~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter! Your votes keep this climbing. Thanks!
Amegakure.
Rain hammered down from a sky so dark it seemed on the verge of collapse.
Atop the needle-like tower piercing the heavens, within a pitch-black chamber, the Deva Path sealed away the portion of Nine-Tails chakra Hanataki had retrieved.
Capturing the Nine-Tails was far more difficult than any other Tailed Beast. Even a fragment of its chakra was immensely precious.
All members of the Akatsuki stood silently, their gazes fixed on the Deva Path at the front.
Konan stood beside the Deva Path. Hanataki stood before him.
"The delay has gone on long enough," the Deva Path said to Hanataki, his voice cold, mingling with the roar of the downpour outside. "From this moment, capture the remaining beasts in the shortest time possible."
"Move out in pairs. Immediately."
His Rinnegan glowed with faint, eerie purple light in the dim room.
"The Four-Tails for Itachi and Kisame. The Five-Tails for Hidan and Kakuzu. The Six-Tails for Hanataki and Sasori. As for the Eight-Tails…" He paused. "That will go to Tobi and Zetsu. I will handle the Nine-Tails personally."
At the prospect of a mission, Hidan grew ecstatic. "Hahaha! Finally, we get to kill!"
"Shut up! You're noisy!" Kakuzu snapped.
Tobi wriggled his body. "Yay! Yay! This is my first mission ever! Please go easy on me, seniors!"
Hanataki: "…"
Who would have thought Tobi was Obito Uchiha?
Was this really not just Obito Uchiha finally letting his true self run wild?
Currently, Akatsuki had sealed the One-Tails, Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Seven-Tails, and a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra. Once the remaining beasts were captured, they could cultivate the Ten-Tails.
Konoha.
An uninvited guest barged into the Hokage's meeting chamber.
Tsukimi Heshu rubbed her temples, looking at the forcibly intruding Sasuke Uchiha.
He had shed the childish look from when he left Konoha, but traces of youthful sharpness still marked his features.
His face was ice. "I'm going to the Akatsuki."
While in Kumogakure, Sasuke had received guidance in Lightning Release from the Fourth Raikage. The Raikage, who valued talent, was extremely satisfied with the prodigious boy.
Upon hearing Sasuke's demand, the Fourth Raikage's immediate instinct was to refuse. "No! You're still too young! How can you handle Akatsuki members?"
Sasuke, now sixteen: "…"
Heshu offered a timely reminder. "Uchiha Sasuke is a shinobi of Konoha."
It wasn't the Raikage's place to decide Sasuke's mission.
The Fourth Raikage looked awkward. "Ahem!"
Sasuke turned to Heshu, his eyes holding the Uchiha clan's innate stubbornness. "I am the most suitable person to infiltrate the Akatsuki. My brother is there."
"Your brother is a rogue ninja now!" the Fourth Raikage couldn't help interjecting again, his tone earnest. "Rogue ninjas show mercy to no one!"
Heshu: "…"
The Raikage was stealing her lines. What was she supposed to say now?
"I believe my brother has his reasons!" Sasuke insisted, his voice firm. "He would not betray Konoha!"
Fourth Raikage: "…"
He killed the Third Hokage. How is that not betraying Konoha?
For a moment, the Raikage was at a loss for words to reason with this brother-obsessed Uchiha.
Heshu considered. Perhaps Sasuke was the perfect candidate.
Itachi's infamous brother-complex would guarantee Sasuke's safety within Akatsuki. As for Sasuke betraying Konoha for his brother… it might sound absurd for anyone else, but for an Uchiha Sasuke? Entirely plausible.
Having Sasuke infiltrate the Akatsuki as a mole was a solid plan.
"Fine."
Unlike her earlier attempts to dissuade Jiraiya, Heshu agreed to Sasuke's request with surprising ease.
"No! Hokage, you can't!" the Fourth Raikage protested. "He's just a child! How can you send a child on such a dangerous mission?"
Heshu: "…"
Anyone listening would think Sasuke was the Raikage's son!
Ding! Affection of target Sasuke Uchiha has decreased by 100!
Heshu: "…"
She was going along with the Second Young Master's wishes. Why did his affection plummet by a hundred points?
Despite the Fourth Raikage's repeated pleas, he couldn't sway Sasuke's determination to find his brother.
After Sasuke left, the Raikage wore an expression of profound grief.
"Yo! Sasuke's all grown up, brother! You gotta learn to let go!"
Killer Bee patted the Raikage's shoulder in consolation.
Heshu: "…"
Just where did things go so wrong?
How was Fugaku, Sasuke's biological father, supposed to feel about the relationship between the Fourth Raikage and his son now?
Uchiha Sasuke walked toward Konoha's main gate, the Sword of Kusanagi at his hip.
His heart was calm as still water.
Even though his destination was Amegakure, a likely hideout of the Akatsuki.
His only goal was to find his brother. Nothing else mattered.
He felt no fear.
Never underestimate the terrifying drive of a brother-con!
"Sasuke."
A figure was already waiting at the village gates.
Sasuke's steps hitched slightly. Ever since the news of Itachi's defection, his goal had shifted from becoming the world's greatest shinobi. He'd even abandoned his infamous "training seduction" method.
