Violet-Eyed Serpent: Ch.27

“Are we sure he's going to be enough?”, Kyusuke asked as Yahiko, Konan and Pakura led their group of shinobi through the tunnels, to which Yahiko smirked and nodded while Konan created a stone pillar to support the tunnel.

“Yeah, if Nagato says he's going to win, then he's going to win without a doubt.”

“And we can trust his word, Commander?”, The kunoichi with green eyes asked as she followed behind him and Yahiko nodded as Pakura answered instead.

“Nagato was the one who started the Akatsuki organization and paved the way for what it is today. If he didn't, I think Yahiko here would be still be stuck on a name.”

“That…is true, yeah. Also, Lakari, Nagato is one to keep his word and never betray whatsoever.”

“Unless ramen is put as an offer. Then, he'll throw you under the bus,” Konan spoke up from the side and Lakari blinked as the other two commanders nodded in agreement before looking to the rest of the Akatsuki members.

They all just shrugged before they looked forward as the snakes continued burrowing through the ground, Yahiko following after it while looking down at where Sessho was happily trotting.

“So, Sessho…how the hell can you speak?”

“Nature energy.”

“Cool, cool. Uh, what is that exactly?”, Yahiko asked and watched as Sessho looked at him before nodding.

“It is the ambient chakra found in every living thing around the planet that one can take into their body and use to boost our own power. However, since I am already attuned to the world as an animal and since I was constantly in an area that had high levels of nature energy, my mind had evolved at a continuous rate until it got to the point that I could imitate human speech.”

“…Huh, that kind of makes sense,” Pakura spoke up and Sessho nodded before looking up as he smelt a familiar scent drawing closer, not surprised to see everyone going on guard as 120 Nagato clones dropped into the tunnels while the snakes stopped.

“We're starting.”

“Yep. Everyone, touch a clone and hang on!!”, One of the Nagato clones shouted, the others looking at each other when the clones walked over while Yahiko, Konan and Pakura placed a hand on the clones in front of them.

“So, what's the second signal?”, Yahiko asked and his question was answered when the tunnel began to tremble, looking to the clone who smirked and pointed up.

“That would be the signal. You all ready?”

“As ready as we can be,” Konan spoke and the clones all nodded before making hand signs in unison as everyone crouched before hopping into the ground.

It did not take them all before they shot out of the surface, Yahiko blinking at the sight of Ame in chaos before his attention was brought back to the clone when it smirked and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The next moment, he grinned as he felt and saw the red chakra wrapping around his own, looking at the rest of the Akatsuki to see the same happening before unsheathing his sword and pointing it to the sky.

“Today, we end these years of hiding in the shadows in fear of Hanzo and his bastards! Today, we rise as the true liberators of Amegakure!”, His voice roared across the battlefield and cheers came from the Akatsuki shinobi as they scattered.

“No mercy. You all know what to do. Cut the head and burn the root!”, Pakura called out as her eyes scanned the chaos that was Hanzo's men trying their best to gain back control.

“Split into four groups. Target communication outposts and bottlenecks!”, Konan shouted last as the groups began to divide up, the trio staying together as they watch Hanzo's men be swiftly and easily taken out by the Akatsuki that was enhanced by the Bijuu chakra coursing through them.

“I guess we have to go ahead and do our part as well, right?”, Yahiko asked as Konan floated off the ground, her paper wings unfurling while three bright white orbs of light coated in scorching orange flames formed around Pakura.

Inuzuka Ninja Art: Beast-Man Clone!

“I'll get you guys when I make sure to take out a few targets of my own!”, Sessho barked out as he shot across the battlefield, the three watching as his body bulked out while his fur turned a dark blood-red.

“Okay, I guess Sessho learned more than just talking,” Pakura muttered before they looked to the outskirts of the village to see a snake erupting from the ground, its dark brown scales blending in with the dark grey of the towers.

However, Yahiko blinked as he caught sight of the large salamander in its mouth, watching as another giant snake erupted from the water before the two ripped their heads in opposite directions and tore the salamander in half.

“I think that's the signal for the third phase.”

“You think?”, Konan asked even as she had a slightly surprised look in her eyes, watching as the snakes vanished back underwater before turning to the other two with a smile.

“I guess all we needed to do was just wait for Nagato, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah. Now…For Freedom!”, Yahiko exclaimed as he dove into battle, the two ladies looking at each other with exasperated looks before they rushed into the battle as well.

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“You two think that is enough?”, I asked as I stood on the surface of the lake below, watching the storm of fire and wind above while Saiken snorted as Isobu spoke up.

“Nagato, that is the combination of a forbidden S-Rank Jutsu and the ultimate technique of us Bijuu. The only beings capable of surviving that are Father, his mother, his brother and mayhaps Hashirama and Madara if they use their most powerful Jutsu.”

