Akatsuki Base
On the Gedo Statue
The air inside the cavern was cold, not naturally cold, but the kind of chill that seeped in from the monstrous presence dominating the chamber. The Gedo Mazo loomed in the darkness, its hollow eyes staring downward, its massive fingers curled. Seven of those fingers flickered faintly, each one occupied by the spectral projection of an Akatsuki member.
The meeting had begun.
Orochimaru's phantom tilted its head with what appeared to be a lazy, mocking smirk. "Well, it appears," he drawled, voice dripping with amusement, "that we are a few members short."
No one responded.
Not because they disagreed, everyone had noticed the missing silhouettes but because Orochimaru's tone implied he already understood the implications. Even so, the silent tension among the projections spoke volumes.
One absence was not too shocking.
The other was… concerning.
Kakuzu had never willingly missed a meeting, not once. The miser treated Akatsuki gatherings almost like it was a compulsory part of the job, his presence was guaranteed. His absence now meant only one thing.
Something had happened.
And a second later, unbothered by the growing anxiety, Pain confirmed it.
"There are two announcements."
His voice echoed through the cavern like a decree from a divine judge.
"First. Shindo (Kakuzu's partner) has been killed. The one responsible is Juichi Takahashi of Konoha, who has now been promoted to S-rank."
There was no reaction. No one cared about Shindo, not really because being Kakuzu's partner meant that he could die any moment anyway.
But the name Juichi Takahashi, and the word S-rank, made a few of the silhouettes shift ever so slightly.
Pain continued.
"Second. Kakuzu… has been killed by Ren Senju Takahashi of the Leaf."
Silence.
Deep, suffocating silence.
Kakuzu's death rippled through the group like a cold wind. This was not a weak subordinate. Kakuzu was old, experienced, durable beyond reason, and impossible to kill through conventional means.
Every Akatsuki member here knew that even they might not win in a direct confrontation against him unless they went all-out.
For someone, some boy, to have killed him, that meant Ren Senju Takahashi had just been promoted from "interesting anomaly" to genuine threat.
Orochimaru's phantom narrowed its eyes, 'Hmm, Ren-kun keeps giving me such great surprises.'
He wasn't too bothered by Kakuzu's death, anyway the Akatsuki didn't matter much to him, it was just a passing phase, however others were still silent after hearing this news.
Pain let the silence linger, then continued speaking.
"Additionally, Stone and Cloud launched a joint ambush on Ren Senju Takahashi. Their forces were led by Nii Yugito, Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails, and Kitsuchi, one of Iwa's strongest. They mobilized close to three hundred shinobi."
He paused for effect.
"They lost completely. Both are now in Ren Senju's custody."
This silence that followed this time was different, it was heavier and denser with disbelief.
To defeat Kakuzu was already impressive.
To fight an entire alliance led by a Jinchuriki immediately afterward and still win…
That was the kind of feat only monsters achieved.
Beside Pain, Konan's phantom had remained unreadable, but even she couldn't hide the slight widening of her eyes.
Pain finally spoke the conclusion they were all thinking.
"Ren Senju Takahashi fought three S-rank shinobi today, including a Jinchuriki, and won. None of you, aside from myself and perhaps Orochimaru, could guarantee the same."
No one objected.
Because it was true.
Even the most arrogant among them bit back their pride.
Pain continued.
"For now, all of you will lie low. Do not make waves until ordered. The ninja world is poised for upheaval. When the opportunity rises, we will strike."
A faint crackle of chakra pulsed through the Gedo Statue as Pain delivered the final warning.
"And if any of you encounter Ren Senju Takahashi… do not underestimate him because of his age. He is stronger than almost all of you."
One by one, the projections disappeared, snuffed out like candle flames.
At the end, only three phantoms remained, Pain, Konan, and Zetsu.
Pain turned his head slightly.
"Zetsu," he said, "where is Madara?"
The white half of Zetsu wanted to say something sharp, that he went to sulk because a kid insulted him, or He's drowning in his own rage, but the black half flicked its tongue and opted for a safer response.
"He went to retrieve the rings," Zetsu answered.
