Chapter 79: A Show of Power
But Pain didn't intervene. He simply looked at the two and allowed them to proceed.
As for Obito? He was eager to see Ayaan's strength firsthand. The idea of Kakuzu battling the mysterious newcomer delighted him. When Kakuzu glanced at Obito, the masked man showed no reaction at all.
"Come outside, kid. Let's see if your mouth is as sharp as your kunai!" Kakuzu snarled.
Without a word, Ayaan motioned toward the exit and walked out. Kakuzu followed, scoffing all the way.
Only Sarah seemed worried. The others didn't react.
Unbeknownst to the rest, Black Zetsu had sent a White Zetsu clone to follow them and report back.
Five minutes later…
Ayaan returned, carrying Kakuzu like a rag doll and casually dropped him on the ground. "You older generation types aren't much. Looks like you were washed up by the new wave."
"I don't know how you ever fought Hashirama Senju," Ayaan said sarcastically. "Did you throw a kunai from the neighboring village?"
Kakuzu lay on the floor, his chakra completely drained, a look of disbelief on his face.
Obito's Kamui had already amazed him. But this—this Yami Yami no Mi ability was something else entirely. It absorbed chakra, devoured jutsu, and completely nullified his elemental techniques. Kakuzu's five-element attacks were utterly useless.
After only two minutes of battle, Kakuzu had been pulled into darkness, drained of chakra, and dragged back like a dog.
"Well, it seems this fight is over," Pain said coolly. "Kakuzu, I've heard your name for years… but now, it seems you lack a partner."
Had Ayaan not already recruited Sarah, Kakuzu would've partnered with him. But with an odd number of members now, that was no longer possible.
"Hmph. I don't need a partner," Kakuzu said gruffly, standing up.
"You're the weakest member now. Of course, you need a partner. At least then, you'll contribute something," Pain said flatly, showing no mercy.
"I was just caught off guard…"
"Enough," Obito cut in. He turned to Sarah. "That aside, not everyone can join Akatsuki so easily. Black Shadow, what exactly can your recruit do?"
Ayaan's face twisted into a strange smile. "Why don't you try her yourself? But unless you use your Mangekyō, you won't stand a chance."
"Hmph! I'm an Uchiha. You expect me to not use my Mangekyō Sharingan?" Obito snarled.
He was about to declare himself Madara again but stopped himself—both Kakuzu and Ayaan had already seen through that lie.
The truth? Without Kamui, Obito was far less confident. His greatest strength was the space-time technique tied to his eye, and without it, he wasn't nearly as intimidating.
Sarah sensed his hesitation and threw him a smug look, which only made Obito angrier.
"Fine. Since you won't fight her, I approve her entry into Akatsuki," Pain said indifferently, pulling out a set of rings.
"These rings allow us to communicate telepathically. Choose one."
Obito took a ring. So did Ayaan, Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, Sarah, Kakuzu, and Konan.
This time, the rings weren't labeled with zodiac names or esoteric titles. They were simply numbered 1 through 10 for simplicity.
"The meeting is over. From now on, we can use projection jutsu for communication," Pain said. "For now, we'll take on war commissions from smaller nations. Kakuzu, Black Shadow—you two handle them. Ask Zetsu for intel."
"Obito, go scout new members."
With that, Pain vanished. Konan spread her paper wings and took off. The others dispersed quickly.
These missions didn't mean much to Ayaan, but they'd be good training for Sarah. He knew that her Wood Release would no longer stay hidden for long.
Obito quickly took notice, and suspicion grew in his heart. But White Zetsu couldn't monitor Ayaan—his observation Haki wasn't chakra-based and detected everything.
Several White Zetsu clones sent to spy were quickly captured. Ayaan had no complaints—Zetsu spores were parasites. And as a master of body modification, Ayaan saw endless possibilities for them.
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"Wood Release– Advent of the World of Trees!"
A massive forest exploded from the ground, engulfing hundreds of enemy shinobi. They were drained of chakra and hung upside down like flies in a web.
"That's… that's the Wood Release user from Akatsuki!" several rogue ninjas screamed in horror. "I'm out! I surrender!"
"Heh, seriously, not one of them can put up a fight." Sarah crossed her arms, smirking proudly.
Ayaan, still dressed in black, commented dryly, "Didn't you cry the first time you stepped onto the battlefield?"
"How was I supposed to know they'd be this weak?! I thought I was just a rookie!" Sarah pouted.
"You weren't even a ninja before. Thanks to me, you can't be queen anymore."
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