Chapter 13: Welcome to the Akatsuki

As Byakuya finished his mission, ready to leave, he bumped into the leader of Kusagakure right on the main street.

The Kusagakure leader originally planned to directly help his men fighting the attacker. But halfway there, a thought struck him – what if the enemy targeted the Kusagakure building itself? With this worry, he quickly turned back with his guards.

Spotting Byakuya with a bulky sack slung over his shoulder, the Kusagakure leader, flanked by his guards, approached him. His eyes scanned Byakuya, then the suspicious sack, leading him to believe Byakuya was a petty thief taking advantage of the chaos.

With a frown etched on his face, he barked, "Hey there, kid! What's going on?"

Byakuya, momentarily caught off guard, quickly plastered a picture of guilt on his face. "Lord Kusakage, there was a huge commotion in the village just now, so I came out to see what was happening. And well, I just happened to run into you."

Hearing the title "Lord Kusakage," the leader puffed out his chest in satisfaction and dismissively waved Byakuya off. Technically, only the leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Nations deserved the Kage title, but hey, who wouldn't enjoy a little flattery, right? At least, the address of "Lord Kusakage" made him feel important.

After Byakuya disappeared into the crowd, one of the guards hesitantly spoke up, "Lord Leader, could that kid be the attacker?"

The Kusagakure leader, brimming with misplaced confidence, scoffed. "Takemura, don't be ridiculous! That kid's obviously just a petty thief. A little scolding is all he needs. There's no way he could be the ninja who attacked the village."

After all, even he, the leader, couldn't find the attacker. So, the chances of this seemingly young kid being the culprit were slim to none.

In his mind, the attacker must be at least an elite Jonin-level ninja. Probably from Konoha or Iwagakure, trying to force Kusagakure to pick a side in their ongoing conflict.

However, Kusagakure wasn't about to fully commit to either side. They were playing the waiting game, ready to support the eventual victor.

Just then, a ninja who stayed behind to defend the Kusagakure building came rushing over, panting. He delivered a report on the situation, and upon hearing that the building had been attacked by a young boy, a light bulb finally flickered on in the Kusagakure leader's head. He spun around and sprinted back to the street.

But the young boy from before was gone, vanished without a trace. All that remained was a single note. As the Kusagakure leader scanned the message, his face drained of all color.

"What does the note say?" a nearby subordinate inquired.

The Kusagakure leader, his voice tight with dawning realization, spoke a single word. "Deez."

"Deez what, sir?"

"Deez Nuts." Another agonizing moment passed before the leader choked out the final word, his face darkening with the weight of his folly.

Yup, a teenager had just given him a giant middle finger and exposed his earlier arrogance for all to see.

---

High up in the mountains overlooking Kusagakure, a different scene unfolded.

With Byakuya creating a thrilling distraction, Nagato and Konan, along with their companion Karen, managed to slip away from the clutches of Kusagakure.

After successfully shaking off their pursuers and double-checking for any lingering enemies with their sensory jutsu, Nagato and Konan finally reached their designated meeting point. Both of them, however, couldn't shake the lingering aftertaste of fear from the recent battle.

While their strength undeniably surpassed that of an average Jonin, a crucial element – real combat experience – was sorely lacking. Back in Amegakure, their opponents were mostly rogue ninjas from the Land of Rain, easily subdued by their sheer overwhelming power.

But Kusagakure proved to be a different beast entirely. Even with their formidable jutsu, the gap between them and their opponents seemed to have shrunk considerably.

The relentless Kusagakure ninjas put up a fierce fight, forcing Nagato and Konan to struggle for every inch of ground. Their hesitation cost them dearly, resulting in injuries, and when a Jonin-led pursuit team cornered them, they were pushed to the very brink of annihilation.

If it hadn't been for Nagato unleashing the devastating Shinra Tensei technique and taking down the Kusagakure Jonin, they might still be trapped within the village walls.

Yet, amidst the haze of fear and adrenaline, a strange sense of growth flickered within them.

Konan, once hesitant to unleash her full arsenal, now coldly tossed explosive tags with deadly precision, watching as enemies were consumed in fiery explosions.

Nagato too, had crossed a line, his hands now stained with the blood of several Kusagakure ninjas taken down with Shinra Tensei. The weight of these actions, whether they were a sign of progress or a descent into darkness, hung heavy in the air.

Shaking off the unsettling thoughts, Nagato's focus shifted to Byakuya, the one who had bravely drawn the enemy's attention, allowing them to escape.

