The masked man leaned against the wall and said slowly, "I will help you kill Orochimaru, but you still need to do it yourself."
"Only by attracting the attention of everyone in the ninja world will Uchiha Itachi notice you."
"You don't want to get revenge ignominiously, do you?"
"I understand what you're thinking."
Sasuke's broken heart reignited with hope at this moment.
It seemed the masked man was right; killing Orochimaru and taking the Kusanagi sword would draw the attention of various powers.
And he wanted everyone to know why he had been reduced to this state.
He had to make everyone see how he personally killed Uchiha Itachi.
Only then could the anger in his heart be appeased.
Only then could the massacred Uchiha clan find peace.
"What do I need to do?" After serious consideration, Sasuke finally made up his mind, his gaze becoming steadier.
The masked man slowly raised a finger, "Join the Akatsuki, and you still need to kill one more person..."
"During this time, I will find a way to enhance your Sharingan."
"Why should I trust you?" Sasuke wasn't a fool; why would a stranger help him?
"Because of the blood that flows through us..."
The torch on the wall rack slowly burned out, and darkness tightly enveloped the three of them.
Within the masked man's right eye, a crimson Mangekyo Sharingan spun faintly.
At this moment, Sasuke was utterly stunned.
Short Sand Street.
Today, a few special guests had arrived.
But unfortunately, it wasn't storytelling time today.
Everyone who had just entered the restaurant for drinks and food froze.
The previously boisterous atmosphere instantly fell silent.
Everyone looked at the newly arrived guests, their chopsticks trembling unconsciously.
"There don't seem to be many people today."
Seated at the head was the leader of the Akatsuki, Pain.
Following behind him were Konan the White Tiger, Kakuzu the North Star, and Deidara the Azure Dragon.
The four of them found a place to sit down simultaneously.
Su Mu, in the private room, saw the figures below through the window of the upper floor and smiled slightly.
All the customers in the restaurant could no longer eat.
Seeing the Akatsuki members appear, they all wanted to end their meal and leave quickly.
At this critical moment, Su Mu walked out slowly, holding a folding fan, "Everyone, eat, drink, and be merry."
"I once said that coming here is for enjoyment, consider it Peace Restaurant."
Hearing Su Mu's words, the crowd's emotions gradually eased.
"Mr. Su is right. When you come to this restaurant, you don't need to worry about anything. I am also a guest today."
Pain turned his head and explained to Su Mu's words.
Everyone was filled with shock at this moment.
Since when had the Akatsuki become so easy to talk to?
It seemed the Eight Treasures Glazed Pavilion was truly an interesting place.
They never dreamed that one day they would be able to eat and drink in the same restaurant as members of the Akatsuki.
Moreover, they could play cards too?
Kakuzu took out a deck of cards from his pocket, and the few of them started playing.
More and more guests gathered around to watch them play cards.
Some even gave instructions.
"You played that card wrong, you should have played a 2!"
"King bomb! Don't hesitate! If you don't bomb now, the other side will win!"
"Ah! I just happened to have a pair of Kings, this should be the biggest card right now!"
The surrounding guests became more and more animated as they watched.
They even directed Pain and Deidara on how to play cards.
Deidara's ears were ringing from the noise.
"Bastards! All of you shut up! Are you playing or am I playing?"
"King bomb? I'll bomb your mother! When we get out, you'll be the first one I bomb so badly that even your mother won't recognize you!"
Su Mu watched the Akatsuki members playing cards with an speechless expression.
So they really considered this place to be the Peace Hotel.
The three guests who were giving directions were startled by Deidara.
"Don't be scared. Didn't Mr. Su just say it's okay? This guy probably doesn't have the guts."
From the crowd, a middle-aged ninja patted the three of them on the shoulder and said calmly.
This infuriated Deidara. If it weren't for the fact that chakra couldn't be used in the Eight Treasures Glazed Pavilion, he would have exploded by now.
To hell with all of you...
On the counter, a special flowerpot was placed.
Inside, it wasn't any strange or rare flowers.
It was Hidan, awakened and dressed up by Su Mu.
His body had been dismembered and hidden by the Bamboo Fishbone Ex-Ninja, leaving only his head, which Su Mu kept in the shop as a mascot.
Every customer who came and went would tease Hidan when they settled their bills.
"Hey, why do you look a bit unhappy today?"
"Come on, smile, such a cute head, don't always look so sad."
"The hairstyle is different today, why is there a bunny ear on your head?"
Hidan narrowed his eyes in a lifeless manner, watching the passing customers. He had long gotten used to it...
"By the way, why haven't I seen Sasori recently?"
Kakuzu played a 2 and then closed his cards, looking at Deidara with confusion.
"No," Deidara scoffed and crossed his legs in dissatisfaction. "That guy sits by the border of the Land of Wind every day, gazing at Sunagakure."
"I suspect he only joined the Akatsuki for the prestige."
Land of Wind, border.
Sasori, inside the Hiruko, stared in the direction of Sunagakure.
The surrounding wind slowly blew sand into the air. Sasori reached out, letting the sand fall into his palm.
"Each grain seems to represent a story from the past..."
Sasori looked at the sand in his palm and smiled bitterly.
"But are past stories still considered stories? It's boring..."
Suddenly, five figures slowly emerged from a dust storm.
"If you miss home, then go back."
The masked man said humorously, staring at Sasori.
Sasori smiled, "Go back? They've all abandoned me, where should I be buried?"
Before the masked man could speak, the King of Ass, Sasuke, behind him, walked forward with cool steps.
"How do you like the scenery here?"
"It's still a distance from Sunagakure. If you're buried here, no one will find you."
"Are you trying to defect to the enemy?" Sasori asked, looking at Sasuke and the masked man expressionlessly.
"What's the use of saying all this to you?" Sasuke slowly drew the long sword at his waist.
At the same time, Karin and Jugo, who had been rescued from Orochimaru's laboratory, stood behind Sasuke.
The masked man clapped his hands and smiled, "Sasuke, it's up to you..."