemingly never-ending rain outside, and touched the White Tiger mask on his face.

’Konoha? The Nine-Tails incident... seems it’s about to begin.’