Evil Uchiha brat, I'll marry you myself.

He slightly raised his head and met Pain's gaze.

Those purple, mosquito-coil-like eyes carried an intense sense of oppression; without a doubt, this was the Rinnegan, capable of bringing the dead back to life.

Unfortunately, I am a reanimated being and cannot transplant the Rinnegan.

"Kouki...a rogue ninja from Konoha?"

Have you guys heard of it?

Pain asked the ninja standing on the other pillars.

"Never heard of it, what kind of thing is Gu Mu?"

Hidan answered first, and after thinking for a moment, he made a rather arrogant guess: "He's probably just a cannon fodder ninja."

"Hmm, I've never heard of a powerful ninja named Konoha named Koki."

Kakuzu, who was staying next to Hidan, looked at the ancient trees below, thought for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

"That's it."

Pain spoke in a cold voice, "Kouki, if you want to join Akatsuki, please show us your strength. Akatsuki is an organization that will change the ninja world. Ninjas without strength will only hold us back."

Facing Pain's oppressive gaze, Koki remained expressionless.

If this were an ordinary ninja, they would obviously be under so much pressure from the Rinnegan that they would have difficulty speaking clearly.

"Kakuzu, it's been a long time. It seems you've forgotten the pain once the wound has healed, and you've even forgotten me."

Kakuzu was completely baffled by Gu Mu's inexplicable words.

"Kakuzu, do you know him?"

Hidan's words were puzzling.

"I don't know that?"

Kakuzu was also completely bewildered. Although he had lived a long time, he shouldn't have gotten to know a kid who looked quite young.

Upon seeing Kakuzu, without understanding why, a strong aura of wind-style energy suddenly appeared in Koki's hand.

The ever-increasing amount of chakra instantly made Kakuzu's eyes narrow.

!!!

"It's you, kid!!"

Kakuzu would never forget the memory of being brutally defeated by Hashirama Senju, but before that, he had been seriously injured by a Konoha ANBU member who used a Wind Release technique.

"Kakuzu, you actually know him?"

Pain asked in words.

"He's from the same generation as me, but this guy looks so young!"

Kakuzu's eyes held a hint of envy. He was now neither human nor ghost, while this guy looked like he was in his teens.

Chapter 97: Battle Against Pain!

“Leader, Koki is an impure spirit. He was summoned by Orochimaru in Konoha, but he has now broken free of his control.”

"Furthermore, he will defeat Jiraiya later on."

Pain didn't pay attention to the first half of the sentence about the Deva Path, but when he heard that this young man who had been resurrected had actually defeated his own teacher, he was deeply impressed.

Nagato, who was controlling Pain, couldn't help but look at the old tree with new respect.

Such talent is exactly what the organization needs!

"Your strength has been recognized by us, and you are now a new member of our Akatsuki organization."

Pain immediately agreed to let Koki join.

The core plans of the Akatsuki organization were known only to the veteran members. Nagato wasn't afraid that Koki might have any ulterior motives, since most members of the Akatsuki organization had their own goals anyway.

"Alright, now let's get down to business. The purpose of this gathering is to issue a mission to capture the Tailed Beasts."

"Let Deidara and Sasori go with the One-Tailed Beast. You two are familiar with the area."

"The Two-Tails, Kakuzu, and Hidan."

"The Four-Tails, Itachi, and Kisame. Kisame, your Water Release technique is perfect for countering it."

"As for Gu Mu, since you are a newcomer, you can freely follow any of them in one group."

"This operation, named the Tailed Beast Capture Plan, will officially commence today."

After Pain completed his mission...

Everyone had already left. Afterwards, Xiao Nan found Gu Mu and made him a black and red cloud robe.

There was also a ring engraved with the character '木' (wood), signifying his status.

"and many more."

Gu Mu looked at Xiao Nan, who was about to leave, and stopped her.

"Is something wrong?"

Xiao Nan turned her head expressionlessly, her eyes as cold as ice, standing there like an iceberg.

"Could I see the chief? I need to speak with him."

A hint of suspicion flickered in Konan's eyes, but she knew Pain's nature well, so she wasn't worried that Koki would do anything reckless.

"Come with me." Konan decided to use the Dance of Shikigami to test the true strength of the ancient tree.

When she arrived at the tallest spire in Amegakure, she found the ancient tree still below, which greatly disappointed her.

Is this guy's teleportation speed really that slow?

But just then, a questioning voice suddenly came from beside him: "Gu Mu, what brings you here?"

Pain's question left Konan completely bewildered, and she rubbed her eyes vigorously.

In the blink of an eye, Gu Mu's figure had vanished without a trace, replaced by a figure appearing in front of her.

That terrifying speed of movement... Could this guy possibly know space-time ninjutsu?

Xiao Nan felt a mix of surprise and apprehension.

"Leader, as you know, I am a reanimated being. To tell you the truth, I joined Akatsuki only to be fully resurrected."

Name your terms.

Gu Mu looked at the pressure-filled Pain in front of him, his face expressionless.

It seems that they were not affected by the pressure.

"Complete resurrection? What do you want from me? I can't do that..."

Nagato, who was far away in the deep mountains controlling Pain, trembled with shock. How did this guy know that he knew the Outer Path Samsara Technique?

“Chief, I like to get straight to the point. I have my reasons for saying this. The ability of your eyes was not a secret in our time.”

Gu Mu can speak fluently without hesitation.

Anyway, almost all the ninjas of his era were dead, so even if he lied, no one would find out.

"I would pay a huge price to resurrect the dead at will. Are you sure you have the qualifications?"

Deep in the mountains, Nagato's eyes held a hint of solemnity, and a feeling arose within him that his very being had been exposed.

Could this guy already know that the person in front of him is actually a puppet?

Should this child be kept?

Sure enough, when Gu Mu said those words, Xiao Nan, who was standing next to him, quietly entered battle mode.

Konan would not allow anyone other than herself to know about Nagato's characteristics.

"That's why I mentioned the conditions. What are your conditions?"

Gu Mu glanced at Xiao Nan, who was about to make a move beside him.

No force was used to suppress them. Nagato is a stubborn guy; he probably wouldn't do anything against his own will, even if he died.

"condition?"

"You're really arrogant. Let me see what gives you the right to be so arrogant."

Pain finally uttered some emotional words, and through his gaze, Nagato clearly sensed that this guy seemed to completely disregard him.

"Chief, let me do it."

Konan immediately tried to stop Pain when she saw him intending to intervene personally.

She knew that Nagato's use of Pain's power to fight Koki would inevitably deplete his own life force.

"Konan, my mind is made up. Koki has even defeated Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. You are no match for him."

Pain waved his hand to stop Konan from speaking and brought the ancient tree to the Animal Path.

"Psychic art!!"

With the help of the Animal Path's spiritual power, Pain, along with Konan and Koki, quickly arrived at a deserted forest.