Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters used within the story.

A bit late on the update... sorry I guess.

Blackmail

Chapter 3

Sasuke Uchiha felt two large chakra signatures just about a kilometer and a half from the treetop he stood upon, far larger than most of the Konoha nin he had fought less than five minutes ago. Flames of curiosity and intrigue ignited with him.

Analyzing the chakra signatures, he realized that one of the individuals carried five distinct chakra sources on his back. Each signature emitted a unique aura, yet something was unsettling about them—they were devoid of life, absent of soul, nothing but empty husks of energy.

The realization struck Sasuke with a sense of familiarity. Working with the Akatsuki during his time under Obito's influence, combined with the descriptions he had read in Orochimaru's journal, led him to suspect that these mysterious people may be affiliated with the notorious organization.

Determined and resolute, Sasuke's decision was made. With a swift burst of chakra, he propelled himself forward, utilizing his mastery of the Body Flicker technique to close the distance rapidly.

"A Bounty Hunter Outpust, huh?" Sasuke commented, observing the sign placed on the building after he landed gracefully. The door was open, leading into a barely lighted room.

Stretching out his senses confirmed that there were at least four other people, excluding the two large chakra signatures he had recently sensed, all hosting reserves twice the size of the average Chunin.

"Kakuzu," Sasuke spoke out loud, remembering Orochimaru's description of the man as an avid bounty hunter, who enjoyed the taste of money to the point of obsession.

It seems plans had to be changed...

"Wow, this man is... you destroyed his face. I have no words. You know... maybe it's time for a little mercy? Surely you could've—"

"Is the face identifiable?"

"Yes it is, but—"

"Then it is enough. I do not like waiting, so I want my money. Now."

"Right, right, sorry. My bad, yeah—Dear God, you shinobi bounty hunters sure are impatient."

The woman went inside. A few minutes she returned later, placing a black bag on the counter. "Well, here it is–two million Ryo per head. You can count the bills if you want," she said, as she placed her head on her arm whilst leaning down on the desk. Examining her fingernails as if disinterested, she continued. "Don't worry though, we'll always be trustworthy to our most loyal customer."

Kakuzu picked up the bag and hefted it over his shoulder. He spun around in the direction of the exit. "Hidan, let's go."

"Finally! That money nonsense is so unbelievably annoying! I haven't gotten to sacrifice for Lord Jashin in nearly two days!"

"You will have to wait until we finish our mission. The Akatsuki requires more funds before the plan is set in motion."

The tread of heavy footsteps could be heard as the two, highly dangerous rogue ninja made their way up the stairs.

"Meh. All this Akatsuki stuff is so boring! If Lord Jashin was in charge of this group we'd be doing something more fun! Like sacrificing children in front of their mothers! Or massacring a town! Or even—!"

"Hidan. Shut up–or I'll kill you."

"I've told you a thousand times–just try it!"

"Your disgusting heart would be a stain in my collection."

"You just say that because you can't accept that my immortality from Lord Jashin is far superior to yours."

"If being a deranged, loud-mouthed lunatic is part of this 'immortality' of yours, then you can keep that nonsense with you." Kakuzu turned to glare at his partner, irritation burning through his body. "And keep quiet. You really are starting to get on my nerves."

But Hidan wasn't paying attention. His focus was entirely somewhere else. "Oi, oi, oi–doesn't that guy over there resemble Itachi a lot, except that he's much better looking?" he said, pointing his scythe in the direction of the described person.

Kakuzu turned in the pointed direction and saw a boy, who accurate to Hidan's physical description, had a face very similar to Itachi's. Clad in a purple zipped-up half-sleeve jacket, his attire was completed by a blue cloth wrapped around his waist, secured by a meticulously tied purple rope. A lock of hair hid his left eye.

The boy stood ramrod straight, supremely confident and had the air of a person who had absolute confidence in his power.

"Who the hell are you, pretty boy?!" Hidan opened his big mouth. Kakuzu felt like punching him in the face.

The boy spread his arms wide. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha and I am not going to mince any words–I am here to eliminate you. Then, I will... dispose of the Akatsuki. "

Silence.

