Chapter 6: Slaughter Field

For someone as notorious and formidable like Kakuzu, his actions were quite predictable. The second time they met, it was at the bounty collection shop in the Land of Fire – the one hidden behind a secret door in a rundown bathroom in the middle of nowhere.

During his meet up with Tenzo, Kakashi had caught wind of the news that a high ranking Konoha shinobi had recently been assassinated. His gut feeling told him that the perpetrator was the person he was looking for, so on his way out of the Land of Fire, Kakashi veered out of his way to make a pit stop at the bounty shop.

He staked his claim on the rooftop of the bathroom facility. After many years of being abandoned, the stability of the structure itself was questionable, but that didn't stop Kakashi from stretching out on the roof to bask in the sun as he awaited Kakuzu's inevitable appearance.

Kakuzu didn't disappoint. Two hours later, Kakashi spotted a silhouette of a figure with similar build to Kakuzu approaching in the distance. Pushing himself into an upright position, Kakashi raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun to make out the needle scars on the person's face. A body was casually slumped over his shoulder – the only identifiable part of it was the green of the standard Konoha flak jacket that contrasted against Kakuzu's dark cloak.

Grabbing the mask by the holes for the eyes, Kakashi firmly slid the porcelain mask into place. After scooting forward closer to the ledge of the building, he allowed his feet to dangle over the edge before he hopped down.

He landed deftly on his feet, the ground absorbing most of the impact. Kakuzu was hardly startled by his appearance; his green eyes flickered to make eye contact with Kakuzu. Once Kakashi had extracted an unspoken promise from him that they would talk afterwards, Kakashi stepped aside to grant Kakuzu unobstructed entry into the dingy bathroom.

Kakashi's nose twitched in disgust as he caught a whiff of the musty odor floating from the bathroom when Kakuzu opened the door. The odor was so strong that even Kakashi could smell it despite wearing three layers of masks; how could anyone stand it long enough to cash in a bounty?

Well, Kakuzu had more resilience and tolerance than he ever would.

And well, Kakashi supposed there had to be a way that the black market remained undetected. Although the rundown and gross bathroom was located in the middle of nowhere, the structure was still eye-catching to anyone who passed by. Upon closer inspection, they would realize that it was long abandoned – no one would think that behind the front of a half-desolate bathroom was the entry to one of the collection sights for the black market.

Kakashi bided his time by scuffing the dirt with the tip of his sandal, kicking at the stray pebbles to see how far they would land. His latest kick went the furthest; the pebble bounced against the dirt-packed ground before completely losing momentum. His foot was already poised to kick the next pebble, but he slowly lowered it when he heard the telltale creaking of the bathroom door opening again.

Kakashi didn't even need to turn to know who it was. "Done?" When Kakuzu stepped forward to pass him, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a massive, brown cloth bag that was tossed over his shoulder. From the way the cash bulged at the frail seams, it must have been a hefty haul.

"You were looking for me. For what?" Kakuzu's grip on the cash bag tightened. "I don't share."

Kakashi threw his hands up as a sign of peace. "Money isn't what I'm after. Why don't we talk somewhere more private?"

Kakuzu eyed him warily. "What makes you think I trust you?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Only those who have achieved immortality truly believe in it. I wouldn't be able to kill you even if I tried." That answer seemed to satisfy Kakuzu as the older man took his first step to follow Kakashi into the woods.

Once they reached their destination – Kakashi's idea of a private place was finding the densest part of the forestry in the Land of Fire – Kakuzu stopped, leaving three trees worth of distance between them.

"Have you heard about an organization called the Akatsuki?"

Recognition flashed in Kakuzu's green eyes. "Somewhat. The group that is causing civil unrest in the Hidden Rain, right?"

"You're well informed," Kakashi lightly commented, although he didn't mean it to be a genuine compliment. "How would you feel about joining them? I believe your goals can align well with theirs."

