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"Hey you brat! Are you asking for a beating?! How many times have I told you? Stay away from that thing!"
These were the words left behind by a father as he furiously dragged his child away.
He's angry?
Why is he angry? Stay away from that thing? What thing?
The bewildered, red-haired child pondered, but couldn't find an answer.
"Hey, look, quick. That's the Jinchuriki. It's a monster."
All around, people whose facial features were indistinct pointed at the red-haired child and whispered among themselves.
Monster? Are they talking about me?
"Get away from it, quick! You'll be killed!"
Killed? No... I wouldn't kill anyone.
The red-haired child pondered once more.
"Gaara! Gaara! Where are you?! Who gave you permission to run around?! Come back with me!"
A red-haired man in gray clothes rushed to the child's side, grabbed the child's arm in one swift motion, and dragged him away. He gripped so tightly it was almost unbearable for the child. From his eyes, the child could see deep, profound wariness.
Gaara? Is that my name? And who is this? Ah... I remember now. This is my father. But why does his gaze betray such a guarded, defensive feeling toward me?
The child was dragged away. Then, the surrounding scenery shifted.
The people all around vanished. A flash of blade light streaked past, reflecting into Gaara's eyes. Gaara instinctively shut his eyes.
A moment later, Gaara opened his eyes again. He hadn't suffered any injury. But before him lay a blond youth, barely clinging to life, on the verge of death.
Who is this?
Gaara pondered, but no one gave him an answer. The blond youth smiled faintly at him, then vanished.
A violent, intense pain erupted from his head.
Th-this... this is... Yashamaru? I... I killed him? (T/N: I don't know Yashamaru is a man lol)
Yashamaru—he had been like a parent to Gaara. Although Gaara's biological parents weren't Yashamaru but the Fourth Kazekage and Yashamaru's older sister, Gaara's mother had died in childbirth, and his father had offered Gaara nothing but coldness. Throughout his entire childhood, it was almost always Yashamaru who had taken care of Gaara. Not a parent, yet more than a parent.
But now...
I killed Yashamaru?
Gaara clutched his head and collapsed to his knees. At the same time, the scenery transformed once more.
In a forest, a youth roughly his own age kicked him flying, then delivered another vicious kick that slammed him hard into the ground, performing a brutal, human-body brake.
So strong! I can't fight back at all. Who is this guy?
The youth who stepped on Gaara possessed an exceedingly handsome face. He opened his mouth slightly and spoke with mockery.
"So this is the source of your confidence?"
Gaara wanted to resist, but his entire body was wracked with agony, and he couldn't move at all.
Who is he? Those crimson pupils... is he from the Uchiha clan?
A short while later, the handsome youth began gradually fading away. At the very end, the youth seemed to glance in another direction and spoke pointedly to Gaara.
"Think carefully. Setting aside the formidable power you derive from that Tailed Beast... what else do you truly have? Those things you disregard... may, in fact, be what matters most to you."
What matters most? Besides the Tailed Beast?
Gaara followed the youth's gaze and looked over. There... there were two blurred silhouettes.
Th-this... are those Temari and Kankuro?
Before Gaara could confirm it, the surrounding scenery shifted once again.
He lay sprawled on the ground, his body covered in cracks and fissures. Before him, a youth extended a hand toward him. It was a blond youth with six whisker-like marks on his face.
Gaara remembered this person.
Uzumaki Naruto.
Then, everything began to change drastically. A flood of memories surged into Gaara's mind. He began to work hard. He began to consider others. He began to value his comrades. He began to try and protect the village. Ultimately... he became the Kazekage.
Up to this point, everything seemed perfect.
But the arrival of two people destroyed it all. They were two men clad in black robes patterned with red clouds.
Ah... I remember now. I was captured. I, the Kazekage, was captured. I...
Gaara watched silently. In the image before him, he had lost consciousness and was carried away by those two men.
Is this where it ends for me?
That's only right. I have no complaints. As the Kazekage... I'm still far too weak. I'm not yet qualified.
Darkness closed in around him once more. Very quickly, there was nothing left here at all.
*****
The Leaf Village.
"WHAT?! Granny Tsunade... are you serious?!"
Naruto looked at Tsunade with a face full of utter disbelief.
Tsunade nodded and spoke with grave seriousness.
"Naruto... everything I just said is true! Gaara has been captured by members of the Akatsuki. The Hidden Sand has sent a rescue request to us, the Leaf Village. I want you, Kakashi, and Sakura to go. At the very least... I believe this is a mission you would definitely accept. It's also the most suitable mission for you. Although it carries a certain degree of danger... even if I tried to stop you, you wouldn't listen, would you?"
Naruto spoke with a face full of urgency.
"Of course I wouldn't! That bastard Gaara... his life or death is unknown right now! How could I possibly just sit here in the village at ease?! I'm going! I'm definitely going!"