Shocked silence met this declaration. No one spoke a word. No one moved. Only the distant chirping of birds could be heard along with the sound of falling leaves. Then—

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA–"

The Jashinist doubled over, clutching his sides as his boisterous guffaws filled the vicinity. Even Kakuzu, known for his stoic demeanor, couldn't help but raise an amused eyebrow at the spectacle before him. A barely, wet behind the ears child was threatening an organization of the most dangerous ninjas across the continent? Had he lost his mind?

"Y–y–you–hold on give me a sec... Wooh–that's–HAHAHAHAHA–just–you know that's the funniest thing I've heard since the screams of that child I sacrificed for the glory of Lord Jashin," Hidan spoke, his voice full of mirth.

As the laughter slowly subsided, a spark of deranged interest gleamed in Hidan's eyes. "Well, well, looks like you've got some guts, kid," Hidan admitted, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "How about this? Since you're obviously out of your mind, we'll let you off the hook. You only have to go through a ritual and accept Lord Jashin as the one and true God. Pretty good deal, eh?"

Sasuke gave a derisive snort.

Kakuzu closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. "Agreed."

"Huh?! Kakuzu! You're supposed to be taking my side! Fraternizing with the enemy I see?!"

"On the contrary, it is better to side with the enemy than with you."

"You bastard! Blasphemers, the both of you!" Hidan screamed before calming himself down. A sadistic smile danced on his face. "Ah well, we've never gotten along well anyway," he continued before raising his arm and pointing his scythe at Sasuke. "Well brat, since you've decided to reject my glorious offer, Lord Jashin does not seem to be pleased."

"Hidan, wait–"

The addressed individual did not care. He ran at incredibly high speeds, his scythe behind him poised, ready to strike. In one swift movement he moved his weapon in an arc, the sharp ends of the blade ready to meet the flesh of the Uchiha.

Kakuzu expected the boy to dodge, perhaps even draw that sword of his that he carried behind his back for a block. What he most certainly did not expect was for Sasuke's hand to catch the Jashinist's weapon of choice with two fingers. Two fingers.

"Huh? What the fu—!"

A concentrated surge of lightning rippled into existence from Sasuke's digits. It was rapidly directed through Hidan's scythe—who seemed to be paralyzed—and into Hidan himself.

Then Hidan exploded.

Blood, gore, and guts were scattered all over the place. Not a single organ of the Akatsuki member was left untouched, all torn asunder into a thousand pieces.

Kakuzu, eyes wide as saucers, was left stumped, baffled, flabbergasted–

The sight before him was something he had never imagined in years. Hidan, an S-Rank rogue ninja brought low by a mere child? Impossible. But what he had just witnessed went against all expectations. The Taki rogue nin realized that perhaps he had judged his adversary's power level far too quickly.

Determination coursed through him as black tendrils snaked out from the joints of his limbs at the new unexpected threat. He who fought and survived the First Hokage would not die here. "I admit you are far stronger than you appear to be. However, you will find out that fools who do not know their limits are crushed under their superiors."

He directed his chakra to—

And he found himself effortlessly choked by a lightning-coated hand.

How?

HOW?

Kakuzu wanted to scream—

Except he couldn't. Cold, overwhelming dread consumed his very being upon the sudden realization of being unable to move. He was completely paralyzed from neck to toe.

Desperation and anger flickered in Kakuzu's eyes as he struggled to speak, his voice tinged with defiance. "You...! Just what do you want from us?! For what reason would you target the Akatsuki?!"

"As I said, I'm going to eliminate the Akatsuki."

He hadn't believed that statement earlier, but now with the raw power he had seen from the boy, he had no doubts anymore.

He then was pulled down to eye level, red eyes staring back at him with an icy resolve. "My reasons are completely irrelevant to you."

And Kakuzu's world plunged into darkness.

Itachi's eyes to flickered to the eight other figures in the cave—none truly there of course. They were merely holograms, apparitions to communicate with each other.

"Kakuzu," the leader of the Akatsuki, spoke in an authoritative voice, his purple eyes blazing with intensity. "Why have you summoned us? And most importantly–where is Hidan?"

Itachi turned to give his full attention to the self-proclaimed immortal ninja. He too was curious to know the reason for the Jashinist's absence.

Kakuzu, eyes closed, paused for a few seconds dramatically. Then he finally spoke, eyes still shut. "Hidan is... dead."

