Naruto: Akatsuki

"You..."

Minato didn't know what to say. 

Akashi whom he remembered was a talented boy who didn't yield to adversities that came after his way. There still existed the same resiliency in his lone eye, but what Minato considered a glimmer of hope no longer existed.

"The infamous Yellow Flash of Konoha. I've been hearing a lot about you recently."

Regardless of Minato's reaction, Akashi spoke, nonchalantly.

"Many seemed to be wondering if you're faster than A of Kumogakure. What do you think?"

"..."

Minato remained still with a stoic expression.

"Not up for a chitchat, I see."

Akashi sighed lightly.

"Then let's go straight into the business, shall we?"

Without waiting for Minato's response, Akashi spoke again.

"You are here in place of Jiraiya-sensei, right?"

"...Yes."

Minato finally responded. Then, as if that was a cue, he's begun asking,

"I heard many things about you as well. Red Blade. Killer of hundreds. An assassin. To what extent is the story true?"

"Are you curious?"

Akashi looked at the surface of the tea within a cup.

"Well... it's a long story."

Raising his eye, Akashi viewed Minato. 

Except for the fact that the blonde has become taller, more muscular, and more masculine, he looked the same as years ago.

"However, there is no time for all that. So let me just say that most of the rumors are probably true."

"...You—"

"I would like to correct one though."

Minato frowned upon getting interrupted, but nonetheless closed his mouth to listen.

"The deaths of one particular Konoha's ninja corp three years ago in the village of... hm, what was the name again?"

"...Koahi, probably."

Minato followed up, knowingly.

"You are referring to the incident that involved the deaths of a squad led by Konoha's jonin, in the land of fire of all places."

With sharpened eyes, Minato leaned in. 

"What about it?"

"What if I tell you, that Might Dai is innocent?"

Minato paused.

"...Elaborate."

"I was present during the night. Considering how I was with you in the land of fire beforehand, it doesn't sound impossible, right?"

Akashi looked straight into Minato's eyes. Minato knew that regardless of Akashi's change, that he was speaking the truth at the current moment.

"My encounter with Konoha's squad was purely coincidental. They seemed to be tracking me to investigate the case of my clash against the bounty hunters."

Akashi recalled his memory, trying to remember as much as he could.

"Turned out that there was Kakuzu, known as the 'Immortal' in the underground market, in the village. He was after me, and thus, I had to retaliate. I fought him and barely won... thanks to the aid of Might Dai."

"...What?"

Something is off, Minato thought.

"Kakuzu was the murderer of those ninjas of Konoha. Well, the majority of them, that is."

Akashi remembered his conversation with Might Dai after the fight was over. Before they separated their ways, they exchanged the information regarding said fight to deduce what exactly had happened.

"The leader of the squad was killed by Danzo's ROOT."

"...What?"

That was all that Minato could say, again.

"Why would ROOT be there?!"

"Because of me."

Akashi spoke.

"I was the target of Danzo's ROOT and Kakuzu simultaneously."

"Why—"

"Because,"

Akashi smiled bitterly,

"Danzo didn't want to reveal to Hanzo that he colluded with Kusagakure in the past to assassinate his daughter."

Minato seemed dumbfounded. No word came out of his mouth. He could only listen as Akashi continued.

"And guess what? I am Hanzo's grandson."

Everything seemed to be clicking now. All of a sudden, Minato felt a chill running down his spine.

"The reason why you killed Danzo then... is..."

"Primarily because he tried to kill me, but yes, to revenge."

"And Danzo colluded with Kusagakure in the past, and then went to Amegakure and actively exchanged with Hanzo, to... become a Hokage."

"Probably."

"If so, the reason why the leader of the squad was killed by ROOT that day..."

Akashi's presence in the village. The unexpected chase by Konoha's squad. The squad leader sighting ROOT. 

"...Is to get rid of the smallest possibility of the lord Hokage finding out Danzo's secret."

And Might Dai was blamed. He was made into a scapegoat because he holds Danzo's information.

Minato sighed.

"...Why are you telling this to me, Akashi?"

Minato had many questions. He wanted to ask Akashi how he managed to find out Might Dai's status as a prisoner. However, he knew that Akashi won't answer that; there was no point in asking.

"Because I owe him my life, just as he does to me."

Akashi vividly remembered the terrifying form of Kakuzu. By no means was the bounty hunter someone whom he could've defeated back then; it was nothing short of a miracle.

"So, will you free him?"

Akashi asked. 

Minato grimaced. More investigation will occur regarding this case should he wish, but he knew that Akashi's testimony would be revealed to be the truth.

Morally speaking, Might Dai should be freed. He should be compensated for the wrongdoings that the village has done to him.

However...

"No."

After a deep thought, Minato concluded, shaking his head.

"Not now, not at the moment."

Danzo was considered one of the fallen heroes of Konohagakure. Might Dai was thought of as a spy from Iwagakure. Using these ideas as propaganda, Hiruzen, the third Hokage, successfully brought the solidarity of the village together in fighting the opposing hidden villages.

To Minato, the village mattered more than just one shinobi.

"I see."

Akashi nodded to that, not asking further questions.

And he learned at the same time, of how deep Minato's loyalty to the village runs. Perhaps it did waver in the past, but the praises being made in the village due to his feats in the war, as well as the third Hokage's faith in him, have shaped him into a soon-to-be-leader of Konoha.

