The first meeting of the two so-called "artists" was far less dramatic than Akio had expected.
There was no fiery debate, no loud clash of philosophies over whether explosive spectacle or eternal form represented true art. When Deidara declared that "only a fleeting explosion can be called art," it did catch Sasori's attention but only briefly. Once he realized Deidara was just a hot-headed blond kid, Sasori dismissed him entirely and stepped forward with Kakuzu to discuss the purpose and terms of their proposed alliance with Ōnoki.
Akio barely managed to suppress a laugh. He reached out and ruffled Deidara's hair, trying to comfort the bruised ego and keep him from doing something reckless. Unfortunately, that only made things worse.
Deidara's right hand slipped into his pocket. The mouth in his palm began chewing clay, his flushed face making it painfully obvious that he was seriously considering blowing everyone sky-high. Sadly for him, standing next to Akio turned every one of his artistic impulses into a dud.
"If you want to talk art with someone like that," Akio said calmly, "you need the strength to stand on equal footing first. Right now, you'd be taken out in seconds."
It was meant as advice, but the blunt honesty felt more like a punch to the gut.
Oddly enough, it worked.
Deidara slapped Akio's hand away, turned on his heel, and stormed off without a word.
"Is Deidara going to be okay?" Kurotsuchi asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
"He'll be fine," Akio said solemnly, turning to the four remaining kids. "Setbacks are part of growing up. If he toughens his mindset, he'll come back stronger."
Kimimaro nodded immediately. Haku smiled politely. Kurotsuchi looked thoughtful.
Karin just scoffed.
Nearby, whatever Sasori and Kakuzu said clearly left an impression. Ōnoki's expression shifted several times before he finally waved his hand, signaling for Kitsuchi to step forward. After a few quiet instructions, Kitsuchi led Sasori and Kakuzu away.
Ōnoki had truly followed Akio's earlier advice, he ignored him completely. Ironically, that made Akio uncomfortable. He frowned in the direction the three had left, muttering under his breath.
"An alliance between the Hidden Rain and the Stone… that might actually happen?"
Heavy, labored breathing approached.
Akatsuchi jogged over, bent nearly double.
"W-what happened? Who was Lord Tsuchikage fighting?"
"Akatsuchi, you seriously need to get in shape," Kurotsuchi teased.
Akio shook his head, amused. "That's not fat, that's natural bulk. A sturdy body paired with Earth Style is perfect synergy."
Akatsuchi took that completely seriously, puffing out his chest in pride.
Akio nearly lost it.
Before he could laugh out loud, the ground began to tremble. Stone ninja across the village activated Earth Style techniques, clearing debris and beginning repairs on the destroyed Tsuchikage Tower.
"Well," Akio said smoothly, "since the excitement's over, let's stick to the plan. Lunch first."
After eating, Akio took the five kids strolling through the village.
Since he had revealed his strength earlier, his identity had already spread throughout Iwagakure. Everywhere they went, ninja stared some with awe, some with caution. Akio chose to interpret all of it as admiration.
"God," Kimimaro asked quietly, "are we not training this afternoon?"
No answer.
"…God?"
"Hey, Elder!" Karin shouted. "Kimimaro's talking to you!"
Akio twitched, shooting her a sharp look. "Of course we're training."
But his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. The Rain Village's sudden push to form alliances intrigued him far too much. He couldn't stop wondering what Yahiko was truly aiming for.
"Maybe… I should take a look," he murmured.
Just then, Kakuzu appeared in front of him as if summoned by the thought.
Akio blinked, then smiled. "Live long enough, and you really do learn timing."
He turned to the kids. "You go train. I'll catch up later."
Once they were gone, Akio walked toward Kakuzu. "Did the talks succeed?"
"Not yet," Kakuzu replied. "The Tsuchikage is still weighing his options. He's likely waiting for Chiyo from the Sand."
Akio paused. "What exactly are the terms?"
Kakuzu turned slightly. "Payment."
Akio grimaced. "I, Akio, am broke."
Kakuzu looked mildly disappointed but explained anyway.
As Akio listened, his expression grew serious.
"Yahiko's being idealistic," he said finally. "But this plan didn't come out of nowhere. Becoming the Rain's leader was only the first step."
The Land of Rain sat at the center of the continent. On a map, it was practically the crossroads of the shinobi world.
Yahiko's vision was to unite multiple villages by forming a neutral organization headquartered in the Rain, Akatsuki.
Its members would include elite shinobi sent from the major villages, powerful independents like Sasori and Kakuzu, and even neutral forces such as Mifune of the Land of Iron.
Their mission: act as arbiters, preventing large-scale war. Any nation that started a conflict would face retaliation from the entire organization.
It sounded noble.
Akio wasn't convinced.
The Stone and Sand might agree. Konoha almost certainly wouldn't.
Konoha dominated the current era. Why would it accept restrictions from a newly formed group?
Even if everyone joined, Yahiko lacked the strength to truly enforce peace. He wasn't strong enough to hold the world in balance, not yet.
"Kids," Akio sighed.
Ōnoki's hesitation made sense. The Stone had just suffered heavy losses. Even a flawed neutral organization could serve as a shield, or at least a nuisance to Konoha.
Akio shook his head with a soft laugh.
"It'll probably fail," he admitted. "But it's real. He's not just talking about peace, he's trying to build it."
"Let's call it the 'Akatsuki Peace Initiative,'" Akio murmured. "I'm curious to see how much an unharmed Yahiko can change the shinobi world."
---
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
For early access to advanced chapters visit my P@treon:
P@treon/ Dexy3
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!