Naruto: Akatsuki

The explosion was loud enough to alert everyone situated within the walls of Yugakure.

The once silent night was now louder than the bustling street, albeit filled with panic and fear instead of positive sentiments.

The war has finally spread onto Yugakure. The people weren't aware of this possibility, but here it was, becoming the victims of the brutality that they used to spectate from within the walls.

Boom.

The ninjas of Yugakure clashed against the ninjas of Kumogakure. Unfortunately, the peace-ridden ninjas of Yu were lacking in comparison to the veterans of Kumo; they were falling one by one, and the battle was more one-sided than expected.

"...Daimyo-sama."

Just outside the fallen building of daimyo, Minato stood, in front of the daimyo whom he rescued during the explosion.

The daimyo's body was shaking as he registered what just happened.

"Unfortunately, there is no more time."

Said Minato, grimly.

"Kumo invaded with a malicious intent. Should you decide to stand with Konoha, I will aid you to safety. Should you not..."

"I-I will! I will join!!"

Hurriedly, the daimyo shouted—without an ounce of elegance.

Minato smiled to that, before his blue eyes suddenly shifted toward the left.

Subsequently, Minato, along with the daimyo whom he was holding, disappeared with a yellow flash, right before the muscular man covered in vigorous electricity, A, blasted through the empty air.

"Yellow Flash... here we meet."

Grinning, A turned around and viewed Minato who stood with the daimyo whose face was pale.

"Aren't you interested as well, of who's the faster one among us two?"

"A of A-B Combo."

Minato sighed before revealing his tri-pronged kunai.

Then, his eyes sharpened.

...

CLANG!

The sparks sprinkled as Akashi's clone met the lightning-imbued Kiba blade against B's greatsword.

The lightning that was supposed to run down the blade of the greatsword was negated as B managed to imbue it with his own lightning chakra. 

The spark intensified. Seeing that B wasn't someone to be meddled with, Akashi's clone swiftly backed.

"Water Release: Water Bullet!"

Immediately after, Mei followed with a technique, spewing out a dense bullet of water that seemed nigh impossible to sight within the darkness.

However, B who was wearing the sunglasses in this night ironically sighted the technique as if it was as vivid as during the daytime. 

"Fool, ya fool!"

Rapping freely, he placed his foot against a bark before propelling himself forward. Spinning acrobatically, he gathered his momentum unto his greatsword and attempted to slam it on Akashi's clone.

Akashi's clone swiftly sidestepped, letting B's greatsword strike the ground—with a strength huge enough to form a crack on the ground.

For a moment there, B was left open. Not letting go of the chance, Akashi's clone stabbed forth—

Lightning Release: Chakra Mode.

—only to see his electric-containing sword unable to pierce through the sudden layer of lightning that burst out of B's exposed body. 

Knocked away from the intense lightning, Akashi's clone had his feet skidding before he managed to stop.

'...I need to locate the original.'

B wasn't someone whom the clone could deal with. It was also evident that B was quite an all-rounder unlike Mei, who was a ninjutsu specialist. If left to fight B alone, Akashi was certain that Mei would lose.

Thankfully, there was some degree of water within the area thanks to Mei's previous technique. 

Akashi sent Mei a signal, and knowingly, Mei nodded.

As B raised an eyebrow, Mei formed hand seals,

"Hiding In Mist Technique."

The signature technique of Kiri came into life, flooding the area with the sudden burst of a cool mist.

B's facial expression turned stoic and he brought up his guard up for a potential sneak attack.

"...?"

However, there was none coming after 5 minutes. 

That's when B realized,

"COWARDS!! BAKAYARO!!"

That his enemies ran away. 

Angrily, he yelled while brazenly dashing through the mist. With the lightning layer still draped around his body, he didn't seem to be afraid of an unseen attack that may be on his way.

Within the short period of time, B managed to escape the mist. However, all that lied in front of him was the street full of panicked people who were being protected by the ninjas of Yugakure.

Looking at the eyes full of fear, B simply scratched his head.

"Aw, man... I lost them."

Boom.

Then, a huge noise reached his ears. Immediately turning his head to the direction, B mumbled,

"...Big bro!"

A was combatting 'Yellow Flash' Namikaze Minato.

Without any hesitation, B then ran toward the site, intending on helping A out.

Boom!

Every time A punched forth, a blasting noise arose. Yet, even with its extreme speed, it was unable to be connected to its intended target, Minato.

The yellow flashes sparkled in a rapid succession all around the area, atop the numerous tri-pronged kunais that were spread around the area. None of A's attacks managed to hit Minato, and A was starting to get irked by this fact.

'And that ball-like technique of his...!'

A frowned as he saw the spiralling blue ball of chakra on Minato's palm.

'I cannot afford to get hit by it!'

Though A had the lightning armor draped around him, he hasn't fully mastered this technique to the level of his father, the third Raikage. His instinct told him, that that ball of chakra may be able to tore through his armor.

