Disclaimer: I do not own Akame Ga Kill or any of its characters.
A/N: Thank you James03037997 for your review and follow, I really appreciate it. Have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year too! Now then, let's get on with today's chapter.
(At Night Raid's base)
After Night Raid had reunited with Sheele, they went on back to their base to report what had happened at the mansion. The boss (Najenda) was very surprised when she learnt that a boy was responsible for the death of some of the family members and had managed to hold his own against Akame in a fight.
Najenda has short silver hair and purple eyes. She wears an eyepatch where her right eye used to be and wears a tight, black suit. In addition, she has a metal arm to replace the one she had lost. Najenda also excluded an aura of confidence, which indicated that she was a leader and someone with a strong will.
"So, this boy managed to not only take down several members of the target family, push Akame to her limits in a fight, and also wields an imperial arm?" Najenda asked incredulously.
"Yes boss, that is correct." Akame confirmed.
"He's also smoking hot boss! I wish I could have gotten to know him better at the bar…" Leone drifted off dreamily as her thoughts were filled with the brown-haired boy.
Everyone in the meeting room sweat dropped at Leone's comments.
Najenda came to a conclusion. "Since Tatsumi's primary goal was to kill the family, we can assume that he has the same goal as us which is riding the Empire of its corruption. You guys saw that he operated alone so we should go off the assumption that he works alone. He obviously has skills with a blade, and he has an imperial arm in his possession, which makes him incredibly dangerous. Our best course of action is to track him down and convince him to join us."
Several members of Night Raid began protesting at Najenda's orders.
"Hold on… we are going to let a newbie join? He probably just got lucky in his battle against Akame. There's a high chance he's not even that good." Mine arrogantly said.
"Boss, we don't even know anything about him, are you sure it's a good idea to let him join Night Raid? What if he has ulterior motives than the ones you already mentioned?" Lubbock asked.
Najenda held up her hand to stop the inundation of Mine and Lubbock's questions. "Firstly, as we have already established, Tatsumi is skilled with a blade and most likely has experience from killing before, which makes him an ideal candidate for Night Raid, Mine. As for your questions Lubbock, you raised a good point but like Leone mentioned, his storyline up with what he told you guys when you first met. But don't worry, I won't just outright trust him as soon as we meet, I need to see what he's like first and if he is willing to cooperate with us."
Mine and Lubbock both grumbled in dissatisfaction but acknowledged that what Najenda said made sense, so they held their silence.
"Now then, are there any more questions regarding what I said earlier?" Najenda asked.
Bulat raised his hand. 'Boss, what if Tatsumi refuses to join Night Raid?'
Najenda sighed. "The best-case scenario would be having him join our cause but if he doesn't and insists on operating alone, we will have to take him down." Najenda said in a serious tone. 'We can't afford to have him defecting to the Empire's side and if we can't track his movements, he will be dangerous in his own way."
Seeing as there were no further protests or concerns being voiced, Najenda stood up from her seat. "Alright, until more information is known about this boy, you're all dismissed to do your individual tasks. Remember, Tatsumi is most likely working alone so there's a high chance that he doesn't have an information network to rely on like us and is picking targets based on what he hears in the Capital. So, remember to stay alert and attentive." Najenda said before waving the members of Night Raid off.
When the assassins were walking away from the meeting room to do their own thing, Leone strode up to Akame.
"So, what do you think about this mysterious boy?" Leone mischievously asked. "Do you think it could be love on the battlefield?"
Akame ignored her teasing remarks. "He's a strong warrior but I will do as the boss orders. If I cannot bring him into Night Raid, I'll simply kill him." Akame said darkly. "He may have bested me once, but next time, I won't be holding anything back." She said before striding away.
Leone could only sigh. "Oh boy, this kid is really going to have his hands full."
