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Darkness hung supreme at the heart of a cave at the bottom of a hill, hidden by dense woods at the Rice Country. The air there was humid enough that you could almost touch it, making strands of hair cling to your forehead, carrying in its essence the aroma of mold, moss and things long dead. The only sound present there was the droplets that, from time to time, left the stalactites and join the stalagmites here and there, in an erratic symphony of a painfully slow tempo. In such an unwelcoming ambient, where some trained eyes would find a hard time to see beyond a few inches ahead, Orochimaru saw everything with clarity , focusing in a small albino snake tainted with patterns of a shade of red so pale one could mistake it as pink. Said snake was getting away on a steady rhythm, although a slow one, meandering with graceful struggle through the irregular rocks in the ground. The scornful sound of a snort died in his throat without reaching the lips. He could've killed her with a single hand movement and no one would dare complain about it, after all, it would be a proper punishment for the audacity of taking the leave without her master dismissing her, however, he didn't killed. Instead he found himself watching the reptile cold body squirming away over the colder ground, vanishing from his viewing field, until the sound of her returning to her home echoed throughout the cave system. An approving smile appeared on Orochimaru’s face. Despite it's own insignificance, that small little creature knew he's patience was short to deal with such annoyances like her for anytime more than the necessary. Alone again at his favorite hide out, his gaze turned to the scroll the daring snake had interrupted his thoughts to deliver. The smile, small as it was, immediately vanished. It was the report of one of his many eyes and ears. Took a whole second to recall, through the meek chakra signature on the seal, that those saw and heard what was dome and said on the deepest and darkest spots of the Hidden Leaf. Doesn't matter what's being reported, there's no reason to deliver it three months prior the schedule. Sadistic thoughts of how should he punish his spy entertained his mind on the brief seconds Orochimaru took to break the seal and unfold the scroll holding whatever Intel Shimura Danzo was involuntarily sharing. Sharp eyes swept the letter in less than five seconds while the mind, even sharper, tried to assimilate it's content. He froze the moment he understood. Reread the content for confirmation. And then e reread again. And again. And again. And again. It was like reading the same words again and again somehow helped his mind to process the weight behind what he was reading. And ever time his eyes pass through the rushed writing of his insider, a wicked smile widens on his face. Around the eleventh time he reread it he started laughing. Passed the sixteenth and his laugh became loud enough the echos made it looks like there where someone else in the cave, tips of insanity surfacing all over his face. Came the thirtieth time and he leaned forward, hugging his belly and closing one of his eyes - the other one keeping the reading - the last tips of sanity vanishing from him entirely. By the forty-fourth time he finally stop from both reading and laughing, focusing in recovering his breathe instead, while his mind still relishing on the sheer pleasure he felt just for being alive to live that moment. The scroll was engulfed by yellow bright fire the same moment he recovered, momentarily lighting up the cave, while he stood up from his seat, a dry and decayed dead corpse of whatever had died there - or at least the left overs nature hadn't claimed -, and started walking. He realized then that his spy had escaped the fate of becoming another seat on that cave. He started humming an ancient melody while walked the long way to the exit. Without thinking he took his equipment and clothes where he left it, the cave slowly playing it's role again. The almost soundless pitch black environment, isolating him from the outer world, emptying his head from all unnecessary frivolities, making the perfect chalkboard for him to plot his plans. And he has a lot to plot. Between a small laugh and a whistle his mind went through all the intel hd has, setting the pieces and start moving them, scenario post scenario. Everything looked so perfect that for the briefest of the moments he feared being lured into a trap. No, he didn't had time to doubt now. The deadlines where too soon, the distances too far, the timing from a step to another too tight. Now was time to risk it all. He needed to be fast and silent, to advance through gaps, slip above adversities, open a way until his target and strike on the weak spot. He was a snake after all and it was time to hunt. One part of his mind was going over the scroll yet again, key words burning on his head.
Uchiha. Riot. Coul. Root. Counter measures. Danzo.
Another part was losing itself on a ocean of possibilities.
Sharingan. Byakugan. Sound. Cloud. Rice. Nine-Tails.
A third one was drawing his schemes among the first two, planning his actions, foreseeing the reactions, opening his entrances, disguising his exits, measuring each gain and loss, risk and sacrifice.
Where would be better to a extraction? How long would take to infiltrate someone in a foreign delegation? How could he get him to the right place at the right time? How close could he get before someone detect’s him? How would he frame his scapegoat? Kabuto would be able to set everything in motion in time? How would he justify all that operation?
And beneath all that logic, his heart was beating in anticipation to how all this would quicken his plans in years, how it would not just strengthen him but would weaken many of his enemies at the same time. And mainly, how this would get him his revenge! His mouth was salivating by the mere thought. So self-absorbed he was, he didn't notice the presence by his side until he spoke. —Happy that soon? Did any little boy get lost in the woods recently? He aimed a disdainful glare to the hunched and expressionless figure of Sasori, well hiding it's wooden face under his straw hat and over his black robe with red clouds. Only then Orochimaru noticed he was already deep in the woods, the cold and fresh air entering his lungs for what felt like the first time that day, the meek blue light of dawn sneaking through leaves and branches here and there, announcing that the morning had come. —Hmpf!- was the only answer Orochimaru gave to the outrageous accusation, hiding his face behind his own straw hat and dark robe, having the decency of feeling ashamed of being caught smiling the way he was. —What are you doing here? Made sure the bitterness was evident in his tone. The fact that Sasori knew about his hideout was a wound that refuses to close and aches in rainy days. —The Great Leader has a mission for us. We shall seek and eliminate a lost contact that knows too much by Shukuba. —Whoa, two of us to take down one loose end?- questioned with a malicious smirk. —The target knows we're coming, we should expect resistance.- it wasn't needed to say “he knows too much” again to the meaning sinks. —Besides, Leader aren't taking risks since what Kakuzu did last summer. He nodded, agreeing, recording how surprised he was when he knew that, not satisfied in killing his third mission partner in a row, Kakuzu had killed two at once. —Well, that mission came in a good hour.- casually said, playing with the ring in his finger as a child anxious for his mother to let him outside to play. Sasori’s head mechanically turned to him, while his body kept crawling forward. —I’ve business to attend in Leaf.- simply answered the unasked question. —Business to attend, uh?- repeated suspiciously while Orochimaru could feel the puppet’s eyes narrowing on him. —You didn't answered my question.- pointed the hunchback. To what Orochimaru initially answered by shrugging, before showing a wide ear to ear mad grin. —Let's just say that strong winds are blowing and mill it's about to turn violently!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The streets we're busy, so busy that someone could not see where it was going without stop and climb on something a few times to see over the heads of the crowd. At least not someone as small as him. Naruto was just a six years old kid, after all, whose head only reached the belly of most of the adults, besides those very old or very small. So, he went to a empty chair near a Takoyaki stall, being careful to not fall, balancing himself over the furniture, it's uneven legs making him shake a little as he stands on, trying to be brisk to not be caught. Over the heads - Wich those more than two aimed him with badly hidden disdainful and hateful glares -, Naruto could see that the door at the top of a stairway that leads to a small terrace was open. He smiled with his luck and jumped of the chair. —Hey, brat!