Akuma didn't find Tsunade in that town, so he pushed on, into the dense forest toward the next settlement. He ran for hours until, rounding a bend, four figures blocked his path, each clad in the Akatsuki's black cloaks.
One of them hopped forward with exaggerated cheer.
"Hi, hi, hi nice to meet you! I'm Tobi. I want to be your friend for the celebration. I even brought candy!" He thrust a handful of sweets toward Akuma with a lopsided tilt of his head. "Even if I'm not a kid, I still love candy. I'll give it to you if you become my friend, pleeease?"
A blond man with long hair snatched the candy away with a scowl.
"Stop joking around, Tobi."
He crushed the sweets to dust with a flick of his hand. Tobi dropped to his knees and poked at the dirt, pouting.
"Get up. I'll buy you another," the blond muttered.
Tobi popped up and saluted. "Okay! Captain Deidara!"
"Just shut up."
A burly man with a metallic tail stepped forward.
"It's unbelievable you defeated an Itachi level shinobi. We are the Akatsuki. We've come to invite you to join us… to replace Itachi."
Akuma barely looked at him. His gaze slid instead to the gaunt figure with grave eyes, Nagato, known as Pain who studied him with calm interest.
The puppet standing nearby froze as Akuma spoke flatly:
"You know, it's hard to take Sasori of the Red Sand seriously when he hides behind a puppet."
The puppet's painted face stiffened. Then the real Sasori stepped forward, curiosity flickering in his gaze.
Akuma shrugged, turning his back on them.
"So you came to invite me. Thanks, but I'm not interested in joining your emo club for now."
He pushed past them.
"Hey hey, friend! Stop!" Tobi called, bounding after him. "It's not polite for kids to ignore adults!"
Akuma stopped, turned, and punched.
Obito, still disguised as Tobi, activated Kamui instantly. But to his shock, the punch connected anyway. The blow hurled him through a line of trees. He landed coughing blood, bones snapping, skin torn, his arm bent at a sick angle, only for the wounds to knit themselves closed moments later.
Obito stared in disbelief. No one, let alone an eight-year-old, had ever bypassed his Kamui.
Nagato's eyes widened. Deidara smiled, almost in awe. Sasori braced himself, and for the first time, the Akatsuki truly prepared for a fight.
But Akuma's voice cut through the tension, cold and sharp.
"All of your tricks are useless against me. I'm not here to fight. Force me, and there's a good chance I'll kill you all. So get the fuck out of my way. The only reason you're still alive is because, for now, our goals align. When the time comes, I'll find you."
His Satsui no Hado surged. The sky darkened, thunder rumbled, and wind ripped through the treetops. Crimson-black aura bled from his body, scorching the leaves where it touched.
Akuma turned and walked away, dragging the storm with him.
The Akatsuki stood frozen. For the first time in a long while, they had looked into the eyes of something they couldn't control.
Later, Akuma wandered through a nearby town, searching for the gambling den. People stopped and stared. His skin had grown darker, his features sharper, almost monstrous. Though still young, he was already taller than Naruto, but it wasn't his appearance alone that terrified them.
It was his aura. Heavy, suffocating, thick with killing intent. Even when he suppressed it, the weak-minded recoiled instinctively.
Akuma noticed their fear. He smiled. But even as he did, he realized it was becoming a problem talking to others, blending in, even existing among them was difficult.
His mastery over Satsui no Hado and Ki had grown rapidly, but so had the potency of the darkness within him. The more he tried to control it, the stronger it became. And though the World Item he carried kept it from fully corrupting his mind, it was still changing him. Each time he drew on its power, his darker impulses sharpened. Slowly, he was becoming more sadistic, arrogant, hungry for battle.
By now, Akuma had already surpassed most shinobi in raw strength. But power wasn't what he sought. It was control. And for that, chakra had proven invaluable. It strengthened both his body and his mind, and with the help of his World Item, the Clothes of Perfection, which granted 50% more experience and accelerated recovery by 90%—he could train relentlessly.
Yet one truth frustrated him above all: whenever he tried to project chakra outside his body, it spiraled out of control. He couldn't climb trees. He couldn't walk on water. Simple things even Academy students could do were beyond him.
He understood why: the system itself was preventing him from using chakra beyond himself. All he could do was heal and reinforce his own body. It felt as though the world was forcing him to remain bound to taijutsu alone.
As Akuma walked along the road, a sharp cry broke through the silence.
"Let go of me! Ah!"
He turned his head. A group of men surrounded a girl, forcing her to her knees. Tears streaked her cheeks.
"Look, boys," sneered a scarred brute, licking his lips. "This little ninja's crying. Her face looks pretty… let's see the rest of her."
They grabbed at her clothes, tearing them apart piece by piece. She clutched desperately at the fabric, sobbing, "Stop! Please!"
They only laughed, ripping away the last of her garments until she was left exposed, trembling, arms wrapped around herself.
"Come on, don't be shy," one jeered.
She curled into a ball, voice breaking. "Someone! Help me!"
And then warm liquid splashed across her skin.
Her eyes snapped open. Blood covered her hands, her chest, her legs. Around her, the bodies of her attackers fell in pieces, half-torn torsos, severed limbs, heads rolling in the dirt. Blood pooled in grotesque patterns, soaking her until she was painted red.
She raised her gaze, breath ragged, crying out to the gods for help but it was the devil who answered her prayers.
Akuma.
He stood there, monstrous and calm, his very presence suffocating. Wordlessly, he tugged off his Gi and tossed it at her. She clutched it to herself, hands shaking, then pulled it over her bare shoulders.
Akuma turned, already walking away.
"W-wait!" She scrambled up, snatched her glasses from the dirt, and hurried after him. "My name is… Karin. What's yours?"
For the first time, a flicker of surprise touched Akuma's eyes. He glanced back, his tone low and commanding:
"Follow me."
He walked on.
Karin froze for a moment, clutching his Gi tighter around her. Fear churned in her chest but so did something else. With unsteady steps, she followed him.