Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Therefore,

Even though he disliked the country and the gloomy, dark environment, he still stayed there obediently.

Jugo sat silently on the sofa, gazing at the crystal-clear ice flower in the vase on the coffee table. It was left by Shiro. Looking at the beautiful ice flower, his mood calmed down.

And it wasn't just him.

He knew that although Karin had been complaining, she would definitely refuse to leave the Land of Rain and return to the base even if asked to do so now. Her reason was the same as his: because 'White' was here, she didn't care how hard or difficult it was. Even if she were to be shattered to pieces for it, she would do it willingly.

This time,

The people summoned by Lord Orochimaru were not just a few of them. There were several other people in the room next door. Although they were all under Lord Orochimaru's command, they were not familiar with each other. He and Karin belonged to the same base, while the others seemed to be from a base in the Land of Rice Fields.

The only thing they had in common was that they were both subject to the control of the white.

As Orochimaru's right-hand man,

After Orochimaru was 'forced' to join the Akatsuki, Haku took on the heavy responsibility and single-handedly subdued the troublemakers in various bases who were dissatisfied with being managed by a mere immature and effeminate brat. He proved Orochimaru's discerning eye for talent through his actions.

correct,

Jugo was also one of the troublemakers.

However, unlike those fools who revered and feared Haku's power, for Jugo, Haku was the 'sun' he encountered in the boundless darkness. Only by Haku's side could he dispel the darkness deep in his heart and restrain his murderous impulses.

"Hey, Jugo, what do you think Lord Orochimaru wants to do by summoning us to Amegakure?"

Bored out of her mind, Karin couldn't resist bothering Jugo again.

"I do not know either."

"Lord Orochimaru told me to use Kagura's Mind's Eye to explore the surroundings periodically, but he didn't tell me what exactly I was looking for. Sigh! I really don't understand!"

"I think······"

"And when I asked Haku, he just told me to do as Orochimaru instructed. Honestly, why didn't he tell me?"

Shigego remained silent.

He realized that they weren't having a conversation, but rather Karin was talking to herself. He was too naive to try and engage her. Oh well, why bother arguing with Karin? Wouldn't it be better to just continue admiring the ice flower in the vase?

however,

Just at this time,

Jugo felt as if something had suddenly changed. The surrounding natural atmosphere was shifting. Was someone manipulating and absorbing natural energy? No, that's not right. It felt more like some kind of catastrophe-level natural phenomenon had triggered a surge in natural energy.

"Karin".

"You don't need to tell me, damn it, what happened?"

Karin pushed up her glasses, formed hand seals, closed her eyes, and opened her elusive 'Mind's Eye'. In an instant, her perception spanned several kilometers away, keenly detecting the dense, high-intensity chakra fluctuations on the hills southwest of Amegakure, all of which were unfamiliar chakra she had never seen before.

I see,

No wonder Lord Orochimaru never explicitly told her what she was looking for.

Because the target was not actually in Amegakure, but rather an outsider whose arrival time was uncertain.

"Jugo, contact Lord Orochimaru. The target is... huh?"

Karin, with her eyes tightly closed, felt waves of 'brightness'.

It's like closing your eyes in the sun and still feeling its light, but the problem is, this is Amegakure! In this country, the sun has become a scarce resource that cannot be forced by human power. In the few days since she came to Amegakure, she has never felt the sun's radiance.

then,

She opened her eyes instinctively.

Then the bright sunlight stung her and brought tears to her eyes, but it also confirmed that she was indeed bathed in sunlight. She had been sitting by the window, and the sunlight was shining on her, helping to dispel the cold and damp feeling.

"Jūgo? What's going on?"

The girl rubbed her eyes and asked.

"I...I don't know either!" Jugo narrowed his eyes, rushed to the window, and felt the sunlight. He was also confused and bewildered. Although he had kept his eyes open, he really didn't understand what had happened.

In the blink of an eye,

The rain disappeared, replaced by sunshine.

The world before and after a blink is like two different worlds.

"boom!"

The room door was violently forced open.

Bai rushed in.

As soon as he entered, he asked, "Karin, have you found anything?"

"To the southwest, about six kilometers away from here, we discovered a group of high-density chakra fluctuations. It's a mix of humans and beasts, and there are some very strange creatures among them. We can't determine the exact number, but it's definitely more than ten."

Karin didn't even bother to rub her eyes.

He loudly reported the results of his observations.

"Southwest? More than ten people?"

Bai repeated it.

"I understand, Karin, Jugo. You two stay here and don't move around. I'm going to see Lord Orochimaru. Get ready for battle. Jugo, protect Karin. This enemy is very strong. Even Lord Orochimaru and I need to be on high alert. Don't be careless. If things go wrong, don't fight head-on. Preserving yourselves is the best objective."