Pain nodded slowly. "Good. We will need replacements for Kakuzu. Begin searching."
With a ripple of chakra distortion, Pain and Konan's projections vanished.
Zetsu remained alone for one lingering second.
Its black half narrowed its eyes. Its white half muttered something irritably.
Then Zetsu sank into the stone like a shadow melting into deeper darkness.
And the Gedo Mazo stood silent again, waiting for the next piece of the world to fall apart.
~~~
Night
Leaf Village
In a dim, shadow-choked room deep beneath the village, a lone candle flickered weakly. Its trembling flame cast long, distorted shadows across the wooden floor.
At the center of that quiet gloom sat Danzo Shimura, legs folded beneath him, hands resting motionlessly atop his cane. His single visible eye remained closed, his breathing slow, so steady he could've been mistaken for a meditating monk if not for the suffocating aura of malice radiating from him.
The silence lingered for several breaths until the door opened.
Itachi stepped inside without hesitation. His expression was empty, controlled, unreadable as always. The faint candle light outlined the sharp lines of his face.
Itachi came to a stop before him.
"Why did you call me here?" he asked, voice flat, almost mechanical.
Danzo did not open his eye.
He let the silence stretch, manipulating the air itself like strings in a web. Then, his single eyelid lifted.
"Tell me, Itachi…" he asked softly, "do you wish to save the village?"
Something flickered in Itachi's eyes, too fast to catch, too brief to categorize. A tension, a struggle, a familiar resolve. The kind Danzo could exploit with surgical precision.
Before Itachi even consciously registered the question, his body answered.
"…Yes."
The word slipped out instinctively.
And that was enough.
Minutes later, Itachi stepped out of the dark room, door sliding shut behind him. His expression remained neutral, but his eyes were different, colder, heavier, as if someone had dropped the weight of a dying world across his shoulders.
His silhouette vanished down the hallway.
Inside the room, Danzo finally allowed himself to smile.
A twisted, triumphant smile stretched across his lips, a smile devoid of sanity, full of venomous satisfaction.
"Kahahaha…"
His laughter slithered like a knife through the stillness.
"You would have never imagined this, would you, Yoru? That your precious pawn would be used against you."
He leaned back slightly, shadow falling over half his face.
"You should have left the fragile balance alone," he muttered darkly. "You should never have tried to oust me."
His hand twitched once, and with silent precision, a figure flickered into existence beside him.
Torune of the Aburame clan, Danzo's personal bodyguard, wrapped in cloth and toxins.
"Report," Danzo ordered without looking.
Torune's voice was cold, emotionless.
"Ren Senju is still not in the village. His current whereabouts remain unknown."
Danzo's fingers tightened around his cane.
The message Hiruzen had received earlier, Ren claiming he would be delayed had seemed trivial at first but if Ren was still gone… and unaccounted for… that meant trouble for Ren and opportunity for him.
Still, Ren's absence was, in some ways, beneficial. The upcoming trial would unfold far smoother without that unpredictable variable present. But Danzo wasn't arrogant enough to assume the boy wouldn't return at the worst possible moment.
"Activate all agents across the Land of Fire," Danzo commanded.
"Search for Ren Senju. They are not to engage unless he is visibly weakened."
He paused, then added.
"If he is injured… they may use suicide tactics to worsen his condition."
Torune nodded without flinching.
Danzo's eye narrowed.
"And one more thing. Retrieve his teammate, the Aburame boy."
Torune finally raised his head a fraction. "Hitoshi?"
"Yes. He will serve as leverage."
Danzo's voice hardened, turning colder.
"And Juichi Takahashi, Ren's father has arrived in the village and recovering. Utakata will likely attend the trial tomorrow. When he leaves him unattended… take Juichi as well."
Torune bowed once.
"As you command."
Then he dissolved into the shadows, vanishing like smoke.
Once again, Danzo sat alone in the dimly lit room.
Calm and still, completely devoid of fear.
His fate would be decided tomorrow, his trial, his judgment and, his "punishment."
And yet, he felt no dread or anxiety.
Only confidence.
"With the plans I've created over the years," he whispered to himself, "my survival is assured."
His eye gleamed with a cold, murderous certainty.