Tsunade spoke with a hint of exasperation.
"Alright. Your answer is within my expectations. In that case..."
Tsunade looked toward Kakashi, who was standing off to the side.
"Kakashi. Remember to watch over Naruto. Also... as per routine, let me say this: you must, by all means, complete this mission!"
Kakashi straightened his posture and spoke with solemn seriousness.
"Yes Lady Hokage, we will definitely give our all to complete the mission, Also... Uzumaki Naruto's current strength is already very formidable. I don't believe he needs my supervision. But I'll give him a hand when needed."
Toward the end, Kakashi smiled.
Tsunade also smiled along.
"That's good, then. Oh, and... although I said you must complete the mission, I still hope you'll prioritize preserving your own lives above all else."
Kakashi nodded.
Tsunade then turned to look at Sakura.
"Sakura!"
Sakura understood perfectly and clenched her fist tightly.
"Don't worry, Master! I will definitely showcase the results of my two years of training in this mission!"
Somewhere by the seaside.
Itachi sat quietly, gazing out toward the vast ocean, lost in unknown thoughts.
Kisame appeared behind Itachi and spoke.
"Itachi-san... you seem to enjoy sitting by the seaside quite a bit."
Itachi shifted his eyes slightly backward.
"The sea, when calm... can always bring a sense of peace to one's heart as well. I like that feeling."
Kisame spoke with pointed implication. "The sea, however, is filled with bloodthirsty sharks, Itachi-san. You'd best be careful. Once you fall in... there's no escape from utter doom!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sea surface before Itachi suddenly surged into a massive, towering wave that rushed toward the shore, intent on sweeping Itachi into the ocean.
And within those waters... dozens of clearly visible sharks swam about.
That colossal, towering wave rose high above Itachi's head... and then came crashing down!
Caw! Caw! Caw!
Suddenly, accompanied by a flurry of cries, Itachi's body transformed into a flock of crows. In an instant, they soared high into the sky. At a speed the wave could never hope to match, they flew over the wave and charged into the heights above, overlooking the vast sea below.
CRASH!
The massive wave slammed down heavily, then quickly receded.
Behind them, Itachi's figure reappeared.
"Crows do not fall into the water. They reside in the high skies, beyond the sea's reach."
Kisame, now thoroughly soaked by the wave, bared his teeth in a wide grin and tossed aside the shark carcass in his hand.
"Then one must be careful. Should the day ever come when their wings are broken and the crows fall into the sea... they will surely become a fine meal for the sharks!"
Itachi smiled faintly. "Must the sharks only fixate on the tiny crows in the sky? Why not try contending with a hawk instead?"
Kisame paused, then thought of a certain individual and spoke.
"A hawk whose alias is 'Divine Bones'? No... let's leave that one aside. Although I've never crossed hands with him... that's no longer a hawk, is it? By now, he's probably already grown into a blazing sun in the sky above. If that thing ever came crashing down... it would boil the entire sea dry. Forget it, Itachi-san. Let's not speak of these things. Orders came in from the Leader. We're to prepare to seal the One-Tail Jinchuriki. Since it's the first time... he wants us to head over early."
A trace of shock flickered across Itachi's face.
"Seal the One-Tail?"
When had the decision to capture the One-Tail been made? Why did he know absolutely nothing about it?
It seemed... the Leader's side of the Akatsuki had already begun consciously guarding against him.
I've been discovered, huh... though I never really expected to keep it hidden forever.
Casting aside the thoughts in his mind, Itachi nodded and rose to his feet.
"I understand. Let's go, then. Find a safe location and prepare to project over to seal the One-Tail."
Kisame also nodded in agreement.
Why had Kisame spoken those words, so heavily laden with warnings, just now?
It was very simple. There were two reasons. The first reason was that Kisame genuinely couldn't see through Itachi. This inability to see through him, over the course of their long partnership and the passage of time, constantly made Kisame want to challenge Itachi. Yet Itachi wouldn't fight him, and there was nothing Kisame could do about it. Bound by the Akatsuki's rules, Kisame also didn't want to forcibly make a move. Thus, in everyday situations, Kisame would occasionally speak words that carried the implication of "issuing a challenge."
The second reason was that Kisame was one of the very, very few members within the entire Akatsuki who genuinely, from the bottom of his heart, wished for the Eye of the Moon Plan to be realized. That was why Kisame adhered to the Akatsuki's rules and refrained from forcibly moving against Itachi. And precisely because of this, after discovering some of Itachi's subtle, furtive actions, Kisame couldn't help but issue a certain warning to Itachi.
The sea is filled with bloodthirsty sharks. Falling into the sea means utter doom.
These words were Kisame warning Itachi: if one day Itachi were expelled by the Akatsuki for his furtive actions (fell into the sea), then Kisame (the shark) would definitely move against him.