(Tatsumi's situation)
Tatsumi had gotten used to killing corrupt nobles and people who he recognised to be abusing their power. He now wore a dark scarf (with horizontal lines leading from one side to the other) to cover his mouth and the bottom part of his nose, so that it would conceal his appearance from observers. His current target was an aristocratic who had an underground business that consisted of selling drugs to other people for money. Tatsumi unsheathed his sword and smashed through the window leading into their base, slicing and slashing through the many guards that were standing by, as if their armour was butter. Eventually, he was left with the aristocratic who was in charge of this whole operation. The fat man fell back in fear at the murderous look on Tatsumi's face and feebly tried to convince the assassin to let him live.
"Pl.. Please! S-Spare my life! What do you want from me?" The aristocratic cried.
"All I want is your life, you sick bastard." Tatsumi responded darkly before slicing his head off, blood flying off the edge of his blade. "Alright, another corrupt noble taken care of. Time to get out of here." Tatsumi proceeded to vanish into the depths of the night, leaving no sign that he was ever present at the hideout.
(Fast-forward a couple of days)
Tatsumi had made a name for himself after killing many nobles and evil officers who were carrying out shady business. The Empire was unsure whether he was a part of Night Raid and he was always clothed in black clothing, so it was hard to be sure of his identity. Putting this into consideration, the Empire put his bounty at an amount that was comparable to the other members of Night Raid who were on posters, and nicknamed Tatsumi as 'the shadow assassin' since he was always as silent as a shadow when on the hunt.
Now to the present day, Tatsumi had learned that a captain by the name of Ogre had been accepting very large bribes from an oil merchant named Gamal. Apparently, the oil merchant had been bribing Ogre so he could keep on conducting his business without the worry of being caught, and the corrupt captain would just put someone under the bus for Gamal's crimes to ensure his safety.
So, Tatsumi had decided to go after Ogre since he figured that he would pose more of a challenge to kill than Gamal and it was highly likely that Night Raid would soon hear of Gamal's actions and take him down. "I have to be careful of Night Raid. I'm not sure if they think of me as an ally or thorn in their plan after our last encounter. I have to make sure that I don't appear threatening to them otherwise I might become their next target. I probably couldn't take down all of them if they came to me at once."
(Back with Night Raid)
At Night Raid's hideout, the brown-haired boy has become the subject of interest for his actions in the Capital. The boss was holding a meeting with the rest of the Night Raid members regarding what the boy had done to get a name of himself in the Capital and their next plan of action. Not long after Night Raid's encounter with Tatsumi, they had caught wind of him killing dishonourable and deceitful individuals in the Capital at a rapid pace. It was now time for Night Raid to discuss what to do with Tatsumi.
"This certainly makes things interesting." Najenda said. "Not only is this kid killing targets at an incredibly fast pace, but he is also making a name for himself. However, we can't let this keep going on and this means we have to be quick about recruiting him. Sooner or later, the Empire will start taking him seriously and will send its stronger soldiers to hunt him down. When you are all on your assignments, make sure to keep your eyes out for any sign of Tatsumi."
Najenda paused and watched as everyone gave various signs of acknowledgement. Once she saw that everybody understood her instructions, she moved on to the next matter at hand.
"Alright, everyone but Akame and Leone stay." Najenda said, before she dismissed the other assassins from the meeting room.
"So, what do you need from us boss?" Leone asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"First of all, I want to tell you about your new assignment and the targets that you will take down." Najenda responded.
The next few minutes was Leone and Najenda discussing about the context of the blonde's assignment and the objective which is to eliminate an imperial soldier called Ogre, and an oil merchant who went by Gamal.
"Sorry boss, but can you let me know why I'm here if this is about Leone's assignment?" Akame questioned.
"My bad Akame. The reason I got you to stay behind was because I was hoping for you to take care of one of Leone's targets. I have my suspicion that the shadow assassin will take care of them if he knows about what those two are up to, but just in case I'm sending the two of you to deal with them." Najenda said.