Kakuzu let out a bark of harsh laughter. "My goals align with theirs? What business do I have with participating in another village's civil war?"

"Hanzo has quite a sizable bounty on his head," Kakashi offered. "And their goals aren't merely limited to overthrowing leadership."

"Oh?"

"I know all about your background, Kakuzu. You were sent on mission to assassinate the First Hokage, but when you failed to complete the mission, your village shunned you. You were angry. You didn't understand why your village would turn their back on you. And that was why a village marked with potential to be one of the strongest villages was reduced to mere ruins."

Here, Kakashi paused to allow the information sink in. "You killed all of the shinobis. Yet you left the civilians alive which tells me that you still have a heart."

Kakuzu snorted. "I have many hearts. Hearts that belonged to the victims. Their hearts underwent a lifespan of being tainted with greed before I took them, what makes you think my heart is pure now?"

"My village betrayed me too."

"And why does that matter to me?" Although his words were dismissive, Kakashi could make out an inkling of curiosity shimmering in Kakuzu's eyes.

"Maybe betrayal by your own village doesn't mean anything to you, but it meant something to me," Kakashi confessed. "Slaughtering the Waterfall's shinobis may have given you the closure you seek, but for me, it doesn't end there. For me, that is only the first step to eradicating the rotten core for good."

"And is that why you've been intervening with other village politics?"

Kakashi snapped his fingers. "Precisely. Corruption exists everywhere. There may be someone else out there suffering the same fate that we did. Who are they to garner our loyalty and then to toss us aside like we're trash when the date of our usefulness ends? Who are they to lord their power over us, to suffocate us, to make us acquiesce to their orders? Who are they to enjoy their life, without punishment, while the rest of us bear the brunt of the aftermath, the suffering?

"The world may not be fair, but I've made it my mission to level the playing field. And that's why I intervene in other villages, especially those who don't have the capability to fight back."

"I think you've overestimated the amount of compassion I have for others. I don't care what happens to anyone else. There's no need for me to dirty my hands to help others."

"Not even for the prospect of collecting the bounty? There may be some names that interest you."

Kakuzu raised an eyebrow. "Who are you going after next?"

"Konoha."

A loud crash from the living room startled Mika awake. Within a second, Mika had swung her legs off of the futon, sliding her bare feet into the slippers placed next to the futon. While she did so, her hand slid underneath her pillow to extract her emergency short blade. Silently padding to the door of her room, she quietly slid open the sliding door.

She crept down the hallway towards the source of the commotion. The reassurance of the cool metal handle of her short blade clenched tightly in her hand gave her the courage to enter the living room. The muscles in her arm were tense as she prepared herself for a fight. Pressing the palm of her hand against the smooth wall, her fingers slid across the wall until she felt the light switch.

The light flooded the room, temporarily blinding the intruder. Her arm was raised, short blade ready to sail across the room to sink into its target when Mika stopped short of hurling it when she caught a glimpse of familiar straight, blonde hair.

"Yugito?" Mika lowered her arm to her side. Yugito blinked three times in rapid succession to get accustomed to the sudden brightness in the room.

"Mika? Why are you awake at this time?"

"I heard a crash. I thought there was an intruder." Mika let out a humorless chuckle. "Old habits die hard I guess. Some days, I still feel like I'm still on the battlefield, sleeping with one eye open."

"Sorry," Yugito murmured. "I accidentally knocked over the side table. I thought I could make it to my room without turning on the light."

"Why are you getting back so late?"

Yugito let out a long sigh, plopping down onto the couch and sinking into the soft cushion. Mika stepped over the damage of the side table – making a mental note to clean up the mess in the morning – to take a seat beside Yugito on the couch. Now sitting side by side, Mika had a close-up view of exactly how worn out Yugito was. Dark bags were prominent beneath her eyes. Weary lines were etched in the corner of her eyes and on her forehead.

