—A thirteen-year-old brat capable of defeating a Kage?— Konan had repeated to the creature known as Zetsu.
—No no, between thirteen and fourteen years old— the white half corrected her with a smile, as if that made the information easier to digest. —More than defeating, I would say unilaterally humiliating. He even took some photographs of the Kazekage while he was tied to a gigantic pe—
—That is not relevant— the black half interrupted. —The fact is that a powerhouse of such a level has appeared at such a young age in the Ninja World. And no one, apart from Sunagakure, is aware of that fact.
—And us— Nagato added through the Deva Path. —But he's not just a talented Yuki, is he?— he asked Akatsuki's Intelligence Master.
—No, he is not. He is a dual Kekkei Genkai user, and a quite strange one...— Black Zetsu began with an indecipherable tone.
—Madara-sama encountered many particular subjects throughout his life. Some of those were also Dual Kekkei Genkai users, but none like this Yuki.
Generally, a person with two Kekkei Genkai tends to have an element in common between the two. The most common example is those based on the basic natures themselves, like that brat from Kirigakure with her Yōton and Futton, both dependent on fire.
But none employed abilities as disparate and unrelated as this Yuki. No body should be able to withstand such different bloodlines, and the optimal result should have been the acquisition of one of the Kekkei Genkai and the rejection of the other— Black Zetsu explained with half-truths and lies.
Although that was something Konan and Nagato tacitly understood. After all, Zetsu's closeness to the one they knew as Uchiha Madara already made all his information questionable to both of them.
—But that's not the only thing that caught your attention, is it?— Konan questioned the entity. Zetsu nodded, his tone deadly serious.
—His Ice Release is strange. It was able to affect my clones that were following Rasa several meters deep. In fact, they were also killed, frozen to death.
More than the mysterious Dark Release, which sounded quite similar to Nagato's Rinnegan technique, Konan was intrigued by this strange Hyōton that Zetsu had mentioned.
But what she witnessed in Yuki Takeshi's battle with Kakuzu did not seem particularly strange.
From her elevated position, she noticed the fleeing civilians in panic, the few guards of the Daimyō's palace locking themselves in the complex, the potential recruit's mother watching the fight, and Kakuzu slamming Yuki Takeshi into the ground with a brutal punch.
Immediately after, an explosion of ice fragments erupted, forcing Kakuzu to retreat.
At that moment, all the remaining clones charged at Kakuzu, swelling a second before also exploding.
His Akatsuki partner wove hand signs and placed his palm on the ground, raising a dome of rock around him to shield himself from the icy pieces.
However, something surprising happened next.
Yuki Takeshi, presumably the main body, shot toward the rock dome with a mass of chakra glowing in his hand.
Konan's eyes widened. That technique...!!!
—BOOOOM!!—
The deadly sphere destroyed the rock with a deafening crash.
Dust rose again, and Konan couldn't witness what was happening inside the dome, but more impacts resonated, followed by another explosion of rocks and a body flying out of the Earth Jutsu.
It was Kakuzu. Blood was escaping from his mask and eyes, his cloak disheveled, and with a horrible wound on his stomach, which seemed to have been dented as if it were metal.
In fact, that is exactly what happened.
On the battlefield, Kakuzu rolled on the ground with sharp pain in his body, his skin blackened by the Iron Skin Jutsu unable to withstand the famous technique of the Yellow Flash.
If he had to be honest, he didn't expect Yuki Takeshi to break through his earth dome with a Rasengan in his hand. That took him by surprise. That, and a sudden sensation of cold that numbed his reaction.
It was brief, fleeting, but it stopped his movements for an instant. An instant in which the brat hit him in the stomach with that sphere of energy.
He even considered the idea of Genjutsu. But he wasn't the type to fall for a Genjutsu just like that.
—Is that enough, Mister Kakuzu? Mom is waiting for me and she looks very worried— Takeshi said as he waved at his mother's figure in the distance. Kakuzu's eyelids twitched.
Kakuzu tore off his cloak, exposing his arms and back, where countless threads pierced his flesh, as if trying to forcibly keep him together.
His masks stirred, eager to come out and enter the combat seriously. However, a flutter of wings and a firm voice interrupted the Akatsuki's actions.
—That is enough, Yuki Takeshi. You have proven that you have the strength to be part of Akatsuki. I welcome you—
—Hold it right there, Onee-San— Takeshi interrupted the Angel, which almost made her stumble on her landing. —I have my own conditions. If you can respect them, I will join your Organization and work with all my being for whatever you are working toward.