'Unlike Jiraiya-sensei, who seems to be detached from the village.'

Akashi looked at Minato in the eyes.

Those blue eyes, at a shade lighter than his lone one, glimmered brightly. There was a pride, a patriotism. 

'...I see.'

Akashi closed his eye. 

The next time the two of them met, there was a high likelihood that they would be enemies.

If so, there was no point in revealing to Minato that Gai, the son of Dai, was under his custody. Furthermore, there was no need to reveal, also, his current identity as the bodyguard of Terumi Mei of Kiri.

That meant that Akashi had nothing more to tell.

"...Akashi."

Minato muttered sternly. Just as how Akashi interpreted the scene, so did Minato. 

There was tension in the room. Minato's eyes narrowed, and he, for the first time, looked at Akashi just like how he views his enemies, analyzing weaknesses and devising plans.

Minato held his hand out.

"It looks like... this may be the final exchange that we have."

Akashi stared at the hand.

"Come to think of it... I didn't get to know you that well. Yet, I always felt quite close to you; perhaps, it was because we were, to some extent, similar."

Minato smiled with his hand still reaching out.

"I just wanted to say that it was nice knowing you."

Akashi broke a chuckle. Lifting his hand, they shook.

...

Some time after Minato left, Akashi made a payment and too left the restaurant. Under a disguise, he walked across the street, which was starting to get less bustling than before, as the time had long passed midnight.

He then turned around a corner.

At the corner, there was a dark silhouette of a man behind the shadows of a nearby building. Upon sighting Akashi, the man walked out of the shadows and revealed himself to be exactly the same-looking as Akashi's current disguise.

Without a word, Akashi raised his hand, the exact same hand that he used to perform a handshake with Minato. 

"...Hah,"

The man snorted.

This man was, in fact, Akashi. Up until now, 'Akashi', who had a chat with Minato, was a shadow clone.

"Flying Thunder God Technique... he really did look down on me, didn't he?"

It was hard to see, but there was a small, complex-looking seal drawn on the hand of Akashi's clone.

Akashi flipped out a paper note and a pen. Looking at the seal drawn on his clone's hand, he carefully copied its every single detail on a piece of paper. 

When completed, Akashi put the paper note back in his pouch. Nodding, his shadow clone silently disappeared with a puff. Then, the memory of said clone rushed into his head.

"..."

In silence, Akashi read and integrated the memory. After a while, he opened his eye and revealed its cold gleam.

__________

"Listen well, Mei."

Seated in the room was Akashi's shadow clone. In the darkness, he began speaking after hours of thinking, having figured something out.

"We were being monitored just noon. Then, the monitoring was suddenly withdrawn, following the visit of Namikaze Minato of Konohagakure."

Mei nodded.

"The daimyo knows that we are from Kiri. Namikaze Minato came here as an envoy to deliver a letter from the Hokage. For the monitoring to be withdrawn, said letter must have included information regarding Kiri. Based on these thoughts, I came to one conclusion."

Akashi's clone spoke with certainty in his tone.

"Kiri—the faction opposing yours that dominated the village, that is—is joining Konoha's alliance."

"...Huh?"

There, Mei froze. Then, she shook her head in disbelief.

"No, that's impossible."

She seemed sure about what she was speaking. With a vivid confusion, she whispered,

"Ever since the clash between Kiri and the Uzumaki clan, Kiri has had a deep hatred toward Konoha. Politically speaking, those who opposed my family were considered the hard-liners, ones who wished to see the downfall of Konoha more than anyone else. The alliance shouldn't be possible."

"...Then that means,"

Akashi's clone's eye widened behind the mask.

"Kiri is preparing to stab Konoha in the back—"

He couldn't say more, as all of a sudden, the door burst open.

"...!"

Surprised, Akashi's clone and Mei quickly stood up. Mei quickly flipped out a kunai and brought herself to a guarding position.

"Fuck! Y'all were here all along, messing up with me for a long!"

Standing in front of them was a shinobi of Kumo who wore the goggle-like sunglasses during the night, Killer B.

"Damn these Yugakure shits, shitting with me like absolute shits! But worry not, for lord Jinchuriki is now here, you fools, yeah!"

There were many swords sheathed at B's back. However, B didn't bother touching them and instead revealed a greatsword in his right hand. 

"...Wasn't Yugakure supposed to be a neutral ground?"

"Doesn't matter when they're gonna join Konoha! With you Kiri fools!" 

Stabbing the greatsword on the floor, B took out an explosive tag, much to Mei's shock.

"Are you planning on exploding the daimyo-sama's building?!"

"Hah! What else, ya fools?!"

As B spoke, the explosive tag began to glow blue. Swiftly, Akashi's clone and Mei dashed out of the windows, which B followed with a killing instinct evident. 

CLANG!

Akashi's clone quickly flipped out one Kiba blade that his original left with him just in case, meeting sword-to-sword.

Then, a bright explosion arose at the daimyo's building just behind the three of them, knocking them all away from the building.

__________

"There it is."

From the forest, the muscular man whom Akashi faced the day before, A, grinned as he saw a bright explosion in Yugakure.

"Team 1, 2, and 3! Prepare for a night raid! We will be joining B and subduing those Yugakure bastards who were planning on joining hands with Konoha behind us!"

After A's shout, the numerous Kumo ninjas began to dash toward the walls ahead of them.

The chaos has begun.