- he heard the owner of the stall scolding, running towards him smelling like octopus. Yet, Naruto was faster. He ran towards the stairs the fastest he could, wich wasn't much, due to how busy the streets were, running was more like walking and stopping with the right timing, cutting through the crowd and stepping on puddles with the dexterity and the carelessness that only a six years old child have. Better saying, an almost seven years old child. In five days he would turn seven, meaning that Naruto has to be careful and put some effort in going unnoticed, something he loathes a lot, but there is nothing to be done about it. The villagers on the Hidden Leaf become hostile when his birthday is near, better avoid attention. That's why he has chosen that place, a solemn smile growing on his face as he walked up the stairs. Even though it wasn't possible to see it from the chair he climbed, Naruto knew the place was completely empty*. And just like that, passing the door, after some turns he found himself alone in a small space that yet was big enough for boy of his age. Small explosions could be heard from afar as the fireworks announced the peace*. From where he was, Naruto could see the sunset on the horizon, the grey cloud that had showered that morning, some parts of the village’s main street, where a sea of heads made the crowd he just passed through look small, he could see the Hokage Tower, where the Hokage grampy were meeting with the foreign ninjas and he could also see the Hokages faces in the mountain. His smiled widened while he seats down, barely being able to control his excitement. When dawn arrives this war will be finally over! Not that he understood the meaning of that, once the war was happening since when he was too young to remember. He couldn't tell how peace would be nor what would change in the village, but hopefully everyone would stop looking at him as he was the one to be blame for it. Maybe, who knows, they will do hating him? —Just a little more…- he promised to himself, kicking the air lazily, body leaning backwards while he saw the day going over. From time to time he would lay his eyes on the stone faces, rising his uneasiness. Five more days and he would be seven years old, one whole year living alone, such was the condition he agreed with the Hokage grampy as a proof of his responsibility to join the ninja academy and he was about to made it! He had endure some difficulties, of course, went a month or two with his power cutted off, he didn't had enough money to buy food - and he didn't know how to cook over that -, and he honestly thought he wasn't paid enough, but yet he made it! One whole year living on his own and he will enter the ninja academy! And then he would become Hokage! He would, wouldn't he? It would take a little to get there, but it was a matter of time! He laughed to himself, jumped into his feet and started to play alone, pretending to be a ninja, imagining his future as Hokage , thinking about how strong that Cloud's ninja should and that the Hokage grampy would beat him down without even breaking a sweat, doing battle poses, fake techniques with clumsy made up hand signs. In his head he was the most powerful ninja in the world, but his deadliest rival, the shadow that follows him whenever he goes, was the most dangerous ninja in the world, knew all jutsus there are to be known and could mimic his moves perfectly, always being able to dodge and counter his attacks rapidly. Played, laughed, fought. He was a child in that terrace where no one could see him, besides the four people hidden in the shadows, but Naruto knew they were there, knew exactly where they are and felt comfortable with them watching him. They always do this, even though weren't always the same four. They never get closer, but also never get away, only when Naruto ran towards them, but never truly leave. At the beginning, when he was younger, he got worried when he first noticed them following him whenever he goes, but he calmed when he noticed they also followed the Hokage grampy. They should be protecting him, and keeping an eye on the future and best Hokage ever. At some point a fifth person joined the others four in the shadows, though that last one was farther and didn't seem to interact with the others. He thought it was strange, but didn't bother. It didn't matter, in the end all of them followed him as he left the terrace after he defeated his shadow. Wich usually meant the night fell. It was all a matter of imagination. He walked aimlessly through the village streets, planning his route to becoming the greatest ninja this world ever saw. He would graduate fast, learn some cool jutsus, master all elements before becoming a chunnin, maybe become a great swordsman? Who knows. At some point he would end a battle or save a princess, something really cool to everyone knows as he becomes a Jounin and let everyone ask themselves why don't he just become the Hokage at once. Yeah, that seems right. He would take three years to do it all in order to not rush everything, after that he would enjoy his fame for a while before finally accept the hat. That looks perfect. It was clear he would be the best Hokage ever, but he didn't need to humiliate the four that came before him. It was ok to let that all took around five years to be done, right? He gave a small chuckle, not noticing he was now walking on the farthest streets of the village, the stone floor giving away to simple earth road, well finished and constantly cleaned concrete walls giving away to wooden walls with stained loose planks, some of those stains looked older than himself, restaurants and tea houses giving way to houses with the lights off, where who wake up soon to work were already sleeping, and dirty bars where occasionally someone would stagger out, crumble and sleep at the spot. Even the illumination was worse he, more than one street light were flicking, as if it struggles to keep alight. Despite that, he didn't bother with the change of scenery, only lowering his head a bit and avoiding eye contact. To go unnoticed was easy to him. If he really, no one would saw him, just the four in the shadows. Then he came to an abrupt halt, blinking surprised. They're not there anymore. What happened? Had they just gone? When did they leave? Have they lost him of sight? Was that even possible? What happened? —Finally found you, demon! He froze momentary, skipping a breathe, a small frown on his expression as he faces the words so usually whispered on his back openly said aloud to him. He turned his head towards the interlocutor, noticing how around him others seemed to had noticed the scene too and found it interesting. At least three turned their heads towards him, the usual glares on their faces with a hint of… satisfaction? More than one halted to watch what would happen. Looking to the speaker, Naruto faced a group of four boys and a girl*, from those two were around the same age of him, one seemed to be younger by one year or two, and the last two, the girl included, were way older. The group's clothing was unique. The youngest, of brown eyes and dark hair, weared a dark blue shorts that went down to his shin and a white shirt with short sleeves. He also clad an unsureness in his eyes and a uneasiness in his body. The two who had an age closer to his were dressed similarly, but their clothes were tighter, as if they've picked a size smaller than they clad. Or like they had outgrown those clothes, thought a intruder voice in his head. He noticed those two had amends in their clothes here and there, visible seams where the fabric was teared apart or went so thin that was undone. Both had brown hair, though one was straggly while the other was round as a bowl. Only one of them had the unsurenesse and inquietude in his eyes, though they were more clear. The other held a confident gaze and a smile that could only mean problem. The last two were dressed in the strangest way. He clad a long sleeve red shirt with a black crest of the village stamped in the chest, said shirt should be two sizes bigger than him, reaching down his mid thigh, covering partly his black pants full of pockets, that on the other hand, seemed to be at least a size smaller than what should be, showing half of his shins. He also had three bandanas, two yellow tied in his left arm and neck, the last one red in his forehead, keeping his spiky hair from fall over his green eyes, red treads of fabric falling in it's place, as the bandana seemed to be ready to crumble undone. She wore a simple and beaten yellow dress, studded with holes here and there, showing a glimpses of skin in her belly, arms and shoulders. The dress was way to big for her, forcing her to tie it so she could walk without fall. She also weared a way to big pair of sunglasses, despite being night already, that covered from her mid forehead to her mid cheek, hiding her eyes completely. Those two had a serious expression in their faces. -A-Are you sure that we should do this, Chiba? Ma-maybe we shouldn- began the unsure boy of Naruto’s age, but he was interrupted by the older one. —Shut up, Chiharu!