"But before that… those who dared oppose me shall learn the cost."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, an unhinged, poisonous smile.
"If I cannot escape with my life," he murmured softly, "then the entire Leaf Village… will drown with me."
The candle flickered violently at those words, as if recoiling from the dark intent in the air.
Danzo closed his eye again, sinking into patient stillness.
Tomorrow would be the beginning of something catastrophic.
Just one more day.
~~~
ANBU Command Base
Yoru's Office
Shikaku exhaled as he placed the final document down, fingers tapping the wood in an absent-minded rhythm.
"With these we have more than enough to convict Danzo. There's no loophole left for him to slip through. And frankly, I doubt he'll even try to resist the ruling once it's read aloud."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"What worries me isn't the verdict. It's what comes after. Danzo isn't the kind of man to lie down and accept his fate when death is staring him in the face. If he plans to act at all… it'll be tomorrow when the Daimyo would still be in the village."
Yoru didn't respond immediately.
The ANBU Commander sat behind his desk, posture straight, the matte-black porcelain mask resting on his face like always. The faint red glow of the room reflected off his black with streaks of blue hair since his hood was down for once, giving him a stark, almost spectral presence.
For a long moment, he simply breathed, as if measuring the weight of Shikaku's words against the countless contingencies already forming in his mind.
Finally, he spoke.
"It doesn't matter," Yoru said calmly. "Whatever Danzo does is already accounted for. Every route he might take, every tactic he could employ, every help he could call for, all within expectations. All within control."
Shikaku's gaze lingered on him, studying the subtle tension in Yoru's shoulders. Whatever front the Commander put up, Shikaku knew this operation was pushing even him to the limits of premeditated strategy.
Still, he moved on.
"And the Uchiha?" Shikaku asked, leaning back slightly. "By now they should be holding a clan meeting. Their rebellion is set for tomorrow. But… is Fugaku truly prepared to shoulder the aftermath? To take the blame of what follows?"
Yoru nodded once.
"He knew the consequences long before agreeing." His tone was even, but there was a faint heaviness beneath it.
"The Uchiha will rebel tomorrow. They will claim Hiruzen failed to restrain Danzo, and that they've been oppressed by Danzo's acts for too long and demand Hiruzen's removal and having an Uchiha Hokage. Their conservative elders will push for full force, especially with the Daimyo present. They'll aim for maximum political impact, however their own rotten eggs will turn this rebellion bloody."
He folded his hands.
"But they will be stopped. By Itachi."
Shikaku's brows furrowed as he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
"Itachi," he muttered. "Is he really… ready for this? We both know stopping the rebellion means blood. His clan, his own blood. Even if this is the only path that avoids a civil war… psychologically, that's not something a boy his age should handle."
There was no easy answer to that. Anyone who claimed otherwise was lying.
Yoru's fingers brushed the edge of his mask, an unconscious action that showed his nervousness, an expression Shikaku never expected Yoru would have.
His next words came slower, softer, almost weary.
"He will be ready."
Shikaku watched him in silence, feeling the weight of those four words.
Yoru rarely spoke in absolutes. When he did, it meant he had already spent countless nights thinking through the consequences, and had accepted them, no matter how ugly they were.
Shikaku finally leaned back, releasing a long sigh.
"Just one more day," he murmured. Not hopeful or relived, just exhausted.
Yoru let out a breath of his own, leaning forward until his elbows rested on the table. He pressed his palm against the surface of his blank, black ANBU mask, the symbol of his authority, and the burden of every decision he had made to bring the village to this precarious brink.
His voice was low when he echoed Shikaku's words.
"Just one more day."
~~~~~
{How many chapters do you think this one day would last?}
{Also, the present Akatsuki members who were present, Pain, Konan, Zetsu, Orochimaru, Sasori, Juzo and two others before they recruit Hidan and Deidara.}
{This chapter gave some more details into what would be coming in the upcoming chapters, so I hope you all don't mind the lore building.
These chapters are taking me longer to write than expected as I hope to deliver chapters that match the level of story I have envisioned, so even though they sometimes get delayed please forgive me, but I assure you that you'd be satisfied once this all ends.}