(Author's Note: Welcome to the Sequel of The Necromancer/The Necromancer Revisited (yes, I revised it, and you should read the revision. Certain extra scenes might be mentioned here, and they will make less sense if you did not read the revision). This will incorporate lots of genres at points, but it is primarily a normal action/adventure story. If I didn't cover some canon things in The Necromancer, they might show up here. And the zombies won't be a main part here, sorry zombie fans. Well, enjoy.
Please read and review. Your critique helps me improve my writing or/and makes me feel awesome)
Dawn of a Red Moon, Chapter 1:
Itachi entered his room in the Akatsuki base. It was in the dead of night, and he had returned from receiving a report from one of his genjutsued agents in Konoha. He placed the report amongst other reports from a few days ago on a desk in the room. He lit a candle and set it on the desk. The candle illuminated a picture of his family when he was a youth along with another picture of an Uchiha woman, both of the pictures on the desk as well.
Itachi organized the reports as he carefully removed them from their folders. Kisame was audibly snoring, and Itachi didn't want to disturb his sleep. He spread the papers out on his desk so he could read them all without moving the papers. His mind briefly wandered to the events that happened in Konoha three years ago. The apocalypse caused by the two rogue Akatsuki members was thwarted, and everyone slain during the events was restored with the souls and energy in Madara Uchiha's amulet, but at the cost of the brave child's life.
Itachi had always been curious and caring about the village's welfare, and even Akatsuki's inactivity wasn't an exception. He just hated his clan, and that hate is what led him to his actions that expelled him from the village. He still cared for Konoha, and, to be honest, he found it interesting to see how the talented shinobi in the village were growing. He hadn't ordered the citizens he had genjutsued to collect information like that for a few years, and he eagerly prepared to read over the reports. It also took him a while, but he managed to find a wandering man who had knowledge of Sasuke and his team. Ever since their encounter three years ago, he was especially eager to see how his little brother had progressed.
He began to read the reports, starting from the paper he placed on the top left corner of his desk. The first ten or so pages contained reports on various chunin and jonin that weren't of much interest to Itachi. What he was searching for in the reports were how the talented rookie ninja who had constantly meddled in Akatsuki's affairs had developed over three years; along with a few powerful jonin of the village. He finally found the first mention of one such team.
There are a few ninja teams full of incredible promise. Might Guy's team is one example. All three of his students are now jonin, and his practical son Rock Lee has become his sensei's equal in skill, but he is faster, yet weaker, than his sensei. Tenten is most likely the village's best user of ninja tools. She is able to summon them near-instantaneously and throw them with incredible accuracy. Neji Hyuga has actually managed to defeat his father in a duel, making him stronger than the head of the Hyuga clan! Neji has even created new rotation techniques unheard of in Hyuga history.
Itachi briefly recalled Kisame's explanation of his clone fighting this very team three years ago. They had difficulty taking on a clone with only thirty percent of Kisame's total chakra (which was still a huge amount) and diminished physical capabilities, but there was no doubt that the four could easily take down a clone of Kisame at their levels. And to think that a member of the branch family could surpass the leader of the Hyugas. Itachi continued to read.
Another talented shinobi team is Team 10, led by Yamato, the jonin with the genetic abilities of Hashirama. Due to the death of Shikamaru the hero, they have been lacking a member. Sai of Team 7 is a member there and in Team 7 as well due to shortages. The other two students, Choji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka, are still chunin. Choji has learned to control more of his body manipulation techniques, and Ino has also learned new strategies of using her mind techniques. Reiko Uchiha has taught Ino how to use some of her traps as well.
Itachi was rather unimpressed at this team's development, but he wasn't surprised by the results. He was awaiting the appearance of Team 7 in the reports... Sasuke's team was full of talented young shinobi; all three of them trained by one of the sannin themselves.
Team 8 is now led by new jonin Anko Mitarashi due to its past sensei, Kurenai Yuhi, being busy with parenting. Two of the students are now jonin, the other a chunin. Hinata Hyuga is still a chunin, but a very powerful one. She failed her first attempt at the jonin tests and has been training intently with Neji Hyuga and Naruto Uzumaki. During this training, it is said that Naruto suggested a new way for her to use Juken. Hinata now uses a completely unique form of Juken that is fluid, and she can slightly extend her chakra to strike chakra points from a distance, but at the cost of not being able to use rotations. Shino Aburame can now summon the Aburame clan summon: the great insect Shiozo. He has also learned how to control other insects outside the Aburame norm, but these insects cannot leech chakra or burrow into his skin. Kiba Inuzuka has also learned to summon the Inuzuka clan summon: the mighty wolf Fenrir. His bound with his familiar Akamaru has strengthened, and they have both learned swordplay from Kenokami.
This team seemed threatening to Akatsuki's efforts as well. There was not just one, but two powerful Hyuga enemies- each with their own powerful fighting styles. Itachi skimmed through some other paragraphs before he reached the end of the reports on Konoha. He finally found Team 7's entry, and he read with great interest.