- barked, his red shirt fluttering as he turned to the boy that had objected. The three younger flinched with the name. —If you don't have the guts to do what's right to honor your parents, you should leave! You shouldn't had come at all, there's no place for cowards here! Concluded his affirmation looking back to Naruto, anger burning under his eyes, making the blond retreat a step. —M-Mom would like me to honor dad's memory…- commented unsure the youngest, looking to the ground while messy with his shirt. —Very well said, Tetsu!- congratulated the one with bowl hair, the only one that really seemed happy with the situation. —You should hear Tetsuyama, Takei!- he hugged the neck or the one that had originally objected, smiling a really ugly smile. —Besides, you should known better than question the great Ikkyu, he is our leader after all! —Miura!- commanded the older, beginning to walk slowly towards Naruto. —Yes, great Ikkyu!- replied the smiling one, walking too, surrounding Naruto's right side. —Matsuyama.- he once again commanded, to which the girl silently responded by starting to flank the blonde's left, her black hair swinging with the dress around her shoulders. She still hadn't said a word, the child realized as he took a few more steps back, tripping over a rock and falling on his own butt. —Where do you think you're going, demon?! - the voice was low, little more than a whisper, carrying enough venom in the words to make a chill run down his spine and his legs tremble. —You still have a lot to pay for what you did to our families! - he growled through his teeth, snapping his fingers. —B-But I don't even know you!- he stammered an argument, eyes fixed on Ikkyu, who was about seven steps away. —Who wrongs may forget, but who were wronged never will.- said the girl for the first time in such a low voice that for a moment Naruto wondered if he hadn't imagined it. He then realized that she had already gotten so close that she could easily grab him without having to fully stretch her arms. His heart beat even faster than it was already beating, his stomach turned. —Bu-But what have I don- He closed his eyes tightly against the pain he felt when Miura, with a smile that showed off all his teeth, stepped with all his might on his right hand, his fingers twirling strangely as he turned his heel. —Sh~~~~! Quiet, demon...!- a sob died in his throat, his eyes burning with tears that were about to fall, when he felt that he was lifted up, his feet no longer touching the ground. He found himself looking Ikkyu eye to eye as he held him by the neck. —It's time to pay for your crimes, don't you think? - He squeezed his neck, fingers digging into his windpipe and nails scratching his throat, preventing Naruto from breathing. —I'm suffocating! - he tried to warn but neither words nor air passed through the tightness. He tried to grab the older boy’s fist, but his right hand was too painful to hold tightly and the left was now in the possession of the girl, whose iron grip would not budge no matter how hard he tried to free himself. —The adults have left you loose in the village, unpunished, for too long! But that ends now… —He's crying! - Miura was delighted, seeing how the blonde's tears flowed hotly down his cheeks. —What are we going to do with him?!- he noticed from the corner of his eye that the other two had also approached, surrounding him on all sides —What if we kill him?!- Takei and Tetsu fidgeted uncomfortably with the idea, Matsuyama frowned, but to Naruto's dismay, Ikkyu seemed to seriously consider the possibility. —I'm sure no one will mind if we get rid of the foxy once and for all, maybe they'll even thank us! —Chiharu!- warned Matsuyama, squeezing his wrist even tighter, which earned a tongue-lashing response from the boy with bowl hair. Chiharu, Chiba, Matsuyama. He was sure that he had already heard these three names somewhere, in the same way, he was also sure that he had already seen the older ones, but he had no idea where. He had no idea what he had done, he had no idea what to do, he only knew that he was at the mercy of the group, defenseless and about to die without even knowing why. In the background, he could hear the noise of the five debating, but he could no longer distinguish their voices or their words. His vision was already dark, shapes and colors were jumbled, his arms and legs were already numb. Help! pleaded in the confines of his mind, I can't breathe! He was about to lose consciousness, the heat of his tears on his face the only thing he could still feel, he imagined he heard an evil laugh in the distance that would send chills down his spine if his situation weren't already so desperate. Maybe it was the God of Death mocking him? He didn't know and he didn't find out, because before he could, he felt something hit his cheek. His head automatically flew back, stopping only when his neck held it in place, snapping in the process, leaving behind only a sense of latency and a certain tingling sensation. It hit him again, this time in his right eye, the previous sensation worsening and his vision momentarily going from darkness to a flash of white, before returning to darkness. I'm being punched, he noticed. The third punch connected with his nose, making a strange crack ring through his head and sending him back to white as something wet hit the side of his body. This time, however, he did not immediately return to the dark, instead his vision slowly took the form of small stones on a muddy, earthen ground, his entire body tingling, his raw throat burning as cool air rushed past it once more. The last punch, so strong, had sent him a few meters back, freeing him from the hold. It must have also broken his nose, as a thick torrent of blood gushed from it, mixing with mud, bathing his black t-shirt. However, he did not have time to complain about the injury or celebrate the fact that he was alive, as new pain soon afflicted him when a kick hit the side of his chest, robbing his lungs of the little air he had breathed. Following the kick, another came, this one on the thighs, another one a little above the waist, a third aimed at his neck, being narrowly missed by the child's forearm as he did what he could to defend himself, however, the succession of stomps and kicks continued tirelessly, from all sides, in all ways, of all five.Someone needs to help me!, he thought, since his throat still hurt too much to scream, Someone, anyone! His eyes swept the environment beyond his five tormentors and he realized then that he was alone, despite the fact that around the group adults came and went, carrying on with their lives as if nothing was happening. Some mothers pushed their younger children, telling them not to look, some men did not deign to hide, blatantly turning their curious faces towards the scene while others at least looked away, ashamed. In a darker alley, a few streets away, a bunch of drunks were laughing loudly, openly pointing at them other in lively conversation, perhaps even placing bets. ‘What if we kill him!? I'm sure no one will care if we get rid of the foxy once and for all, maybe they'll even thank us!’ the weight of Miura's words sank like a stone into Naruto's mind, trying to find a way out of this situation while deep down he was sure he would be killed. The same malicious laugh he had heard before returned, even louder, almost a cackle echoing through his head, the God of Death calling him more and more. Suddenly he closed his right hand - the same one that had been stepped on - while trying to block a kick aimed at his face, thus managing to grab the leg that was kicking him. It wasn't much, considering it looked like he was the smallest of the five, Tetsuyama, his mind reminded him, but still, it was something. With a strength he didn't know he possessed, Naruto pushed Tetsuyama, knocking him down and elbowing the side of the one next to the little boy. - Takei, he also remembered - he stood up, pushing his way through the siege and running as fast as his little legs could carry him. —Hey, Demon! - —Where do you think you're going, foxy?! - Complained Ikkyu and Miura, respectively. —Get out, kid! —You'll end up getting my new clothes dirty! Two villagers also complained, just faces in the crowd. Naruto walked past them without looking where he was or where he was going, tears and blood falling equally from his face, aching body, labored breathing through a throat that still burning. He ran as fast as he could, but his senses soon informed him that his pursuers were faster than he was. He turned around the next corner, weaving through the few people there in an attempt to slow them down, but it didn't do much good, soon they were approaching again. He needed help and quickly, he needed to get to someone from the police! It was with this thought that he turned two corners in a row and entered an alley that he knew would lead to a busy street that always had a Uchiha or two. What was his surprise when he discovered that said alley, which he himself had used so many times, was apparently now walled off, trapping him in a dead end whose entrance was already guarded by who was chasing him. What do I do?! He thought exasperatedly seeing that only Tetsuyama hadn't arrived at the alley yet. Ikkyu and Matsuyama didn't even seem to have broken a sweat from the race. —Finally...!