Inside a dimly lit cave, the sporadic sound of water dripping echoed continuously. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps splashing through the shallow puddles rang out, reverberating through the secluded cavern. A man and a woman hidden within tensed instantly.
"Pein, someone's coming!"
The woman furrowed her brow, her hands instantly transforming into sheets of chakra-infused origami, their edges razor-sharp. Her voice was calm. "Besides the two of us, only Madara and Zetsu know about this place… are they here?"
"No, it's a stranger ninja."
The man lifted his head, his eerie eyes locking onto the cave entrance. His gaze on the emerging figure was cold and merciless. "Konan, go kill him!"
Even though, twelve years ago, they had abandoned the original ideals of the first-generation Akatsuki after the death of a close friend, that didn't mean they would allow a stranger to step foot in the place their friend once lived.
Killing a stranger who dared to enter this sacred ground weighed on neither of them. They were accustomed to death and bloodshed.
"Excuse me… is this the Akatsuki base?"
Before either of them could react, the figure stepping into the cave spoke to the man and woman. "I am Uehara Naraku, the son of Uehara Nohatsu. Twelve years ago, he told my mother he had joined an organization called Akatsuki to follow Lord Yahiko, but he never returned."
"…"
The woman paused mid-swing with her paper shuriken. The man's expression stiffened slightly. They had heard a name unfamiliar—or perhaps familiar—to them.
At least, to the woman, it was familiar.
The ninja named Uehara Nohatsu had once died protecting her at the hands of the enemy, a sacrifice that seemed meaningless at the time.
As the figure advanced further into the cave, the man and woman took in his appearance.
It was a young boy, his ninja forehead protector crooked atop his head. He wore a loose, long-sleeved robe that clearly hung too large on his frame.
The first-generation Akatsuki uniforms looked rather crude now, a relic of a time when the organization was extremely poor. Yet, a nostalgic feeling lingered.
"You are Uehara Nohatsu's son?"
The man rolled his strange eyes and stared intently at the boy, noting the resemblance to his father. His voice was deep and cold. "There's no such person in our organization. Leave."
"…"
The woman opened her mouth as if to protest, but when she looked pleadingly at the man beside her, he only shook his head slightly.
She bit her lip, ultimately falling silent.
The boy gripped a kunai tightly, forcing himself to appear calm. But as he paused, about to turn and leave, he glimpsed the faces of the man and woman and suddenly put the kunai away. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a photograph.
The man and woman exchanged a glance, their surprise growing as the boy held up the photo.
"…Are you Lord Konan and Lord Yahiko?" he asked softly.
"…"
Both fell silent.
The photograph was the only known image of the first-generation Akatsuki, missing many later members. At the time, because the organization considered itself peaceful, members' personal information was seldom recorded, and many sent copies to their families.
And the Yahiko the boy mentioned was none other than the first leader of the Akatsuki, a figure whose memory weighed heavily on both of them.
The man before him looked identical to Yahiko—his body was, in fact, Yahiko's corpse, transformed into a powerful puppet. The red-haired young man in the photo controlled the puppet.
"Lord Yahiko hasn't changed much," the boy murmured. "Though Lord Konan has aged, I can still see the contours of his youth…"
"…"
The woman's expression darkened.
The man studied the boy calmly before speaking. "Your father is dead. He fell in battle twelve years ago. I've forgotten his name. The weak are not worth remembering."
"Pein!"
Panic flashed across the woman's face. She hadn't expected the man to speak so bluntly, at least not about a former friend.
The boy's face fell, but he forced himself to reply, "If you don't remember his name, why say he died in battle?"
"Because…"
The man's gaze hardened. "Twelve years ago, only two people from the entire Akatsuki survived."
"…He could have survived!"
The woman suddenly exclaimed. "If it weren't for me, many others might have lived."
"…."
The man seemed about to offer her comfort but stopped when he saw her downcast face.
"I understand," the boy said coldly, waving his hand. "Since he died twelve years ago, I do not blame him."
With that, he turned to leave.
But before Uehara Naraku could take two steps, a strange force yanked him back. The man gripped his collar tightly.
"Your father, though not the strongest, was a worthy ninja. Do you have no respect for him?"
"Pein, let him go!"
The woman reached anxiously for the man's arm, trying to free the boy.
Uehara Naraku tugged at Pein's hand, then looked up at the man's strange eyes. A flicker of sarcasm crossed his face. "I'm sorry. I was only born twelve years ago. Aside from this photo and this clothing at home, I have no memory of him."
From his words, a man who abandoned his wife and child seemed to emerge.
After all, the notion that Uehara Nohatsu would leave a recently pregnant wife and newborn son to follow the mysterious Akatsuki was… odd.
"…I'm sorry," the woman whispered, apologizing.
Tears gathered in Konan's eyes. Twelve years ago, they were only fifteen, incapable of understanding the immense sacrifices made by the ninja who followed them. Now, they glimpsed the tip of the iceberg.
"No need to apologize. That was his choice," the boy said, shaking his head. He tore himself from the man's hand. "I am searching for the Akatsuki base simply because my mother, before she died, wanted to know of him."
Konan looked at the boy nervously. "Your parents are both gone… where will you go now?"
"Of course, to Lord Hanzo!"
Uehara Naraku spread his hands. "For the past few months, I've been a wandering ninja, seeking news of the Akatsuki and my father's whereabouts… Now that my wish is fulfilled, I will go to Lord Hanzo and become a full-fledged ninja."
"…."
Pein and Konan exchanged a glance. A descendant of the first-generation Akatsuki was planning to go to his father's killer?
This boy, Uehara Naraku, did not know the truth. How could those who did, especially Konan, tolerate this?
"No," Konan said firmly, grabbing his shoulder and crouching before him. Her expression was icy. "Your father, Uehara Nohatsu, joined Akatsuki. That means his child is also part of the organization!"
"Your organization… kind of feels like a pyramid scheme!"
Uehara Naraku glanced between Konan and Pein, blinking in mild complaint.
But… he had finally achieved his true goal.
A ding sounded in Uehara Naraku's mind. Side Quest: Join an Organization (1/1) Completed. Reward: [Justice Colossus Galio] Summoning Contract.