Silence met this proclamation. Then—

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA–"

White Zetsu laughed well and hard.

"Oh–didn't that guy rave around about how great his immortality is? To think he would die first–how ironic–HAHAHA—!"

"Shut up. Losing a member when we haven't even started our plans? Unacceptable."

"Meh, I think it's good that he died," the youngest of the Akatsuki spoke. "That guy was insane–his whole religion was only killing! No sense of art at all!"

"I agree with Deidara-san. That man was barbaric and I say that as someone who's from the Bloody Mist. His death is for the betterment of the Akatsuki," Kisame grinned in obvious delight at the Jashinist's end.

Itachi also agreed with the sentiment of his partners. He was glad he would not be hearing more of that endless, intolerable, and unnecessary boasting of Hidan.

"Regardless of whether we agree with Hidan's actions or not–as Zetsu mentioned–the loss of a member is detrimental to our plans moving forward," Pain spoke, his voice strong, firm, and unyielding. His attention was fully focused on the remnant of the immortal duo. "Kakuzu, do you know the reason for his death, or perhaps you have a hand in your partner's demise?"

All eyes were on Kakuzu, the tension growing tenfold in the room with Pain's inquiry. The Taki rogue ninja had a constant problem of needing his partner to be replaced due to his uncanny ability to kill his allies.

Then Kakuzu's eyes opened revealing...

"Sharingan?!" Deidara yelled in bewildered wonder, the rest of the Akatsuki in similar states of shock. Itachi could not blame his fellow ninja for the surprising exclamation. He too, was equally surprised. "I thought you bastards were extinct when Itachi went on his murder frenzy! Have you been hiding that the whole time?!"

Itachi bit back a retort, hating the fact that his actions were always dismissed as the actions of an out-of-control psychopath. Alas, it was the path he chose, and he would not betray the trust the Leaf had in him.

"I see. You are not Kakuzu, are you?" Pain spoke once again, a piercing glare reflecting on his expression. His voice rang of malevolent cold, freezing death.

"As expected of the leader of the Akatsuki, you catch on quickly," the pretender spoke. "I am not Kakuzu... I am Sasuke Uchiha."

Itachi could only stare in near-open-mouthed shock, desperately trying to rein in his emotions. The indifferent mask he crafted was falling apart.

"Sasuke Uchiha..." Kisame muttered, drawing the name out as if in contemplation. Then his eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah, that brat who Itachi-san manhandled in that inn we raided when searching for the nine-tails," he laughed remembering the incident fondly. He turned his attention towards his partner. "I remember quite vividly that–huh? Itachi-san that's the most emotion you've shown since our first meeting. Something wrong?"

Itachi–ignoring his counterpart–immediately schooled his expression back to cool indifference. Losing control at a moment that required his immediate attention would not bode well for his plans. "Sasuke... Foolish little brother, for what reason would you want to speak to us?"

The impostor's eyes crinkled into a mockery of a smile, unusual on the stern face of the wielder of the Jiongu. "You. I want you."

"So, revenge it is–we were warned of this... The brat now has the bark to complement his bite. However, Itachi is older and far more experienced than you. Still, think you can take him on?" Sasori spoke up for the first time, intrigued by the sudden turn of events.

Kakuzu, controlled by his little brother, ignored the puppet master's words. He pointed at him, his voice carrying a cold, commanding edge as he spoke. "Bounty Hunter Outpost 47, the closest to the Hidden Grass, Today. This is the location where we will meet."

There was a dramatic pause as Sasuke's gaze swept across the room, locking eyes with each Akatsuki member in turn.

"If you do not comply, I will leak intel on the Akatsuki – every single one of you – I know it all, including your plans. The eight of you may hold plenty of power as a unit, but you will still fall beneath the might of the Five Great Nations... You have a day to arrive at the intended location – No more, no less."

The room was cold, unbearably cold with each breath feeling like shards of ice cutting through the lungs. The tension was so palpable that it clung to every corner, wrapping the space in an invisible shroud of anxiety and apprehension.

Then finally, the hologram of the most infamous bounty hunter shimmered out of existence and then there was silence... thick, uncomfortable, tension-filled silence.

Blackmail.

It had been years since Itachi felt such utter, unadulterated disbelief and surprise.

