Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 329

Finally, they arrived at a towering, massive tower that seemed to pierce the gray clouds.

The tower is cold and hard, like a giant sword, standing in the rain, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

At the entrance to the tower, a figure was already waiting there.

She was a woman wearing a black trench coat embroidered with red auspicious cloud patterns, and she had rare blue hair with the ends curled slightly like paper.

She stood quietly in the rain.

Strangely, just as the cold raindrops were about to fall on her, they seemed to be separated by an invisible force and automatically slid to the sides.

This kept her body strangely dry.

Her face was delicate yet cold, like a paper flower in the rain—beautiful, but devoid of any warmth.

A pair of orange eyes calmly watched the two people who arrived.

The ninja leading the way immediately stopped and bowed respectfully to the woman, his tone full of piety: "Divine Envoy, the person has been brought."

The blue-haired woman known as the "Divine Messenger," Xiao Nan, merely nodded slightly, her voice as cold as raindrops striking metal: "You've worked hard. You can go back now."

After bowing again, the ninja quickly turned and disappeared into the rain.

Only Xiao Nan and Shen Nong remained at the scene.

Shennong's humble smile deepened as he carefully examined the "angel" before him, who held a high position within the Akatsuki organization.

With a perfectly timed compliment, he said, "I have long admired your name, Divine Envoy. Seeing you today, I never expected you to be so beautiful and charming. It is truly astonishing."

Xiao Nan remained unresponsive to his compliments, her orange eyes as precise as the most sophisticated instruments.

It coldly scanned Shennong, as if trying to see through him completely, inside and out.

She cut straight to the point, without any intention of pleasantries: "State your purpose, outsider. Amegakure does not welcome unnecessary visitors."

Faced with Xiao Nan's blunt questioning, Shennong put away his smile and straightened his back.

Although he remained polite, his tone became serious and direct: "I came here hoping to get an opportunity."

He paused, then clearly stated his purpose: "I want to join—the Akatsuki organization."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment, with only the sound of rain continuing to patter.

Xiao Nan's eyes suddenly sharpened, and the surrounding raindrops seemed to freeze for a moment.

Her voice carried a chilling sarcasm and disbelief: "Oh? Join Akatsuki? Do you know what you're saying? What do you think Akatsuki is? Something you can just join whenever you want?"

Faced with the subtle pressure and doubt emanating from Xiao Nan, Shennong remained calm and composed, as if he had everything under control.

He smiled slightly and said, "Of course I know what I'm talking about, Your Excellency."

"I am also very clear about what kind of organization Akatsuki is."

"That's why I believe my joining you is valuable."

He took a small step forward, lowered his voice, and said with confidence, "As far as I know, the Akatsuki organization is currently... in dire need of truly capable people, isn't it?"

Xiao Nan's eyes narrowed slightly, but she remained silent.

Shennong continued, "And I possess the technology that you may desperately need right now—the perfect art of physical revitalization and regeneration."

"And the project to develop the ultimate weapon based on this—Zero Tail."

"These are enough to significantly enhance the organization's strength, both in terms of strengthening its members and in the implementation of certain 'plans'..."

Xiao Nan's gaze remained cold, but Shennong could sense that she had taken his words to heart.

Seeing this, he decided to take another drastic measure.

Then, a seemingly helpless but actually meaningful smile appeared on his face: "After all, as far as I know, your organization seems to have unfortunately sacrificed two core members three years ago."

"And not long ago, we received the devastating news of the loss of two more members... Oh, right, and that talented Orochimaru, he's probably no longer with the organization, isn't he?"

With each word he spoke, the air around Xiao Nan grew colder.

When Orochimaru was mentioned, a very subtle ripple finally appeared in the depths of Konan's usually calm eyes.

Shennong's words were like a precise dagger, piercing the Akatsuki's deepest and most painful weakness—the severe lack of top-tier combat power.

Xiao Nan fell silent, staring intently at Shennong, seemingly weighing the truthfulness of his words and the possible hidden motives behind them.

The rain continued to fall, but the atmosphere became incredibly oppressive.

After a long while, Xiao Nan slowly turned around, her back to Shennong, and her cold voice rang out again, devoid of any emotion: "Come with me."

There was no explicit consent, nor was there any refusal. But that was enough.

Shennong's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile of triumph as he quickly followed Xiao Nan's footsteps.

We stepped into the entrance of that tower, which was as deep as the throat of a giant beast.

