HTP: Ch. 44

Rain. The never-ending rain.

Jiraiya stood on a rusted iron bridge, his special raincoat shielding him from the chakra-laced downpour. He tilted his head up, looking at the towering steel skyscraper looming in the rain. He figured Nagato was probably there.

The entire Ame was composed of towering metal spires and countless pipes, a visual straight out of a cyberpunk setting.

"Finally, I'm back here again."

Memories surged like a wave... Yahiko's cheerful laughter, Konan's focused profile as she folded paper, Nagato's shy smile and his legendary eyes. Back then, the village had none of these cold pipes, only three children and an unreliable teacher sharing simple yet delicious meals in a run-down wooden hut.

His expression grew complicated. To him, the time with them was a deeply treasured experience.

"Konan, Nagato… and Yahiko. Wait for me."

He flickered forward in a flash, heading swiftly into the bustling red-light district. He pushed open the door of a themed tavern. The neon lights, alcohol, and loud music immediately dispelled the bleak atmosphere outside.

His gaze swept across the scantily clad hostesses blowing kisses at him, causing a slight blush to rise on his face.

"Heh heh."

First, he needed to gather information. The old man's intel was both accurate and vague.

"Lots of beauties in Ame too, heh heh."

He slammed Naruto's swiped wallet onto the bar and shouted, "Bring me ten young models!"

---

"Jiraiya's already in Ame, but there's still no response from Pain's side."

In the shadows, Obito spoke. It was ironic. Even though they were in a cave, he insisted on hiding himself. "The Rain Tiger at Will Technique should've immediately locked onto an intruder. The fact that nothing's happened yet…"

His lone eye flashed red as he said grimly, "It proves that either Nagato or Konan is the problem. Then, if it's not Nagato, it has to be Konan interfering."

Black Zetsu thought Obito's reasoning made sense but still had doubts. "Is it possible Jiraiya found a way to block the technique?"

Obito considered this and replied, "It's possible, but unlikely. The technique is a barrier-type jutsu. Without knowing the intel, it's extremely hard to avoid."

But isn't Akatsuki's intel full of leaks these days? Black Zetsu was just about to say that when the shrewd Obito continued, "In Ame, apart from Nagato, Konan, and us two, no other Akatsuki members know about the technique."

True enough.

Most Akatsuki members were always out on missions, and contact was maintained through astral projection. They might not even know where Pain's base was. The intel on the Rain Tiger at Will Technique wasn't something Nagato had shared openly, it was something Zetsu had uncovered.

So if the intel was leaked, it had to come from one of the four of them?

At this point, he gave a slight nod in agreement. "You make a good point."

Obito gave the order, "Go notify Nagato now! We'll find out whether it's Konan, or Nagato himself."

Why do you keep thinking it's Nagato? Wasn't he the one who led the attack on Konoha?

It's definitely Konan!

Black Zetsu grumbled silently.

"Fine. If it's Konan, then let Nagato clean up his own house."

But it didn't feel reliable. That was what Zetsu thought.

"No. Nagato won't harm her," Obito said. "If it turns out they're still secretly connected to Konoha…" He stepped out of the shadows. "Then it's time to take back the Rinnegan."

Come on, Obito. What are you even posturing for? If the intel wasn't leaked, there might still be a chance. But now even your phase jutsu's cooldown has been exposed. Nagato's in good shape and has the full Six Paths with him. How do you plan to take back the Rinnegan, just by talking?

Even if I used the backdoor Madara left behind to ambush Nagato and somehow got the Rinnegan for you, could you even handle it?

Black Zetsu's gaze was complicated, but his tone was surprisingly gentle. "Think it over again. I feel like there might be something else going on here. For example, Itachi has completely vanished, supposedly dead, yes, but there could be other possibilities. I'm good at gathering intel, but I'm not omniscient."

"Impossible. If he were still alive, he'd return to Akatsuki. He's not the kind of man who'd just walk away and disappear," Obito said firmly, sticking to his conclusion.

"A direct conflict with Nagato would come at a great cost." Black Zetsu had to spell it out more clearly.

"Are you saying I can't defeat him? I'm Madara!"

That's Obito's mindset, once he put on the mask, all the bad things were pinned on Madara.

Uncharacteristically, Black Zetsu made a decision of his own. "Regardless of anything else, I'll go notify him first. For the sake of the plan, we should avoid making a move on him unless we absolutely have no choice."

Obito was surprised, Black Zetsu almost always followed his lead, rarely making his own decisions. After a moment's thought, he said, "Fine. I'll keep an eye on Jiraiya first."

With that, space began to twist. His figure blurred and gradually disappeared in a swirling vortex.

Black Zetsu felt a headache coming on. Pieces on a chessboard, too smart is no good, too dumb is also no good. Madara had been the perfect balance, neither too clever nor too foolish.

He found himself missing the good old days when Madara was still alive. He submerged underground.

---

Inside the high tower, cold mechanical devices hummed steadily.

Nagato lashed out at Zetsu with furious words. "What's wrong with you and Madara? How could Konan and I possibly be Konoha agents? Frankly, you look a lot like Danzō to me. Are you an undercover spy? Are you plotting something? Did you sell Akatsuki's intel to Konoha on purpose? You both just want to use Akatsuki for your own goals! You're fired!"

Clearly, he had absolute faith in Konan.

And Black Zetsu couldn't possibly accept being "fired" from his own organization over something like this.

Konan's paper silently gathered at the dome of the tower, forming a snowy white vortex. Tendō's palm was already raised and aimed at him, if Black Zetsu didn't explain himself well, he'd be hit by a powerful Banshō Ten'in any moment now.

Black Zetsu quickly defended himself. "I swear, I've been loyal all along. Jiraiya really is in Ame right now!"

Nagato and Konan exchanged a look. Konan gave a small nod, indicating that the intel might be credible.

"Silence!" Tendō barked, raising his hand sharply. The gravity of Banshō Ten'in twisted Black Zetsu's body painfully.

"Why has our intel been constantly leaking? Why is it that the information known only to you and 'Madara' keeps ending up in Konoha's hands?"

Clinging to the ground to stabilize himself, Black Zetsu shouted, "I swear! Jiraiya is currently at a bar, he even ordered ten young hostesses! Konan can go verify this!"

Konan gave another light nod.

The gravitational force subsided.

Nagato, still on his life-support machine, fell silent in thought, then said solemnly, "I will deal with Jiraiya myself. As for you and the one claiming to be Madara, leave Ame. Our collaboration is over!"

Obito definitely wouldn't accept this. This is bad! If a real fight breaks out between them, what about my mom?

Black Zetsu thought fast and immediately tried to mediate. "Madara is already old, and he's always respected your ideals! He sees you as the true leader and fully supports your plan to 'make the world feel pain,' it's a flawless strategy!"

Inside the tower, seven pairs of Rinnegan eyes focused intently on Black Zetsu.

But Black Zetsu, having seen many things over the ages, wasn't afraid. He calmly continued, "We share the same goal, don't let a misunderstanding lead to internal strife."

"If that happens, won't world peace be delayed even further? Besides, while Madara may be old, he's still an extremely powerful asset!"

"He only claims to be Madara," Nagato said coldly. "I don't trust him. If he wants to prove himself, tell him to bring back the Eight-Tails. Otherwise, our cooperation is over."

Black Zetsu thought, Well, that's probably the best outcome for now. He agreed immediately and began to dive underground to inform Obito.

As he did, Nagato's voice echoed through the tower. "I am the leader of Akatsuki. He'd better remember that."