In Akatsuki hideout, Itachi's projection stood before Pain. He wasn't looking good, his face was grim and even through his calm expression as usual, a hint of uneasiness slipped out.
Pain's Rinnegan eyes bore into him, radiating frustration. Konan stood beside him, arms crossed, her gaze unreadable. Even not being there personally, he could feel the pressure seeing those Rinnegan glaring at him.
"Talk," Pain said with much more anger than he anticipated, and he had yet to explain what happened, so the anger really didn't make sense. With a little stiff expression, he started explaining what happened when both he and Kisame went to capture the Five-Tail Jinchuriki and it felt like Pain was almost ready to Shinra Tensei the entire Amegakure right by the end.
"You lost the Five-Tails," Pain said, his voice low but filled with restrained anger. This anger wasn't just about the loss of the Five-Tail Jinchuriki, though Itachi didn't know the reason. Little did he know that their boss too had suffered the same fate today.
The real reason behind this anger wasn't even because of the loss of two Jinchuriki either, but rather the fact that Pain couldn't be angry at them because he himself failed.
Itachi sighed. "We were handling it just fine. The Jinchuriki was strong, but nothing we couldn't deal with. That was until he showed up."
Pain's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"The same masked man who interfered before," Itachi answered. "The one calling himself 'Shadow.'"
Pain clenched his fists. "Him again..."
"What?"
"Nothing, continue."
Itachi narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything. "At first, it was just a difficult fight. But then he summoned something... a massive monster. White with no eyes and a little bit of snake-like features. It was strong. Too strong."
"What more?"
Itachi's eyes met Pain's. "He was careful. It felt like he was deliberately holding back and the creature he summoned, though this one was much stronger, I believe we have seen someone summon creatures like this before."
Konan finally spoke, her tone sharp. "Are you saying he's someone we know?"
Itachi closed his eyes briefly before answering. "Not we but only me and Kisame, and I don't know for sure either. But he's precise. He knew exactly how to fight us while hiding his abilities. And he was hiding, that I can say for sure."
At this there was silence. Itachi didn't know about Shadow messing up Pain's plan but he had a feeling that the anger their boss had was not just about this loss.
Pain exhaled sharply. "So this 'Shadow' has now taken the Five-Tails as well?"
Itachi nodded. "That's right. And he didn't fight alone. He had help. That ice user, and another swordsman, mainly using water style."
Pain's fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair. His patience was running thin. "You let a single man, alongside two unknowns, take the Jinchuriki from you?"
"A man and a monster. And that 'man' wasn't the problem, by how I was handling him, he wasn't that strong. It was the summon, that monster which was the real deal."
"Is that why Kisame is not here...?"
"Kisame is no more..." Itachi said, like dropping a bomb on their heads, making both Pain and Konan shut up. Kisame's wounds were serious and no matter what Itachi did, they couldn't be healed, not by Samehada or normal healing jutsus.
"Itachi, who do you suspect?" After a little silence, Pain asked, this time with even more anger in his voice, not willing to drag the matter anymore. He didn't want this man going around and acting against his plans anymore. If required, he himself would act to completely eradicate this man.
Itachi at this point stopped, he himself wasn't sure but he knew that Shadow reminded him much of that Nara boy. He once again didn't feel any chakra when Shadow summoned that monster. Much similarly to what he experienced when he fought once against Nara Shika whose whereabouts alongside Itachi's own brother are nowhere to be found.
Whatever the case, Itachi knew one thing: he couldn't involve Konoha in this matter, or Pain might attack Konoha sooner rather than later. He wouldn't let that happen.
So the only thing he could do was divert Pain's attention away from Konoha.
"A rogue nin from Konoha. Kisame and I fought him two years ago, till then he was a Chunin there. He not so long after left the village. I can't be sure but the way Shadow fought was very similar to this boy," Itachi replied.
"Konoha?" Pain asked, not even going to the point about Itachi pointing out that he was a Rogue Nin. Maybe his anger towards Konoha was blinding him in this regard. Pain only cared about Konoha.
"He's no longer a Konoha Shinobi. He was announced defected," Itachi said, making sure Pain focused on this particular part.
"Any idea where he is?" Pain asked, though his voice was still calm as usual, the anger in his voice was obvious.
"No." Itachi simply shook his head.
"Zetsu." Pain asked, but Zetsu also shook his head from the side. He might have clones all around but that doesn't mean he knows everything going on around the elemental nations.
"Then find him," Pain said with irritation.
"I don't even know his name."
"Shika Nara," Itachi added.
"What about the Jinchuriki?"
"Go and get the One-Tails. Make sure this time you do your job. Take Tobi with you. He'll take Kisame's place from now on," Pain said with an authoritative tone.
Itachi just nodded at this thought with lingering resentment, then left.
"Itachi Senpai, please wait for me. I'll be there in no time." Just as the projection was about to end, Itachi heard this. No question, this was Tobi.
"We have to go to the Land of Wind. Meet me there," Itachi said with a sigh. He just hoped that he made the right decision. It was a decision between either letting Pain find out about Shadow's identity himself and then going after the entirety of Konoha or revealing Shika Nara to him early with a faint hope that Pain wouldn't directly go after Konoha.
He too needed Zetsu's network to find Sasuke's location and thus this impromptu decision of his also had a little personal greed attached to it.
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