- Miura began, taking air between words. —There's... nowhere… else to run... devil! The lunatic smile, always present on the brown haired child’s face, had been overshadowed by the grimaces she made trying to catch his breath. Naruto would find it funny if the situation wasn't so tragic. Matsuyama was the first to advance, slow steps forward closely followed by Ikkyu's. Naruto's mind was racing at full speed, his heart being the only one capable of keeping up as his eyes rolled over the scenery in search of a possible way out. With the adrenaline of the situation pushing the pain aside, pushing his injured body even further beyond its limits, Naruto jumped at the first opportunity he found. It was small, dark and a little scary, but it was the best he had: it was a small gap where two of the wooden boards of a small fence that sealed the gap between the walls of two houses to the right had broken. —Shit! - Ikkyu cursed when Naruto crossed, his shorts tearing and the wood scratching his shins with how tight the passage was. Yet Matsuyama almost held him by the foot, his heel slipping through the girl's fingers. He stood up with difficulty, his legs hurting from where the wood scratched, feeling almost crushed between one wall and another, the only source of light being the streetlights reflected on the wall where one house was taller than the other. He advanced through darkness and dirt, feeling thick drops dripping from one of the gutters. He softly heard the squeaks of rats between his legs and chose not to think about it as he turned to where the passage ended straight ahead but continued to the left. Luckily, he found a brick when it ended up in another fence a little smaller than most adults. Sensing that they were not close, he climbed onto the brick, jumped to reach the top of the wooden planks and threw himself to the other side, landing on some garbage bags that stank of rotten food. He staggered to his feet and ran aimlessly through the streets in front of him, turning corner after corner, he ran until his legs felt numb beneath him and only then did he allow himself to stop, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath, the side of his stomach hurting from running so much, that is, beyond all the pain he felt from having been beaten. Only then, taking a better look at himself did he realize how miserable he looked. His shorts were torn in more than one place, his shirt was worn and soaked with blood and mud, a slash ran down the side of his legs where the wood had scratched him, blood running through his fingers, sandals and dripping onto the floor. Not to mention the worst parts, like his nose that was making a strange curve and starting to swell, his right eye that was already swollen, forcing him to see only with his left, some of his front teeth were clearly loose, his throat still burned to breathe, as did his left side, where Matsuyama had landed a strong kick, it hurt a lot every time he inhaled. A shiver ran down his spine when he felt the presence of the five in the distance, running towards him. He then realized that his blood had left a trail on the ground. Cursing his luck, Naruto ran again, breathing heavily and body screaming in pain, as if just the small break he had had made him more aware of the state he was in and that was enough to intensify the pain. Grimacing with each step, he left the village streets, entering a forested area, kinda of hoping they wouldn't notice he had gone that way, kinda of hoping that they would give up the chase if they had to enter the dark woods after him, kinda of hoping that in the darkness of the woods could lose them more easily, kinda of hoping that he could reach help before they reached him, as he felt, far in the distance, the presence of the fifth person who had followed him in the shadows that day, motionless in the middle of the forest. His expectations, however, were shattered, one by one. First when his pursuers not only noticed his trail heading into the woods, then how little they seemed to be shaken by this, heading forward almost immediately. And then, despite - with all the courage of an almost seven-year-old boy - Naruto running nonstop, even unable to see anything ahead, he didn't manage to lose the five. On the contrary, the distance between them was closing. By going into that gap he has put maybe a five-minute lead to them, now it took them fifty seconds to make the same progress he made in a full minute, it was only a matter of time before they caught him. And finally, as if it wasn't enough that they were so close, the path between him and his savior was interrupted by the railing of a fence, tall and imposing, which from what he could see, despite the darkness, it seemed to stretch forever to both right and left. His Savior was in the forest that continued on the other side, of that he was certain. —What?! You've got to be kidding me! Who puts a fence in the middle of the forest out of nowhere?!- he complained, vigorously pushing the railing back and forth, as if that were enough to make it give way. The truth was, he didn't want to cross that fence any more than he wanted to be found by others. Absolutely everything seemed wrong with the forest ahead, he could feel the energy of death itself emanating towards him, in addition to two presences, one threatening and the other purely evil, that were stationed somewhere beyond the one he sought help from. Every fiber of his little being said it was a terrible idea to move on. However, every thought he had told him that it was a worse idea to let himself be caught by the other kids. So, the moment his ears caught the sound of branches breaking less than a minute away, he jumped, painful and swollen fingers of a partially unusable hand seeking balance between the gaps in the wire while his good hand reached as high as possible above his small head, supporting all his weight on the railing and while his exhausted legs pushed him up as fast as they could. He passed, towards the top, a sign, which, even though he didn't know how to read, he managed to vaguely recognize the number four written twice, causing him a slight fear of the omen*. Still, he didn't stop and was able to be proud of his conditioning, as he reached the top well before they reached the fence. —YOUR LITTLE SHIT!- Ikkyu's scream echoing beyond the line of bushes he had come from being the only sign of the five's proximity as Naruto jumped to the other side with a satisfied smile on his face. He landed on his heels. But he landed wrong. Or slipped in the mud. He couldn't say. What he did know is that both his feet were ejected forward, his weight falling on his butt first, and then over his back, and finally over the back of his head. His ears began to ring and the world immediately went dark, which in itself was noteworthy, considering how pitch black it was already, but soon the little light available returned, only… strange. For a moment, Naruto forgot where he was or why, but the next moment he began to get up, remembering that he was running away, even if he still didn't remember from who or why. He heard the sound of a fence being climbed by multiple people in front of him, or behind him, he was too confused to know. That's where they are, he thought, drawing on his best sense to sense five presences that were climbing somewhere nearby, I'm running from them, he remembered as he supported himself on his left arm, now trembling from the effort of climbing. He vomited as he transferred his weight from his knees to his feet, but his mind barely registered that fact, focusing on running back into the darkness. Or walk very clumsily. Or stumble forward. Or backwards. Or to the sides. His sense of direction was too confused to know. Presences were the only things that were truly reliable. Five are jumping very close, threats, his mind retold, One is standing, far away, my salvation, he tripped over a branch, falling on one of his knees, he panted, feeling exhausted and sleepy, but he got up and resumed his stumbling forward when he felt the first five presences approaching, Two are very far away, sinister, better avoid, He closed his eyes when he realized he had been caught, but his pursuers had decided to keep a short distance, walking at the same pace as him, I am surrounded, he then noticed an enormous number of hostile presences around him, Animals, he concluded, praying for one of these to intervene as his stumbles led him to the middle of a clearing. Their prayers were not answered. He fell over when he felt a strong, sharp pain in his left leg. He looked down to see a long, diamond-like object sticking out of his calf. A kunai, recognized the projectile that was buried three fingers deep in his leg, They are ninjas, he remembered, looking at the group on the edge of the clearing, finally remembering seeing the two older ones entering and leaving the ninja academy more than once. Matsuyama's face showed no emotion, a kunai in each hand, while an evil smile adorned Ikkyu's, a set of shurikens in one hand while the other was projected forward, in a throwing pose. —Nailed it! - he celebrated. —MY TURN!