Naruto: All depends on the Nine-tails Fox

In a remote cave by a river, Itachi Uchiha followed behind Shisui Uchiha, both of them slowly steering a small boat.

"I thought you had changed your mind. After all, you didn't show up that night," Itachi commented.

"The higher-ups in Konoha were more troublesome than I expected. It took a bit of time to shake them off," Shisui replied calmly.

"Is that so?" Itachi glanced at Shisui's expressionless face, not fully convinced.

"We're almost there," Shisui continued, pointing ahead. "This is where that guy, Madara Uchiha, has his organization. However, he isn't openly the leader."

"He's hiding his identity?"

"He's using the alias 'Tobi,' pretending to be an insignificant member of the group," Shisui explained. He then gestured towards the black cloth covering his eyes. "Not just him—I'm doing the same. Only the leader and his inner circle know who we really are, besides you."

"My codename in the organization is 'Shika.' Just so you know, in case you need to call me that."

Itachi paused. "A simple disguise. Do I need one as well?"

"You're already too well-known. It wouldn't work, and joining as an overly mysterious figure would only draw more attention."

"It seems you have quite the experience with this," Itachi remarked.

The boat finally reached the cave entrance, and the two stepped inside. Itachi immediately sensed faint chakra waves in the stone floor and walls, likely monitoring jutsu that would alert others to their presence.

Deep within the cave, a massive, eerie statue came into view. The statue had its mouth wide open, its face twisted upward as if in a silent scream. It held its hands up to its chest, as though cradling something. Itachi couldn't help but notice an odd resemblance between the statue's covered eyes and Shisui's own concealed vision.

"Ah, if it isn't Itachi! Long time no see," a familiar voice echoed from the shadows of the statue's hand.

"Orochimaru?" Itachi's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected the infamous S-class rogue ninja to have joined the Akatsuki. Orochimaru, once a disciple of the Third Hokage and a contender for the Fourth Hokage title, had vanished after leaving the village. No wonder the Anbu's efforts to locate him had been fruitless.

Feigning indifference, Itachi remained calm, as if it were normal to encounter a former comrade here.

"Hehehe, I've heard about you," Orochimaru's voice dripped with excitement. "You've finally realized the truth in darkness, haven't you? All those things like village, clan, and comrades—they're just burdens. You did well to abandon them."

Itachi felt a wave of disgust. Orochimaru's enthusiasm seemed less about his joining the organization and more about something else entirely.

[Compared to the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru, you're far inferior,] Itachi thought to himself, choosing to ignore Orochimaru's unsettling excitement.

As they conversed, another figure emerged from the statue's hand—a man with a mask who cheerfully called out, "Shika-san, you're back! Hey, leader, they're back!"

"Shika-san?" Itachi glanced at Shisui, who showed no reaction to the nickname. Itachi pieced together Shisui's alias and the comical behavior of the masked man, gaining some insight into their dynamic.

Finally, Itachi met the rumored leader of the Akatsuki, Pain. Upon seeing Pain's Rinnegan, Itachi's heart skipped a beat. The Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, something he had only heard about in Uchiha clan legends. It was real—this mythical eye existed.

However, Itachi's expression remained composed, revealing none of his inner thoughts.

"The true goal of the Akatsuki," Pain explained, "is to bring lasting peace to the ninja world. By uniting it under our control, we will replace the power structures of the Five Great Nations. Itachi Uchiha, who has rejected Konoha, welcome to the Akatsuki."

"Quite an ambition," Itachi replied. He couldn't discern how much truth there was in Pain's words, but he had already made up his mind. As the eyes of the Will of Fire, he would infiltrate the Akatsuki and gather information to ensure the future envisioned by the Fourth Hokage would become a reality. With that resolve, Itachi etched a line across his Konoha forehead protector, marking his betrayal.

"Here, this ring is your symbol in the organization," Pain said, handing Itachi a crimson ring. He then led Itachi to meet the other members.

Whether it was the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist's Jūzō Biwa, or Konoha's former Legendary Sannin Orochimaru, or the sinister figures like Kakuzu and Sasori, Itachi was somewhat prepared. However, when a young man with pink eyes, wearing the same black cloak with red clouds, appeared, Itachi was truly shocked.

The missing Fourth Mizukage from Kirigakure... is in the Akatsuki? How is this possible?

The young man, Yagura Karatachi, met Itachi's gaze with a calm expression.

Genjutsu? A puppet? What on earth is going on? Itachi's mind raced with questions.

"Itachi will be paired with Jūzō Biwa," Pain declared. "Continue with the plan as assigned."

Itachi remained expressionless as he observed the pairs forming among the members. As expected, Shisui is teamed up with the Fourth Mizukage, he noted mentally.

Ignoring Orochimaru's request to switch partners, Pain reiterated the mission instructions. Soon, the members dispersed from the cave.

After they left, Konan approached Pain with a frown. "Pain, we already have enough members for our plan, even more than needed. Do we really need to keep recruiting?"

Pain turned his gaze towards the massive Gedo Statue, seemingly lost in thought.

"The rings we use for the Astral Projection Jutsu have all been distributed. Should I make more?" Konan asked.

"Yes," Pain finally responded.

Konan hesitated. The Akatsuki's rapid expansion made her uneasy, but she didn't want to burden Nagato with her concerns. Instead, she quietly resolved to be cautious.

Her suspicions towards Madara Uchiha had reached a peak, especially with Shisui now in the mix. Too many key figures seemed to be connected to him. Even Yagura, who was once their target, had inexplicably joined the Akatsuki.

She couldn't comprehend it, but Nagato had assured her he knew the reason behind their joining. And no matter what happened, with the Rinnegan, Pain had the power to keep everyone in check.

Yet, Konan couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her heart. She had a silent premonition: things would not go as smoothly as Nagato expected.