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A Few Years AgoĀ
The rain lashed against the iron frame of the Akatsuki's towering citadel, echoing like drumbeats of war over the perpetually darkened skies of Amegakure.
The thunder rumbled in the heavens, low and ominous, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Inside the cold, dimly lit meeting hall of the Akatsuki, a quiet tension lingered.
Around the large, circular table stood five cloaked figures, each a monster in their own right.
At the head sat Pain, unmoving, like a god carved from stone, his Rinnegan eyes scanning the room with silent judgment. Beside him stood Konan, her expression serene but guarded, her blue hair pulled back.
To their right loomed the hulking form of Kakuzu, his stitched mask-like face unreadable, eyes flicking between the others in the room as if calculating the worth of their hearts.
Across from him stood Sasori, concealed within his crimson puppet shell, arms crossed and face emotionless, though the tension in the air hadn't escaped even him.
And leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed with an unsettling grin on his face, was none other than Orochimaru. His snake like eyes shimmered with amusement and curiosity, his tongue occasionally slipping out as if savoring the darkness that cloaked the gathering.
Behind them, like phantoms born from the earth itself, stoodĀ Zetsu, whispering among themselves in tones too soft to catch.
The Akatsuki, though still in its growth phase, was beginning to take shape.
Suddenly, a series of footsteps echoed through the metallic halls beyond.
They were neither hurried, nor cautious as they indicated the approaching people.
And thenā¦ two figures entered.
Leading the way was Obito, still hidden behind the mask of Madara Uchiha, his single Sharingan eye glowing with cold detachment.
Behind him was a tall, muscular, and draped in a sleeveless Kirigakure uniform, was a monstrous-looking man with shark-like features.
It was Kisame Hoshigaki.
His skin was an unnatural blue, gills visible along the sides of his face, and his eyes were small and piercing, black with a predatory gleam. He carried an enormous sword wrapped in bandages. It was Samehada, one of the seven swords and an organic blade known to feed on chakra like a beast. It was almost as tall as he was, slung across his back with casual dominance.
He grinned as he stepped forward, exposing rows of sharp teeth.
"Well, well," Kisame muttered, his voice gruff yet cocky, "this the group you told me about, Madara?"
Obito didn't look at him. He addressed Pain directly. "This is Kisame Hoshigaki, formerly of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. I brought him here. He shares our vision."
Kisame smirked, glancing around the room with predator's curiosity.
"Not bad," He said. "You've got a nice setup here. Hope the fights are as good as the reputation."
Konan narrowed her eyes.
Kakuzu sized him up with a grunt.
Sasori barely moved.
Orochimaru's gaze lingered, as he was amused.
Pain's Rinnegan bored into the newcomer. "If he shares our goalā¦ he is welcome."
Obito reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled out the ring with the character 'Nan', the South Ring, along with the Akatsuki cloak.
"You're one of us now."
Kisame took the robe, turning it in his hands before slipping it on with little ceremony.
"I've killed for less," He muttered. "Might as well wear it."
The moment was still.
"Kikikikiki...."
Until, a playful laughter rang through the hall.
It was sudden, sharp, and maddening and it definitely didn't belong to one of them.
It echoed off the stone walls, carried by something far more unsettling than just volume. The laugh was too calm, playful, and delighted.
Every eye turned instantly, searching for the owner of the laughter.
Kakuzu's hands moved instinctively to his cloak and Sasori's puppet shell clicked softly as his joints tensed.
Konan's feet shifted subtly, preparing paper wings at the ready. E
ven Orochimaru straightened, lips parting as he tilted his head curiously.
But Pain froze in his spot as he couldn't sense the enemy.
He couldn't feel the presence at all.
Whoever that wasā¦ had bypassed the most secure surveillance in all of Amegakure.
"Impossibleā¦" He muttered, standing from his chair.
Even Obito's eye narrowed.
"Whatā¦?"
And then, Obito's shadow moved and twisted like a liquid being sucked down a void.
It stretched unnaturally, contorted into something human-like.
The darkness rose up, coalescing into the figure of a man with a hood, cloaked in black robes. His face was hidden beneath the shadows of the hood, but even so, the pressure in the room shifted.
He was giving off a very dangerous and scary vibe to everyone.
It wasn't chakra.
It was something older.
And yet the man simply raised his hand in greeting, his voice clear and oddly cheerful:
"So this is the infamous Akatsuki, huh? Not badā¦ Not bad at all."
He paused and his head tilted slightly toward Konan.
"Oho~ and there's even a cutie here. Looks like I came to the right place."
There was a momentarily Silence in the room. It was not the kind of silence that follows confusion but the kind that came before a massacre.
Pain's face was stone, but behind his calm mask, his mind raced.
"There is... No chakra signature or infiltration record. He's not using genjutsu, not summoning. What is this?"
Sasori took a step forward, his cold puppet voice slicing through the air.
"Who are you?"
The man chuckled softly, completely unbothered. "Now, nowā¦ let's not be rude, yeah? I came to say hi."
Obito appeared behind him instantly, warping into reality, Gunbai drawn, chakra flaring. "You're either braveā¦ or suicidal."
"Maybe both," The man said playfully, not turning around.
Obito spoke coldly, not at ease as he could feel threat from him. "You've got ten seconds to explain how you got in here."
The stranger turned his head slightly, and even from beneath the hood, they could feel his grin.
"You let me in."
"ā¦What?" Obito's voice darkened.
"I simply walked through your shadow... It was something like how your Kamui works, right?" The voice was casual, but it sent a cold shiver down Konan's spine.
"Heā¦ slipped through Obito's ability?"
"Impossible," Obito growled. "Only I canā"
"You really should read the fine print in your own jutsu," The man interrupted with a chuckle.
"Enough," Pain declared, stepping forward. "You've entered a place no outsider should even know exists. I should kill you where you stand."
"You can try," The stranger said calmly, finally lifting his head just enough to reveal the lower half of his face. His skin was young, and smooth, as his lips were showing off a cocky smile. "But I came here to offer a better idea."
Kakuzu's voice growled. "A better idea than dying?"
"A better idea than you leading this organization."
The room exploded with bloodlust.
Konan's paper fluttered from her cloak, forming wings.
Sasori's tail clicked into place, and even Orochimaru's tongue coiled out like a whip, eyes wild with curiosity now.
Only Pain stood frozen, unable to comprehend who the mysterious person was and what he wanted.
The young man slowly pulled back his hood, revealing a head full of scarlet hair. His eyes were sharp and focused, which seemed to cut through space itself.
He looked directly at Pain.
"Your friends don't seem to know hospitality at all."
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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