- shouted Miura, running forward, quickly closing the distance between them. Naruto simply closed his eyes, finally accepting his fate. I’ll die, noticed. He felt the impact of the blows bathing his youthful body, trying to protect nothing but his head, which didn't last long, the pain, always present on that horrible night, was now gone, his body lay completely numb at the mercy of his executioners, the evil laugh of the God of Death echoing loudly in his head. He didn't know how long he was beaten, it didn't matter, one hour, however, the blows stopped. Then he dared to open his eyes. From where he lay, his childish form slumped against the muddy dirt floor, hands shaking and a small pool of blood forming around him, Naruto could see the five of them staring at him in satisfaction. They were talking to each other, but most of the words were not discernible to him in his current state. —… Leave him there, the animals will finish the job.- decided the leader of the group, kneeling down beside him and taking the glasses he had on his forehead. —I'm taking it back.- he said in a neutral tone of voice, with a somewhat uncertain look, standing up. —Hah! Beyond being a murderer, he's a shitty little thief! - laughed another in the background and Naruto could feel his saliva land on his cheek and run over his nose. He hadn't stolen those glasses. He had found them left on the ground in a square and waited for the cold winter night to fall until everyone had retired to their homes before picking them up. Even though he got the glasses he wanted that night, he wished the owner had shown up so he could return them. Who knows, maybe he could've make a friend… —Let's go.- called Ikkyu Chiba, leaving, the others following closely behind him.. Except for Matsuyama, who remained in the clearing, staring at him. Only when the others were already far away did she sigh, walking steadily towards him and landing a powerful kick on face. At this moment Naruto fell into the darkness of unconsciousness, only the call of death echoing as his mind faded. And then he opened his eyes, decent that he was still alive. His body as cold as the mud he was lying on, the dried blood and the moon already high in the night sky being the only proof that time had passed. He struggled to sit up, every part of him in agony. He looked at his hands, the right one was still swollen but there was now a shade of purple in his fingers, on the other hand the left had some small cuts that had already scabbed on it and his fingers were bent in the wrong direction. Both were shaking. He closed both tightly, also closing his eyes with the pain that action caused. He opened them, slowly and with great effort he stood up, realizing that his left heel also hurt, to the point that he had to support his entire weight on the right. What would he do now? If he stayed there he wouldn't stand a chance against the animals he could sense in the forest, but in this state he wouldn't be able to climb back over the fence and there was no way of knowing if he would be able to get around it, as he wouldn't be able to tell how far it went, if it was even possible to turn around in the first place. Maybe there was a door or gate somewhere, but they would certainly be locked at this hour. My savior, remembered. His only hope was him. It was before, how could he forget that he couldn't say, since he had only entered this damned forest to ask for help from the one who followed him in the shad- A shiver ran down his spine and his eyes widened as wide as the swelling would allow. He was alone in the forest, just him, the animals and the two sinister presences he had sensed earlier. The difference is that before they were far away, deep in the forest, however now they were close, between him and the village and were slowly getting closer. He swallowed hard, his sore throat complaining of pain, which he promptly ignored and began to run away, again, limping towards the heart of the woods, in what had to be the slowest escape in history, which was closely followed by what had to be the slowest chase in history. They are following me?, He couldn't help but wonder, even though he was limping. He had no difficulty avoiding the animals, truth be told he had the impression that the animals were trying to avoid the two who followed him as much as he did, however, he had difficulty with the terrain. More than once he slipped, having to rely on his bad leg to keep him upright, he even tripped over the root of a tree once and had to crawl under the roots of another, at this time a withered branch of a bush caused a cut just below his left eye when he stood up. Despite everything, he was doing well. He wasn't moving away, but they - who he was now sure were following him - were not approaching either, thus keeping the distance relatively unchanged, which only attested to how slow his pursuers were this time. Maybe they'll give up if I can keep them away for too long!, he thought using an optimism that not even he could sustain, considering that his body was slowly giving up to pain, Or I can take advantage of the fact that the animals don't approach them and look for a way out of this forest!, He closed his eyes as a stab of pain in his back struck him, Maybe they just wanted to help… ! He tripped over something, falling face first on the ground. He let out an exclamation of pain, massaging his sore nose, which at this point had turned into a small potato, and opening his eyes. He froze. He was once again in a clearing, but his eyes were fixed on the lifeless eyes of a corpse that lay just in front of him. He retreated with a scream, throwing himself back, frightened, supporting himself on his injured hands. His left one rested on something hard and cold. He turned his head and his gaze fell on another body, this wore a white ceramic mask with red accents that slid to the side under the weight of Naruto's hand, revealing the man's wide-eyed gaze and open mouth. The head didn't move an inch, despite a diagonal cut across the man's throat, starting at the shoulder and ending below the ear, being so deep that Naruto could discern in the flesh the two holes through which air and food should descend, the blood accumulated there dark and thick. Bile rose up Naruto's throat and if he hadn't already vomited everything when he fell earlier, he would have vomited now. He walked away from the grotesque scene without ever taking his eyes off the bodies, as if the dead could catch him if he looked away, colliding with a tree at the edge of the clearing, his legs, as if trapped by the repeated movement they made to move away, kept kicking the earth away until he eventually stood up, his back dragging against rough trunk. Couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. At least twelve bodies were scattered across the clearing, which was also punctuated here and there by craters, splinters of wood, and a wall made out of earth that splitted the clearing in half. On the opposite side of it, some trees were charred, two were still burning and thick branches were lost across the battlefield, a clean cut visible where they once connected to the trees. The ground was bathed in red, the bodies, some mutilated - of these, some with their faces disfigured with deep cuts and punctures -, others with arms and legs bent in more than one place, some dressed in simple clothes, others completely naked, they were all arranged in three groups, one corpse never more than ten paces away from the other. The ones that caught the most attention were the three figures who wore gray armor and a white mask with colorful designs, these were separated from each other, but surrounded by the bodies of their enemies. The one Naruto bumped into had a broken sword in his hand, the broken tip buried in the neck of a naked man seven