Chapter 9-Akatsuki's Fall
"I fear for your safety," said Konan, as she stared at Pein, and saw him looking back with uncaring eyes that at one point had been filled with emotion filled life.
"Your fear is noted," said Pein while ignoring the look Konan was giving him.
"And you are ignoring it," said Konan calmly.
"Ulquiorra Schiffer cannot kill me Konan. Itachi, Kisame, and the others may have fallen. But I won't," said Pein simply.
"What about me?" said Konan seeing him look at her for a second.
"What about you?" said Pein turning and seeing Konan stiffen as if struck before turning away to leave.
"You hurt her feelings," said Madara appearing suddenly thanks to his eyes.
"Should I care?" said Pein before turning to face Madara.
"No. Though I am a bit surprised that you don't considering the history between the two of you have together," said Madara seeing Pein's eyes narrow.
"That was a different person. A different man in a different life all together. Konan is just a member of this organization and serves her purpose well. Whether she lives after this even ends is not my concern. Why she thinks it would be I don't know and I don't care," said Pein walking away from Madara.
'She won't. I'll make sure of that,' thought Madara knowing that when this was over, all the other members of the Akatsuki were dead, and the Uchiha was the ruler of the entire world.
As it was always meant to be.
(With Konan)
Konan had collapsed onto the ground the moment she entered her private chambers, shut the door, and cried for the first time in many years since the death of Yahiko after being betrayed by Hanzo. Nagato had become Pein after that, using the Rinnegan to become the "God" that he was now, and taking control of Ame from Hanzo to become its new ruler.
'Only now he's become the very thing we fought against,' thought Konan sadly knowing that everything they were doing now was hypocritical and knew Yahiko would frown upon them for falling this far.
"Your sadness is pathetic," said Ulquiorra appearing in front of Konan via Garganta.
"Come to gloat before killing me? You wouldn't be the first to try," said Konan glaring at the Arrancar before her.
"I don't gloat. I wouldn't know how," said Ulquiorra, as he walked towards the woman until she was within arm's reach, and saw the defiant look in her eyes.
"You're going to kill me no matter what I do. All I can do now is strike first and go down fighting!" said Konan, as she turned her hand into a razor sharp sword, and stabbed it at Ulquiorra's body with the tip of the weapon hitting the man's pale torso.
And doing nothing to hurt him.
"I have been watching you for some time now Konan. In fact, I have been watching all of the remaining Akatsuki members, and found that out of all of them...you are the only one that deserves mercy," said Ulquiorra, who wasn't even intimidated by her weapon, and simply knocked it away with the paper flying everywhere while her hand returned to normal.
"I don't want any of your mercy or your pity. Kill me. Kill me and be done with it," said Konan, as her eyes now closed, and awaited for the strike from the former Espada that would cut her down to pieces.
"You would turn down an offer to join me and leave for Kumo? Or Mist? Why?" said Ulquiorra seeing the woman just glare at him.
"Because despite everything that has happened, I joined this organization out of love for someone precious to me, and if I left now...it would insulting to his spirit," said Konan, as she saw Ulquiorra looking at her with that emotionless stare, and it infuriated the woman to no end.
"I see. And nothing I say could change your mind?" said Ulquiorra seeing the woman just shake her head no to his question.
"Nothing," said Konan simply.
"It will be quick then. I will give you that much," said Ulquiorra seeing the woman nod her head in understanding.
"I am ready," said Konan knowing this would be her end and soon...only darkness filled her vision when she hit the ground.
(With Zetsu)
The plant like Missing Nin was always nervous, its two sides speaking in differently then a normal person, as the white side would say one thing, and the dark side would speak of something else in a different voice. The man was two members in one, as Pein had seen fit name him, and became the Akatsuki's key spy throughout the Elemental Countries due to his means of traveling to different locations throughout the world.
"You sense it too?" said the White Zetsu nervously.
"Of course I do baka! He's here. We should warn the others!" said the Black Zetsu, as he knew the organization's survival was paramount to warning the others of Ulquiorra's arrival, and to properly defend themselves.
"You are too late," said Ulquiorra appearing behind the Missing Nin and slashed his head clean off with his zanpakuto.
Without another word, Ulquiorra vanished via Sonido, and went to hunt down the other two remaining members.
(With Pein)
Nagato, the real Nagato, also known throughout the Elemental Countries as Pein, sat on his throne, and frowned with closed eyes when he sensed Zetsu's life force come to a very abrupt end. Madara was still on the opposite side of the base and the Rinnegan user knew he would have known if the Uchiha had suddenly decided to just kill the key spy for the Akatsuki organization.
"Something is wrong. Something is very wrong," said Pein as he tried to sense Konan, but found himself unable to, and that made him even more worried.
She was his protector. His shield. His last line of defense to prevent anyone from getting near him.
"You have no idea," said Ulquiorra appearing from the shadows of the dark room and stared at the man behind the bodies.
