Karin's addition to Akatsuki met little objection. Much of this was thanks to Nagato opening the door for her. After sealing the Two-Tails, he commanded Kisame to spar with her. Karin's swordsmanship and water-style ninjutsu gradually earned the group's recognition. Even Kakuzu didn't make things overly difficult, and Obito's care for her ensured she wasn't left vulnerable.
Speaking of which, Akatsuki's efficiency was remarkable. In less than three months, they had captured nine tailed beasts, including the Nine-Tails—currently training with one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, the Konoha ninja. After extracting the Nine-Tails, they all stared at the corresponding Gedo Statue's half-open eye, which looked unusually weak.
"Was it not fully extracted?" Kakuzu asked from Amegakure's secret base. The group sat around a table filled with hotpot, packaged ramen, and other food. Obito flipped the unconscious fifteen-year-old Naruto over, checking for residual Nine-Tails chakra.
"It's fully extracted!" he said confidently.
"Then why is this eye only half-open?"
Hidan asked, mouth full of hotpot meat.
"Tell me, you Konoha people—why's it like this here? Everything else went fine," Kakuzu added, chewing thoughtfully.
Itachi hastily swallowed a large mouthful of ramen. "Don't ask me. I don't know anything."
Obito waved his hands in agreement, sitting down. "Don't ask me either. I know nothing!"
"Well then, ask the boss. You caught the Nine-Tails—why's it only half?"
Deidara, mouth full of meat, questioned Obito, who ate as voraciously as Itachi. Nagato, still calm, replied without lifting her head, "You're implying I lost half of it when capturing the Nine-Tails?"
"The thing is, during the fight, Naruto didn't have a chance to use the Nine-Tails' chakra at all," Konan said, putting down her empty ramen bowl while picking from the hotpot.
"Exactly, exactly," Obito chimed in, wearing a face that screamed "if Konan says it, it's right." Karin, clearly unimpressed, muttered quietly, "Bootlicker."
Though an outsider, Karin helped with the Phantom Dragon Seal, but had no other duties. Nagato had said there was nothing for her to do until the Water Moon Flower Mirror blossomed three times.
Nagato didn't mind Karin's muttering. After a bowl of ramen, she pondered the situation. Recalling how they brought back the Nine-Tails, as Konan had said, Naruto had no chance to use its chakra. One Almighty Push brought him before them, then a hammer strike knocked him out—a clean process under a minute. Unlike the ten-minute battle with the Eight-Tails, which involved nearly a hundred million explosive tags, this was efficient.
"Maybe he only has half the Nine-Tails in him?" Kisame offered a rare serious comment. Obito immediately shook his head.
"Ridiculous. The Nine-Tails sealed by Minato-sensei—half a beast? Impossible!"
"Ah, right. Ask the Nine-Tails itself," Deidara said after swallowing his meat. "Remember Gaara's Shukaku? After extraction, it came out. Nine-Tails should be the same."
"Not entirely nonsense," Hidan remarked, gnawing on a bone. Deidara kicked him in response.
The bickering escalated until Konan's sharp voice cut through: "Are you two eating or not? Step aside if you're not."
Obito immediately nodded. "Exactly, step away if you're not eating!"
"Bootlicker," muttered Deidara, Hidan, and Karin in unison. The group immediately quieted under Obito's silent authority, returning to eating.
Obito sighed, set down his chopsticks, and grabbed a drink. "Deidara's right. We just need to ask the Nine-Tails."
"That requires the key. Only with the key can the seal be undone," Obito said, swallowing. "Minato-sensei used the Four Symbols Seal. I can't release it yet—only a contract seal for now."
"Where's the key?" Kakuzu asked. Obito shrugged. "Knowing my sensei, it's probably left with Jiraiya."
Nagato exhaled slowly. "I understand." With palms pressed together, the massive Gedo Statue vanished. She then looked outside with slight resignation. "Found it already… as expected from Jiraiya-sensei."
Obito and Itachi froze briefly, then shrugged. "Seems like the Third Hokage line's tradition of teacher assassination is nearly complete," Obito muttered, recalling he and Orochimaru had killed their masters.
Nagato smiled and shook her head. "Even if Jiraiya is dead, without the key, there's nothing to do. Best to persuade him when necessary." She stood, wiped her mouth, and gestured respect.