paces away. Another, more corpulent, had his mask broken in three while his head had been crushed by a boulder that was larger than Naruto's torso, kunais and shuriken spread acrosss his body, around him, three enemies were brutalized, with limbs twisted or bent in the wrong places and kunais sticking out of their heads, one even had his face turned towards the sky despite being lying on his stomach. The last one still had his mask firmly attached to his face as he lay leaning against the wall in the middle of the clearing, he was neither stained with blood nor mutilated, the only thing that betrayed his death was the fist-sized hole in his chest, from which he had not bled because it had been burned until the flesh turned black, spreading a terrible smell throughout the place that only added to the smell of blood. Naruto had to cover his mouth and nostrils with his hands, making it difficult for him to breathe, which was already choppy due to the shock of what he was witnessing. It was then that he heard the sound of bells, his head turning mechanically in the direction he had come from only to witness the arrival of two figures, one tall and slender, the other short and broad, both dressed in black cloaks punctuated with red clouds and straw hats that were adorned with long strips of white fabric that fell below the line of their shoulders. —Kufufufu… ! Well now, look what we have here, it looks like another child got in our way tonight! And it's not just any child. Who would know this forest would be so busy this late?…- said the taller figure, lifting his head enough to reveal a skin as white as the moon, his deep voice filled with venom and grace, sharp yellow eyes fixed on Naruto's childish form, the bells on his hat resonating with each step. —Hmpf! Your cynicism moves me, but there are limits even to dissimulation.- complained the one on its left, with a voice so deep that it made the voice of the first one seem soft. —Don't act like you didn't plan this whole situation.- he accused, only causing a smile to appear on his counterpart's white face. —So much distrust. Contrary to what you might think, I have no pleasure or satisfaction in ending such young lives. - He defended himself without really seeming offended or uncomfortable with the accusation. It was then that Naruto noticed a tangle of snakes running down the sleeve of his right arm, their intertwined bodies thrashing against each other on the ground, swallowing Takei's corpse, his expressionless face, limp arms and static chest being the only parts of his attacker's body exposed by the thick veil of serpents that moved like worms over meat, the blood that ran down his forehead and spread across his face was the only sign that he had suffered any violence. Naruto's knees were shaking like clothes hanging on a windy day, seeing how someone who had made him feel so powerless had met his end. The man's white hand appeared between the snakes and, with the other, made two signs that Naruto had already seen other children imitate while playing ninja. He then crouched down next to the small corpse and placed said hand on its throat, the snakes slithering out of the way, revealing the marks of a broken neck. Pale fingers gently wrapped around the child's broken neck and soon began to glow a color that lay somewhere between blue, green and yellow, as if the wrist, and by extension the neck, were wrapped in a sheet that was so thin one could see through it and fluttered with the slightest breeze. And for a few moments nothing, until suddenly the child's chest began to move again, rising and falling slowly, causing the hiss of heavy breathing to emerge between the parted lips. For a brief moment Naruto thought he was saving Takei, but something was strange. His eyes continued to stare into space, dead, no expression appeared on his face, even more blood began to flow from the wound on his forehead and his arms moved only in time with the snakes. It was when, with a satisfied nod of the man's head, the snakes stirred, contorting and pressing against the body, twisting it, crushing it, making the sound of breaking bones echo and a grimace appear on Naruto's face. After a long minute, the snakes withdrew, climbing back up the man's sleeve as the glow ceased, revealing the child's now deformed form, every inch of exposed skin reddened, even the sclera, once white, now stained with blood. He then made three more signs with his hands and stood up, lifting the body by the collar of his bulging shirt with the hand that had wrapped around his neck. —Don't forget to erase yours.- he said simply, folding the middle and ring fingers of his left hand, placing them on the child's forehead, while pressing the pinky and index finger of the same hand on the temples. Soon a screeching sound was heard, but other than that, not even the child's disheveled hair seemed to have reacted. —I'm not going to partake this any more than I already had. Besides, it might still have some use.- the taller one gave the smaller an ironic smile, but he didn't notice or promptly ignored it. —Now, what do you plan to do with him? It was then that Naruto felt something wrap around him and he found himself surrounded by a kind of mechanical tail that came out from under the clothes of the one on his right, circling around him three times, its sharp tip stopping a hair's breadth from his cheek. From the corner of his eye he could see Tetsuyama's impaled body, the youngest of his attackers having said tail across his back and out his chest. The cold, wet touch of the tail on his skin was the only thing keeping Naruto upright, the strength of his legs abandoning him right away, his lungs in disarray, tears that had dried before returning to moisten his cheeks. —You make it sound like I planned everything…- he complained with a snort. —We only came here because I had to make contact with one of my informants and I had to resolve an issue in the village, let's say a loose end. By chance we had to deal with ANBU. —And by chance you happened to have a collection of bodies, which were with you since you coincidentally collected them yesterday afternoon, and enough free time to stage a battle while we waited patiently in this damned forest until your contact returned. - He put a lot of emphasis on waiting, his mechanical tail tightening in response, to which the other simply shrugged. —Yes, by chance.- he replied simply. —And by chance you decided to erase their minds… —The Leaf has an TI department specialized in looking into the minds of the dead people.- he intervened. —… with a lightning style technique.- continued accusing without bothering with the intervention. —The other techniques are too inconvenient and inelegant, they make a lot of mess and don't help compose the scene.- He defended himself, easily throwing the corpse he was carrying behind him, as if getting rid of evidence of a crime. The wet thud that Takei's body made when it hit the ground, coupled with the unnatural way its head turned from side to side as the corpse swayed made Naruto's stomach turn, causing more bile to rise up his throat, forcing him to swallow the bitter taste dry. —And by chance a bunch of brats invade the forest, leave, only for two of them to return later. —By chance, really. Two small annoyances that aren't worth our time.- he nodded in agreement, a thoughtful look on his face. —And by chance after all this he stands before us, one of our future targets and the only son of that man. At first, a grimace of discontent appeared on the albino face, but soon it became something perverse, full of anger and resentment, his gaze falling on Naruto like that of a predator. —Yes! - he confirmed, the venom in his voice making every sense of Naruto scream. —By chance. The other just rolled his eyes and asked again. —And what do you plan to do with him now? And as if he hadn't been ready to commit murder in the previous second, the response was a simple shrug. —I don't know, I didn't plan this. Faced with words that sounded false even to Naruto's ears, his companion simply snorted and started moving towards the only child still alive in the scene. —I can just erase his memories and we could leave him somewhere in the village.- he suggested. —I don't doubt your abilities to alter human memory, but the Yamanaka clan's specialty is to invade the minds of others. If we are discovered, our presence in the Leaf may reveal the existence of our organization a little too soon, I'd rather not risk it than give Inoichi something to work on.- he argued, walking as well. —It would be more prudent to kill and erase his mind, like we did with the others.