Ch. 29 A Dark Change
It had been months since those bombing raids on Konoha and Suna. He managed to cut his ties with Temari after a short time of their first few meetings. Don sat alone at the mouth of the cave alone and stared up at the dark grey sky.
"Did you hear the news? Pein is dead."
Don turned around to see his Tobi standing next to him.
"Yeah, Kisame told me. Naruto is certainly more powerful than I had thought." Don replied.
Don pondered to himself, most of the Akatsuki had been killed off by now, and not too long ago his partner Deidara had blown himself up in an attempt to kill Sasuke when they got into a fight.
"That's not all Don, report has it that when Pein attacked Konoha he destroyed it, however somehow Naruto managed to convince him to atone for his past mistakes, so he brought the whole village back to life. Their Hokage defended the village and got a coma, while the elders and council were deciding what to do; they came up with holding an election of who would take Tsunade's place."
"And?" Don asked.
"A man named Danzo was chosen to replace Tsunade."
Don's eyes shot open. So he finally did it, what is he going to be up to?
He then stood up and walked out into the rain.
"I'm going out for a walk." He said in a dark tone. Tobi watched as Don became a blurred figured in the rain. Don found himself back at the shrine in the middle of the forest; the same one where he faked his own death.
He took off his cloak and hung it out on a line on the porch to let it dry. He then entered the shrine to make himself comfortable, lucky for him this was an old abandoned shrine. He found a room and unloaded his things and headed back to the main room and sat in the door way to watch the rain.
Just then a hawk carrying a rather large package swooped down at his feet. The hawk hopped off the package to reveal the leaf of Konoha on it. Attached to the hawk's leg was a message.
"I wonder what this could be." He said taking the message from the hawk's leg. The message was in code, one that only Don could understand. It was from Tsunade. Don looked puzzled; he began to read it.
Dear Don,
It seems that things have taken an unexpected turn and they don't look good for me. In the likely event that something I have ordered this package to be delivered to you…
Don opened the package, in it was an ANBU uniform, ontop of it was a bear mask. Don smirked.
If you managed to get this, then you are now promoted to the special rank of ANBU. Your mission is simple. I have an ANBU agent that is closely trusted and I want you to meet him at the place located on the map. He will give you your next assignment within 3 days of you receiving this package so do not be late meeting him.
"Now it looks like I have more of a load to bear, I wonder what she could possibly want me to do, I'm in the Akatsuki now."
He got up and tried on the ANBU uniform. He smiled at how it looked and how it fit. It was custom made to his liking, Tsunade knew him too well. He finally placed the mask over his face. He smirked behind the mask.
He picked up the map and looked at it. "She couldn't have picked a more convenient spot." He said and he disappeared into a cloud of smoke, the Akatsuki cloak still hanging on the line…
Three days had past and Don arrived at the rendezvous. It was a night and the moon was barely visible though the clouds that tended to pass over it. He turned behind him and looked up at the large carvings on the mountain that stood before him.
Where is that guy, Tsunade told me not to be late, and I have to wait for this bastard? He thought to himself.
Then an ANBU agent appeared behind him. "Are you Don?" he asked. Don turned to the man who appeared before him. "Yes, and you are?" he replied.
"Allow me to introduce myself; I am Mikazuki, the agent Tsunade mentioned in the letter."
"She also mentioned a mission in the message I received." He said hiding a sense of dissatisfaction in his tone.
"I sense your feeling of dissatisfaction," he cooed. "I know who you are Don, I have read your file thoroughly, current status: Akatsuki – Dead. Don't worry, nothing that I read in your file concerns me, it's not worth bothering over. Our current mission is more important than a traitor who has faked his own death."
Don grunted, "Why don't you tell someone I'm sure you will be honored as a hero, especially among our new Kage."
"He's not our Kage, he's my Kage, you no longer belong to this village. Besides, I am only loyal to Tsunade, not that scum who calls himself Hokage and I have sworn allegiance to Tsunade, so your secret is safe with me. Don't forget I have read your file."
"So what now?" Don asked.
"Your mission is to do some recon on the upcoming Kage meeting. I will be your support from the shadows. Other than that you are on your own. You were chosen for this because you are the only one who will be able to help us in the future for what we have planned. Now let's go."
Don and Mikazuki left the village behind them and headed out to where the meeting was going to take place.