Leone nodded in understanding. "It will be a cinch to take down Gamal, but Ogre is a different story. He is nicknamed the 'demon' because of his skills with a blade. He is definitely not an opponent to be taken lightly."
"Very well, then you are tasked with dealing with Gamal and Akame, you're assigned to eliminate Ogre. Is that understood?" Najenda asked the two females.
Both of the female assassins nodded their heads to confirm that they knew their tasks.
"And also, remember if you happen to encounter Tatsumi, don't make any threatening movements, our goal is to recruit him, not kill him.' Najenda added. "That's all for now, good luck with your targets."
(Later that night; streets of the Capital)
Tatsumi was watching the brightly lit streets of the Capital from the secluded area of the rooftops. His bright eyes ran over the many bustling people who were roaming the streets and readied himself for his target to appear.
(At a brothel; several miles west from the Capital)
"Damn!" Gamal sighed in relief, as he adjusted his robes and stepped out of the restroom. "I feel so much better after using the bathroom." His hideous expression turned sickening. "Maybe I will have some fun with the whore again before I go… hehehe" Gamal chuckled to himself in delight.
"Don't worry" a low voice sounded from the shadows next to Gamal. "I'll relieve all of your worries for you." Before Gamal could react, a pair of extremely strong arms wrapped around his neck and applied a powerful force to it. As Gamal kicked his legs in desperation and began wheezing for air, he heard that same voice again. "Goodbye, you sick fuck. This is for all the people you tormented." Leone said before crushing his windpipes and cutting off his circulation. Gamal struggled briefly in her arms for a few more seconds before dropping to the ground in a bloody mess.
Leone sighed in relief as she tried her best to get rid of the foul blood on her hands. "This guy sure was lucky, getting a hot babe to focus his attention on him" her dark mood now alleviating to her normal, cheerful one.
"I wonder how Akame is doing with her target. Ogre should be an easy opponent for someone of Akame's skill, but anything could happen." The blonde's thoughts suddenly travelled to a certain green-eyed boy.
"Hmmm," a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Maybe Akame will meet him by chance when she is assassinating Ogre. I wonder what her reaction will be…"
(Main street; Empire's Capital)
"Ah! Nothing beats a good drink after a good, lengthy interrogation." Ogre said, walking down the Capital's main street. Several people waved as they recognised him, causing the massive man to grin.
Even though Ogre conducted shady business with other individuals and manipulated people to his advantage, the majority of the people in the Capital believed that he was a hero who 'dealt' with crimes for the sake of a better nation. "That's right, I'm the king of this place and I can do whatever I want!"
"E-Excuse me, Master Ogre" a submissive voice sounded over his shoulder. Turning around, he was met with a hooded boy standing behind him with his head bowed slightly down.
"Can I help you kid?" Ogre asked, inwardly hoping that it wasn't one of the kids who wanted to ask him for help on how to rise through the ranks of the army quickly.
"It would be better if we discussed this in private," the hooded boy gestured to the alley next to them.
Ogre looked between the boy and the alley for a few seconds before deciding to go along with his request.
"Fine, this better be worth my time" he grumbled. Ogre followed the boy into the alley and they stopped once they were in a secluded area and away from anybody's' sights.
"Is this private enough for you?" Ogre asked in impatience.
"Do you regret it?" A clear, sharp voice startled the big man and he instantly had many thoughts run through his head. "His tone is different from the one he used earlier. The tone he used earlier was that of nervousness, however he is like a completely different person. This clearly isn't a normal kid" Ogre thought. With his senses tingling, he slowly reached for his sword.
"Regret what?"
"Regret all of the killing you have done. All of the blood that has gathered on your hands, that you are responsible for."
"Yeah, I regret it all right." Ogre responded. "I regret…" Ogre suddenly unsheathed his sword and ran towards Tatsumi with his blade outstretched, "not being able to enjoy it more!"
