Uchiha the Madman: He embodies truth and obliterates reality.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Itachi remained vigilant, still skeptical of Obito's words.

"Besides, I'm a rogue ninja from Konoha, so how can I help you?" Itachi said with a self-deprecating laugh.

When Obito heard Itachi say this, his attitude remained unchanged: "Ordinary ninjas are irrelevant. As long as the village's higher-ups know your loyalty to Konoha, that's enough."

"Xiao will release this message to the black market. Before long, the message will spread throughout the world, and then the people of the five great nations will all know. As for whether they believe it or not, that depends on you and me."

"So, what do you want me to do?" Itachi immediately sensed Obito's intention.

"I need the cooperation of the five great powers; only in this way can they preserve the hope of their village."

Obito held up one finger. "Before the meteorite falls, I need the assistance of the five great ninja villages. In return, I can have each village send a portion of their people to save their lives. For this, I need you to persuade the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. As for the other ninja villages, you don't need to worry about them. You can exist as a bridge between Akatsuki and Konoha."

"And...as a hero of Konoha, no! A hero of the world!" Obito emphasized.

“I’ve never considered myself a hero,” Itachi said without thinking.

“But you have the chance to become a hero basking in the sunlight, instead of an anonymous figure upholding peace in the darkness, and your brother can also save his life.” After Obito finished speaking, he gestured to Itachi with his right hand in an inviting gesture.

At this moment, Obito was completely confident that he could defeat Itachi. Become a hero? Protect his younger brother? Obito couldn't imagine the reason why Itachi refused him.

Be a hero basking in the sunlight, not an anonymous figure upholding peace in the darkness.

Itachi stood there, lost in thought.

But what truly moved Itachi wasn't Obito's words about becoming a hero in the sunlight, but rather Sasuke's words that could save his life.

After thinking for a while, Itachi hesitated for a moment, but finally grasped the right hand that was being extended to him.

"Uchiha Itachi, welcome to Akatsuki." Obito flashed a bright smile, but the expression hidden beneath his mask was something Itachi would never see.

"Now, let's set off!" Obito said to Itachi.

Itachi asked, "Where are we going?"

“Amegakure, that’s where our organization’s base is located,” Obito replied.

Amegakure?

Itachi remembered that small country sandwiched between powerful nations.

That land where it rains incessantly. Is it there? Itachi wondered.

"Ah, we should go now, we don't have much time left. Follow me." After saying this to Itachi, Obito walked down the hillside.

Uchiha Itachi followed Obito, who was walking ahead, and thought to himself as he walked.

Is this...your revenge on me...?

But isn't this revenge a bit too heavy...?

Chapter 12 Joining the Organization

Itachi followed Obito all the way to the heart of Amegakure—a towering tower that seemed to reach the clouds.

"This is it." Obito stopped in front of the tower.

Itachi stared at the tower in front of him and said, "I never imagined that Akatsuki's influence would extend to Amegakure. That's truly astonishing."

“There are many things you don’t know. I’ll tell you slowly later. After all, we’re both Uchiha clan members! We need to trust each other.” Obito turned to look at Itachi. “There are some things I need to tell you before we go in.”

"The Uchiha clan..." Itachi closed his eyes, then quickly opened them again. "What is it?"

"In the organization, everyone calls me Afei."

Obito shrugged. "Before this, I wasn't a formal member of the organization; I was just a trainee in Akatsuki with no real skills. But things will be different after today."

"Why hide your true identity? And... what's different about this situation?" Itachi Uchiha asked, staring at Obito.

After listening, Obito explained to Itachi, "It would be troublesome if people knew that Madara Uchiha was still alive. As for the situation I'm talking about, it's different. You'll find out in a moment."

"Next, I'm going to take you to see the leader of Akatsuki. He knows my true identity and about the meteorite crash. Come with me." With that, Obito led Itachi into the tower entrance.

........

"Oh my? Isn't this Itachi? Long time no see."

At the entrance, a figure walked towards them, his sinister voice reaching Obito and Itachi's ears.

“You are…” Uchiha Itachi looked at the person who came.

The newcomer was dressed in the Akatsuki's usual black robe with red clouds, had long black hair, golden eyes, pale skin, and blue magatama-shaped earrings on his ears—he was Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.

It's unbelievable that the legendary Sannin of Konoha are also in this organization. Even the Sannin have been recruited by this organization? This man's organization is no ordinary entity. Thinking this, Itachi couldn't help but take this "Akatsuki" more seriously.

"Ah! Let me introduce you."

Obito then changed his tone, using the voice of "White Zetsu Tobi" to introduce Itachi with great emotion: "This is the legendary Sannin of Konoha, Orochimaru, and also a member of our Akatsuki organization."

