The destruction of Root—
And the destruction of the Uchiha—
Carried completely different weight.
The latter—
Had many reasons.
The former—
Was a direct challenge to Konoha's ruling class.
A declaration of war.
…
Pain fell into thought.
Root—
Was a hidden branch of Konoha's ANBU.
Responsible for the dirtiest work.
In other words—
What ANBU wouldn't handle—
Root would.
What ANBU could handle—
Root would still take.
A group of completely brainwashed operatives.
Konoha's cleaners.
Its shadow.
Its darkness.
Led by Danzo Shimura.
A force—
Even darker than ANBU.
And yet—
That entire force…
Was wiped out overnight?
Even Akatsuki members—
Who usually stood above everything—
Felt the shock.
The Uchiha massacre?
Understandable.
History had shown—
The Uchiha produced powerful madmen.
But this—
A single individual destroying Root?
And that individual—
A civilian ninja?
And—
A classmate of Itachi?
Unbelievable.
…
After a moment—
Pain looked at Orochimaru.
"What was his motive?"
His tone—
Flat.
Unfeeling.
Regardless—
The more chaos inside Konoha—
The better for Akatsuki.
If instability grew—
They could advance their plan.
Capture the Nine-Tails sooner.
All eyes turned to Orochimaru.
He smiled faintly.
"As far as I know…"
"The most widely circulated version is this—"
"He learned of the Uchiha massacre."
"And couldn't tolerate Konoha's darkness."
"So he drew his blade."
"And executed justice."
"He eliminated the masterminds."
"…"
Silence.
Then—
Disdain.
Konan spoke calmly:
"That's the version civilians like to hear."
Orochimaru nodded.
He didn't argue.
Even he found it ridiculous.
Pain spoke again:
"What about Danzo?"
The room quieted.
If Root was gone—
Then Danzo…
Should be dead.
That would be an even bigger revelation.
Orochimaru replied:
"My sources in Konoha Hospital confirm—"
"He survived."
"Severely injured."
"Transported by ANBU."
"Personally treated by the director."
Silence returned.
Heavy.
If Danzo lived—
Then Root wasn't completely erased.
But—
The damage?
Severe.
The information—
Highly credible.
"…A pity he didn't die."
Kakuzu sighed.
"But either way…"
"Konoha gains another S-rank rogue ninja."
As someone who had lived through eras—
He couldn't understand it.
Konoha—
Produced monsters endlessly.
From Hashirama Senju onward—
It never stopped.
Pain turned to Zetsu.
"Verify this."
"As soon as possible."
"Yes."
Zetsu bowed.
Pain continued:
"No matter his reason—"
"To attack Konoha's leadership…"
"…is admirable."
His eyes flickered.
"Perhaps…"
"He has also seen through the lies of the great villages."
"This kind of rogue ninja—"
"…is exactly what Akatsuki needs."
Konan asked:
"Should I make contact?"
"…Yes."
"If the opportunity arises."
"Test him."
"See if he aligns with our ideals."
Pain spoke calmly:
"That will be all."
"Gather more intelligence on Konoha."
"Dismissed."
"Understood."
One by one—
The projections faded.
The room—
Returned to silence.
…
Konan remained.
Her amber eyes scanned the empty room.
The composure she held during the meeting—
Faded.
Her expression softened.
The divine aura receded.
What remained—
Was cold authority.
More queen than angel.
Her thoughts sank.
The ninja world…
Was changing.
War could erupt at any moment.
For Akatsuki—
That was opportunity.
But—
They were still in the accumulation phase.
Funds—
Were a problem.
A major one.
Money earned by members—
Was split:
Maintaining Akatsuki.
Rebuilding Amegakure.
And yet—
It wasn't enough.
Too slow.
Most civilians—
Still struggled to eat.
If war came now—
Could they really achieve their goal?
They could separate Akatsuki from Amegakure.
But—
That wasn't the point.
Their goal—
Was to make this land strong.
To end its suffering.
That—
Was her and Nagato's true motivation.
Their origin.
Their reason.
Which meant—
Externally—
Money was the biggest problem.
Konan's gaze dimmed.
Then—
Internal matters.
Akatsuki wasn't unified.
Since "Madara" joined—
The organization had split into factions.
Her side—
Only herself and Nagato.
Madara's side—
Zetsu.
Jūzō.
And soon—
Itachi.
The more members Madara brought—
The stronger his influence.
Eventually—
He could sideline them completely.
Then—
The third faction.
Neutral.
Kakuzu.
Sasori.
Orochimaru.
They followed strength—
Not ideals.
They respected Pain.
But didn't believe in him.
And just like Konoha—
Internal conflict…
Was inevitable.
When that day came—
Would they stand with her?
Or against?
So—
Internally—
Balance of power mattered most.
She needed—
True believers.
People who shared their vision.
Compared to finances—
This was easier.
"Something's bothering you."
Pain stepped beside her.
Quietly.
They stood together.
Konan spoke softly:
"…Madara has recruited another S-rank rogue ninja."
Pressure.
Unspoken.
But real.
patreon.comPh4nt0mTL