Chapter 62: New Member
The Rain Village loomed under a perpetual drizzle, its steel towers glistening in the dim light. At the heart of the Akatsuki headquarters, atop the highest spire, Hasumi Maki sprawled across a stone table like a discarded rag, his limbs splayed in mock exhaustion.
Pain stood before him, his Rinnegan piercing the gloom. "The mission failed?"
Maki's gaze drifted to the ceiling, his voice flat. "Yeah."
"Why?" Pain's tone was sharp, his eyes narrowing. "With your strength, failure shouldn't be possible."
Maki flipped upright, his face flushing with irritation—not at Pain, but at the Konoha shinobi who'd derailed his plans. "Blame my insufferable brother!" he snapped, his voice dripping with venom. "You don't get how unhinged he is! He was ready to die with me, can you believe it? And Sasori—don't get me started! Fighting his own grandmother, hesitating like a sentimental fool. It made my skin crawl."
Pain's expression remained impassive, though a flicker of curiosity crossed his face. "And then?"
"I kneaded them both into a ball," Maki said, shrugging as if it were trivial. His Idle Transfiguration had literally fused Sasori and Chiyo into a grotesque mass, their souls entwined in a twisted mockery of unity.
Pain nodded, familiar with Maki's ruthless abilities. "And Deidara?"
Maki's lips twisted into a pout. Did he look like he cared about anyone else? "I was in a foul mood, so I left him behind. Didn't bother checking." He tilted his head, a mock-thoughtful frown forming. "He wouldn't let those Konoha brats kill him, right? That'd be pathetic."
As if summoned, Deidara's clay bird swooped into the tower, landing on the tongue-like platform jutting from the edge. Deidara leapt off, his eyes blazing as he stormed toward Maki. "Why'd you kill Sasori?"
Maki clicked his tongue, smirking. "What, you here to avenge him or something?"
"No," Deidara said, his voice steady but edged with frustration. "I just want answers."
"Because I can't stand when someone spares an enemy over family ties," Maki said, grabbing a fistful of Deidara's hair and yanking hard, making him wince. "Got it?" His eyes glinted with menace as he loomed over the artist.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +500!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +500!]
[Chakra (72,440,500 / 100,000,000)]
"Enough," Pain interjected, his voice cutting through the tension to prevent a brawl. "What's done is done. Sasori's gone. Hasumi, you and Deidara are a team now." He glanced into the shadows, his tone shifting. "We also have a new member. Tobi. He'll join you two for now, as an unofficial member. Guide him."
From the darkness, a figure emerged, clad in a spiral mask. Tobi bowed with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Hello, senpais! I'm Tobi! Please take care of me!"
Maki's eyes gleamed with mischief as he locked gazes with Tobi. Leaning close, he whispered, "Rin."
"Huh?" Tobi's voice feigned confusion, but his pupils contracted sharply behind the mask, betraying a flicker of recognition.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +5,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +5,000!]
[Chakra (72,445,500 / 100,000,000)]
…
Three days later, under the golden sunlight bathing Konoha, Renji stood on the Hokage Building's rooftop, facing Tsunade. His voice was steady but heavy with the weight of their mission. "We first faced Uchiha Itachi's interception. It wasn't his real body, so we handled it, but after he vanished…" Renji's expression darkened, his words measured. "The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, appeared."
Tsunade's face paled, her breath catching. "What?!"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +5,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +5,000!]
[Chakra (72,450,500 / 100,000,000)]
Her eyes flicked to Naruto, standing beside Renji, his grin defiant yet tinged with pain. "Don't worry, Granny Tsunade! I took down my dad myself!" he said, his voice bold but his eyes betraying the ache of facing his father in a life-or-death clash.
Tsunade's heart sank. Naruto had grown, and secrets could no longer be kept from him. The Revivalist Alliance, forcing father and son into such a cruel confrontation, was far more vile than Akatsuki. The thought of loved ones turned enemies chilled her—what if that fate awaited them all?
"As for Hasumi Maki, an Akatsuki member…" Renji hesitated, his voice lowering, "we discovered his weakness."
"What is it?" Tsunade leaned forward, her impatience barely contained.
"He and I share a unique Bloodline Limit," Renji said, his gaze dropping. "We can only die if we're both killed at the same time. If one lives, the other will revive, no matter what."
Tsunade's eyes widened, shock rippling through her. Such a Bloodline Limit was unheard of—too powerful, too dangerous. Let Renji die to stop Maki? Unthinkable. She dismissed the notion instantly, her hand landing firmly on Renji's shoulder. "You'll surpass him, Renji. If you can suppress Maki completely, he's no threat. Your safety is secured by this bond."
She glanced at Kakashi, seeking confirmation. "Maki uses Flying Thunder God, correct?"
Kakashi nodded, his expression grim. "Yes."
