Itachi didn't know what to think about the woman, the famous Kaguya-hime. On the way to find her, he had learned what he could about her, both from the Bingo Book and from the Akatsuki's internal information, which was largely filled out by Zetsu and Kakuzu.
The first time he learned about her was years ago, when the Kumo delegation's lead jōnin was found killed within the Hyūga clan's compound.
He hadn't fully understood the political reasons behind it all at first, but the more he came to understand, the stranger the whole thing got.
It had become clear that Kumo wanted to try and get their hands on the Byakugan, and even if possible, on the Hyūga clan's Kekkei Genkai entirely.
The risk of that move was war, if things went wrong, the war that was just coming to an end could ignite once more.
Itachi didn't know what to think about it, but in the end, the kidnapper had been killed, not by the Hyūga clan itself, but by an outsider. Something none had expected, nor could have seen happening.
And so, after a tense few weeks of back-and-forth accusations, peace was finally achieved.
Still, many questions remained, and so people investigated Kaguya-hime, the most likely suspect, though there was no evidence to suggest she had been the one responsible.
And given her role at the time as a guest and guard of the Daimyō, the investigation was eventually stopped, and the whole affair just remained a mystery.
The second time, he didn't just hear about her; he met her on that dreadful night in Konoha, when she had once more infiltrated it.
Her motive that night only made him certain that she was indeed the one responsible for saving the young girl from the Hyūga clan.
Still, it only made him far more curious about why she wanted to save the children of his clan. Why did she take such risks to do it? And how did she know about what was happening?
She was clearly a threat, and the fact that she hated him so strongly meant he had to be on guard around her, so... he wanted to learn more about her, which is why he agreed to go fetch her.
But... since then, nothing had gone as he had expected.
Firstly, she had accepted rather quickly, something he hadn't expected, and neither had the others; it was the reason so many had set out in the first place, because she was dangerous to the extreme.
Or so Kakuzu claimed, and if she had indeed mastered that many different Kekkei Genkai, then she was indeed dangerous, even one could change a Tokubetsu Jōnin into a full-on elite jōnin, never mind if they were already at that level without one.
And this kunoichi? She was beyond that level, and that was without counting in all the possible Kekkei Genkai she had.
Normally, Itachi wouldn't have worried too much about anyone; after all, his Sharingan was the most powerful of all Kekkei Genkai, but given that she kept her eyes covered by a blindfold and relied on some kind of sensory technique to see, he wouldn't be able to trap her in an illusion as easily as he could with others.
And someone with Shikotsumyaku in taijutsu and at least half a dozen other Kekkei Genkai for ninjutsu? She was, without a doubt, one of the most dangerous people in the world.
Yet... she didn't act like that at all.
Itachi had done his fair share of escort missions over the years. He might have spent most of his time in ANBU, but he still went through normal missions as well.
So he knew how it felt to escort rich merchants or nobles.
And this was, without a doubt, exactly how that felt.
Kaguya-hime seemed more like a noble than a kunoichi, if it wasn't for the lingering sense of danger around her, the way her movements, while graceful, held true lethal intent, he might mistakenly believe they had the wrong person.
Every day, she demanded they rest in an inn, or at least set up grand tents if they couldn't reach a city or village; she refused to eat while walking, stating that nobles should eat gracefully.
She demanded they find food for each meal, not wanting to eat rations, and would at most allow them to eat packed food, but even that needed to be heated or they had to make some freshly cooked rice.
There was none of the discipline he had expected for someone who had reached such an exalted level, someone who had reached the peak of strength, yet acted more like a spoiled noble than a hardened warrior.
Still, when they arrived at Amegakure, he knew he would soon get a chance to see what lay beneath that facade, because, just like he had suffered when he came here, everyone had to taste the Pain.
-----
"Finally back home, that sure was a boring mission, I'm sure glad I'm not getting you as my partner, Kaguya-hime." Jūzō Biwa said, laughing as we stepped into the city.
I paid him little mind; instead, I looked at the wonder that this place was. While even somewhere like Konoha looked like a quiet little town, sure, it was massive in scale, but it was also simple.
Small buildings, rarely more than a few stories high.
Wood and maybe brick made up everything.
But here?