"A brutal week of training," Yugito explained. "They want me to master the next level of transformation for my tailed beast. I'm struggling with it so they kept pushing me until I made some progress."

Mika felt indignant on her behalf. "That's insane! How could they do that to you? Don't they know you're a human like the rest of us? You need to rest too!"

"I think they see me to be more of a beast than human," Yugito admitted, glancing down to inspect her claw-like nails. The nails retracted, returning her hand to its normal form. "They want me to be able to control more than my hands and a tail. I have an immense amount of chakra, so I don't think they are concerned about tiring me out. It takes a lot to physically wear me down, but mentally…"

"That's toxic."

"Yeah." Her shoulders sagged, weighed down by her weariness and the mounting pressure from Kumo's leadership. "They need me."

"For what?" Mika asked, incredulous. "For you to be in tip-top shape so they can use you as a weapon for war? We're humans, not weapons. I think you need to leave, Yugito. Nothing good will come out of staying; the only outcome for your future is death. And then what then? They'll find another jinchuuriki host and you'll become long forgotten. No one will remember what you have sacrificed for the village, no one will appreciate your services."

Although Yugito was too weary to put up much of an argument, she didn't relent on the matter. "When we became shinobis, we swore loyalty to the village. We pledged to protect the village in every way that we can, including putting our lives on the line. How is this any different than what I swore to do?"

"It's different because you became a jinchuuriki when you were two!" Mika insisted, raising her voice to hammer her point home. "When you were two, you didn't pledge your services to the village. When you were two, you were barely conscious of the world going around you, much less in the right mind to consent to the sealing of a tailed beast. Have you thought about the fact that Kumo has already laid out your future without asking for your input?"

"Mika…" Yugito pleaded. "Please."

Mika shook her head, intent on finishing her tirade. "The moment you became a jinchuuriki, you had no choice but to become a shinobi. You had no choice but to live with this immense power inside of you. You had no choice but to become a weapon for war. And what for? You'll either die in battle or you'll die when they think you're too old to host Matabi.

"Please Yugito. Think about yourself for once."

"What can I do?" Yugito asked, the anguish evident in her voice. "Matabi is already sealed within me. That's something I cannot change. The Third Great Ninja War may have just ended, but I feel conflict brewing on the horizon. I can't sit back idly and watch Kumo become decimated when I have the power to protect people."

"But who will protect you?" A tear slipped from the corner of Mika's eyes. "You're the only family I have left. I cannot lose you too."

Yugito placed a comforting hand on Mika's shoulder. Her eyes softened as she took in every worried line etched on her cousin's face.

"Thank you for worrying about me. You should go back to sleep, don't you have a mission tomorrow?"

Yugito's dismissal of Mika's pleas stung. They had the same kind of conversation too many times now, the conversation panned out like it always did: Mika would express her concerns, Yugito would counter with reason that Mika would reject, and then Yugito would shut down the conversation. There was nothing Mika could say to get through to Yugito. Her cousin was far too stubborn to be swayed by a few heartfelt words.

Disheartened, Mika murmured a soft good night before she retreated back to her room. Her footsteps slowed when she reached the edge of the living room. Curiosity had gotten the better of her and Mika found herself tossing one last look over her shoulder. Yugito had curled up on the couch, arms wrapped around her legs, as the bottom of her chin rested on top of her knees. Her eyebrows were drawn, creases forming on her forehead, as Yugito sank into deep thought.

Maybe Mika's words did manage to sow the seeds of doubt within her.

But of course, there was the possibility that her cousin simply viewed her as an ungrateful brat. After all, Kumo had given Mika a home when her hometown was ravaged during one of the many skirmishes between Kumo and Kiri. The expectation of doing everything within her power to repay Kumo's kindness loomed over her head for the majority of her childhood, invasive enough to influence her to become a shinobi.

After witnessing first hand the wreckage that shinobis enacted on her village, the last thing Mika wanted to do was become one of them. What a bitter irony that Mika became the very person she detested, for the sake of repaying the very village that ravaged her homeland.