The tower was dimly lit, no different from the outside world.

It was still cold and damp, with only the faint lights spaced far apart on the walls providing limited illumination, casting long, distorted shadows.

In the silent corridor, only the clear echoes of their footsteps reverberated, adding to the eeriness and oppression.

Following Xiao Nan through a maze of twists and turns, they finally arrived at an unusually spacious yet extremely dark hall.

In the center of the hall, a blurry figure sat seated on a series of chairs made of stone.

It seemed to blend into the shadows, making it impossible to see its exact face; only a vague outline could be discerned.

However, the moment Shennong stepped into the hall, an indescribable, immense, and suffocating pressure surged towards him like a tidal wave!

That wasn't a deliberately released killing intent, but rather a natural and absolute sense of oppression that seemed to originate from a higher level of life!

Shennong's composure vanished instantly. He groaned and staggered backward uncontrollably before barely managing to regain his balance.

A fine layer of cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead beneath the cloak.

Just then, the figure in the center slowly raised its head.

The shadows faded, revealing his face—a young but lifeless face, riddled with black iron rods, like a puppet.

What's most unsettling is that pair of eyes that slowly open!

Deep purple ripples flowed slowly within, containing the power of all things in the universe, as if they contained the truth of the birth and death of the entire world!

Just by looking into those eyes, Shennong felt his soul tremble, as if he might be sucked into those eyes at any moment and completely annihilated.

All his previous confidence and calculations seemed so laughable and insignificant in the face of those legendary eyes.

Pain, seated atop the throne, spoke slowly, his voice calm and even, yet like a cold boulder thrown into stagnant water, carrying a chilling question:

"Were you... threatening us just now?"

The immense pressure struck again, almost forcing Shennong to his knees.

He forced down his fear and tried to keep his voice steady, although it still trembled slightly.

"No...no, Your Excellency."

"I'm just stating a fact, a fact that we might be able to use as a basis for cooperation."

He struggled to raise his head, meeting those Rinnegan eyes, trying to express his "value": "I have the technology you need, and you... have the resources and platform I need."

"This is a win-win situation."

Pain, the Deva Path, silently gazed at Shennong below, who was trying to remain calm. His eyes, filled with the power of reincarnation, showed no emotion, as if he were examining a tool.

The hall fell into a deathly silence, with only the incessant sound of rain outside the window as the sole background noise.

Konan stood quietly to the side, like a silent statue, awaiting Payne's decision.

Payne was indeed weighing his options. Shennong's words, though unpleasant to hear, hit the nail on the head.

Sasori, Deidara, Hidan, Kakuzu, and Orochimaru, who disappeared after going to Roran...

The successive losses of core members have severely impacted the progress of the plan.

While Zetsu could provide intelligence, the number of combat personnel was indeed severely limited.

Currently, the only people left besides "Madara," the mastermind behind it all, are Kisame and Madara.

Although Kisame is powerful, it's far from enough.

We urgently need to add new members with considerable strength.

This guy who calls himself Shennong, although his purpose is unclear, has mastered the physical activation technology and the so-called "zero tail".

It certainly sounds like it has value.

At the very least, it's worth taking advantage of.

Thinking of this, the suffocating pressure surrounding Pain slowly receded like a tide.

He looked down at Shennong, who visibly relaxed, and made his decision in a completely calm tone:

Welcome to Xiao.

As he spoke, Konan silently took out a neatly folded black trench coat embroidered with red clouds and a ring representing a member of the Akatsuki organization, and handed them to Shennong.

Shennong accepted the clothes and ring, and a smile finally returned to his face.

This time, it was a genuine, ambitious smile from the heart.

"Thank you very much for your trust, Chief. I will never let you down."

The rain continued to pound against the outer walls of the tower.

It seems to foreshadow that a new, unsettling undercurrent has been introduced into the shadows of this land.

Chapter 351 Finding a Teammate! Hellish Double Training!

The midday sun once again draped the training ground in its familiar golden-red hue.

Naruto collapsed onto the cold ground in a "spread-eagle" position, his chest heaving violently like a bellows.

Sweat soaked him completely, and a small patch of the ground beneath him was damp.

Three full days of intense, high-density, and almost cruel special training.

Every time, he gives it his all, pushing himself to the limit, and even exceeding it.

Rasengan, Wind Release, Sage Mode, Tailed Beast Transformation... He used almost every technique he knew.