- a snake silently began to climb Naruto's leg, the cold of its skin far outweighing the cold of the blond's sweat. —Without consulting the Great Leader? This is too insanity even for your standards. —Hmpf!, what do you suggest? - despite the apparent change of mind, the snake had already crawled up his chest and lodged itself around Naruto's neck, wrapping around it like a scarf. —Let's follow my plan. I'm going to erase his memory, but instead of leaving him here, we leave him in some village we find on the way. He won't remember anything, he will have the chance to have a normal life until time comes for us to catch him.- He finally stopped, less than five steps away from Naruto who for the first time saw the hands of the man who began to make a series of hand signs, preparing to erase his memory when he was interrupted by the taller man's left hand. —Without the consent of the Great Leader? This is too insanity even for my standards.- he retorted ironically, a humorous smile on his face as he paraphrased his colleague. —Besides, it will be risky, we won't be able to keep an eye on him for long without exposing ourselves, if we don't keep an eye on him and he ends up back at Leaf, everything will be in vain anyway. —Zetsu wouldn't have any trouble keeping an eye on him. - He grunted, moving his hands away from the opposite touch, his tail squeezing Naruto more and more, while the snake did the same with his neck, keeping him from breathing. —Zetsu has the brain of a broccoli and the fighting ability of a mashed potato, in three years even this child should be able to defeat him. Zetsu won't be enough. —You speak as if the need for combat is assured!- the man with the tail got angry as Naruto's vision began to darken and his limbs fell asleep from suffocation. —You are being naive to imagine that there will be no combat.- corrected the taller man without being intimidated by the opposite irritation. —Some of the Leaf's most relevant clans specialize in tracking, even if we eliminate all traces, if they create a task force it is impossible to guarantee that the boy will never be found. If we get him out of here, combat will be something necessary. The last thing Naruto heard before blacking out was the smaller of the duo snorting as he said. —Okay, let's take him to the Great Leader, he will decide. And then darkness. And sounds of droplets. And the evil laugh that had accompany him that night. A voice so deep it made his entire being sway echoed. What a day, huh, brat? <<~~~~~~~•°• In a dark cave badly lit only by a set of dying torches fixed on the walls, nine figures remained in ominous silence as the leader assessed the situation, a tenth hid in the shadows, watching the scene unfold. Of the nine figures, six had a ghostly appearance to their image, as if they weren't really there. All ten, with the exception of Naruto, who was unconscious, tied up and gagged, and the one who hid in the shadows, wore the same black cloaks with red cloud. Purple eyes with black rings stared at the child's small form, some small signs of the attack he had suffered the previous week still lingered on his body. —Orochimaru, Sasori, explain again how a simple assassination mission evolved into you effectively capturing the Nine-Tails' host. A satisfactory explanation this time. - The Great Leader's voice resounded throughout the cave, the dept of its timbre highlighting the gravity of the situation. —As I already told you, oh, Great Leader, - repeated Orochimaru, obviously irritated by all the repetition, but being wise enough to hide said irritation. —Shortly before I became aware of our mission, I received contact from an insider containing extremely relevant information about events that were about to occur at Leaf, These events will change the balance of forces in the elemental nations and shake the stability of Leaf itself. Given this information, I had to find out if it matches reality, so, after we completed the mission, I left towards the village, Sasori accompanied me of his own free will. We managed to carry out the invasion without major complications, despite having faced an ANBU team, I confirmed the veracity of the information and during our escape we ended up meeting three children. We got rid of the other two, but we reached an impasse as to what to do with the Nine-Tails, so we decided to bring him to this hideout so that you could decide. —Do you really expect me to believe that? - asked the Leader in a dangerously calm tone of voice. —To be fair, Great Leader, he did mention the need to go to Leaf before the mission and we did make contact with an informant from within the village. What information he received and what its nature is are not known to me and the causality of the events that led the Nine-Tails' into our possession is questionable.- assured Sasori, receiving a slight nod from the leader. —We need to make sure that no one has been able to follow your trail.- said a woman with blue hair and amber eyes. —Zetsu.- called the Leader while Orochimaru spoke. —There is no trail to follow! - protested the snake. —He did a decent job of framing the Cloud for what happened.- corrected Sasori. —Hmpf! ”decent”…- he mumbled. —We can't risk it.- the woman simply said. —I will keep an eye on what has been said in Leaf.- assured Zetsu, a half-plant humanoid creature, whose male body was divided between half completely white and half completely black. —This might be interesting for us. If the conflict between Cloud and Leaf resumes, the tendency is for us to have more work. - commented a tall man, with broad shoulders, with a mask covering half of his face, leaving only his mint green eyes against his red sclera showing. Sasori and Orochimaru's sharp eyes caught the slight frown that occurred on the blue-haired woman's usually stoic face when he spoke. The man himself seemed not to notice or not to be bothered, emerald-red eyes fixed on the blonde who remained unconscious. The Leader hadn't noticed such frown, his gaze focused on the figure of another man, as tall as the previous one, but thinner, carrying a sword as big and wide as himself on his back, bandages covering the sides of his head, an ugly scar on his left cheek, red grill-like marks over his mouth. Eyes narrowed in barely contained rage. —The conflict between Cloud and Leaf has lasted six years*.- resumed the leader. —Having reached a peace agreement after so many attempts, it is unexpected to see them resuming the fight so quickly, but if Leaf is really convinced that the Cloud is behind the disappearance of the Nine-Tails, the conflict will have the fuel to last many more years.- he assessed. —They will be convinced.- assured Orochimaru. —My work is impeccable. —Decent.- corrected Sasori in a tone of voice that only Orochimaru heard. —Maybe…- began the swordsman, now calmer, preventing the discussion from starting. —Depending on how things go in the next few months, perhaps the conflict will even evolve into an open war between the two villages.- the Leader closed his eyes for a brief moment at the words. —But that would depend on chance. Leaf only needs to realize that Nine-Tails is not with the Cloud to theirs motivation and morale dry out. —He has a point.- agreed the masked man with strange eyes, to the swordsman's irritation. —The cost of war may be too high to sustain if it is pointless. —The Leaf and the Cloud are two of the five great elemental nations, which means that, like the others, they are hurts war machines structured under the facade of a peaceful social organization.- began the brittle and tired voice of an elderly woman who had lived beyond her seventy years, whose small figure behind the black cloak, Just wearing wrinkles and a cane, she was able to command respect from each of her colleagues in Akatsuki.* —This type of organization can only be maintained based on a hierarchical and meritocratic order, mostly male, which means that those in charge are old men who are too proud to let someone come into their house and take something from them or accuse one of their own without fighting for it, too proud to admit they were wrong and too stubborn to listen to common sense and reason at the right time. - She let the silence linger as her words were absorbed, eyes sharp. - despite being whitened by cataracts - embedded in the unconscious blonde. —The conflict will resume, it will evolve into an open war between the two villages. The Leaf discovering that the Nine-Tails is not with the Cloud will not change anything. A brief silence followed as those present contemplated the words, during which with a groan Naruto woke up, seeing himself helpless, surrounded by his captors and the six figures that glowed a translucent pale shade of blue. —Hotaru is right. It's a waste of time to wonder what the big five will do. Their arrogance betrays the direction their actions will take and the innocent will pay the price.- finished the leader, drawing attention back to himself. —Which brings us to the question of what to do with the Nine-Tails. The subject brought some tension to the shoulders of the youngest among the women, but no one noticed. Such tension was more visible on the swordsman's face and on Naruto himself, the object of the discussion that was about to take place. —There's nothing to discuss.