Sharingan Wars
Chapter # 1: A New Akatsuki
How long had it been now, 3 years I think, I never really cared much for keeping track of time but I guess even someone like me remembered his eighteenth birthday, 3 years since Itachi died, 3 years since I reclaimed my heritage, and even more since I left Konoha.
I still didn't get used to the bizarreness of this city, Amegakure (Village Hidden in Rain) the headquarters of Akatsuki, which I was now part off, taking Itachi's place as Madara's apprentice, and eventual successor.
The name fitted the village well; it really never seemed to stop raining here, the mist and darkness was its natural atmosphere, with a high tech architect style, like something out of a movie, they had come quite far under the leadership of the man called Pein.
"Sasuke." called Madara, still wearing that stupid orange mask and the same Akatsuki cloak I was wearing, the yellow ring of the virgin on his thumb, while I carried the red ring of the vermillion bird.
"What?"
"Come inside, I want the entire group to gather and meet the final new member," he said, motioning for me inside.
"You finally found someone good enough." The last years since I joined, we had focused so far on recruiting and capturing the remaining tailed beasts, so far we only lacked one beast the nine tail fox.
"You could say that." He said mysteriously as we entered the chamber, the giant statue of sealing in the middle of all, some advanced machinery here and there being run by some of the village's ninjas, some of the members were already there, Pein and his partner Konan stood silently next to the base of the statue.
"We are here, sire, yeeees." said one of the voices of Zetsu, as he emerged from the statue itself, his vine trap opening to reveal his black and white face and yellow eyes.
"Yes I noticed, are the other here yet?" asked Madara.
"Yes we are!" said a loud voice, ringing around the hollow room.
Four Figures in Akatsuki cloaks jumped from the roof to land gracefully next to us, they all wore large conical straw hats with small spike-like bells hanging from them to block their faces.
"Welcome comrades, the mission went I trust."
"Yeah, the boy works perfectly, just like your other toy, not as deadly but they're both perfect killing machines." said the smallest of the group, an enormous bandaged covered sword tied to his back, the blue ring of the southern star on his left ring finger.
"Don't talk about him like that Suigetzu." I said scolding, he could be so annoying. The young boy had joined at my request, the only of the three I managed to find, Karin and Jugo never appeared, but we had reason to believe they prisoners of Konoha.
"Oh I'm sorry Sasuke, I forgot he was your old sensei, ain't that Kakashi san." He said, nudging another of the figures in the ribs, he removed his hat to reveal a truly hidden face, the usual face mask covering the lower part of his face was there, plus both his eyes were covered by his leaf headband now, scratched like all of ours, but modified to covered both his eyes like a goggle, with space for the nose to fit in.
Kakashi didn't make a noise, he hadn't made one since he joined or rather…was forced to, he was under the constant spell of Madara's Genjutsu, keeping him emotionless and loyal, he wore the ring of the northern star that used to belong to Kakuzu.
I can't say that I liked having Kakashi like this, he had been my teacher and mentor, but this way at least he stayed alive, I was determined to spare all my past friend from being unnecessary losses.
"And what about our most recent member?" asked Pein, glancing curiously at the figure at the back.
"Hehehe, he progressed far better than we though, he no longer struggles to free himself from your control lord Madara, and although his powers aren't as limitless as when he had the Shukaku, but he wasn't the Kazekage for nothing." This time answered the last figure, the one I liked the less, I had already seen enough of him for a lifetime, but yet here he was.
He removed his hat to show a truly gruesome face, he kind of looked like Zetsu, his face divided in two separate kind of features, one was that of a human with white long hair in ponytail, yet that hair was half black, and the other half of his face was pale and silky, with a yellow reptilian eye and one normal. The ring of the void rested on his left little finger, the one that used to belong to his precious master.
Madara was the one who invited him, he agreed on the only condition that may be allowed to try to assassinate me at any time he desired, he had no love for me or the group, just hoping I would drop my guard to collect his revenge, on the other hand, the cells of Orochimaru made as strong as the former, thus a valuable member of the group.
"Good to hear Kabuto." said Madara, approaching the last figure, removing the hat for him to reveal a head of red hair, his eyes were covered with the same black lines of never sleeping, his face like Kakashi's, blank and emotionless, although on the other hand, he had that face most of his life any way, the ring of the Azure Dragon on his right index finger.
The Kazekage was-as Madara said- a fortunate capture, we had attacked Sunagakure a few weeks ago, and defeated him, he proved to be a good addition to the group, having kept all the power that had made him so fearsome.
"Yes, seems like he no longer struggles, little Gaara has finally succumbed to my sharingan as well. In that case, let's move on. As you know we have now conquered eight of the nine Bijuu, only Kyubi remains, safe in Konoha…for now." He stopped to look at me for a moment before continuing.
"Now that the team is complete, we shall move on against the village, and strike, take control and capture the boy, we have already taken care of Sunagakure, even taking their leader into our ranks, the village won't have any allies to help them from the outside, the Hokage may be strong but even she won't last long, we will then complete the statue and accomplish our goal." He said proudly, already daydreaming of the moment.
"What about the final member, you said you had found one." I said, already bored, I had heard him say his plans a dozen times a week already.
"Ahh yes, well I couldn't find any more shinobi of worthy talent around, I didn't think it appropriate to take another one under my spell, two are tiring enough with my sharingan in such a weakened state, but …I finally managed to bring the technique far enough to use." Hmm, did he mean what it think, ad he finally perfected the jutsu.
"Zetsu." He said commandingly, he disappeared for a second into the statue and emerged a few seconds later carrying a body covered in a white cloth, but by the smell alone I could tell it was a corpse.
"Now I would have preferred to use this on a more powerful ninja, like one of the previous Hokages, but I still don't dominate it enough, but I certainly found one good enough, you might remember him Sasuke Kun." He placed his hand on the head of the body and performed some seals with his left hand, immediately symbols poured into the body like ink, swirling with energy.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Edo Fushi Tensei (Impure Living World Reincarnation)" he said, his sharing at full strength, as the body shined in red light, finally it stopped, the body stayed still at first and I thought nothing had happened, but then he moved.
Like a mummy rising from the dead he started to take his bandages, revealing a young feminine face, if I hadn't met him before I would have taught him a girl, but I knew better, I won't deny that I was surprised, but it seemed fitting somehow that he chose him for the testing him.
"Stand up boy, you are now one of us, Suigetzu, you have what I asked." He said, the liquid boy opened his pack and took out a spare cloak of Akatsuki and a small scroll, which he unfolded, from it materialized a giant decapitating sword.
"Here, I'm sure your master would have loved for you to have it, Haku." He handed the sword to the boy along with the last ring, the three levels, placing it gently on his left index finger.
"Won't you put him in your genjutsu?" I asked.
"No need, the revival jutsu I used binds him irrevocably to me, as I thought, the jutsu was successful, but still lacks, his personality hasn't quite kicked in yet, but with a little time he'll start returning to his old self." He caressed his hair affectionately, as one did to a pet, indeed the boy seemed full of emotion at the sight of the giant blade.
"Now, get ready my soldiers, tomorrow we attack, tomorrow a new era begins, and we shall be its gods."