Akatsuki Origins: Zetsu, Pein, Konan
The village of Amegakure was having another dreary gray filled day with the constant pitter-patter of rain permeating throughout the village. Only a few years had gone by since the war and the people were still suffering, trying to recover from the devastation that was war. A lone woman could be seen making her way through soggy roads towards a building where the paint was being chipped away by the constant moisture and the rusted pipes had cracked a few spots of concrete.
She was an interesting woman in the fact that her left side of her azure hair was pinned away from her face by a delicate white origami flower, revealing a set of cool blue eyes which seemed wary of all those surrounding her. She wore the traditional open toed black sandals, which most people in the land wore. Along with those were a simple set of black trousers taped at the ankles with a dark blue pouch to carry miscellaneous items strapped to her thigh and finally a loose shirt with fishnet mesh underneath. These clothes were excellent for someone to keep hidden weapons on their person.
The woman cast a quick glance around before entering into the building, completely unaware of a single red eye with three tomes observing her from the rooftop across from the building she just entered.
Inside the building not much had changed as the constant damp had made the paint begin to peel, furthering the image of deterioration that seemed to be everywhere throughout the village. Walking down the hall she listened as her footsteps echoed eerily, bouncing ahead and behind her, making it seem as though there were more occupants in the building. She eventually arrived at a set of stairs and began the long trek up to the top of the building, which was the tallest tower in all of Amegakure.
Opening a door at the top of the tower she entered to see a man with long dark hair and an outfit similar to her own sitting examining the body of a long time friend of the both of them. They had finally brought a form of peace to their war torn country just days ago. The constant civil war had at last been eradicated because of this one man that sat before her. He simply stared at his friend's body, pain etched into his face. The time for tears had come and gone, the man had almost forgotten what it was like to feel true pain.
The man then realized that the woman had spoken to him and he hadn't heard. "Repeat that please, Konan."
The kunoichi sighed, she hated seeing her friend like this, although she could understand what he was going through. After all, Yahiko had been her friend as well. "I said when do you plan on burying him?"
The shinobi turned his eyes to look at Konan then and she saw that his bloodline limit was still active. The rinnegan made his eyes seem ringed and she felt as though they pierced into her very soul. The shinobi looked at Konan for a minute before looking back to his now deceased friend. "Never again do I want to bury someone I love Konan, we've brought peace to this land, but the cost was too high, and the chain of hatred still stands, as long as there is war there can never be true peace. I'm tired of fighting Konan."
Konan winced at the pain in his voice, it seemed as if her only living friend had lost hope. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Nagato, it's not your fault, there are always casualties in war, Yahiko knew this when we went into battle."
Nagato sighed, what Konan said made sense, yet why did he still feel so bitter, so…
…unsatisfied.
He closed his eyes, if only there were a way to bring Yahiko back, or at the very least end the chain of hatred that was war. "I see that the both of you have lost something very dear to you, allow me to express my condolences."
Konan's hand flashed and a kunai appeared in the typical reverse style as she spun around to face whomever the person was that had just spoken.
On the balcony outside an imposing figure was standing nonchalantly examining his fingernails as he glanced up at Konan then back down again. "What if I told you there is a way to bring about at least a semblance of peace? Would you be willing to help me achieve that goal?"
Nagato's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the figure that stood in his rain, and yet he did not sense him. "If you wish to persuade us you must come into the light, or are you afraid that I will kill you?"
The man on the balcony barked out a laugh, and that laugh sent shivers down both Konan's and Nagato's spine. "You kill me? Sorry boy, but its been a long time since anyone was capable of killing me. However, I mean you no harm, I'm just trying to solidify an organization that will change the world as we know it. If it goes the right way you may even be able to obtain this so called peace that you search for."
Nagato's eyes narrowed at the figure as he began to slowly walk in out of the rain. "What is your name?"
Lighting flashed and for the first time Konan and Nagato could both clearly see the man who stood before them. He had a hood pulled over his head, although a spiral mask of orange could clearly be seen. His clothing consisted of a high collared dark black overcoat that reached down do his ankles with red clouds checkered around it, and of course he wore the standard sandals although it seemed as though his toenails were painted some sort of dark color. Before he spoke the two caught the eye behind the mask through a hole and immediately recognized the blood red and three-tome trait, "Uchiha Madara, but for the time being you may call me Tobi."
Nagato and Konan tensed at the name, but did nothing otherwise, they were curious as to what the Uchiha wanted. Nagato spoke in a low undertone, "Well what does a supposedly dead man want with us?"
The eye disappeared once again behind the mask before Tobi answered the question, "As I said before I want to solidify an organization that would change the world. But to do that I'd need very powerful shinobi under my command. I have found a way to extract the Bijuu from their Jinchuriki, with that power the world could be yours."
Nagato and Konan both contemplate what the masked man said, although Nagato could already see into the far distant future the ability to finally bring peace to the world, even if it was a slightly false form of peace. Nagato once again took the lead, and Konan decided that whatever he decided she would follow. "If what you say is true then peace may indeed come to fruition."
Underneath his mask Madara smirked, it was so easy to manipulate those who were torn by war and hated the world. "Then I must perform a jutsu on you to allow you to take control of the way the beasts are extracted. It's a jutsu that may rob you of your humanity, although I can say that it will also allow you to reanimate your friend and see through his eyes."
At this Nagato and Konan stiffened. "It would bring Yahiko back to life?" Nagato asked.
Before the question was even fully formed Madara was shaking his head. "I did not say that, I said that he would be reanimated, and through your control of the rinnegan you would be able to see through his eyes at all times. He will be the first of six others that you will need to become an operative of the organization I'm representing."
