Chapter 60 A Risky Proposal

Sasuke sat at the head of the room, his Eternal Mangekyōu sharingan hidden behind his calm, calculating eyes. The tension in the air was thick. Across the table sat Kimimaro, Yugito, Jugo, and Karin, each deep in their own thoughts. Sasuke's mind swirled with the proposal the so-called Madara had delivered to him in secrecy: capture the Eight Tails, Killer Bee, and the Akatsuki would leave Yugito alone.

"I don't trust them," Sasuke said, breaking the silence. His tone was clipped, his voice devoid of emotion. "They're playing us. This 'Madara' is using us like pawns on a chessboard, and I don't intend to play his game."

Kimimaro nodded, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the fire blazing in his pale eyes. "We cannot comply. Not only would it jeopardize everything you've built here, but it's clear that this man has his own agenda. He's hiding something, and it's dangerous."

Yugito snorted, her lips curling into a smirk. "They think us gullible. They think we'll just hand over another Jinchūriki like me without questioning why."

Jugo remained quiet, his hands resting on his knees. Karin fidgeted nervously, her sharp red eyes darting between the others as if waiting for someone to say the wrong thing.

"I have an idea," Yugito announced suddenly, her voice breaking the rising tension. She leaned forward, her dark eyes shimmering with feline intensity. "It might even solve all of our problems in one fell swoop."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, curious. "What's the plan?"

Yugito crossed her arms and gave a sly grin. "It relies on one assumption: Killer Bee. If we can relay a message to him—something only he would understand—then we can turn this whole mess around."

Karin frowned. "A message? The Akatsuki will be watching every move we make, monitoring every word we say. There's no way they'll let Sasuke deliver anything without interference."

"Not if he uses his sharingan," Yugito countered, looking directly at Sasuke. "Can you do it? Can you communicate with Bee directly through his mind? It needs to be subtle, fast, and undetectable."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He tilted his head slightly, weighing her suggestion. "It's possible," he admitted. "I can implant a memory or a thought without words, something only Bee would recognize."

"Good," Yugito said, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. "Because we're going to convince the Akatsuki we're delivering Bee to them… while warning him to stay one step ahead. Bee's smart. He'll play along."

Kimimaro tapped a single, bony finger against the table, his expression thoughtful. "That could work, but it's a dangerous gamble. If Bee doesn't understand the message, or if the Akatsuki see through the deception, it could mean the end of us all."

Jugo spoke up for the first time, his calm voice tinged with concern. "And what about the rest of the plan? Convincing Bee is only one part of this. We need to know exactly how to escape the Akatsuki."

Yugito nodded. "We don't just outright betray the Akatsuki—we deceive them completely. They'll think Bee fooled us too. Bee can handle himself. Eventually he'll need to coordinate with the Cloud Village, but the Akatsuki won't see our role in it."

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of his face. He looked at each of them in turn, assessing their resolve. Finally, he spoke.

"We'll do it," Sasuke said, his voice low but firm. "But we're not just delivering a warning to Bee. We're creating an illusion, one the Akatsuki won't realize is a lie until it's too late."

"A Decoy?" Karin leaned forward, her skepticism apparent. "You're planning on using what, exactly, as bait? You're not seriously suggesting—"

Sasuke cut her off. "No, not Bee himself. He's too important, and I wouldn't risk the real target. But the Akatsuki doesn't know every detail about him, nor do they know us well enough to see through a well-crafted deception. That's where we come in. By planting false information and creating the appearance of success, we buy Bee the time he needs to prepare while ensuring we escape unnoticed."

Jugo's brows furrowed. "Escape? What about the Sound Village? If we leave, won't they retaliate against Yugito?"

Yugito smirked, crossing her arms confidently. "They can try, but they won't succeed. I'll stay here and hold the fort while the rest of you leave. Someone has to keep the Sound Village standing, and I'm not afraid of the Akatsuki. Let them come."

Sasuke frowned, concern flickering across his face. "Yugito, if they realize we've tricked them, they'll come after you with everything they have. You'll be their first target."

Yugito's resolve hardened. "Good. Let them. This is my home now, Sasuke, and I'm not running from a fight. Besides, I'm not exactly defenseless. I have Samehada now, and Kimimaro has turned this village into a fortress. If the Akatsuki think they can take me down, they'll be sorely mistaken."

"This plan is insane. If we're wrong—" Karin sighed, still unsure.

"We're not wrong," Sasuke interrupted. His tone left no room for argument. "Yugito will lead the Sound Village in our absence. Karin, Jugo, Kimimaro, and I will leave immediately after the deception is complete. By the time the Akatsuki realize what's happened, it'll be too late to pursue us. And they won't have Bee."

Kimimaro nodded, his calm resolve unshaken. "It's a sound strategy. Bold, but effective. If we execute it correctly, the Akatsuki will lose more than they gain."

Sasuke stood, his presence commanding the room. "Then it's settled. Yugito will remain here, in charge of the Sound Village, while the rest of us move forward. Prepare yourselves. We leave at dawn."

The room fell silent as the gravity of their decision settled over them. Yugito crossed her arms, her feline eyes gleaming with determination. Karin adjusted her glasses, her mind already racing through the details they'd need to perfect. Jugo silently nodded, his loyalty unwavering. Kimimaro stood tall, ever the stoic warrior.