Mika hated herself for it.

Five figures stood underneath the slanted, frail metal covering on the balcony of the highest tower in Amegakure. Yahiko was leaning against the metal railing, elbows propped on the metal bar in a casual manner. Konan was sitting on top of the railing, hands curled around the bar as an additional safety measure, not that she really needed to rely on it. Nagato stood in the corner, his lone eye gazing curiously at the newcomer.

As Kakashi introduced Kakuzu to the rest of the group, Kie, one of the original members of the Akatsuki, interrupted them. His brown eyes darted frantically between Kakashi and Kakuzu, confusion etched across his expression as he processed the presence of two strangers. A slew of questions were at the tip of his tongue, but he clamped down on it. That wasn't what Kie was here for.

Konan cleared her throat, drawing his attention to her. "What is it?"

"Hanzo," Kie grounded out. "We received news that he struck an alliance with Kumo. The Raikage is sending a platoon of shinobis to bolster Hanzo's army and then he'll strike."

While it was evident that Kie and the Ame trio were slightly alarmed by the sudden news, Kakashi was hardly perturbed. Now that Hanzo's alliance with Danzo had effectively fallen apart, it wasn't all that shocking that Hanzo would seek out another ally. The Akatsuki had grown far too strong for Hanzo's current army to easily take them out.

It was the same thing all over again, just with a different village. The alliance with Kumo was quite an interesting choice. Why would a village located so far away from Amegakure be interested in the affairs of a small village's civil unrest?

"Do you know why Kumo is helping Hanzo?" Kakashi asked. Instinctively, Kie's mouth parted open to respond, only to snap it shut when he realized who he was speaking to. His eyes discreetly shifted over to look at Yahiko. Yahiko dipped his head slightly, giving Kie permission to address Kakashi's inquiry.

"There's rumors that Kumo wants to attack Konoha. If Kumo can gain access to Amegakure, it'll be much easier for them to do so."

"I see." Of all the smaller villages scattered across the world, Amegakure had been hit the hardest. Having borders that touched three of the five great elemental nations should have been prosperous for their economy, yet it turned into their greatest detriment. When war broke out among the larger villages, they had no qualms of ravaging through other territories. Collateral damage meant nothing to them.

After Konan dismissed Kie, Kakashi finished up his introduction of Kakuzu to the trio. Everything he said wasn't anything they didn't already know before, but for the sake of establishing mutual understanding, Kakashi went through the motions of doing it anyways.

"So you're willing to help us take down Hanzo, but you expect our aid when it comes to the other villages," Yahiko repeated slowly, like he was still trying to wrap his mind around the concept. "But who else are you after?"

"Whoever needs to be eliminated," was all that Kakuzu had to offer. "Isn't Konoha already next on the list?"

Confusion and alarm shone in Yahiko's brown eyes as he whipped his head towards Kakashi. Ah right, Kakashi had forgotten he never told them about Konoha – it was just something he was working towards on the side. Only when Kakashi felt ready did he intend to inform them about it.

Or maybe he never would, if Kakashi found that he didn't need their assistance. And of course, they would never make the connection, considering they weren't even aware he was once a shinobi of Konoha.

"I grew up in Konoha," Kakashi offered. "My plans with Konoha are sometime in the future. For now, you need secure power over Ame. And if you agree to let Kakuzu join, I do believe that there is the perfect induction mission for him."

That opened the floor for discussion. Kakuzu interrogated them with the same questions he fired at Kakashi during their journey to Ame, while the Ame trio tried to feel out Kakuzu's true intentions. Kakuzu had nothing to hide; he made it explicitly clear that he had no problems resorting to violence.

In fact, it could even be argued he relished in it.

And that was the fact that Yahiko had the most trouble coming to terms with it. Kakashi's entry to their organization had softened their stance towards no violence, yet they were still quite a ways from accepting it.

