Uchiha Madara.
Who was he?
The one and only rival of the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama.
The strongest shinobi that the Uchiha clan ever produced.
The founder of Konohagakure, alongside Senju Hashirama.
...The one who was announced as dead after his final battle with Senju Hashirama.
Every information that existed regarding Uchiha Madara highlighted his strength. People said that should Senju Hashimara had not existed, no one would've been able to stop this madman.
Such a name came out of Yagura's mouth. It meant that Madara was, somehow, up until now, alive.
...Akashi supposed that everything now made sense, should the name of Uchiha Madara be taken into account.
After all, who else would be strong enough to cast a genjutsu onto the tailed beast and its host, other than Madara himself?
"If someone, hiding within the dark unknown to anyone, was planning our fall... if someone was pretending to be a fate... such would be equivalent to the tarnishment of the Uzumaki clan's pride. Furthermore... there is a very high likelihood... that this unknown individual may be the ongoing cause of the current war."
Uchiha Madara.
"...I see."
Akashi placed his hand on top of his face. Through the gaps of his finger, his lone eye gleamed dangerously, having identified its opponent.
'But it looks like you didn't manage to see this coming, eh, Madara?'
Now, Akashi was aware of Madara's presence.
From now on, whatever Madara tries to achieve, it won't be as easy as before.
"I've... been through many things."
Filled with effervescence, Yagura muttered.
"I was the second-in-line, meant to serve as a substitute. A colleague of mine, stronger and more resilient than I, was to become the jinchuriki of Isobu. One day, I met a pair of sharingans. My body no longer listened to my controls. I ambushed my colleague, murdered him, and became the jinchuriki."
"I turned my blade against my own kins. I attacked everyone in sight such that they had no choice but to fight back. The Bloody Mist was already bad enough... and I made it worse."
His lips curled up, although shaky. He was trying to smile.
"Death is the only way I can atone for my sins. At last... I am free. I no longer have to be bound to this torturous life... thank you."
How would it feel to live a life where you aren't able to control a single bit of your actions? Akashi couldn't imagine the pain and frustration that Yagura had gone through.
Yagura's body started to crumble away.
"Thanks to Isobu, I was able to maintain my mindscape for a time being. Now that I told you what was needed... what you do with that information is up to you. It's... my time to go."
Solemnly, Akashi turned away.
"...Stand proud, Karatachi Yagura. You were strong."
Yagura smiled at that. He then whispered,
"Goodbye, world."
On the spot where Yagura was standing, nothing but flying peckles of dust remained.
Akashi's vision was subverted, as Yagura's mindscape crumbled down.
__________
Jaws opened and eyes unmoving, everyone in Kirigakure witnessed the unbelievable sight ahead of them.
The moment they saw that the three tails were trying to use Bijuudama, they felt that the village was over. Everything would get destroyed.
"...Zetsu?!"
The daimyo of the land of water growled, turning to his strategist.
"Haven't you said that the three tails will remove our foes? Then run away into the water?!"
The daimyo's fury wasn't in Zetsu's mind, however. Ignoring the shout aimed at him, Zetsu's eyes were locked onto the scene ahead, where the huge chakra of the three tails dispersed, signalling that the tailed beast had been taken care of.
'Akashi...'
Zetsu frowned,
'To think you were this strong...'
"Zetsu!!!"
"Worry not, daimyo-sama."
The daimyo shouted once more, and Zetsu finally responded, calmly.
"Even if the three tails was defeated, our plan remains intact. Our foes, by now, should be heavily exhausted. Clearly, Red Blade must be suffering from chakra exhaustion; that was the reason why he poured everything into a single attack."
Hearing Zetsu's explanation, the daimyo finally cooled down.
"...What then? What now?"
"We go."
Zetsu pointed forward.
"Subdue our enemies. Take what is yours, daimyo-sama."
Holding his chest, the obese daimyo calmed down. Then, a greedy smile made its way to his face.
"Well, you heard that!!"
He cried, turning to the ninjas of the Funato and Kaguya clans.
"Let's go!!"
...
"W-What..."
Kisame, as the light in the sky died, was trying to process what he had just witnessed.
"It was the three tails in its full form..."
Ahead, Akashi was found, alive and intact.
Although his cloak was ripped here and there, and he was leaning on one knee and supporting his weight by stabbing Ryuma on the ground, he was nonetheless conscious.
It was akin to the legends that Kisame had heard in the past.
The story of the first Mizukage's feats, how he was able to unite the land of water and form the village hidden in the mist.
"With one slash..."
Kisame felt his heart beating rapidly.
The heart, which he thought would no longer beat after the countless dirty missions he had done for the sake of the village, was beating vibrantly.
Yes, although he no longer felt loyal to the village, his pride as a shinobi remained.