Steel, steel as high as the eye could see, the ground covered in dark concrete, while the streets were illuminated by neon lights.
It was a jarring sight compared to the other places we had been; it almost felt like we had suddenly been transported centuries into the future.
"Welcome to Amegakure," Konan said, a hint of pride in her voice as she saw how both Kanna and Karin were completely lost in the sight before them.
I didn't blame them, even I was impressed, I just hid it better. At times, it was easy to forget how advanced this world was when it came to technology; they had tons of it, they just didn't use it much.
TV, radio, trains, cloning, it had it all, but most of it was rarely seen by most people.
People still lived mostly simple lives, untouched by the advancing technology, but here, one could really see it.
This place was advanced beyond belief.
"It's so beautiful..." Karin whispered, her eyes wide with wonder.
"It is, isn't it?" Konan said with a faint smile. "It is a monument to our resilience, a testament to our will to survive."
And she was right, this city had suffered from countless wars, yet it had managed to rebuild itself, not once, but many times. And each time it came back stronger.
It was a symbol of their unbreakable spirit.
"Pain-sama is waiting for you," Konan said, her tone shifting back to business. "He is eager to meet the woman who has caused such a stir."
I didn't doubt that, after all, it was not every day that a person who had mastered a dozen Kekkei Genkai came knocking on their door.
"I am sure," I replied, my expression unreadable beneath my blindfold. "But before that, I would like to ensure that my wards are settled in."
"Of course," Konan said with a nod. "I will personally escort you to a place where you can settle them, and then come with me to meet our leader. As for the rest of you," she said, addressing the other three members, "you are free to go, though I expect that you will be called upon soon to officially greet our newest member, so don't go too far." She told them.
With that, she led me, Kanna, and Karin through the labyrinthine streets of Amegakure. The city was a marvel of engineering, with towering skyscrapers connected by a network of bridges and walkways. The rain was a constant presence, a soft, steady drizzle that seemed to cleanse the city of its sins.
Finally, we arrived at a large, imposing building. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the city, its design more traditional, more in line with the architecture of Konoha or Suna.
"This is where you will be staying," Konan said as she led us inside. "It is one of our safe houses, but it has been prepared for your arrival."
I didn't ask how they had arranged it before we arrived; I knew well that they had plenty of means of communicating back and forth, even over long distances. I had long since noticed the White Zetsu following us around.
I just nodded as I led the two others inside to have a look around at what would likely be our home for the foreseeable future.
The inside of the building was just as impressive as the outside. It was spacious and well-appointed, with comfortable furniture and all the amenities one would expect from a noble's residence.
"I hope you will find it to your liking," Konan said.
"It will do," I replied, very pleased that they hadn't been offended by my behavior so far. I had feared they would give me some small shack somewhere and call it a day, but no, they had clearly prepared well after meeting me.
I could also assume that this place had once belonged to a noble, and after Hanzo's purge of the noble class, to one of his loyalists, until Nagato purged them, that it hadn't been destroyed yet was clearly a miracle.
"You two, you can pack out," I said, handing Kanna a sealing scroll from my sleeve. "I trust that you are safe here, so don't worry about anything and make yourself at home," I told them.
With a heavy, unspoken exchange of glances, Kanna nodded, her expression a mixture of fear and a dawning resignation to their new reality. Karin, however, was already darting from room to room, her earlier sullenness evaporating in the face of new, exciting territory to explore.
I watched them for a moment, a silent observer. I had done what I could to prepare them for this world, but there was a difference between knowing the path and walking it. Now, they would have to walk it themselves, under the ever-watchful, and I hoped, protective, shadow of the Akatsuki.
With one last, lingering look, I turned back to Konan. "I am ready."
She nodded, and together we left the safe house, the heavy door closing behind us with a final, echoing thud.
"He is waiting," Konan said, her voice a low murmur as we navigated the rain-slicked streets. The neon lights of the city painted her face in shifting shades of blue and pink, a stark, beautiful illusion against the perpetual gloom. "He is... curious."
I didn't respond; my focus was inward. My Byakugan was active, though hidden beneath the blindfold, mapping the city's intricate network of chakra.
And there was a lot of it, all the water, every drop was filled with chakra... all belonging to a single person... Nagato Uzumaki... what a monster.
(End of chapter)
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