Nagato looked at Konan for a moment, before she gave a slight nod of the head Nagato turned back to Madara also nodding. "Alright, I'll do it."
Madara once again smirked under his mask and couldn't help but let a small bit of mirth leak into his voice. He now had the rinnegan under his command after all. "Brilliant, you must meet a friend of mine, he is already part of the organization, a remnant from the old one, the last one left in fact. I need to warn you, in the line of work you'll be getting into now there is no guarantee you'll survive to see the peace that you aim for."
Nagato shrugged, and Madara kept on smirking as he called out, "Zetsu!"
Konan yelped and jumped back as the material near Madara's feet seemed to warp and a giant plant like thing rose from the ground before opening to reveal massive jaw like plants and a human inside that was completely black on one side, and completely white on the other with yellow eyes devoid of pupils. He wore the same attire as Madara. Madara looked down at Zetsu before explaining, "Nagato has agreed to go through with the jutsu, I need to channel some of your chakra to properly complete it right."
Konan noticed that only the mouth of the white side opened as he responded, "Very well."
The voice was soft, but she could tell that this man obeyed orders. Suddenly Madara was flying through hand signs too fast for her eyes to follow, although she could feel a massive amount of chakra build up on him. This went on for an entire five minutes, which seemed slightly crazy, considering how many complicated patterns must have gone into the signs. Before she could do anything however she noticed that he stopped and suddenly seemed to appear in front of Nagato.
Nagato could do nothing as he felt the man's chakra flare as Madara slapped his hand on the ground and a sort of prison formed up around him. The pain was excruciating and he tried and failed to bite back a scream.
Konan had had enough as she held a kunai prepared to throw it to disrupt the jutsu before Zetsu's voice cried out, "Stop! If you do that now he'll die!"
Konan was barely able to contain her fury at this as she stayed her hand trying to block out the screams her only remaining friend was making. Finally after what seemed like hours, but could be no more than ten minutes she felt the man's chakra finally begin to drop. She breathed a sigh of relief before she heard Madara exclaim, "Zetsu! Now! I only have four legs!"
She felt another surge of chakra and was amazed as the man called Zetsu transferred an enormous amount of chakra into the activated jutsu, only to hear her friend's screams begin again. Finally after another five minutes the screams died down as she felt Madara's chakra finally trickle to a stop. Madara walked out of the room they had been in having thrown Konan out after her attempt to stop the jutsu. He panted as he sat down on the bench outside, the last time he had felt this exhausted had been when he defeated the First Hokage. He honestly didn't think he would have to draw in Zetsu's chakra, but the technique had proved too much even for him.
Madara smiled thinly under his mask as Konan got up and walked into the room where Nagato was. He had done it, the first step had been completed, and Konoha would fall.
Konan made her way into the room and noticed the monstrosity of a contraption that now held her last friend, and her heart nearly broke in two as she saw that the once muscular and confident man she had known, was reduced to nothing more than a mere shell of a man. Despite the overwhelming chakra presence she felt, she couldn't think it was worth it.
Suddenly something else caught her eye. She widened her eyes as the man known as Yahiko stood up behind Nagato and slowly opened his eyes to reveal the same rinnegan as Nagato. Although she noticed that up and down his arms were curious black piercings, as well as on his face. "Konan."
The word was spoken simply almost without any emotion, and she had to look at both Yahiko and Nagato, for they had both said the word. Before she could do anything however Madara was once again in the room, and Konan was amazed when he did a simple summoning jutsu to reveal two sets of clothing identical to his own, he should have had nothing left. "Now that you've undergone this transformation I'd like to welcome you to Akatsuki. From now on you will be the seen leader, while I rule from the shadows, only you Zetsu and Konan are to know of me. I will send you files on ninja I think you should recruit, but know that there should be no more than ten at one time, with the exception of you who will be six people in one, more than that and we will become too conspicuous. Good luck."
And with that Zetsu melded back into the building, as Madara seemed to suddenly vanish, leaving the two newest members of Akatsuki to silence. Konan once again turned to the men she had called friend and asked in a slightly hesitating voice, "Nagato?"
However it was Yahiko who shook his head as he walked forward to claim the cloak. In one swift movement he pulled the cloak on the high collar covering his mouth after he had buttoned it to the top of the cloak. Slowly he drew a kunai and scratched out his village on his forehead protector.
"My name is no longer Nagato, form now on you may call me…"
Konan waited as the man she once knew as Yahiko debated with something before the rinnegan eyes fell on her once more.
"Pein."
A/N: Well I hope all that read this story enjoy it! I just had to write it because it had been bouncing around in my head for a couple of days ever since I read a fanfic with Itachi when he joined Akatsuki. It got me to thinking, besides Deidara, I don't think we've actually seen any of the other back-stories for when they initially joined Akatsuki. So I decided to make a fanfic on this, most of the chapters will be oneshots and I'm not sure as to whether or not I'll have them joining in chronological order, or whatever I feel like writing at the time. I've already got a few basic ideas for a few of them, I just need to write them down. Anyway I hope those of Naruto fanhood enjoy my take on how the Akatsuki of the series became the Akatsuki of the series. Also please for the love of whatever God you believe in review, I need it because it keeps me going, the less reviews I get the less motivated I am. Until the next chapter RedhathackerSin out! P.S. I know we now have a bit more background info on some characters like Kisame so he may be left out of this fanfic. However I intend to show each of the other current members of Akatsuki during the manga origins.