Seeing Sakura, a past target of his failed flirtation techniques, he felt none of his old urges.
He was now just a machine, single-mindedly searching for his brother.
"Sakura."
Sasuke gave her a slight nod and kept walking.
A vein throbbed on Sakura's forehead. "…"
At least have some manners, you jerk! Uchiha Sasuke!
Three years out of the village, and he's even more annoying!
Sakura clenched her fists and shouted at his retreating back. "Come back safely! Naruto and I will be waiting for you in Konoha!"
In the distance, bathed in the last light of sunset, Sasuke didn't stop walking.
But a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his cold features.
Driven by his desperate need to find his brother, Sasuke pushed himself to the limit.
In a single day, he reached Amegakure.
Night had fallen.
The hammering rain had softened to a persistent drizzle.
Sasuke stepped into the village, the rain soaking into his clothes.
He made no effort to conceal his presence.
The raindrops fell on him.
High in the needle tower, within the dim room, the Deva Path opened his cold Rinnegan.
"We have a visitor."
Hanataki, lounging lazily in his seat, smiled. His gaze shot straight toward Itachi. "An acquaintance of Itachi's, it seems."
They were about to depart, but now, something more interesting than capturing Tailed Beasts had arrived.
Itachi's expression didn't change. But a wave of anxiety, sharp and unavoidable, rose in his chest.
"Zabuza," Hanataki said to the man standing behind him. "Go bring our guest up."
"Yes."
Over the years, under Hanataki's… guidance… Zabuza's strength had soared. Yet, for some reason, the Akatsuki members always subtly excluded him, leaving him as Hanataki's personal operative—taking orders from him and him alone.
His figure leaped from the great height of the tower, landing on rooftops below in a few fluid motions, homing in on Sasuke's location.
Perhaps deliberately making himself conspicuous, Sasuke stood in the center of a square on Amegakure's busiest street.
Rainwater dripped from his form. The way he hung his head made Zabuza's mind waver for a split second.
Zabuza shook his head. No wonder they're brothers. They look so alike.
He appeared before Sasuke. "Come with me."
Zabuza wasn't wearing the Akatsuki's signature cloak. Sasuke didn't move. "Are you with Akatsuki?"
Zabuza thought about it. He served Lord Hanataki. Lord Hanataki was Akatsuki. Therefore, by extension, he was Akatsuki.
He nodded frankly. "You're here for Uchiha Itachi, right? Follow me."
Zabuza's figure leaped away, vanishing onto the rooftops.
Sasuke followed immediately.
Back in the dim room, the flickering light from wall-mounted candles made Hanataki drowsy.
Aside from Tailed Beast hunts, he generally didn't take on other missions in Akatsuki. This had led to him developing the bad habit of eating, sleeping, and little else.
"Sleepy?"
Konan's voice was gentle as she noticed the drowsy glaze in Hanataki's eyes.
"Mhm."
Hanataki nodded.
"Should you go rest first?" Konan asked, her tone caring.
The others in Akatsuki were used to Konan's preferential treatment. No one batted an eye.
Only Itachi glanced at Konan and Hanataki. He lowered his eyelids, hiding the flicker of cold irony in his gaze.
Watching this scene, one might almost think a warm, familial atmosphere was brewing in Akatsuki.
Beneath that surface warmth, however, lay the bones of countless dead.
"Lord Hanataki!"
Zabuza's voice announced his return. He took his place standing behind Hanataki's seat. The perpetually excluded Zabuza only felt secure in this position.
Another figure entered the collective line of sight.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
Kisame raised an eyebrow, his eyes immediately seeking out Itachi.
Itachi's pupils constricted. His hands, hidden within the wide sleeves of his Akatsuki cloak, trembled faintly.
Sasuke… has grown.
Taller.
But the innocence I fought to protect is gone from his eyes.
Itachi's heart clenched, sending waves of dull pain through his chest.
His gaze swept over the assembled figures, finally landing on Itachi.
"Nii-san…"
Sasuke had never believed his brother would truly defect. There had to be a reason, a hardship he didn't understand.
"Oh? It's Itachi's little brother?"
Hanataki smiled, his tone teasing as he looked at Itachi. "Now that he's come here, Sasuke won't be going back."
Itachi's face changed. He snapped his head toward Hanataki.
His eyes held a look of frantic, desperate madness.
Hanataki didn't doubt it for a second—if anything happened to Sasuke, Itachi would take at least one or two of them down with him, even if it cost him his life.
"I had no intention of returning once I came here."
Sasuke's voice was cold as he addressed Hanataki.
He remembered this woman.
Three years ago, she was the one who effortlessly kidnapped him and brought him to Amegakure.
A sudden realization struck Sasuke.
Wait.
He was kidnapped three years ago. How did he get back to Konoha?
As far as he knew, that heartless woman Tsukimi Heshu hadn't intervened. So who had the power to rescue him from the Akatsuki and this woman's grasp?
Sasuke looked at Itachi.
His heart felt like a giant hand had seized it, squeezing tight.
He could barely breathe.
───── ⊹ ⊹ ─────
📖 Main story COMPLETED + Bonus Stories ongoing on Patre\on
🔍 Search:p a t r e o n.com/GoldenLong
───── ⊹ ⊹ ─────