His younger, foolish little brother had just blackmailed the Akatsuki.

Never in his more than two decades of life did Itachi expect the possibility of Sasuke pulling off such an audacious stunt. The idea of his impulsive little brother, who had once been driven solely by revenge, now wielding blackmail as a weapon against an organization like the Akatsuki was almost comical if it wasn't so dangerously real.

"I believe this is a rather delicate situation..." Pain spoke, eyes blazing with intensity. Itachi grimaced internally seeing the pure white-hot fury on the leader's face. Did Sasuke want to die?

"Delicate! This... this is – What the hell?! Did he just threaten us all at the same time? Is he stupid?! Itachi, I know you Uchiha's are crazy but that is far beyond insane! We can't take this crap lying down!"

"I agree with my partner for once. It would be disrespectful to our reputation if we simply turn the other side and ignore this blatant intimidation tactic on the Akatsuki."

"I will go to him," The older Uchiha sibling spoke up for the first time, his voice completely blank betraying the panic he felt internally. There was a hush, a silence that had overtaken the cave, beckoning for Itachi to continue speaking. "As Sasori mentioned, my abilities will no doubt triumph over his. Let me go alone."

If Pain brought down the full might of the Akatsuki on his younger brother, there was no doubt that all his dreams, his sacrifices, and the people he slaughtered for Konoh—Sasuke would be rendered void and useless.

"Denied."

Hot fury and frustration overtook his entire being at the single word from the Leader.

"Your brother–if he managed to drag information from Kakuzu, is no doubt having information on some of our abilities. If he feels confident to blackmail our organization to do his bidding then I am certain that he is in possession of some powerful technique or... he has quick means of transport to escape in the most likely scenario of defeat. As such you will not be allowed to go... alone."

Itachi reluctantly backed down. The only sign of his mounting vexation was the clenched fist hidden behind the sleeves of his robe.

"Kisame shall accompany you on this mission. And Itachi..."

The addressed nukenin stared at Pain's hard, cold eyes, glowing with otherwordly intensity—an involuntary shudder coursed through his spine.

"Failure to eliminate your brother will not be tolerated."

Itachi found his voice, steady but laced with an undeniable tremor. "Understood," he replied, his words measured and controlled. "I shall not fail."

"Very well. Disperse."

Just what have you gotten yourself into Sasuke?

"So, that's how it is."

"Indeed. He's grown quite bold."

"HAHAHAHA– imagine threatening the Akatsuki of all things. Although I'm not gonna lie, I enjoyed seeing the look on Itachi's face. You should've seen that too– the shock, the fear– the funniest thing I've seen all week. HAHAHAHAHA—"

"Shut. Up."

"Aw, you're no fun."

The millennia-old puppetmaster ignored his counterpart's whining. "Now because Sasuke has become an antagonistic force to our cause, there is a possibility of our plan backfiring. Is recruitment off the agenda?"

"This changes nothing. Sasuke will join our side regardless of his current actions. It is only due to Itachi's rather forceful methods to fester hatred in Sasuke that he has resorted to such drastic measures to achieve his goal. However, once he learns the truth of that day... he will be easy to manipulate in whatever direction I please."

"I see... and what of Pain and the Akatsuki's inevitable disagreement?"

"Yeah... he did trample on their fragile egos. Hehehehehe– It must burn from the inside."

The man waved a dismissive hand.

"I shall deal with Pain and he in turn shall convince the Akatsuki."

For a moment no one spoke a word. Only the sounds of rustling leaves filled the air along with the distant chirping of birds. Then the man brushed off his robe and got up, displacing a few nearby pebbles.

"Bounty Hunter Outpost 47 was it? Come Zetsu– time is of the essence and we have talked for far too long."

The man who walked the Earth under the guise of Konoha's greatest traitor disappeared in a spiraling vortex.

AN: And done! Took a while, but done!

RageSage: Final Valley Sasuke from Shippuden.

nirmtheworm14: That's what I'm going for. The Rinnegan deserves recognition from a canonical Rinnegan user.

Hidden bane: You know what? I'm interested. What do you think Sasuke and Itachi's relationship is like? I don't mind essays or links (as long as it's secure).

I-Nex-I: I'm not trying to make it a long standing fic. I don't have the time nor commitment for something like that... yet.