"Speaking of which, you two are from the same hometown. What a nostalgic reunion!" Obito said with a smile as he looked at the two of them.

Itachi looked at Obito beside him and thought: Is this what Madara is like in the organization? This is quite a contrast to the cold and ruthless Madara.

"I've heard about it."

Orochimaru ignored Obito beside him and stared directly at Itachi. "He abandoned the bonds between his clan, village, and comrades, seeing them as a burden and severing these useless relationships."

Obito, standing to the side, thought to himself: Orochimaru... his information network is really impressive. He found out about the Uchiha clan's extermination so quickly.

"We're on the same side, you really are on our side."

Orochimaru walked up to Itachi and whispered in his ear, "I'm really looking forward to working with you, Itachi."

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Itachi remained silent.

He didn't want to waste his breath arguing with the traitors of Konoha, even though he himself had the blood of the Uchiha clan on his hands and wasn't exactly a good person.

"Itachi, I have feelings for you..." Orochimaru wanted to say something more.

pop-

Obito clapped his hands and interrupted Orochimaru with a smile, "Alright, Orochimaru-senpai, I should take Itachi to see the boss now."

"Then I'll take my leave, Orochimaru-senpai." With that, Obito walked inside, with Itachi following closely behind.

"Uchiha Itachi..."

Orochimaru's eyes were filled with longing as he looked at Itachi Uchiha's retreating figure. The Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan... perfect eyes, this body of his was practically the perfect replacement for his own Reanimation Jutsu.

"Hmph, I'll get what I want sooner or later." Orochimaru licked his lips as he watched Itachi's retreating figure.

Obito's eyes, hidden beneath his mask, glanced sideways at Orochimaru behind him. In an instant, he saw through Orochimaru's thoughts about Itachi.

Orochimaru is up to no good. Is he eyeing the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan? No! That bastard Orochimaru probably wants more than just the Sharingan.

But the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan isn't so easy to obtain. Thinking of Itachi's strength and the high probability that he possessed Shisui's Sharingan, Obito couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Let's ignore Orochimaru for now; there are more important things to do.

With that in mind, Obito stopped arguing with Orochimaru and led Itachi into the deeper part of the upper level of the tower, where Itachi met Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki organization.

"Itachi of Konoha, welcome." Pain greeted the two with a blank expression, and Konan stood next to him.

When Itachi saw Pain's eyes, he was speechless with shock, "The Rinnegan..."

Itachi knew very well what Pain's eyes meant.

In a secret chamber beneath the Naka Shrine lies a stone tablet passed down through generations of the Uchiha clan. It records secrets left to the Uchiha clan by the Sage of Six Paths. The tablet's contents are deciphered in the order of Sharingan, Mangekyou Sharingan, and Rinnegan. While the Mangekyou Sharingan is rare, it has appeared in Uchiha history and in the present day. However, the Rinnegan has never been seen before, so the ultimate secret of the tablet remains undeciphered.

Itachi had thought the Rinnegan was just a legend, but he never expected to actually see it here today.

"I've heard everything about you from Madara. As for your position in the organization, that's not a problem." With that, Pain stretched out his hand and handed Itachi a ring engraved with the character "朱" (Zhu).

"Ah..." Itachi took the ring and put it on, but Pain pointed to his forehead.

Itachi, confused, looked at Obito beside him.

“Joining Akatsuki means severing ties with your past family, comrades, and village.” Obito said calmly beside Itachi, “It’s an Akatsuki tradition to make a cut on the ninja headband that symbolizes the village of the past, to show loyalty to the organization and hatred for the village of the past.”

Itachi nodded, took off his Konoha headband, and took out a kunai, making a deep cut on the headband.

"From today onwards, you are Itachi of Akatsuki."

Pain looked at Obito and Itachi and said, "Madara, the organization has few members. Is there a problem with you and Itachi forming a two-person team?"

Hearing Pain's words, Itachi looked at Obito with some surprise, only then noticing the ring on Obito's finger. So this was what Madara meant by the different situation. He was now a full member of Akatsuki.

"no problem."

When asked, Obito naturally had no objection, as it was his suggestion in the first place.

"Yes, I'm fine with that too," Itachi agreed.

Pain extended his hand to Itachi, "Welcome to Akatsuki, Itachi."

"Not at all, I am the one who should ask for your guidance, leader." Itachi adopted a humble attitude.

As he spoke, Itachi grasped the hand that was being extended to him.

It's so cold!!

The moment Itachi shook hands, he clearly felt that the temperature of those hands was not like that of a living person; the hands were frighteningly cold.

"Let's skip the formalities, we have too much to do right now," Payne said, releasing his grip.

Itachi breathed a sigh of relief.