Suddenly, Minato disappeared. A's surrounding lightened up, and he realized that there was a yellow flash right behind him. 

"—Rasengan!"

Swiftly turning around, A's eyes widened as he saw the blue ball of chakra approaching him.

'...How? There was none of those kunais behind me...'

Minato seemed just a bit faster, as A couldn't react in time. The blue ball of chakra, or rasengan, was nearing A.

Then, 

"Lariat!!"

B suddenly appeared from the side, attempting to body slam Minato. Noticing B's presence, Minato immediately flashed out and dissipated rasengan on his palm.

"B! My brother!"

A shouted with a wide grin, visibly relieved.

"Big bro! Why are ya taking all the fun for yourself? Let me join!"

Grinning similarly, B stood next to A, just as prepared.

"The infamous A-B Combo... why, I am pleasured."

Minato smiled lightly, maintaining his calm even in this situation.

__________

Puff. 

Taking over the Kiba blade, Akashi and Mei watched as Akashi's clone dispelled.

Closing his eye, Akashi let the memory of his clone flow into him. 

"B attacked us."

His brain immediately began to devise a plan out of this situation.

"It looks like... based on what's told, Kiri is joining Konoha's alliance—at least from the surface. Yu is under the crossroad, but Kumo came to believe that the village's mind is already set, and decided to launch a sudden invade to give themselves some advantage."

Akashi opened his eye.

"B was successfully brought away from us. Now seemed to have joined A to fight Namikaze Minato."

Then really, all there is left for them to do is...

"We escape."

Mei nodded.

There were quite many that they gained from this village. The information regarding Kiri's current stance after the election of the new Mizukage, was especially valuable in preparing them for the future.

They began to move. Out of the shady corner behind a building, onto the street full of chaos—as silently as they could.

Everyone was occupied with matters of their own. The ninjas of Yu didn't have any time to notice Akashi and Mei, for they were busy trying to survive against the skillful attacks of Kumo's ninjas. 

Such, they managed to exit the center of the village. Moving toward the outskirts, they sighted the corpses of ninjas here and there. Mei grimaced but didn't let her uneasiness affect her, while Akashi remained indifferent.

"...Say,"

Mei just whispered, earning Akashi's attention.

"Do you think peace is possible?"

"No."

The answer was immediate.

"As long as there are more than one human being on this land, peace is impossible. Be it through whatever way, there will always be some form of feuds."

Akashi felt a rush of nostalgia, but quickly pushed it back down in him.

"This world is harsh. There is no time for us to think of others when it's hard enough to think of ourselves."

The brief conversation ended there, and they were now close to the wall that separated Yugakure from the wild.

Interestingly, there was a small house, isolated from other buildings around the center of the village.

Around this house, there were many corpses of Kumo ninjas.

"Huff... huff..."

In the middle of those corpses, there lied one man, one shinobi of Yugakure whom Akashi and Mei recognized.

Tamura. He had numerous kunais and shurikens embedded on his body. He was bleeding profusely, and anyone could tell, that his death was near.

"...You."

Tamura voiced, barely. Trying to resist his eyes from closing, he stared at Akashi and Mei.

"Kiri... ninjas..."

He shut his eyes tightly as if making a painful decision. He eventually said,

"...Please... take care of... my... son..."

It was just when he said so, that Akashi and Mei heard the door behind Tamura creak open. 

They saw a small child, a boy, looking at them with his purple eyes.

"...His name is?"

Akashi finally asked. Tamura's eyes widened briefly, before he smiled weakly,

"...Hidan."

There, the life left the man.

Akashi stood still, with his face hidden behind the mask. Shifting his eye, he looked at Hidan who winced upon noticing his stare.

Akashi sighed. Walking up, he opened the door and leaned down to face Hidan.

"...Perhaps, Yugakure will fall tonight. The hidden village of ninjas may be no more in this land of hot water. Afraid of grievances and potential revenge in the future, Kumo may kill anyone associated with the fallen ninjas of Yugakure, even if they were to be children."

Mei watched from the back as Akashi spoke coldly to Hidan.

"In that sense, your father may have made the right decision. Even if we are the strangers unknown to him, leaving you at our hands may give you more chance in survival than having you remain in this village. However... none of that matter in the end. What matters is,"

Mei couldn't help but wonder, of how strange this man named Akashi was.

"Will you come with us?"

Akashi spoke of how useless it was to think of peace just before. He was a pessimistic fellow since Mei met him. He always said that he's only interested in his own good, that he was a selfish man interested in himself and a few people close to him only.

Yet, this was the second time already, that Akashi was taking a liability. First was Maito Gai, and now, it was this child named Hidan, one who looked a lot younger than Gai at that.

There, Mei came to think, that Akashi may not be that evil of a man as he claimed to be.

And she came to wonder,

'Just what happened to you, for you to act like this?'

Of Akashi as a person, not as a shinobi.