Their hearts hadn't been completely hardened, yet.

"You kill people to collect their bounties. Shinobis who haven't really done anything wrong."

Kakuzu scoffed. "Everyone has sinned in their life. You just don't know what kind of dark deeds that they do behind their moral righteous facade. But if it really bothers you that much, I'll refrain from doing so. After all, our intended targets should bring in good money."

"I'll accept that," Yahiko stated firmly. Kakashi was well aware that Kakuzu didn't intend to keep his word; he'd simply continue hunting down his bounty targets without Yahiko's knowledge. Kakashi mentally scoffed; if Yahiko still believed in such a thing called "keeping promises" then he relied on the shinobi honor code too much. That code didn't apply to people like them – nukenins.

"I also refuse to live in this dreary place. When you need me, I'll show up, but for the rest of the time, I don't want my movements to be restricted."

A fair request and one that Yahiko wouldn't argue on. After all, Kakashi had already set the precedent by coming and going whenever he pleased. The two sides exchanged a few more conditions and reached a couple of compromises before it was finally decided.

Kakuzu was officially part of the Akatsuki.

Perfect.

Although Kakashi knew next to nothing about the extent of his skills, there was no doubt he was quite formidable if he could go toe-to-toe with the First Hokage. His immortality was an added bonus.

"Good now that is decided, Kakuzu and I will head east to intercept the Kumo squad. Yahiko, I'll leave things here to you."

"Wait, just the two of you? We have no idea how big their forces are."

"I think you know that we're not simply intercepting them to hold them off." A murderous glint shone in Kakashi's eyes. "The rest of you wouldn't have that kind of resolve to be able to complete the mission."

When no rebuttal came, Kakashi took that as the equivalent of their agreement to his plan.

Since Mika received the details of the mission to Amegakure, everything about it made her dread going on this mission. It was a long-term mission to a small country known for being dreary and humid all year long, with company she hardly cared for. Adding on to that, her task was to fight for a country that she held no love for. She didn't understand why the Raikage cared so much about a poor, desolate country so far away from Kumo, but it wasn't her place to question it.

Mika just despised the fact she was being roped into the situation – with no choice but to follow through with the mission.

As if Mika didn't already harbor enough hatred towards the mission, her company amplified her misery. Katsu Watanabe, one of the Raikage's most trusted jonins, was the leader of their squad. He had also been her jonin sensei before Mika was promoted, and instead of teaching her, Katsu had done nothing but antagonize her the entire time. When she was placed on a team with an heir to a prominent clan and the son of another formidable Kumo jonin, who was a war orphan in comparison?

Absolutely nothing.

And Katsu made that very clear to her on the first day. By the time graduation loomed around the corner, Mika still felt reluctant to fully devote herself to shinobi arts, to become one of the people who ravaged her homeland. Yet the sense of gratitude that had been beaten into her since the day Kumo took her in pushed her to continue her half-hearted studies. As a result, she barely scraped by with an average performance. And then she was assigned to Team Katsu, with two prodigies as teammates.

Compared to them, she felt like a washed out imitation of a shinobi.

Under his tutelage, Katsu berated and patronized her the entire time instead of helping her. Her simmering frustration grew, threatening to explode at any given moment. She poured her mounting anger into the training, pushing herself harder than ever before. The spark that ignited in her core was her drive, stemming from the innate need to show Katsu up, to prove to him that she wasn't useless.

When Mika passed the chunin exam on the first try with both of her teammates, the smug look was effectively wiped off of Katsu's face. She could never forget his shocked expression when she emerged with her newly issued flak jacket at nine years old.

From there, her team officially disbanded to go their separate ways to assist in the war effort. Until now, Mika never interacted with Katsu except for the occasional eye contact with him in passing.

Old habits die hard. Despite seven years between then and now, Katsu was still intent on treating her exactly the same, even if Mika was a jonin now. Katsu wasn't even the platoon leader because he was the strongest of them all, only simply because he had the right connections.

