The Uchiha Mansion had been supposedly abandoned for years. The place had been consumed by flames that had also engulfed several other nearby houses. The fire itself had been abnormal,as it had been rainy season at the time,and as a result,the villagers had been unprepared for it. The inhabitants of the mansion were presumed dead,as well as other people in the village who'd been unable to escape the fire's grasp. The vast field that had once been a beautiful oasis comlpete with a cobblestone walkway was now overgrown with snarled,sinuous weeds and thorny vines,the types of plants that thrived in the event of a fire. The stone walkway was cracked and scorched,and the statues that had lined it were crumbling and worn. They had once been large,majestic-looking figures,often depicting weasels symbolizing the craftiness and pride of the family,or large marble wolves,symbolizing the bravery and cunning of their ancestors.
The iron gates that separated the walkway from the forest grounds beyond their territory were rusted,the spikes atop the bars seemingly even more sharp and dangerous now than before the process of aging had desecrated the once foreboding and ominous landmark.
No one ever bothered to come here,not even pranksters who might have spray painted the walls,because there had been reports of supernatural occurrences for quite some time now. There were rumors of a man that still lived there,perhaps the sole survivor of the noble family. Shadows would pass by the windows at night,and you would see a faint,glowing light not unlike that of a lamp. The person was presumably male,and spent most of his time pacing within the walls of the mansion,and for those who looked close enough,he always appeared to be talking to someone,though to whom,no one was sure. No one else had been seen walking past the window. The villagers simply began to accept it,as they had learned to accept everything else that happened in this town.
Besides,there had always been similar cases just outside of town,on the outskirts of the city limit where a dense forest grew,and blocked the view of the cottages that had been abandoned years ago. There was a tire swing in front of one of these houses,and people passing by had reported seeing a blonde feminine male swinging and talking to a red-headed boy who stood nearby. Both of these beings had been dead for years as well.
This town was used to odd happenings,even within their own homes. But even so,they couldn't imagine why anyone would be interested in living in the Uchiha Mansion. So when two descendants of the family,along with three men,two of which strikingly resembled the blonde and red-head from the forest,moved into the manor without a word to passersby,the villagers were shocked. Rumors began,and curiosity began to take hold. Once or twice,a villager would walk as far as the iron gates went,then run back,too scared to go any farther than that. The mood within this castle-like house,however,was far different from that of the outside world.
Inside,the house looked as if the fire had never happened. The floors were wooden,crafted of beautifully polished mahogany wood,and there were pillars that were made of high-quality marble. There were several grand chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Each looked as though they were made of genuine crystal,possibly even diamonds. It was a 15-room house,excluding the huge dining hall,kitchen,and multiple living rooms,each of which was magnificently furnished with everything from the simple coffee table to the luxurious couches and glass furnishings. Portraits of past Uchiha ancestors adorned the walls of the corridor that led to each room.
To think that there were only six people living here was almost unfathomable,but they wouldn't be the only ones for long.
The ownership of this house was jointed,shared between Tobi and a man named Pein. Payments were also made by the other inhabitants of this home. Itachi,one of the remnants of the great Uchiha kin,also lived here. He was the one who'd brought the red-head and blonde "phantoms" and his friend Kisame to this home. He'd known the red-head for quite some time now. You could call the acquaintances, as neither reserved much of a friendly disposition. The blonde was a stranger to this whole plan,but Sasori had refused to leave the kid to fend for himself all alone. He was supposed to be dead. There was hardly a chance of one of the other villagers taking him in. Besides,the red-head had gotten used to the younger man's presence.
The purpose of such a gathering as this was to unite the order that had once been feared throughout this country. The Akatsuki had once been a highly regarded organization,whose purpose had been to resolve conflict in the surrounding countries and villages. They were feared because in order to retain order,they killed those who were causing the problem. Treason from a former member had caused the organization's intentions to be misunderstood. Orochimaru had caused an innocent group of people to be killed,and the Akatsuki had been revered as criminals. Orochimaru had fled immediately after in order to clear his name,but had later created his own legion of followers,and he worked to gain more power than anyone could ever imagine.
But there was another little detail that was a major factor in the Akatsuki's future plans. Orochimaru was part basilisk,a dragon-like serpent that had wings and could also,in rare cases,take the form of a human. In this case,it took the form of a very…bizarre-looking human. This creature was highly venomous and known for its legendary powers. In his control were various other exotic half-breeds. Tayuya,for example,was a banshee,easily capable of breaking sound barriers—or eardrums—with her shrieks.
As a result,the Akatsuki was an organization of genetically or otherwise enhanced humans. Pein was an Oni,a devil-like creature when the transformation was activated. His hair grew wilder,if possible,than before,and his nails would also grow longer. Unlike most of his species,his nails would also contain metal or lead elements within them. Each of the Akatsuki's powers were triggered by transformations,while under normal circumastances,they appeared human. All except for Sasori,as he had traded his own bosy for that of a puppet,and he was perhaps the greatest puppetmaster in the world. Kisame was a Leviathan,a monstrous fish-like creature resembling a serpent that,in the the Judaism religion,was known to have been created on the fifth day of Creation. It was thought to be extinct,and Kisame was one of the last remaining ones.
Itachi was a vampire,and he greatly resembled one,even in human form. He was fully capable of going out in sulight,despite common legend,but the aging process did appear to reverse or halt at the age of twenty in people of his species. Deidara and Tobi both appeared to have no known powers or transformations,but Deidara was good at everything from ambushes to aerial attacks,ad Tobi often planned the battle strategies. They were both useful,no matter what breed they happened to be. the others were just as exotic. They would make their way to the mansion soon,and they would set this place up as headquarters. Once they banded together,they would continue their mission from where they'd left off. They would take Orochimaru down once and for all.