And who wouldn't want to get strong? Who wouldn't want to get famous?
Kisame's eyes contained the ideal shinobi. He couldn't help but think, that,
I want to follow that man—
'...What am I thinking?'
Widening his eyes, he shook such a thought off.
He watched as Mei quickly rushed by Akashi's side, supporting him.
Zabuza and Ao. As Mei went, they naturally followed.
Kisame couldn't help but think that they looked quite close, even though Akashi was a foreigner, unlike them.
Kisame felt his feet moving by their own. Walking up to the group, he stood in front of Akashi, who looked very tired. Mei had his arm draped around her shoulder, allowing him to stand.
"Why?"
"...Helped the village, you are asking."
Akashi read Kisame's thought in an instant. Kisame flinched, but nodded.
"Wrong. I didn't help them at all."
"...That doesn't make sense."
Akashi chuckled as Kisame refuted.
"Your name?"
"...Hoshigaki Kisame."
"Well, Kisame, look around you."
Kisame did as Akashi told.
Buildings were ruined. There was no presence of a person anywhere nearby, for everyone evacuated.
"Still!!"
Kisame argued,
"You dealt with Yagura, who was ruining this village! You removed the three tails that harbored hatred for this village! You saved those civilians!"
"Saving them wasn't in my mind from the very start."
Mei seemed confused. Turning her head, she stared at Akashi. So did Ao and Zabuza, as well as Juzo, who was standing afar.
"I am no saint."
Akashi felt strange as he said this.
If it were to be his younger self, he would've been enraged by how Yagura, the ruler of the village, treated his people with madness. He would've talked about what is right and what is wrong, thinking of that one shinobi of Ame who saved his life when he was young.
Unfortunately, he's seen too much.
The reason why that shinobi saved his life was that he had nothing to lose. Because he was going to lose his life anyway, he wanted to ease his soul, wishing to prove that he wasn't a bad person.
Saving? Ending the war?
Hallucinations and trauma from killing others?
Upon gaining enough time to ponder, upon gaining a chance to bond with others, Akashi learned how useless such thoughts were.
After all, there was nothing special about him. He was a human just as any other, one just as selfish as others.
Peace? Yes, he wanted peace—but a small piece of it, just enough for himself and his close ones, would suffice. Others? Why must he care? Again, he isn't a saint.
"I am laying a heavy debt. That's all there is to this."
"...Is that so."
Kisame felt as if an invisible weight in him got lifted upon hearing Akashi's response.
He deeply resonated with Akashi.
Kisame understood that Akashi, just like him, lived quite an isolated life.
Both reached the same conclusion in the end: What's wrong with being selfish? This world hates me anyway.
Mei, listening to this, nodded firmly.
"...Yes, that was the deal from the start. Deal with Yagura for us, and we'll give you the place to stay without being chased..."
Mei looked around, supporting Akashi as she did so.
Ao, Zabuza, and Juzo.
Although not here, many other ninjas, as well as the fallen ones who died for the liberation of Kirigakure.
All of them stood with Mei.
"We're close. Now, we have to—"
She couldn't continue.
The noises of fast footsteps resounded from afar.
Everyone in sight turned.
"Akashi!! Mei!!"
Gai and Hidan were running, with pale expressions on their faces.
"...Gai? Hidan?"
Mei mumbled, wondering what they were panicking about.
"T-The army!!!"
Upon closer look, a wave of dust could be seen behind the running figures of the two boys.
The dust was the product of the orderly footsteps.
"The... trained soldiers..."
They weren't ninjas, but soldiers. Holding spears and wearing armors, they were different.
There was only one individual in the land of water who possessed an army of such.
"Daimyo..."
Mei's eyes widened.
"But what is he doing here...?"
A bad feeling penetrated her mind.
Ao and Zabuza grimaced, having reached a conclusion.
Gai and Hidan reached the group.
Out of instinct, the two boys brought themselves close to Akashi.
"Akashi... Kirano-san... he..."
Gai's eyes grew teary.
"...Who?"
Akashi raised an eyebrow, while Mei turned stoic.
There was no need for Gai to explain any further, however.
In the front, atop the spear of one soldier, a decapitated head was hanging.
It was a gruesome sight.
There was no doubt. The facial features on that head... it was Kirano, the one who helped Mei previously to hide two boys.
Mei's lips quivered as her face turned pale.
"Ki...rano-san...?"
Behind the march of the army, the civilians could be seen walking with nervousness. They seemed to be following out of free will.
In the middle of the civilians, ninjas could be seen, walking leisurely.
The traits of those ninjas made their identities obvious.
"Funato clan and Kaguya clan... what are the exiles of the village doing here?!"
Juzo couldn't help but growl.
No one answered, but the question was rhetorical. Everyone knew the answer.