Sasuke turned toward the door, his mind already moving to the next steps. The Akatsuki thought they had the upper hand, but they were about to learn just how far the Uchiha were willing to go to protect what was theirs.

—

The air was heavy as Sasuke walked through the dimly lit streets of the Village Hidden in the Sound. The low murmur of villagers faded into the background as his destination loomed ahead: the central hall. Kabuto had approached him not long ago, speaking of a mysterious visitor who had arrived in the village. The stranger had asked for Sasuke by name, and while Kabuto's tone was even, there was a flicker of unease in his gaze.

Sasuke pushed open the large wooden doors to the hall and stepped inside. Standing in the center was a woman draped in a cloak he knew all too well—red clouds on black fabric, the unmistakable uniform of the Akatsuki. His newly awakened Eternal Mangekyōu sharingan spun to life reflexively as he assessed her.

"Who are you," he said, his voice calm but cold, "to wear that cloak?"

The woman's expression didn't change. She stood poised, her blue hair catching faint glimmers of light. "This cloak," she began, her voice smooth and deliberate, "meant something far different before the world came to know it as a symbol of fear and destruction. Once, it stood for justice and hope, born from the dream of three orphans in a war-torn land."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. He studied her posture, her tone, her face—every instinct told him she wasn't here to fight. There was no killing intent in her demeanor. Still, he kept his guard up.

The woman continued. "I am Konan, of Amegakure. Long ago, this cloak represented something pure, something worth believing in. But war…" She paused, her amber eyes softening. "War twists even the noblest of intentions. Our ideals were tainted after Yahiko's death. Nagato, believing himself to be a god, sought peace through dominance and fear."

Konan's gaze turned to Sasuke, her voice wavering. "But Naruto Uzumaki… your friend… changed everything. He defeated The Six Paths of Pain, the man I followed for years, and shattered the god Nagato thought he was. More than that, Naruto showed us something we had lost. Mercy. He saved Nagato. Because of him, Nagato used the last of his strength to bring back those he had killed."

Sasuke said nothing at first, his thoughts a storm of memories and questions. "And why are you here, Konan of Amegakure—not to share news of my distant friends?" he asked finally, his tone sharp. "What do you want from me?"

Konan took a step closer, her presence commanding yet calm. "I've come to propose something—a new way forward. The major nations… Konoha, Kumo, Suna, Iwa, Kiri… they have ruled this world for far too long, waging endless wars and leaving destruction and anguish in their wake. But there are other villages, smaller villages, that have suffered under their shadow."

Sasuke tilted his head slightly, his interest piqued despite himself.

"I've spoken to leaders of some of these minor villages," Konan continued, her voice steady. "The Hidden Villages of Snow, Waterfall, Grass, and others. They are tired of being dismissed, tired of their people being used as pawns in the games of the Five Great Nations. We want to form an alliance—a coalition of the forgotten, the overlooked, the dismissed. Together, we can stand against the tyranny of the great nations and create a world where power is not determined by size or history, but by unity and justice."

Sasuke studied her, his mind racing. He thought of his own journey, of the Uchiha Clan, of Konoha's history and the blood it had spilled. He thought of Naruto, of his dream to bring peace. But Sasuke's dream was different—it was darker, more pragmatic. Peace could not be achieved without breaking the systems that allowed war to thrive.

"And you came to me because?" he asked, his voice low.

"Because you understand," Konan said simply. "You've seen the hypocrisy of the major nations first hand. You've walked a path of loss and vengeance. You know what it's like to be abandoned, to be used. But more than that, you've built something here, Sasuke Uchiha. This village is proof that even the forgotten can rise again. You've created a sanctuary for those who have nowhere else to go."

Sasuke's eyes flickered briefly to the side, where he could sense the chakra of Kimimaro and Yugito waiting outside, his silent sentinels.

"You want me to join this… coalition?" he asked finally.

"Yes. Stand with us. Your strength, your vision, it can inspire others to believe in this cause. You are not bound by the legacy of the great nations, not anymore. You've forged your own path, and others will follow."

Silence filled the room as Sasuke considered her words. His sharingan deactivated, the tension in his stance easing slightly. He thought of Itachi, of his brother's sacrifice to protect the village that had ordered the massacre of their clan. He thought of the Akatsuki, of the twisted ideals that had led them to destruction. And he thought of Naruto, the one person who still believed in him despite everything.

Finally, Sasuke spoke. "If I agree to this, it will be on my terms. I won't be a pawn in someone else's game. Not again."

Konan nodded, her expression unreadable. "Of course. This is not a game, Sasuke. This is a chance to change the world."

"Then we'll see if your coalition is worth my time." He met her gaze, his own resolve hardening.

Konan gave a slight bow, her cloak billowing around her as she turned to leave. "I'll await your answer. But know this, Sasuke: the world doesn't change on its own. It needs people willing to fight for it."

As the doors closed behind her, Sasuke stood alone in the dimly lit hall, his mind a storm of thoughts. The path ahead was uncertain, but for the first time in a long while, he felt something he hadn't since he'd killed Itachi and become disillusioned with Konoha—a sense of purpose.