With one swift motion, Tatsumi withdrew his sword from its scabbard, bent his knees slightly and leapt forward, sword in one hand.
"He's fast!" Ogre raised his blade just in time to block Tatsumi's sword from cutting him but widened his eyes in shock as it smashed through his blade and carried on slashing him right through his chest area. "Ughh" Ogre moaned in pain, blood dripping down his armour as he fell to the ground, using his arms to support himself.
Tatsumi merely gazed at his opponent's predicament, his sword was shattered, and the 'demon' was clearly defenceless before him. "So much for a challenge." He walked over to his downed target who was learning on the ground with all fours.
"Is that really all you have to offer? Honestly, I shouldn't have expected much from someone like you who manipulates others for his own gain." Tatsumi shook his head in disappointment.
"You bastard!" Ogre screamed at him, saliva flying from his rotten teeth. "I'm going to rip you to shreds, boy!" He lunged at Tatsumi with his arms stretching out to rip the boy's head off, but his arms were both instantly severed from his body in one swing.
Ogre cowered back once more, this time his head was touching the floor to signal that he had accepted defeat and he didn't want to look up. Tatsumi raised his sword above the wounded man's neck.
"Farewell." That was the only thing said as he brought his blade down, ending the fight and Ogre's life in the same instance.
Tatsumi sheathed his sword and was about to walk away when he felt someone watching him. He abruptly turned around and was once again faced with the assassin of Night Raid, Akame. The two of them stood there for a few seconds and neither of them said anything, the only thing between them being Ogre's bloody and scarred corpse.
"Did you do this?"
Tatsumi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "No, God delivered divine judgement on him for his crimes," he said sarcastically. "I just happened to come across his death."
Akame didn't say anything for a few minutes and looked over at Ogre's body, clearly contemplating about something, before moving her gaze back to Tatsumi.
"I have been ordered by my boss to bring you to Night Raid's base." Akame said. "She hopes that you will join our organisation. I will have you know that if you refuse this offer, you will be killed." Her eyes narrowed and her hand reached for her sword. "And don't think things will end up like the last time we fought."
"Sorry Akame, but I work alone as you probably have already guessed. I don't work well with others."
'That doesn't matter. I've already told you that I need to bring you into Night Raid and that won't change. The only thing you need to consider is if you want to be brought in with your hands free or in chains," Akame swiftly answered in a determined voice.
Tatsumi sighed, he should have seen this coming. Nevertheless, he tried to get himself out of the situation he had been placed in.
"Listen, how about we…"
"Hey! What's going on down here?!" An unknown feminine voice called out from down the alley's entrance.
"Fuck." Both Tatsumi and Akame had the same thought in that moment, and they knew that they had to get out of there immediately. Tatsumi and Akame raced down the alley to the other exit at the same time and burst through it, into the street.
Just before Tatsumi turned away from Akame to go in a separate direction, he locked eyes with her. "This isn't over." She silently promised him as she sped away from the street and put in as much distance in between her and Ogre's body.
"Hold up criminals!" The girl shouted as she began to chase after the two assassins. However, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the unmoving body in the middle of the alley. "Mas-Master Ogre!" The girl fell to her knees at the man's side, tears rolling down her face, her expression full of grief. Her small companion walked up next to her and she rubbed its head. "Koro, we're going to bring whoever did this to justice!"
A/N: As you can see, there are some distinct differences from the original series of Akame Ga Kill because Tatsumi hasn't joined Night Raid at this stage yet. I hope you like Tatsumi being referred to as the 'shadow assassin' by the Empire, thought it would be something cool for them to call Tatsumi for the time being.
Tatsumi is more independent than his original character in this fanfic, as you can see with him hunting down nobles by himself. Of course, as the story progresses, he will need to join Night Raid to form allies and relationships but that will all happen in due time. As always, please leave a review on your thoughts about this chapter. Any feedback or comments are appreciated a lot. Alright, till next time everyone!