In the middle of the ninjas, a wagon was seen. Its windows were open, and the obese figure of daimyo was visible from within.
Eventually, the huge army stopped at some distance away from the group.
"Ah-ah, listen well."
Holding up a speaker, the daimyo spoke without bothering to exit the wagon.
"Tonight, many things happened. Under the cooperation of the S-ranked criminal, 'Red Blade' Akashi, and the terrorists of Kiri, Terumi Mei and her subordinates, the village was reduced to a state worse than any other. Karatachi Yagura's death may be beneficial to Kiri in the long run, but that doesn't justify the ill intentions behind these traitors."
"...Kirano-san."
Mei, not hearing the daimyo's words properly, mumbled. She held her hand out, but Juzo grabbed it.
"...Mei-sama."
Juzo shook his head as Mei stared at him with hollow eyes.
"We need to flee. None of us are in a proper state to fight."
Mei bit her lips so hard that the blood trickled down. Staring at Kirano's head once more, she then turned to look at Akashi, who stared back at her casually.
"I..."
"Mei."
Akashi voiced up.
Something broke in Mei. With a blank expression, she nodded.
"...Yes."
Turning, Mei stared at the army ahead of her once again. The civilians behind them as well.
In her mind, the countless lives that were lost to achieve today's liberation ran through.
Her parents, her friends, her clans, her alliance... she lost everything.
Slowly, hatred made its way to her eyes.
Her body began to tremble.
Taking out a kunai, she pointed it at her forehead protector.
Then, she made a horizontal cut... signalling that she no longer affiliated herself with the village.
"So it was true!!!"
"She was indeed a betrayer...!!!"
"And to think that we used to believe in her...!!!"
The civilians shouted upon seeing the sight.
The daimyo, clearly amused, was trying to hold his laughter in.
"...Akashi. I think, to some extent..."
Mei whispered,
"I can now understand what you're trying to say."
"Is that so?"
"And it's been proven today... that I am not cut out to be a leader."
Turning, Mei looked at Akashi's dark-blue eye. With a hint of craziness in her eyes, she whispered,
"So give me an order. What should I do now?"
"...Hm?"
Akashi looked around.
Juzo, Zabuza, Ao, Kisame, Gai, and Hidan. All the eyes that were headed to Mei just before were now on him instead, as if it was natural for him to tell them what to do.
"...There is no point in serving a village like this."
Kisame snorted.
"I will listen to you for the time being."
Juzo sighed.
"..."
Zabuza and Ao looked troubled. They simply maintained their silence.
"Akashi..."
Hidan then spoke up.
"Just like always... you have a plan, right?"
Their beliefs about Akashi, their subconscious nomination of him as the leader, weren't baseless.
As far as they knew, Akashi never lost a fight. He was always one step ahead.
Through the land of snow, the land of iron, and the land of hot water, he guided them. All of them miraculously made it out alive, which was even more staggering when considering how the land of hot water was the most active war ground, and how Gai and Hidan were children with zero combat capability.
Therefore, it was natural for them to turn to Akashi when in a pinch. It could be said that they were trained to do so.
"...Hah,"
Finally, Akashi chuckled.
"Aren't you a little too trusting?"
Groaning slightly, he removed his arm from Mei's shoulder. Limping slightly, he walked past the group and faced the huge army ahead.
"Listen well."
The group watched Akashi's back as he spoke. His tattered cloak fluttered against the wind.
"I'm going to faint out of chakra shortage after this technique. Grab me and run with all you got."
It was a straightforward plan that seemed too simple, but no one questioned.
Taking the silence as an acceptance, Akashi formed a hand seal.
"Fire Release,"
"...Huh?"
Daimyo made a dumbfounded remark.
Realizing that Akashi was about to throw a ninjutsu at them, the ninjas of the Funato and Kaguya clans began to undergo hand seals of their own.
"It's a fire release technique!!!"
"Use water release techniques to counter!!!"
From their mouths, the blasts of water exited.
However, what Akashi did at the next moment caught them off guard,
"Phoenix Sage..."
A slight variation. Incomplete combustion instead of a complete one.
"...Smoke."
Instead of fire, a huge wave of smoke was spewed out of Akashi's mouth, flooding the area.
Daimyo, civilians, and the soldiers coughed and rubbed their teary eyes due to the exposure to the smoke.
The water bullets did nothing to ease the smoke.
"...Damn it!!"
Water Release was a wrong answer; Wind Release was the right answer.
But how would they know? Wind is weak to fire, and using a Wind Release technique against a generic Fire Release technique is a suicidal act.
It was a battle of wits that they weren't able to win.
Quickly, the ninjas with wind nature underwent hand seals and blew a huge volume of wind.
However, by the time the smoke was pushed away, Akashi and the others were long gone.