Deidara, Hidan, and Konan all gave thumbs up in agreement. After Nagato and Konan left the secret base, Deidara and Hidan resumed their previous quarrel.
"You caused this! I got scolded because of you!" Hidan shouted, kicking Deidara. Deidara, startled, fell, dropping his chopsticks in the dirt.
"You deserved it. Don't provoke me and endanger yourself!" Hidan yelled.
Deidara simply brushed off his chopsticks and sat back, saying nothing. An awkward silence fell. Hidan scratched his head. "I didn't mean to knock you over."
"No problem," Deidara muttered, adding meat to the hotpot. The tension was heavy enough to frustrate him.
"Back then, Konan didn't act this way, but later…"
"Deidara." Konan's warning tone made him immediately smile again. "Give me the lime juice! Hurry!"
Itachi, watching the lime juice and Deidara, sighed lightly. "Ask me."
"Bastard! You'll die, yellow weasel!"
Obito tossed the juice to Deidara to smooth things over.
Gurgle… gurgle…
An unusual sound echoed. The group turned to see the fifteen-year-old Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Naruto, half-opened eyes staring at the steaming hotpot, drooling.
"My… stomach… hungry…"
"Hahaha~" Obito laughed, and Itachi smiled. Obito made space for Naruto. "Come, eat."
"Y-you… Akatsuki…?" Naruto's weak voice trailed off as he abandoned any pretense of control and devoured the first meal in three days.
"Typical Uzumaki, regeneration is insane—just extracted the beast, and he's already bouncing around," Deidara commented, still elegantly dipping beef tongue.
"How long has it been? Karin's amazing—woke up right after extraction," Hidan remarked. Karin shrugged. "Of course. I'm pure Uzumaki. He's barely half."
"Eh? You call yourself a girl and still pant?" Hidan said. Karin glared. "Who're you calling girl? Try me?"
Obito groaned. "You two, stop. Karin, I beg you, say less!"
Karin glanced at him. "Bootlicker. Don't talk to me."
Deidara muttered about her arrogance. Karin glared. "Chief doesn't mind. Why do you?" Deidara frantically shook his hands. "No, no, no, I don't!"
"Why did you capture me?" Naruto finally found energy to ask, still clutching a rice ball, crumbs at his mouth.
Itachi handed him a can of lime juice, voice soft. "Eat first, then we'll talk. Some things to clarify."
Naruto brightened, fully recovered from hunger, and looked at the group.
"Ah! You're Uchiha Itachi! You came for the tailed beast?!"
Itachi quietly handed over the juice, unsure how to handle the confident Naruto. Kisame growled fiercely. "Good. Now that you're fed, time to extract your beast."
Unfortunately, Kisame's volume alerted someone at the entrance: a man and a woman in Akatsuki robes, and the white-haired teacher himself—Jiraiya.
Before he spoke, Konan's icy voice cut through—not to Naruto, but to Kisame:
"Kisame, want me to teach you to speak human?"
The chill of her words made Kisame shiver, recalling nearly a hundred million explosive tags and the Eight-Tails' near-fatal fight.
"Sorry! Just joking!"
"Ahhh! He hit me! Perverted sage! That guy's too strong! I got knocked out before I could react!"
Jiraiya was unsure whether to be shocked or speechless. The scene—S-rank rogue ninjas gathered around a hotpot—was truly unimaginable. Seeing Naruto unharmed, he froze, twitching in disbelief.
"These are my subordinates. You know some, I'm sure," Nagato said casually, making a vague gesture.
They waved symbolically. Naruto's teacher was officially acknowledged.
"Sorry for Icha-breaking Itachi, but we agreed not to attack Konoha. Not a betrayal," Nagato added.
Itachi choked on lime juice. Obito and Kisame patted his back.
Obito muttered quietly, "Did we need to mention this?"
"No, better clarify everything. We just sealed the Nine-Tails. We need to discuss a few things. Sit down."
These words fully restored Jiraiya's composure.
"Obito, you explain."
"Eh? Me?" Obito blinked, confused. Konan continued calmly eating. Nagato nodded, "If you're not eating, why not explain?"
"Uh… okay…"
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