And Itachi indicated that he would not be expelled (crows do not fall into the sea). He saw through the Akatsuki with great clarity (crows reside in the skies beyond the sea's reach).
And so, the two of them, without directly tearing off all pretenses, engaged in a silent exchange—one issuing a warning, the other offering a counter-mockery.
In the entire Akatsuki, this pair was probably the one with the heaviest scheming and deepest minds. Both had come from the Anbu. Both had personally carried out the act of killing their own comrades. Both had been forced by circumstances beyond their control. In short... both had walked out alive from the darkest, blackest depths.
As for the "hawk" Itachi mentioned later—both being "birds," in the entire shinobi world, who could it be that Itachi would voluntarily acknowledge as being superior to himself?
It was actually very simple. After all... there weren't many left who, like Itachi, could also be called "birds."
********
"Art... is—"
A towering pillar of fire and light instantly erupted in the distance, as if a colossal volcano had violently erupted, bringing the apocalypse upon the world.
"—an EXPLOSION!!"
Deidara spread his arms wide and shouted with a face full of wild excitement.
Sasori looked at Deidara, utterly speechless.
"It was just an ordinary mission. Was there really any need to cause such a huge commotion?"
Deidara folded his arms, closed his eyes, and spoke with a face full of intoxicated rapture.
"Sasori, you just don't understand! This is a sense of ceremony! This is art! Ah! I must say it once more! Art... is an EXPLOSION!!!"
Sasori was completely, thoroughly speechless.
"Being with you, brat, is truly insufferable. This isn't art at all, is it?"
"What's this? Sasori... are you going to preach your false, eternal art to me again?"
"False? Brat... correct your phrasing!"
"No! Fleeting, momentary beauty is true beauty! How long has it been now? How can you still not understand my art, Sasori?"
"Brat... those words should be coming from me! Pursuing a single moment of beauty... that's nothing more than the short-sighted gaze of a mere mortal, unable to see what lies beyond!"
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying you're not a mere mortal, Sasori?"
"Hmph! When you die, I'll come and lay offerings before your grave."
"Ha?! Sasori, you're older than me, aren't you? How could you possibly die after me? Don't tell me... you're like those two immortal monsters? Are you immortal too?"
"What do you think, brat? Let's go. Eternal beauty is true art. You simply fail to see it."
"Damn you! Sasori! No matter what you really are... I will absolutely never acknowledge your art! Fleeting, momentary beauty is the true art!"
"How annoying! The Leader has summoned us. Find a spot and prepare to seal the One-Tail. Stop preaching your art to me every single day. If you truly anger me... the consequences won't be pleasant!"
"Fine, fine. I know how formidable you are, Sasori. If you don't want me to preach, I won't. There's bound to be someone besides you who can understand my art anyway. Let's go seal the One-Tail."
"Hmph!"
"We're sealing a Tailed Beast now. Since it's the first time... I hope you'll exercise extreme caution."
The masked Obito looked at Pain as he spoke.
Pain replied without any expression.
"Something like that... there's no need for you to remind me. The plan has already begun. Capturing a Tailed Beast belonging to a great nation means we have completely and utterly set ourselves against the great nations. From here on out, we will begin entering the great nations' sight with increasing frequency. We must race against time. From that perspective... I also will not permit failure."
Obito reached behind his back and pulled a hood over his head.
"It's good that you understand. I'm going to take care of something. It shouldn't be a problem if 'Tobi' from the organization disappears for a little while, right? After all... he's just a trainee member of not much use."
Pain nodded, turned, and left, leaving behind a single sentence.
"Then I'll go seal the One-Tail. Although I believe you're not stupid... I'll still remind you: don't go provoking that man. This is a critical moment!"
Obito replied.
"If you believe I'm not stupid... then you shouldn't need to remind me of such things."
With that, a swirling vortex materialized, spiraling Obito away until he vanished. Pain also departed from this place.
Just as the Akatsuki was lifting the curtain and revealing a corner of the era that belonged to them...
A certain individual, dreaded by the two most important members of the Akatsuki, was still strenuously, laboriously fixing a door.
Kagaya wiped a handful of sweat from his brow.
"Damn it, White Snake Sage... why is your door so huge?!"
The White Snake Sage answered irritably. "Look at my size, will you?! If it were small... how would I get out?!"
Kagaya immediately shot back. "Do you ever even go out?!"
"Well... no, I don't."
"Then why did you make it so huge?!"
"It's called being prepared, don't you understand?! Besides... you're the one who's not using chakra, fixing it purely with your own two hands. Of course it's slow."
"I'm just trying to use this chance to train my body a bit!"
"Then you're causing your own suffering, and you're blaming me?!"
"I... in any case... your door is too damn huge! I can't accept this!"
"Brat! I once thought all you Uchiha were the calm, taciturn type! Until I made you fix this door!"
"Am I being too noisy?!"
"Are you not?!"
"..."