—...
Konan looked at the brat with a tremor on her lips. She resisted the urge to grimace and decided there was no reason not to listen to him.
—Speak, Yuki Takeshi. But be aware that if you don't join, you will die here— she reminded him in an icy voice. At her words, Takeshi smiled and pulled out a scroll from somewhere, which put the Akatsuki duo on alert.
—First, I want my traveling companions to be received in a city near the Organization's base, or in the city where the Organization's base resides— Takeshi began, sitting down and creating a small ice table on which he placed the scroll. Surprisingly, the piece of paper did not get wet.
Second, Akatsuki will provide me with scrolls on training methods, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Fūinjutsu, and Kenjutsu. I have a little Uzumaki who wants to become a kunoichi, so I need resources for her. Obviously, I will pay for everything.
Third... —Takeshi stared intently at Konan, a glint in his eyes that the kunoichi interpreted as amusement, curiosity, and a touch of pity. As if he knew something she didn't.
—Third, I will fight for peace, and only for the peace you speak of. If your organization's motivations deviate, if your leaders come into conflict, as is almost certain to happen, I will side with the one who genuinely pursues the goal of bringing peace to the Ninja World.
Something inside Konan stirred. She couldn't shake the feeling that Yuki Takeshi was speaking with half-truths.
Was that message for her? Leaders in conflict? Although it was vague, his deduction was suspiciously specific.
—Fourth, my vacations— Yuki Takeshi continued with a smile, indifferent to the kunoichi's reflections.
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—I'm sorry, Takeshi! Mom is sorry, Mom is useless and weak!— Kimiko sobbed, clinging to Takeshi's side like a tick. Given the size difference, the new Akatsuki member's balance was fascinating to White Zetsu.
—Geez... I think I got the short straw here— another White Zetsu sighed, looking away from the unimportant family drama unfolding before him.
Currently, Takeshi's group was retracing their steps back to the Land of Rain. Konan had agreed to the young Yuki's request to settle the Uzumaki girls in Amegakure, one of the safest and most dangerous places in the Ninja World at the same time.
Since Takeshi was insistent on the matter, he didn't leave immediately with Konan and Kakuzu, choosing to ride with his mother and the Uzumaki girls all the way.
It wasn't like he was going to run away, anyway.
—Hey, what exactly are you?— a childish voice called out, snapping Zetsu out of his vague thoughts. He turned to the little red-haired girl who was looking at him up and down, as if studying a unique specimen.
In a way, he was.
—I'm Zetsu. And you, little girl?— the creature replied with a sharp-toothed smile that made the older Uzumaki slightly shudder.
—Hmm, I am Uzumaki Karin. Are you a bad guy?— the girl nodded, continuing her question session.
While the girl chatted with the white thing and the girl's mother worried, Takeshi thought about the abrupt turn of events.
If he had to be honest, he hadn't foreseen the possibility of Akatsuki finding out about him so soon. Sure, he had come into contact with Kakuzu and never showed fear in his presence, but that wouldn't have been enough to get on the organization's radar.
He had never made a crazy display of power or anything. That's why he didn't bother going for Karin and Yumi himself. However...
—Who would have thought there were Zetsu watching Rasa?— Takeshi thought with a sigh.
He suspected Zetsu's clones would watch Konoha. But Rasa? Who the hell would waste resources on that idiot?
Takeshi didn't just accept the invitation out of his love for those characters. He really had no options.
As soon as Konan mentioned the existence of Yumi and Karin, the threat was obvious: They knew he cared about the Uzumaki girls.
Considering they had come to add him to their ranks, it was obvious that Zetsu must have been the reason for their discovery. Considering the coldness of shinobi, mother and daughter were surely surrounded by those things while Konan chatted with Takeshi.
Even if not, the young Yuki was sure Kakuzu wouldn't let such a bounty go.
They could use them to threaten him, or even Kimiko. In the end, Takeshi couldn't protect them all. But not everything was bad.
The reason he contacted Kakuzu was because he had intended to visit Akatsuki sometime. Who the hell wouldn't want to? Have you seen those cloaks?!
Besides, if guys like Orochimaru managed to get in and leave as if nothing happened, why couldn't he do the same?
And above all, he would like to poke at Akatsuki's plot a little from the inside. Especially the fate of poor Konan and the hurt Nagato.