"So you've come to kill me like the others. You would challenge a God?" said Pein, as he summoned all of his Six Paths, and they were ready to fight for their Master.
"You are no God," said Ulquiorra before covering the room in thick spiritual pressure just to prove his point.
"This...won't...stop...me!" said Pein, as he tried to move his Six Paths, but found all of them were unresponsive, and kept trying to fight this intense feeling of dread.
"I already have. Once I kill you, Uchiha Madara will soon follow, and then...everyone else that deserves to die will in fact...die!" said Ulquiorra before destroying the Six Paths with ease and then pointed a single finger at the extremely skinny man.
"I...am...a...God!" said Pein defiantly at Ulquiorra.
"Hardly. You don't even classify as a demi-God or even a fraction of a God. 'Cero!'" said Ulquiorra, as he destroyed the man into nothing, and walked away.
Only to encounter the form of Uchiha Madara, who had removed his swirling mask, and now dawned his classic blood red samurai armor he wore when fighting the Shodaime.
"So the Kyuubi Jinchuriki graces me with his presence and in his new form," said Madara drawing his sword while Ulquiorra just looked at him with a bored expression.
"I'm not him anymore. You can thank Konoha for that," said Ulquiorra seeing Madara give him an amused smile.
"Yes I heard. Though why you are coming after the Akatsuki is still a mystery to me. You should be a member and help us achieve our goal," said Madara while Ulquiorra shook his head know when the man said "our goal" he really meant "my goal".
"You assume I hate only Konoha much less know what it means to hate. I have long since lost my emotions and become empty inside. Konoha, Iwa, the Akatsuki, and of course you have made people suffer for personal ambition. Are you curious to know what it is that all three have in common?" said Ulquiorra seeing Madara still looking amused.
"Oh, by all means Ulquiorra-san, please tell me, and reveal the truth," said Madara in an almost mocking manner.
"You are all spineless trash. Cowards at the lowest level for fearing something so trivial as death and judgment," said Ulquiorra seeing Madara's smile leave him and turn into a scowl.
"You know nothing boy!" said Madara seeing Ulquiorra raise an eyebrow at him.
"I know enough. I know you fought the Shodaime Hokage for the right to be ruler of the village and was defeated in battle. I know you couldn't stand the shame of losing to him and decided that being Hokage wasn't enough. You wanted more. However, the villages were all strong, and powerful to easily oppose you. So you decided to wait. You let the hand of time be your weapon, striking in key places to weak each Shinobi village, but the plan set in motion hit a obstacle in the form of the Yondaime Hokage himself, and knew that the man could ruin everything," said Ulquiorra seeing Madara's eyes narrow.
"You know quite of information for someone who shouldn't," said Madara accusingly at the Arrancar.
"Kyuubi told me some things when together. As for the rest, you were quite the blabber mouth to my parents while I was Uzumaki Naruto, and didn't know when to stop your senseless gloating. The Kyuubi himself told me of your humiliating defeat at the hands of the Shodaime Hokage and he even laughed about it when we had conversations together. You are such a pathetic creature Madara. The word trash doesn't even define you," said Ulquiorra seeing the man become infuriated at his words.
"You dare disrespect me? You should know your place boy. I have lived for well over a hundred years and I have more power in my finger then you do in your entire body," said Madara before he found himself hitting the floor from the spiritual pressure Ulquiorra had released upon him and unlike last time...this was several times stronger.
"You mean this power? The same kind of power that has you at my mercy? I have lived far longer as Ulquiorra Schiffer then you have as Uchiha Madara. You see, Hueco Mundo is different in terms of time, and space when compared to this world of the living. While it has been roughly three years since the death of Uzumaki Naruto, several hundred if not over thousand years have past in that place I called home since my creation as a Hollow of Vasto Lorde status before becoming an Arrancar, and then an Espada in Aizen-sama's army," said Ulquiorra before increasing the pressure more to prove his point and saw the Uchiha was practically suffocating under such power.
'This feeling. Its like I'm swim-NO! I'm drowning in water, but it feels thicker, and more dense then anything I've ever felt before. I can't...I can't teleport!' thought Madara while trying to use his eyes ability, but found himself unable to, and found himself at the ever emotionless looking Arrancar's mercy.
An oxymoron if you've ever heard one.
"Itachi also made the same mistake in underestimating me and paid the price of having his very soul devoured in the process when using his Sharingan. When that happened, I was able to see his memories, but I focused mostly on the ones of you, and the key part played in helping him kill the Uchiha Clan. Itachi only went along with your little plan knowing he would not live to see it happen and believed that the violence would end one way or another regardless of him being in this world to witness the event," said Ulquiorra before increasing the pressure on Madara so the man felt more weight on his body.
"And you think your actions and plans will bring peace? Fool! Jinchuriki will always be hated, wars will always be waged, and the cruelty the people of the world bring to it will never die," said Madara seeing Ulquiorra surprisingly agree with him.
