The next morning, at dawn, at the south gate of Konoha, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki were slumped inside the security booth, their faces plastered with bits of paper.
With a loud bang, Kotetsu slammed his handful of sixteen cards onto the table. Under Izumo's confused stare, Kotetsu jumped to his feet with wild excitement.
"Airplane!"
"You lose!"
"Hurry, hurry! Stick another one!" (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و
He tore off another strip of paper from the A4 stack beside him and lunged toward Izumo's face.
Izumo, who had been drifting into a sleepy daze, jolted awake instantly. He slammed the table and shot up.
"No way! How the hell can sixteen cards wipe me out in one second?!"
"You cleared me in one second!?"
"I don't believe this!"
"Let me see!!!"
He leaned over the table, shouting as he read the cards Kotetsu had thrown.
"999… JJJ… QQQ… 47KK…"
The more he read, the quieter he became, until silence crushed him completely. His expression wilted into utter despair, and he collapsed back into his chair like a dying fish.
"…I lost…"
Kotetsu grinned triumphantly and lifted the paper strip—
Only to freeze mid-air, eyes locking on the glass behind Izumo.
This was absolutely the last person he wanted to see. The very last. No doubt about it.
His hand stopped awkwardly, his face stiffening as he forced a trembling smile.
"Ha… haha… Assistant Chief… back from patrol so late…?"
Izumo ripped the paper strips off his face at once—and tore the ones off Kotetsu too. Both straightened up in terror, spinning around to salute.
"Good morning, Assistant Chief!"
"Konoha Security—Kamizuki Izumo—reporting!"
Uchiha Hikaru stood silently for three long seconds.
Those were the longest three seconds of Kotetsu and Izumo's lives. But Hikaru simply moved past it, as if nothing had happened.
"Register something for me. I need seven temporary Konoha passes."
"I brought guests."
He pointed to his side.
Kotetsu opened the booth door, turned—and froze completely.
Forehead protectors with a slash across the plate.
Rogue-nin.
But not just any rogues… these were the monsters at the top of nearly every Bingo Book in the shinobi world.
"Gu—gudu—!"
Kotetsu swallowed hard, sweat pouring down his neck.
"A-Assistant Chief… you're not… joking with me… right…?"
"You want… to issue them a temporary pass?"
Hikaru nodded calmly.
"Yes. I vouched for them."
"After my… persuasive guidance, they're ready to abandon the dark and return to the light. No need to panic."
Izumo stuck his head out of the booth, took one look at the group outside, and almost fell over.
"—Holy sh*t!"
But he obediently rummaged through the drawer, collected seven temporary passes, and handed them to Kotetsu while silently cheering him on.
Come on, Kotetsu! This might be the only time in your life you get close to monsters like these! Don't embarrass me! Go show some courage! (ง •̀_•́)ง
Kotetsu stepped toward the first person in line—Konan—and suddenly remembered exactly who she was: the Secretary-General of the Shinobi Association… and publicly acknowledged lover of Uchiha Hikaru.
He had an idea.
"Secretary-General, please have them fill out the registration forms and sign their names."
"Please!"
He thrust the forms, passes, and pen at Konan—then vanished into the booth like a man using his one-time-only life-saving jutsu.
Hikaru watched and sighed.
My friend… why waste the kind of speed normal people get only once in their life on something like this…?
A few minutes later, all the forms were complete. Hikaru reviewed each one.
The names weren't wrong—but their identities…
Hidan: Active bishop of the Jashin faith
Deidara: Iwagakure explosive-ninjutsu renegade
Sasori: Former Sand jonin, S-rank puppet master
Kakuzu: Takigakure renegade, infamous bounty hunter
Nagato: Former Amegakure shinobi deceived by Hanzo
Biwa Jūzō: Former Seven Swordsman of the Mist, expelled
Konan: Secretary-General of the Shinobi Association
Everyone except Konan radiated indignation.
Hikaru stamped each pass with his personal seal.
"All right. Let's go. We'll get you all new clothes, then food."
"After that, we talk and build rapport."
"Rest for tonight. We'll handle the rest tomorrow."
...
An hour later, Hikaru, Saya, Konan, Nagato, and the Akatsuki members arrived at the newly-built housing complex constructed after the Chunin Exams to host shinobi from the Land of Rain.
Their villa was the only one with lights on. The other four—assigned to Suna, Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa—were all dark.
Even Mei Terumi had already returned to Kirigakure to prepare for the upcoming purge of nobles.
Inside, the group settled around the bright, spacious living room.
Soft couches. Elegant decorations. Comfortable atmosphere. Air conditioner set to 16°C.
Kakuzu examined everything with murderous financial precision.
"That sofa… worth at least 30 ryō… That teapot… 50 ryō minimum… high-grade purple clay…"
Deidara planted himself directly in front of the AC unit, mouth open, basking in the cold wind.
"Aaaaaah~~ that's art…"
Biwa Jūzō locked eyes on a rack of luxury wine bottles, gaze burning.
Hidan slipped his hand into his crotch, twitching occasionally—probably imagining ritual sacrifice.
Nagato sat stiffly in his wheelchair, sipping tea with awkward discomfort.
Too many people around.
Too much noise.
Severe social anxiety. (;￣Д￣)
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