For the umpteenth time, Katsu asked her if she detected any foreign presence. Rolling her eyes, Mika informed him in an exasperated tone that she didn't and that she would tell him when she did and that he didn't need to ask her every fifteen minutes.

It was stupid of him to ask anyways. The wind could carry their voices and blow their attempts at maintaining their stealth. Since they haven't left Kumo's territory, Katsu probably felt comfortable asking, just to annoy her and constantly reassert the notion that he was the team leader.

If there was an award for the most misogynistic and clan-favoring sensei, it would be him. It also didn't help that Mika was nothing like her cousin, who seemed to possess an outwardly amount of tolerance and patience.

Mika was like a ticking time bomb.

Helping out Ame's civil war? Maybe they would be embroiled with their own before they even reached their country.

Aside from Katsu's snarky commentary, the trip was a quiet affair. As a larger than normal platoon, the group had split into smaller units surrounding the main unit, led by Katsu. Unfortunately, as their only sensory ninja, Mika was stuck with the main squad to warn of danger ahead. At least Katsu had enough sense to halt his irritating comments once their group crossed the border of the Lightning Country. However, that didn't stop him from making subtle jabs at her when they stopped to rest for the night.

The first three days of travel passed by without a hitch. On the route they had taken, there wasn't a single soul to be seen throughout the rock terrain or massive stretches of grassy plains. At some point, Mika caved into her boredom and took to juggling stray pebbles to keep herself entertained. A sharp look from Katsu made her abandon those rocks somewhere in the Land of Hot Springs.

Damn, he took the fun out of everything.

Mika sighed, bracing herself for another three days of monotonous travel.

On the fifth day, the sky was cloudless. The rays of the sun beat down on them brutally, making their clothes stick to their drenched skin and draining their energy faster than before. However, knowing that this was the last bit of sunlight they were going to receive before entering the Land of the Myst, where the sun never shone and the terrain was constantly blanketed in heavy mist, Mika tried to savor the feeling of the rays of sunlight hitting her skin. Her eyes began to droop.

After jerking herself awake, Mika violently shook her head to shed the remnants of the drowsiness that lingered. No, she couldn't afford to fall asleep on this mission, especially not when they were rapidly encroaching upon enemy territory.

When their squad crossed the borders of the Rain Country, goosebumps crawled all over her skin. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Eyeing the vicinity warily, Mika was half-prepared to see something jump out at her. An alarming sensation pricked at her skin as if to warn her something was coming, yet the absence of a foreign chakra signature contradicted that.

Closing her eyes in concentration, Mika stretched her chakra further, its tendrils weaving through damp terrain to feel for any signs of life beyond the hum of the flourishing nature.

Nothing. Confused, Mika had just begun to retract her chakra when a tidal wave of killing intent slammed into her. The forceful impact was strong enough to knock the wind out of her, leaving the warning cry lodged into the back of her throat as she tried to catch her breath.

"The enemy is here!" By the time Mika managed to push out the warning cry, the first droplets of blood splattered onto the ground, the liquid seeping into the soft dirt. Her comrades leapt into action, bravely engaging the enemy head-on while Mika remained rooted to her position, battling the stiffness of her muscles. Battling the instinct that screamed at her to run away because their enemy wasn't anyone ordinary.

The killing intent was suffocating.

But she had a duty to carry out. In case of trouble, she was supposed to send word to the other squads to retreat.

An icy sensation coursed through her veins when Mika came up short as she tried to pinpoint the locations of the other teams. Either they were out of her range or…Mika shook her head. She didn't want to contemplate the other option.

But they weren't supposed to be out of her range.

A strong stream of lightning thundered down on the clearing, splitting the ground cleanly in two. The rumble beneath her feet forced Mika to take two steps back, narrowly tripping over an overgrown root. She caught her balance just in time, feet landing on something that didn't feel like the muddy ground.