"I don't know how he learned it," Tsunade said, her eyes blazing with determination as she looked at Renji, "but if he can master it, so can you. You share the same Bloodline Limit. Learn Flying Thunder God, and he won't stand a chance."
Renji blinked, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Clever, Tsunade. It was the perfect excuse to reveal his own mastery of the technique without suspicion. "I'll try," he said, his tone humble.
Kakashi nodded in agreement. "It's a solid plan."
"Anything else?" Tsunade pressed, her voice urgent.
Sakura stepped forward, her expression resolute. "We got intel on Orochimaru from Sasori before Maki… dealt with him. Sasori said it was a reward for defeating him. Orochimaru will meet an insider from Sasori's network at Tenchi Bridge in Kusagakure, noon, ten days from now."
"Ten days?" Tsunade frowned, calculating. "That's four days from now. The journey takes three days at least."
Sakura's eyes burned with urgency. She couldn't miss this chance to see Sasuke, to bring him back. Her heart pounded, urging her to leave immediately.
"It could be a trap," Tsunade warned, her voice calm but heavy. "Akatsuki might be using Orochimaru as bait to lure Naruto. You'd be walking into a cage."
"Then we fight!" Sakura's voice was unwavering, her fists clenched. She feared losing Team 7 more than any battle.
Tsunade sighed, seeing the fire in Sakura's eyes. Renji and Naruto would be just as stubborn, and Kakashi wouldn't pass up a lead on Sasuke. "You've seen Akatsuki's strength. With Sasuke gone, your team's short a member. You need someone new."
Her words felt forced—Konoha wasn't her personal domain. The elders' influence often bound her hands, forcing compromises she loathed.
"Who's that?!" Naruto's head snapped around, his senses sharp as he spotted a figure in the shadows cast by the Hokage Building's spire.
The young man stood cloaked in darkness, his face obscured. Naruto's eyes narrowed, suspicion flaring. Was he eavesdropping?
Before he could act, two massive pythons erupted from the ground, coiling around him with crushing force. Naruto's kunai flashed, its edge gleaming, but the serpents' hides were unnaturally tough, resisting his strength.
A chill ran down his spine as a short blade pressed against his neck, cold and unyielding. "Who are you?" Naruto growled, his eyes locked on the stranger.
"Are you Naruto-kun?" The young man's voice was soft, his smile measured and eerily precise, like a mask carved to perfection. Sai's gaze slid past Naruto to Renji, a glint of defiance in his eyes. "So this is the weakling you chose over me, Renji."
Naruto's face darkened, his fists clenching as rage ignited. "What did you say?!"
"Your strength is pathetic," Sai continued, his lips curling. "You call yourself a ninja?"
With a swift kick, Sai sent Naruto sprawling, the impact echoing across the rooftop. Sai sheathed his blade with graceful precision, then stepped toward Renji, wrapping his arms around him in an intimate embrace, his cheek pressed against Renji's shoulder like a loyal pet. "I missed you so much," he murmured, his voice a soft breeze, rippling with feigned affection.
"Renji," Sai said, his tone dripping with tenderness, his eyes gleaming with possessive longing.
"You bastard!" Naruto roared, lunging at Sai, his teeth grinding. "Get your hands off him!"
Tsunade stepped in, her voice sharp. "Naruto, stop! Sai's replacing Sasuke on your team."
"What?!" Naruto's eyes widened, shock and fury warring within him. He clenched his fists, ready to charge again. "He attacked me!"
Sai tilted his head, his smile apologetic but hollow. "Sorry about that. I had to test your strength, since we'll be comrades." His tone was sincere, but the smirk betrayed him. "Just clearing up doubts about your… little penis."
"What?!" Naruto's fists cracked, his rage boiling over as he prepared to lunge.
Sakura grabbed him, her voice urgent. "Naruto, calm down! He's our teammate now. Don't start a fight!"
Tsunade's first impression of Sai matched her worst fears about ROOT—cold, calculating, with barbs hidden behind a false smile. Sakura frowned, blunt as ever. "You make people uncomfortable."
"Do I?" Sai's lips curved, unperturbed.
"You'll make enemies talking like that," Sakura said, her patience thinning.
Sai shrugged, his tone indifferent. "I like it. And being disliked by a self-important, unattractive, fat girl like you? That's perfectly fine."
Sakura's eyes blazed, her voice a roar. "What did you say?!"
Naruto held her back, irony thick in his voice. "Sakura, didn't you just tell me to stay calm?"
"Quiet!" Tsunade's voice cut through, her face like stone. "We're short on time. No bickering. Introduce yourselves, now."
"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto muttered, his reluctance clear.
"Sakura Haruno," Sakura said, her tone flat, too exasperated to elaborate.
"I'm Sai," he said, his gaze lingering on Renji. "Renji and I were inseparable in ROOT. Still are." He turned to Naruto and Sakura, his smile sharp. "Unlike some useless loudmouth and an ugly girl, Renji's worth my time."
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