Chapter 12:

The Long-Sought Meeting

Had it aready been a year? Yahiko lay in his favourite spot, basking in the orange-red gow of the evening sun. His daughters, exhausted from playing with their energetic father, lay snoozing in their mother's lap, who was also snoozing with her back against the tree trunk. Did he really have to get up? As he watched his little family all cuddled up together under that tree, all of his body ached to just lie there with them. But he had an Akatsuki mission. So, extremely reluctantly, he pushed himself to his feet. He slipped on his flak jacket and the long black cloak customary of his organisation. He bent to give his three girls, in turn, a kiss on the forehead. A whoosh of air behind him told him Nagato and Minato had appeared behind him. He stood.

"Let's go." Little Tsuri woke just long enough to see her father turn around, and disappear with her two uncles.

At the Akatsuki HQ, things were as cluttered and chaotic as ever. Yahiko had cleared their old Vegetable Gang hideaway and had built the building of the headquarters on the site where they would, as young ninja, come to get away from the world. He sank into the chair at his desk. He kept his office surprisingly neat and tidy, and unsurprisingly adorned with pictures of his family, his wife, his children, his fatherly Sensei and his siblings. He even had photos from when they were young as part of the Gang.

He now listened intently as Nagato reported that a village, near the Hidden Rain Village, was under threat. It was unknown whether the threat came from Rain military or from rogue ninja gangs, it was just as likely either way. Yahiko nodded, he stretched and stood. Then he began to strap his body armour over his black cloak, which he had made the official uniform of his organisation.

"What're you doing?" Ngato had been staring at him questioningly. Yahiko frowned. It'd been a while since he was in the field, but come on, he wasn't rusty and old just yet!

"There's a chance the Hidden Rain are involved, right? I want to negotiate with them. Remember our objective, after all." Nagato saw the logic in that.

"Get ready. Take Minato, Jiroba and Kosuke only. We'll leave in an hour. Meet me at the village gates."

Nagato nodded and disappeared in a poof of smoke. Yahiko gathered his essentials from his office and followed suit.

Nagato entered the storage shed he had made next to his house. This was where he kept all of his supplies, his emergency equipment, his ninja gear and his tools. He strapped on his usual pouch but, after a moment's consideration, decided to add a utility belt to his arsenal. Never knew how long they would be gone or what might happen, and it was only the five of them, after all.

He stepped into his house to say goodbye. Pinako embraced him warmly near the door. "Stay safe! Take care of yourself and protect the others too!" Pinako had gone on many, many missions herself, but it was still a matter of anxiety for either member of the married couple when the other stepped out for a mission. "Dangerous" was part of the Jounin job description, but Akatsuki missions bordered on militant operations; the risk was doubled.

"Don't worry, honey. I got four people watching my back. You know Yahiko won't let anything happen to any of us." He kissed her. Pinako relaxed slightly. If nothing else, she could trust her former ringleader.

"Hanzo's men aredangerous, be careful."

"I will" he kissed her again, said his final goodbyes and left. Minato and Yahiko went through similar processes in their respective homes, with their respective wives.

Yahiko kissed his darling young daughters on their noses, making them giggle. They were far too young to understand fully what their father did, but they adored him and would worry each time he was away.

"Come back soon, Daddy!"

"Bring us presents!"

"Don't get hurt!"

"Don't talk to any bad people!"

Yahiko laughed and ruffled their hair. "Don't you worry about a thing, my little bluebirds, Daddy'll be home before you know it."

He gave them a long hug, before meeting his wife at the door. She also embraced him. "Take care sweetie."

"Take care of them, Big Bluebird."

One more kiss and he was gone.

The squad of five met at the village gate, and together they set out. The journey to the village was a long one, one that would take two to three days. Yahiko was in no particular hurry, as the request had been more pre-emptive than reactionary, and he always did like to enjoy the beautiful scenery on his travels.

By the evening of the second day, they were near the village. Yahiko stopped. Nagato and Kosuke immediately began their scouting, making sure no traps had been laid, that there was no funny business. Kosuke scoured the area with his sharp eyes and quick feet, Nagato with his sensory perception detected no malevolent, unknown shinobi.

They approached the wooden gate of the small fishing village. The heavy downpour that was so common in this land had chilled them to the bone. Yahiko reflected on how the rain was one of his least favourite features of Amegakure. Still weeping after all these years, huh.

He had just pushed open the gate when he heard the clink of metal on metal, and found two shuriken embedded in the wood next to his hand. Slowly and calmly , he turned. Kosuke stood protectively in front of him, kunai raised at the ready. His sharp eyes had picked up the thrown weapons and he had been quick enough to react to deflect them just barely off course. Inwardly, Yahiko thanked God for Kosuke.

"Who's there?" He called out.

A squad of three shinobi stepped out from the shadows. They wore the signature cloaks and breathing masks of the Hidden Rain's military, and indeed the insignia they bore on their masks was intact. "This is a warning, and will be your final warning. Leave this place right now. Ninja from the leaf have no business here."

"Why are you here?"

"We're here under orders from Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of the Hidden Rain. Matter of the village do not concern the Leaf. You are trespassing."

Yahiko and Minato stepped forward. The remaining three formed a rear guard, drawing close around them, watching each side for a surprise attack.

"We were hired by this village to protect them from an impending threat. It seems to me, that you were that threat. Since we are here to fulfil a mission assigned by this village, and we are not officially recognised as Leaf military, this is not action from Konoha against Amegakure."

The leader of the trio bristled. Both squads braced for a battle. "What is it you want? Are you looking to start a war between the two nations?"

Yahiko grinned impishly and raised his sword, pointing it at the leader. "Quite the opposite, my good man. See, I want peace. I want you to leave these good people alone so that we may have peace. Do not attack us, we will not lay a hand on you."

"You are so confident that you, a band of guerrilla fighters, will be able to defeat a trained and skilled military force?"

Yahiko's grin grew wider, and he stretched his arms out wide. "Well, we're no ordinary upstarts. These guys" he indicated his comrades with the point of his sword "are among the finest ninja Konoha has produced in generations. This guy here is the future Fourth Hokage."

Minato, despite himself, looked down and shuffled his feet in embarrassment as Yahiko pointed him out.

"State your terms then."

"We want an audience with Hanzo."

The leader looked appalled. "You cannot hope to meet with the leader of our village. Why would he agree?"

Yahiko smiled, driving his sword straight down into the soil in front of him, resting his hands on the tip of the hilt. He leaned forward and smiled cunningly as he played his trump card. "Tell him we're students of the Sannin."

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So I've written another chapter, after quite a long period of time I guess. This was actually handwritten by me almost two weeks ago when I was bored, but I've been pretty lazy and/or busy to type it out. The next chapter won't take too long, hopefully. As always, I look forward to hearing your comments. I hope you continue to read until the end. Look forward to the next one!