One of the most famous ninja teams of the modern day is no doubt Team 7. Six years ago prime student Sasuke Uchiha left the village to seek more power, one of the first cases of leaf ninja abandoning the village in a long time. His replacement is Sai, who also functions as a Team 10 member at times. Sai is more skilled at his unique drawing jutsus, and he is a jonin now, along with his other teammates. The team's sensei, the famous copy ninja Kakashi Hatake, is even more powerful and has learned new techniques with his sharingan.
Itachi's hands tightened as he read that sentence, the paper crumpling under the force of his grip. The fact that a non-Uchiha had managed to obtain Mangekyo infuriated him, but now he had most likely learned all three Mangekyo skills, too! Itachi maintained his cool and continued to read.
Sakura Haruno has greatly improved under her training with the Hokage. Her chakra control is more advanced and she is stronger as well. She has learned even more healing techniques from Tsunade, and she proudly wears the same seal upon her forehead that Tsunade has. She has also learned touch-based genjutsu from the jonin Kurenai. What is so remarkable is that due to her relations with the late Chiyo of Sunagakure, one of their ninja, Kankuro, has taught her in the ways of puppetry, making her the first ninja outside of Sunagakure to learn the art. No doubt this is a sign of a lasting bond between the Leaf and the Sand.
Itachi was rather impressed that this girl had progressed as far as she did. This made him briefly wonder how far Sasuke and Naruto had improved, but he stopped wondering, for he had the answers before him. He read the last few sentences on the Konoha ninja report.
Naruto Uzumaki has become somewhat of a local sensation in the village, finally being viewed as a respectable ninja and not a container of the king of monsters. With training from Iruka Umino, he has learned more clone techniques. Yamato has taught him more wind jutsu, and Kakashi helped Naruto develop some more rasengan techniques. He departed a few months ago to train with Jiraiya, who was going to help him control the Kyuubi better, along with a few "secret arts." He is expected to return within a week or two.
Itachi straightened and smoothed the page as he stacked all of the papers detailing the ninja in the village. He wasn't so sure that Pain had made the correct decision in waiting to bring back Madara. The ritual was a long and grueling process for him, and Konoha was now a much greater threat than before... he shrugged off the thoughts and placed the stack aside.
He now had two papers before him: one containing information on Sasuke, the other containing information on international affairs. He trembled slightly as he grasped the paper containing info on his little brother. The handwriting was rather rough, and the message was very brief.
Sasuke still searches for his brother. The team he travels with has lost the blue haired one with the large sword. He left for some reason, most likely inner strife. Sasuke has been vigorously training with himself and the tall orange haired one in his team in order to become powerful enough to kill his brother. I've witnessed such a battle... many fire and lightning jutsus I've never seen before were used by him, and the orange haired one could take them... I don't want to antagonize that group...
Itachi smirked at the news of his baby brother's training. Itachi had been busy contributing to Pain's resurrection jutsu over the past three years... he didn't have much free time to hone his abilities. He was looking forward to fighting Sasuke once more to see how he had improved. He threw away that paper as he looked over the remaining paper.
Konohagakure is becoming more militaristic in paranoia of a possible attack by enemy organization Akatsuki. Suspicions have risen in the nefarious group's mysterious three-year idleness, and in response, Konoha has been developing several new weapon ideas. This has made other nations wary of Konoha and it has increased tensions overall.
Sunagakure is enjoying its long-lasting alliance with Konoha, said alliance enforced by teaching a Leaf kunoichi the Sand-specific arts of puppetry. The Kazekage, Gaara, is gradually becoming worse at solving the village's problems, but he has an advisor: his new sensei Bankou, a famous ninja of the Sand that left the village a decade ago and made his return a few years back.
Kirigakure in particular is wary of Konoha's research, and they are organizing their men for a possible attack upon them by Konoha due to the Mist's frequent battles with the village in the past. Inner war is still tearing the nation apart, and the Mizukage has recently fallen ill and his old age is hindering him. This has furthered the village's problems, as factions are now fighting each other in attempts to assassinate the Mizukage and seize control of the village.
Iwagakure has recently accepted a proposition from the Mist, and the two nations are now in a loose alliance with each other. The alliance will without a doubt become a full one if Konoha becomes too threatening to the two nations. The Rock has also held a celebration over the return of their two most famous brothers: Roshi and Shiro.
Kumogakure is put into a tough situation with these current alliances with the Five Great Shinobi Nations. The Cloud feels pressured by the current alliances, and it feels as if it will be drug into the cold war. They are taking as many precautions as necessary to remain solitary in this conflict.
The five other minor ninja nations are remaining neutral in this current situation, but the Rain and the Sound are, of course, still isolated and their motives are unknown.
Itachi finished reading the papers. He nicely stacked them on his desk as he extinguished the candle. He would tell Pain of the reports' contents in the morning, but now it was time for sleep...