“True, but one can never be too sure,” I answered as the burning sphere of razor sharp winds began to die down, keeping a close eye even though I couldn't see Hanzo's chakra anymore.

As the two jutsu finally died down, I only relaxed after a minute of staring at the empty sky, rolling my eyes at Saiken's snickers and Isobu's exasperated sighs before turning to Amegakure where I heard the battle raging on.

“Well, time to go finish that batt-”, I stopped in my tracks as I looked to the right, narrowing my eyes as I caught sight of a flare of chakra that was all too familiar to my eyes.

With a lunge, I crossed the distance within mere seconds, sliding to a stop in front of the white-skinned being who grinned as I frowned.

“You again, huh? What the hell do you want?”, I asked as I looked at Zetsu, who shrugged as only his head was exposed from the ground and nothing more.

“My leader sent me to come and see if you are willing to come with us.”

“Really? And what makes you think my answer is going to be any different than when you came for me at Uzushio, especially since you tried to forcibly take me to your so-called leader?”, I asked with a raised eyebrow while crossing my arms.

“Uh, you want to know where you got those eyes from?”

“I awakened them when my mom and dad were killed. What else you got?”

“You sure that's how you got them?”, He asked with a raised eyebrow and a sly smirk, to which I faked a narrowed-eyed frown before looking back to Amegakure where I heard the battle raging.

“Well~?”, Zetsu asked, drawing my attention back to him before his eyes widened as I appeared in front of him while grabbing him in a chokehold.

Human Path

I watched as memories flashed through my mind, easily sorting through all of the memories before nodding as I ripped out the soul of the Zetsu clone and tossed it to be consumed by the nature energy in the air.

'Middle corner section of the continent. Hidden in a dark oak and oak forest in the centre of a pit to the far north of Konoha,' I thought with a smirk as I found out the location of Madara's hideout, shaking my head as I turned and began making my way back to the battlefield.

It did not take me long before I hopped past the broken wall, but I blinked as I stared at the Amegakure shinobi trying their best to survive while my clones and the Akatsuki shinobi did their best to leave nothing but fear and havoc in their wake.

“I guess I wasn't needed.”

“No, you were not,” Konan spoke up and I turned to see her descending, her wings flared out wide when she landed beside me while I nodded as I looked back at where everyone was cleaning up the last of their battles.

“You know, I half expected this to take longer than a day.”

“Well, a short battle is what happens when one has two of the Tailed Beasts and a very powerful Doujutsu,” She answered with a shrug and I smirked before looking forward when I heard footsteps approaching.

“Oh, damn. You went to work, huh?”, I asked while staring at Yahiko, who gave an unashamed shrug as the rain washed away the red staining his face and sword and Pakura cracked her neck despite the bubbling red blood that was slowly being evaporated by the miniature suns rotating around her form.

“Not as much as you. Was that last move an imitation of my Scorch Style or did you just decide to steal that too?'

“Eh, it was more like two of my strongest jutsu activating in unison to create a more powerful jutsu.”

“Uh-huh, and that's totally not your way of saying that you borrowed it and made it better, right?”, Yahiko chimed in with a smirk and squinted eyes, to which I raised both hands in surrender as Pakura narrowed her eyes at me.

“Hey, I can't help it if great minds think alike. Besides, it's a poor imitation of Scorch Style considering I had to brute-force my way with chakra instead of using finesse and control like you can.”

“…Good save,” She muttered as she turned and walked back to the battles, most likely going back to end them as Konan followed after her while Yahiko walked over to stand beside me.

“That was a good save.”

“That was a good assist,” I responded with a smirk and he shrugged while sheathing his sword with a smile.

“Hey, I had to throw you a bone there. So, where's Hanzo?”

“Dead. Reduced to atoms,” I answered with a shrug and he looked at me before shaking his head with a chuckle as we walked to where the Amegakure shinobi were being gathered up.

“Of course, he is. So, what's the final part of the plan?”, Yahiko asked and I didn't answer as I stopped in front of the people of Amegakure who stared at me with wide eyes.

“Good…is it morning or afternoon?”

“Afternoon,” Pakura helped and I nodded before turning back to the group with a smile.

“Good afternoon, Amegakure. I apologize for our rude entrance, but I know that many of you have long awaited the hopeful day that Hanzo's tyrannical reign would end,” Some looked stunned at my others, some skeptical and there were a rare few that trembled as I glanced at them, but I added chakra to my voice and continued.

“For those of you that do not recognize me, my name is Nagato Uzumaki. I was born within these lands, raised in its pain and sorrow and molded by the endless war that Hanzo allowed to happen because of his greed for wealth. Four years ago, I left this village a long time ago, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. If I did not, I would have not become the powerful young man you all see before you,” Yahiko, Konan and Pakura stood beside me now as the rain kept pouring down, the Akatsuki shinobi looking on like Amegakure's people as I smiled and raised a hand to the sky.