When Mika looked down, an onslaught of nausea washed over when she registered the human hand crushed beneath her feet. A frightened gasp escaped from her lips as Mika jumped backwards, retreating to higher ground. Mika choked as bile rose to her throat upon seeing the bodies strewn all over the clearing.

Katsu's glassy and empty eyes stared back at her. His mouth was parted open, the words unsaid taken to the grave with him. In the back of her mind, Mika could hear the echoes of his accusations, insulting her for being so stupid and standing there like an easy target–

Another stream of lightning streaked across the clearing, its trajectory locked on one of her comrades. Without thinking, Mika mustered up the chakra to weave together a lightning bolt. The front end of it made contact with the initial bolt, knocking it slightly off course.

Just enough time for her comrade to scramble to his feet.

From behind! Mika whirled on her feet, cocking her head to the side to dodge the earth-hardened hand. A thin sheet of lightning emitted from her fingertips, the strong crackle of energy sharp enough to slice through the bundle of tendons. While the severed ends danced around to reattach themselves, Mika launched one of her short blades with deadly accuracy.

The lightning coated chakra was enough to pierce through his earth armor, sinking into the enemy's shoulder blades. Instead of having any effect on him, the enemy merely plucked it out of his shoulder blades, casually tossing it aside like it was a mere inconvenience to him.

From the way he hardly bled, it probably was.

Both of his hands dislodged from his arms again, shooting towards her at incredible speeds. Her fingers flew through a sequence of hand seals before Mika slammed her fists against the ground. Lightning chakra poured from the palm of her hands, stretching out to form a protective circle around her. The crackling energy shot upwards just as his fists made contact with the lightning shield.

Muttering a slew of colorful curses, the cloaked man retracted his charred and bleeding fists. A deadly glare pierced across the clearing.

Mika picked herself off the ground, relishing in the tingling energy of the lightning that course all along the length of her body. A weaker form of the lightning armor that many generations of Raikage's were famed for, yet still effective if Mika could overcome the hurdle of activating it.

Before either of them could make a move, another figure emerged from the shadows, carrying another person by the collar of his jacket. He casually released his hold on the flak jacket, dumping the body by the enemy nin's feet. Mika's eyes progressively grew wider as she took in the familiar features of the dead body.

Haburashi, the strongest jonin of their platoon, who had been assigned to lead one of their smaller units. All of the air escaped from her lungs as the full weight of reality settled in.

Everyone was dead. Mika was the last one standing. And she was facing two S class missing nins. Holding off one, who had yet unleashed his full potential, was already a struggle.

But two? Mika stood no chance.

"For your bounty collection," the masked man drawled. "The bounty isn't much, but I figured you still want it."

The other man merely grunted in acknowledgement.

The masked man jutted his chin in Mika's direction. "Last one? The other squads all have been taken care of."

Fear welled up from the pit of her stomach, tendrils of her fright crawling its way through every fiber of her being. The invisible energy wrapped itself around her muscles, locking it into place. A douse of icy water crashed down upon her, snuffing out the fiery determination to fight back. Completely drenched in chills, everything went numb.

Her hands shook uncontrollably by her side. Tears slipped from the corner of her eyes as unwanted memories flooded through her mind as if to taunt her. As if to tell her that her horrible childhood would be matched with an equally horrible death.

Mika stared death in the face.

"Yeah."

The mask man's eyes flickered to his shoulder wound, flatly stating, "You were injured."

The other man growled in annoyance. "A lucky shot. And you know that earth is weak against lightning."

When he took a step forward, Mika's breath hitched in her throat. This was it. Sixteen years old was as far as she would go. Maybe death was a kinder option for her, so that Mika didn't have to live with herself being the very thing she despised.

Her only regret was leaving Yugito trapped in that horrible situation.

Mika almost let out a sigh of relief when the masked man stuck his arm out, halting the earth user's movements.