He turned to Konan, a hint of worry etched on his face. "Konan, Byakuya hasn't shown up yet. Do you think something might have gone wrong?"

Konan, her mind flashing back to the brutal efficiency with which Byakuya dispatched rogue ninjas, offered a reassuring shake of her head.

Byakuya, she knew, was arguably the strongest ninja in their organization, second only to a raging Nagato. If they, battered but not broken, could escape the chaos of Kusagakure, then Byakuya, undoubtedly, wouldn't be far behind. 

For now, blind worry wouldn't help. All they could do was wait patiently for their comrade's return.

A figure emerged from the mountain path, striding confidently towards Nagato and Konan. It was Byakuya, and relief washed over them at the sight of their comrade.

Nagato greeted, a hint of lingering concern tinging his voice, "Byakuya, what took you so long?"

Byakuya smirked, a hint of mischief in his eyes. He hoisted a hefty sack over his shoulder and tossed it onto the ground with a satisfying thud. "Needed a little extra time to gather some intel," he declared, gesturing towards the bulging sack.

Nagato's curiosity piqued. "What's in the sack?"

"Ninjutsu scrolls and a few... interesting trinkets I found in the Kusagakure office," Byakuya replied casually, unsealing the sack and revealing a collection of scrolls. He spread them out before Nagato and Konan, his voice laced with a hint of generosity. "Take a look. See if there's anything that catches your eye."

Nagato and Konan exchanged a bewildered glance. Here they were, moments ago fretting over Byakuya's well-being, and now he presented them with stolen scrolls – a brazen souvenir from his daring raid on the Kusagakure headquarters.

This latest action solidified their growing apprehension about Byakuya, echoing Yahiko's earlier concerns. He was, without a doubt, a powerful and skilled ninja, but his methods bordered on reckless extremism.

The silence stretched as Nagato and Konan remained hesitant to reach for the scrolls. Byakuya, misinterpreting their reluctance, sighed dramatically.

"Fine, suit yourselves," he muttered, scooping the scrolls back into the sack. "Don't come crying to me later if you change your mind, though."

With that, Byakuya's attention shifted to Karen, who was scrutinizing the newcomer with equal intensity. Karen, her mother lookalike minus the signature glasses, remained cautiously silent.

Nagato and Konan had rescued her from a Kusagakure prison, a strange place filled with syringes containing a liquid suspiciously similar to her own blood.

The only thing she knew for certain was the red-haired young man – Nagato – shared her Uzumaki heritage.

The other two remained a complete mystery. Even Nagato, despite being a fellow Uzumaki, felt vaguely unfamiliar. Dōjutsu kekkei genkai, the rare bloodline trait, was something she'd never encountered in a clan member before

A tense silence followed Karen's lowered head. Byakuya, interpreting this as a sign of submission, gave a satisfied nod. Her demeanor – hesitant and unsure – suggested an innocence untouched by the harsh realities of the world.

The flicker of panic in her eyes when she looked at him solidified this notion.

Unlike the obsessive tendencies of her daughter, this Karen seemed more naturally shy. But of course, Byakuya couldn't completely discount the possibility of a facade.

Genuine or not, Karen's fate in the original timeline was a cruel one. Kusagakure would exploit her until they drained her life force after she gave birth. And even her daughter wouldn't escape a similar fate unless a twisted stroke of luck led her to Orochimaru.

Byakuya often pondered the root of Karin's obsessive behavior in the anime. Did prolonged suffering warp her mind, turning her into a textbook case of Stockholm Syndrome with an unhealthy fixation on Sasuke? 

From a leader's perspective, such unwavering devotion, even to the point of self-destruction, was a valuable asset. Imagine having followers so utterly loyal, so willing to sacrifice everything for the cause, that betrayal wouldn't even be a concern.

A dark thought wormed its way into his mind.

Could such loyalty be cultivated through cruelty? Perhaps if he released her now, let her experience unimaginable suffering, then offer her a lifeline - a place in the Akatsuki.

After all, those who lose all hope often cling desperately to the first sliver of kindness they're shown, forming an unhealthy attachment to their savior.

Pushing these disturbing musings aside, Byakuya extended a hand towards Karen, his voice firm yet laced with an underlying promise of power. "I am Byakuya of the Akatsuki. Welcome. Join us."

===

Please vote with Power Stones so that I can come in ranking and publish more.