Deva Path

Shinra Tensei

With a thought and a burst of Isobu's chakra, a shockwave rippled from my hands and into the clouds, gasps of awe echoing in the crowd as I opened the sky above Ame and let the sun shine through for the first time in years.

“I will not make promises I cannot keep nor will I declare that the road forward will be without sacrifice. However! What I can promise you is that this tyranny ends today!

No longer shall we cower in fear as the Hidden villages lay waste to our lands! No longer shall we hide away as we watch our loved ones be taken away by their shinobi! No longer shall you be forced to watch your children be turned into weapons for the ambition of the few!

You will never again be tools of another man's dream for what leader would sacrifice his people if he cannot do so for his own life first?! You will become the authors of your own story! Amegakure will rise, not through the mercy of the Five Great Nations, but through unity, through strength and the will to endure!”, I spoke, taking a step forward as I saw the fear and anxiety fading away as hope took its place.

“Follow me, stand beside me or walk your own path, but know this. Hanzo's era of bloodshed is over and anyone tries to bring it back, no matter who they are, will answer to the wrath of not just me, but all of Amegakure!”

Ninja Art: Mystic Palms Jutsu!

With my hands raised to the sky, a pulse of chakra flew from my body and over everyone gathered, all of them in awe as their bodies slowly stitched and themselves while I watched as one of the older shinobi stood up.

“C-Can…can we really believe you?”, The man sounded both unsure and hopeful as he looked at me and I smiled as I walked towards him, everyone's eyes on us as he looked at me before I took out a kunai and let him take.

To everyone's surprise, I held his hand and brought it to my neck, nodding with a smile as he looked at me.

“Should I lie, I will gladly offer my neck to the blade of my own people,” His eyes widened as his hands trembled, the blade kissing my skin as I watched everyone be on edge before he slowly took the kunai away.

“You speak like one of us, you…you bleed like one of us and from today forth, I believe you are one of us.”

“Until the end of time,” I spoke with a smile as I held a hand out, to which he grasped it firmly while I watched as the hundreds of people of Amegakure stood up with hopeful smiles.

“From today forth, we shall no longer be known as the village of sorrow and defeat! No, we are the village that rises up after the bloodshed to the red dawn of hope and a brighter future! We are AKATSUKI!”

“AKATSUKI! AKATSUKI! AKATSUKI!”, Everyone pumped their fist in unison as they cheered, a happy smile on my face as I slowly turned and stared at the hundreds chanting in unison.

“AKATSUKI!”

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“You're sure you're ready for this? You can't just leave as you please now to go on your little adventures,” Konan asked from behind me as I stood in the office of the tallest tower, looking over at where the newly dubbed Akatsuki were busy repairing the damages to the village.

“I have to be. Of course, if one of you want to take over…”

“No/ No thank you/ I'd rather jump off a tower,” Pakura, Konan and Yahiko answered respectively, to which I rolled my eyes while turning to sit at the only empty seat out of the four that were placed in a circle.

“Then, I guess I have to be ready.”

“So, what's the plan now, leader?”, Yahiko asked and I looked at him before nodding slowly.

“Now, we rebuild. We heal and we prepare. With the coming war, Amegakure will soon become a battlefield once again, but this time, we're going to show those Five Great Villages what happens when you poke at the sleeping dragon for far too long.”

“Hmm, that's a good plan to start with, I suppose, but that's not what you want to do, is it? We can see it in your eyes,” Pakura said with a smirk and I looked at them to see the amused looks in their eyes.

“…I want to send messages to the Five Great Villages and ask for a peace meeting. I wish to see if I can't stop this war before it even begins.”

“You sure they'll answer the call? You are probably the most wanted man in the Elemental Countries right now,” Konan spoke with a frown and I nodded with a sigh as I leaned back.

“I know, but we all know what happens when villages go to war. The children die, the adults are left traumatized and the leaders go back to being cordial with each other. I'd rather avoid the loss of innocent lives just for some pissing contest.”

“…Well, I guess then you can't do this alone, can you?”, Yahiko spoke up and I looked over to see him smirking, looking to Pakura and Konan to see the determined looks in their eyes.

“You already know our answers. What's the plan?”, Pakura asked and I smiled as I looked at the ceiling, staring at the red spiral mark.

“First, our village needs to be reinforced a bit.”

A/N: And with that, the Akatsuki is here!! In its full-fledged village form and soon to be larger than ever!!

Also, a Five Kage Summit before the canon timeline? What's going to happen there? Find out next time~!!

As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…

Ba-Bye~!!