"What?" he grounded out, clearly irritated.

"Does she have a bounty on her head?"

He scoffed. "No. What kind of question is that?"

"Then there's no reason to kill her," the masked man stated. His dark eyes flickered over to her; her brown eyes met his through the holes of the porcelain mask. His gaze was laced with such intensity that Mika felt an invisible force pushing down on her, the energy snaking itself around her neck.

Mika gulped.

"She'll be more useful to us alive than dead." That simple statement was enough to send chills racing down her spine. For the first time, Mika was beginning to realize that the masked man was the more dangerous one of the two. The earth user was prone to acting first, yet that made him more predictable, more readable.

The masked man…he was volatile.

"So?" This time the masked man directed his statement at her. "In exchange for sparing your life, you'll do something for us."

Maybe Mika had read too many fictional novels, but those types of deals never ended well for the protagonist. It was only because of plot reasons that kept the protagonist alive, yet that fictional plot armor wouldn't translate to real life.

What would Mika choose? To die now or to die later? Despite the insurmountable odds stacked against her, the latter option afforded her a chance. A chance, however slim it may be. And perhaps that was what convinced her to agree, despite having zero idea of what they wanted from her.

"A wise choice," the masked man offhandedly commented. "Go meet up with Hanzo as it was originally planned."

Disbelief sputtered from her mouth before Mika could reign it in. "What?"

The masked man ignored her slip-up. "Tell Hanzo that Kumo's forces are coming a bit later than anticipated. You were sent ahead as the messenger. They will come in two days, so Hanzo should hold off his attack on the Akatsuki."

The puzzle pieces fell into place. These two were part of the Akatsuki, sent to intercept them before their forces could convene with Hanzo. But how did they know they were coming? Was there a spy among Hanzo's forces? Of course there was, it would be stupid for a group of insurgents to not have one.

"I know what you're thinking. If you try to cross us, rest assured that your death will be brutal." The threat was laced with an ominous and promissory tone. There was no doubt that the threat would be followed through if necessary.

It wouldn't be. Her instinct for self-preservation was one reason. The other? Mika didn't care enough to sacrifice her life for Kumo. If she saw an out, Mika would be damned if she didn't take it.

"Okay, I'll do as you ask."

"Good."

And that was her cue to get going. Spinning on the heels of her feet, Mika bolted from the clearing. She kept her eyes fixated on the route ahead of her, refusing to allow her gaze to wander. If it did, then the sight of her skewered comrades would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Her feet slapped loudly against the muddy ground, sending mud spraying in every direction. Mika intently ignored the cold, slimy feeling that dripped down from her calves, fearing that if she looked down, it would be a puddle of blood instead of mud.

The light drizzle soon became a downpour. The thick sheets of rain obscured her vision, yet it wasn't enough to break her stride. Mika kept running and running. The ghosts of those who she left behind trailed after her, screaming and yelling all sorts of accusations at her. At the forefront of the cacophony of voices was Katsu's.

Why was Mika the one to live while everyone else died? Maybe if she had been like the rest of them and had the courage to jump straight into battle, her body would have been one of many in that clearing.

A coward, a harsh voice hissed in the back of her mind. Mika forcibly shoved that voice out of her head and kept running.

Unknowingly, a stray tear slipped from the corner of her eye only to be lost to the rain.

End of Arc 1: Formation of the Akatsuki

A/N: Hi again!

This is the conclusion to the first arc of the fic which sets up the formation of the Akatsuki and how everything deviates from canon. The next arc will feature Uchiha clan drama, more badass Kakashi, and some revenge. :) Really excited to share the first Itachi chapter with you!

Also as a side note, Mika is an OC, and she's only going to play a minor role in this fic, so don't worry about OCs taking over. This is her brief introduction and she won't appear until the 3rd arc of the story.

What are you looking forward to the most in this fic?

Thanks for reading! Until next time.

-MM