I gave the two of them an extra reminder.

With a heart full of sorrow, Shiro formed hand seals and used the Body Flicker Technique to leave, heading to find Lord Orochimaru.

When he arrived at Orochimaru's residence,

"Lord Orochimaru."

"It's Shiro! What? Have you already gotten information from Karin?"

Orochimaru was standing on the balcony, gazing at the scenery outside, showing no surprise at Haku's arrival.

"Yes."

Haku walked quickly to Orochimaru's side and said in a fast but clear voice, "Konoha ninjas have appeared in the southwest of Amegakure, numbering in the dozens. We haven't been able to confirm their exact origin yet. They are about six kilometers away from here. I've observed the environment around Amegakure; it's a hilly area."

"The southwest?"

Orochimaru nonchalantly turned his gaze to the southwest, and naturally couldn't see any Konoha ninjas.

"Direction doesn't matter. Haku, your task is to guard the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and Uchiha Sasuke. Sasori and I are going to see our leader first. Of course, if the enemy comes at us fiercely, there's no need to fight to the death. Just try to delay as much as possible. Also, take good care of Karin and Jugo, especially Karin. The Uzumaki clan's bloodline is too rare. We can't waste such precious research material. As for the others... let them make the most of their abilities."

When he finished speaking,

Orochimaru had already spotted Sasori standing on the roof of the house opposite.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The moment the clouds parted and the rain cleared, or even just a few seconds before that, many people in Amegakure, like Karin and Jugo, sensed the changes in advance. However, some of them were exceptionally gifted, like Zetsu and Pain.

In addition,

Some people also happened to witness the magnificent spectacle of the wind sweeping across the sea of ​​clouds in the sky.

"Hey, Kakuzu, what just happened?" Hidan, with his slicked-back hair and carrying a crimson three-section scythe, was bored in his room and decided to go out to find someone to spread the glory of the Jashin.

As a result, as soon as I stepped outside, I saw the demonic wind sweep away the dark sea of ​​clouds with overwhelming force, and the annoying rain curtain disappeared directly.

Hidan, who had little experience, couldn't help but shout and yell.

Having been confined to the laboratory for years, his mind was filled with nothing of value except for the evil god and basic common sense.

"They've already arrived? Konoha ninjas."

Kakuzu's face was covered by a black mask, so his expression could not be seen. His voice was as hoarse and deep as ever. Only his emerald green eyes revealed a hint of solemnity. The seemingly unmoved 'immortal ninja' was not truly indifferent.

"Hidan, it's time to go, let's go to the main building."

"Eh? I was just about to go spread the glory of the Evil God!"

Hidan looked displeased.

but,

He still managed to keep up with Kakuzu's pace.

Although his mind was empty, he wasn't completely stupid. In fact, people like him often had excellent intuition. He keenly sensed an aura of 'seriousness' emanating from Kakuzu, something he had never encountered before.

So despite complaining, he obediently walked towards the 'main building' with Kakuzu.

The so-called 'main building' is actually the tallest steel building in Amegakure. It is the place where Pain, the leader of Akatsuki and the god of Amegakure, resides. After the Akatsuki members are summoned, it doesn't mean that everyone is gathered in one room to wait for a surprise attack from Konoha.

That is impossible!

If you were to forcibly gather the real bodies of these freaks in one room, they would start fighting amongst themselves without even needing the Konoha ninjas to attack.

To avoid this internal friction,

The only option was to disperse everyone and settle them in different locations within Amegakure.

······

The tallest building in the center of Amegakure.

Pain stood on the long, crimson tongue of the fierce and bizarre sculpture outside the window, looking up at the clear sky that seemed like a whole piece of azure glass. It wasn't the first time he had seen such a view, but it was the first time he had seen it in Amegakure.

It doesn't really rain all year round in Amegakure.

It does occasionally not rain.

However, not raining and sunny days are not simply equivalent. Even when it doesn't rain, Amegakure is still shrouded in clouds. Sunshine is a luxury, and a vast expanse of azure sky is an even greater luxury, a sight that many people in the Land of Rain have never seen in their entire lives.

"Pain!"

Xiao Nan flapped her snow-white wings and flew directly to Payne's side, her expression extremely solemn.

She said in a deep voice:

"The wind is blowing from the southwest."

“I have already ‘seen’ it.”

Payne nodded slightly, indicating that he had grasped the details.

Seeing this, Konan was stunned for a fraction of a second before she reacted, realizing that she had been too concerned and had only remembered that Pain had the Rinnegan, but had forgotten that in addition to the Rinnegan, Pain also had an extremely wide range of perception. It seemed that when that demonic storm blew up, Pain had already detected the enemy's whereabouts.