- Hotaru said. —We will extract and seal the beast and then dump the body in the first ditch we find. There was a certain ice in the elderly woman's voice that was capable of making even Orochimaru shiver. The swordsman was about to argue with the woman whose head didn't reach his chest when the other spoke. —It would be the most logical thing to do... - agreed the man with green eyes, although his tone suggested that there was something left unsaid. Orochimaru couldn't care less. As long as they extract the beast and get rid of the boy once and for all, his vengeance would be complete. He fixed his gaze on the Great Leader, whose stoic expression revealed nothing while his purple eyes were fixed on the boy who trembled between him and Sasori. And then Sasori moved forward, catching his attention. —If you allow me, Great Leader, I would like to say that I am against the extraction of the Nine-Tails.- he said in a flat tone as if talking about the weather. Immediately all eyes were on him, including Orochimaru's, who felt betrayed by his partner. —This is unexpected. Why do you oppose to the extraction, knowing that extract all the tailed-beasts is the ultimate goal of this organization?- his leader's question hid a danger that Sasori saw well. —I'm not against extracting the Nine-Tails, I'm against doing it now.- the leader's eyes narrowed. —Elaborate. —My philosophy of life makes me an impatient person, but I'm not a hypocrite, so I hate waiting, but I equally hate letting people wait for me. As a result, I consider that both being late and being early are sacrileges that disrespect my time and that of others. In that case, if it was okay to get ahead of the planning and skip the initial expansion phase, we would be capturing the tailed-beasts and their hosts, instead we are gathering information, raising funds and expanding our infrastructure and influence. Sealing the Nine-Tails now would open a breach, a chance for us to fall into the trap of thinking that we can skip the first phase, that the plan is too cautious, that it is bad. He is not. He is neither too cautious nor too careless, It's not too fast or too slow, it's just the right amount caution, at the right time, I wouldn't be here if that weren't the case. If we get ahead of ourselves, we could take a step too far and draw too much attention, putting ourselves in an adverse situation without the necessary funds or infrastructure. And even if we just seal the Nine-Tails and go back to the original plan, the doubt will be planted forever, making us question the need of our expansion and the plan will lose its meaning given the lack of trust we place in it. The monologue was followed by a long silence in which the Leader carefully considered every word. —Honestly, Great Leader, I have no problem carrying out any mission, I have no problem killing anyone, but in all my life as a ninja I have never had to kill a civilian child. As much as I will do as I am ordered, I do not feel comfortable with this situation.- confessed the swordsman, making the older woman roll her eyes while the younger woman felt relieved at the words. The other man, however, snorted a half-laugh, making him put his hand on the hilt of his sword, even though, as they were, one would not be able to hurt the other. —Kakuzu. —Yes, Great Leader, our funds are still only 37% of what we need to meet our original schedule.- informed the man with strange eyes in a calm and serious voice, without thinking, as if the data was recorded in his mind. —Konan. —Our infrastructure is still short, restricted mainly to the country of rain, our influence is a little better than that, since the Hidden Rain Village is renowned even among the big five, but there is still a lot to be done as Akatsuki. Our services are still little requested by the big five, even among the smaller villages our numbers are not very favorable, restricting our zone of influence to the non-military sphere. The Leader nodded in acknowledgment of the information the blue-haired woman had said.. —Furthermore.- resumed Sasori. —The boy could be useful. The capabilities of the Uzumaki preceded them, among which is an above-average sensory ability, something that this child has already demonstrated by the way he felt our presence even while we were hiding.- The eyes of the six figures were now on Naruto who was staring at a dark spot in the cave where a one-eyed man was watching him from the darkness. Said figure narrowed his solitary gaze beneath his mask and disappeared in a vortex in mid-air. Only then did the boy seem to relax a little and turn his gaze to the others present, a fact that did not go unnoticed by any of the eight members gathered there. —All the more reason to kill the child. The Uzumaki were hunted for a reason and if ever the elemental nations did something right it was in the fall of the Whirlpool. The world is better off without them. If you children can't bear to see a little blood, let me do it myself.- Hotaru stated, the atmosphere cooling down due to the coldness in her words, her assassin intention being felt even though she was not physically there, making the child shudder, a cry muffled by the gag. —It's not up to you to decide that.- Konan simply informed in a neutral voice. —We don't kill for desire or pleasure, we kill for money or need.- added the Leader. —This boy's death will only be at our hands if it is for the solemn purpose of extracting the Nine-Tails, and until that is decided, no one will touch a hair of his. Two gray locks swayed around Hotaru's head as she turned her cold gaze to her leader's orange head. —Great Leader, I don't care if the kid lives or dies, but if we wait for him to grow up, considering his father, I know a contact who would pay a good amount of money in the Hidden Stone Village for the corpse.- offered Kakuzu. Then the cave became silent again, except for Konan's amber, everyone's gaze was on the man with orange hair and purple eyes, these eyes, like those of the blue-haired girl, stared into the blue eyes of the frightened child. —What do you say, Konan?-some eyebrows arched as expectant gazes now fell on the female form who remained silent as she considered all the information and her options. —Within two to four years the first phase should be close to completion. The extraction of the Nine-Tails can wait until then. This will also give us time to evaluate his possible usefulness to the organization and if applicable, Naruto Uzumaki's life could be extended until the completion of our plans. Until then, we cannot risk him returning to Leaf's hands, so he must always be accompanied by an Akatsuki member or be in a safe location. At the end of Konan's speech, Sasori's mechanical head nodded, attesting to his satisfaction with this arrangement. —It's decided.- said the Leader, making Orochimaru click his tongue. —If the Uzumaki will live, there's no reason for me to be here.- Hotaru said. —Sensei!- tried to call the swordsman, but it was in vain, as the old woman's form disappeared immediately after her words. —Juuzou.- he turned to the Leader. —You and Hotaru must head to the borders of the Land of Lightning and await further orders. —Yes, sir.- he replied, disappearing. —Kakuzu, make a list of Cloud ninjas who have a bounty on their heads. Let's give Leaf a small advantage to resume the conflict. —Yes, sir.- disappearing after. —Orochimaru. —Yes? - he asked with a certain impatience that betrayed his dissatisfaction with the final result of the meeting. —Don't think for a moment that you can cause everything you caused by information without having to share it.- informed/threatened the Leader with a sharp tone of voice and narrow purple eyes. A smile spread across the snake's face, his mood immediately improving as he remembered the information. —Oh yes, how could I forget! This is a potential new member for our organization. —And who would that be? —It's an Uchiha. A prodigy in the best sense of the word. —Which Uchiha? - I wanted to confirm, despite already having a good guess. Orochimaru's smile expanded in a sickening way. —In a few months he will be the only one!- he declared as if that were enough. Still, the statement made Sasori's eyes widen slightly and Zetsu hissed. However, neither Konan nor the Leader's facial expressions changed, almost as if they hadn't heard. —Zetsu.- finally called the Leader. —I'll keep an eye out.- guaranteed the plant man, disappearing. The Leader then turned his gaze to Orochimaru and remained silent for a brief moment, judging his actions and the benefits of them. —Good job.- he finally said in a short sentence, disappearing with Konan soon after. In the dark cave remained Orochimaru, Sasori and Naruto Uzumaki.