"I know. I am not blind or ignorant of that simple fact. But the world does need to slow down. Catch its breath. To sit down in order to see clearly. I will make that happen," said Ulquiorra before extending his hand, cutting his palm with his thumb, and formed the necessary attack to remove the Akatsuki off the map for good.
'This strange energy. It's the exact same kind of energy I sensed in Rice Country after it destroyed everything!' thought Madara trying to get free, but was still unable to use his teleportation ability, and only now truly understood the meaning of despair.
"Consider yourself lucky, if not honored to see this high level attack up so up close, and to die from it Uchiha Madara. Though the Leaf and Iwa will face a far worse version of this then you could possibly imagine. 'Gran Rey Cero!'" said Ulquiorra before firing his attack at the oldest Uchiha in the world.
And ending him along with all of Ame in the process.
'Its ironic. The rain has finally stopped. Is that because of the attack he used? Or was it because the source of the rain was the Akatsuki like it was Hanzo?' thought Konan, as she had been watching on hands, and knees before sensing Ulquiorra appear instantly behind her.
"Do you know why I spared you?" said Ulquiorra, as he put a firm hand on the woman's shoulder, and saw her look back at him.
"No. I don't know and I wish you had killed me," said Konan seeing the man easily lift her up off the ground.
"I spared you because out of all the Akatsuki members...you were the only one worthy of living. Your motives were purer then everyone else within the organization. Even when offered the chance to leave, you turned it down out of principle, and integrity that kept it alive. The others did not. You looked at despair and was not afraid to meet your end at my hands," said Ulquiorra seeing Konan was crying horribly now knowing everything this place had been was lost to her.
"And what will happen to me now? Am I your prisoner? A slave?" said Konan seeing Ulquiorra shake his head no.
"I do not keep prisoners or slaves. Go to Mist. They could use your help. They know what it means to suffer and could use your experience in how to endure it. They will grow stronger with your help," said Ulquiorra seeing Konan look surprised by this.
"And the Mizukage will just let me in? Does she know I was a member of the Akatsuki?" said Konan seeing the Arrancar nod his head.
"I have already to told the Mizukage to expect you," said Ulquiorra before opening the Garganta and walked into it.
"Don't expect me to thank you for this. Even if what you did is for the best...I can't just accept what has happened," said Konan to see Ulquiorra look back at her for a second while the Garganta was closing.
"I don't expect you to thank me for this. What I expect, is for you to survive, endure, and grow stronger from it," said Ulquiorra before vanishing from site.
(Hokage's Office-Sometime Later)
"Damn that baka!" said Tsunade, as she slammed her fist on the desk after reading the report of Ame's destruction, and the destruction was eerily similar to how Rice Country met its own end.
She had been busy trying to prepare a possibly strategy aimed at fighting Ulquiorra and his allies while sharing information with Iwa on how to defeat the Arrancar. The planning was not showing much if any promise and Iwa's temper was running short to a degree that it could rival the Hokage's own!
"Some things never change...you old hag," said Ulquiorra appearing via Garganta while seeing the Hokage rise from her chair ready to fight.
"ANBU!" said Tsunade before her guards appeared and surrounded the Arrancar.
"Don't bother. I'm not here to fight and we both know the loss of so many of your Shinobi in such a short time will increase if they try here," said Ulquiorra seeing one ANBU take one half step forward.
"Then why are you here?" said an ANBU from the Yamanaka Clan.
"To see something for myself. I've heard rumors of the Hokage's sanity being put into question. For once...the rumors were correct," said Ulquiorra with a very small hint of amusement.
"How dare you! Kill him!" said Tsunade before the intense spiritual pressure Ulquiorra was known to unleash covered the room and made them all sink to the ground.
Only this time, it was much thicker like when he had unleashed it on Uchiha Madara, and stared at the downed Hokage.
"Know this Hokage of the Leaf. The time of the village's judgment is almost upon you. Do not bother sending people out of the village for they will not get far. Do not try to beg for mercy from me for I will show none just as the village did to Uzumaki Naruto. You will no fear, pain, and above all things before you end...despair," said Ulquiorra before he cut off the pressure and entered the Garganta with the dimensional rift close around him.
"Tsunade-sama! Are you all right?" said Shizune running into the office after she had sensed what had happened in the room, but the spiritual pressure kept everyone in the tower completely immobilized, and unable to do anything.
"I'm fine! Get out! Everyone get out! NOW!" said Tsunade, as she felt her wounded pride aching, and her temper flaring.
Somewhere in the village, Jiraiya shivered with his senses telling him to stay the Hell away from Tsunade, and decided to hide someplace safe.
The center of the Earth sounded nice this time of year.
(A/N: YAY! Another update. Sorry this isn't so long and grand, but I felt I should get these guys out of the way so I can focus on Ulquiorra destroying Iwa, and then Konoha. You know that what you're waiting for. Don't deny it! Don't! Until next time...PEACE!)
