A young man dressed like an over-the-top chūnibyō suddenly blocked the path of a traveling merchant.
"Hey, brother—interested in joining the Jashin Religion?"
A few minutes later—
A ritual circle drawn in fresh blood stained the ground.
The merchant had been nailed to a tree.
Not long after, two figures wearing black cloaks patterned with red clouds arrived at the scene.
"Not for money. Not for revenge."
"Just killing?"
Uchiha Itachi analyzed calmly.
Kakuzu, on the other hand, looked irritated.
"You're really starting to get on my nerves."
He glanced at Konan.
"So you're here to monitor me? Afraid I'll kill Itachi?"
Konan replied flatly, "We don't have other sensory types available."
"I'm here as bait."
Kakuzu frowned. "Bait?"
Itachi understood instantly.
"You intend to lure him out."
Konan nodded.
Before long, she encountered the culprit.
A silver-haired man wielding a triple-bladed scythe.
Hidan.
"Hey, miss!" he called cheerfully.
"Wanna join the Jashin Religion?"
"What's that?" Konan asked.
"It's a great religion!" Hidan beamed.
"You can kill people without being punished!"
"And Lord Jashin will be very pleased!"
Konan sighed.
"So you're just a psychopathic killer."
"Psychopathic?! Not at all!" Hidan protested.
"I'm offering sincere prayers to Lord Jashin!"
He raised his scythe.
"Guess I'll just sacrifice you instead."
Before he could strike—
Kakuzu and Itachi stepped out.
Kakuzu rolled his shoulders.
"Let's see if he's really immortal."
Hidan, still oblivious, grinned at the trio.
"You guys a band or something?"
"That gloomy one's the bassist."
"The lady's keyboard and vocals."
"No wait—maybe this guy's the lead singer?"
Kakuzu's face darkened.
Hidan licked his lips excitedly.
"Lord Jashin will love offerings like you!"
He charged.
Kakuzu sidestepped easily.
"Hahaha! What's wrong? Only running?"
Hidan leapt—
Kakuzu's arm elongated grotesquely—
And punched straight through Hidan's heart.
Hidan coughed blood and dropped.
Kakuzu scoffed.
"All that noise for this?"
Moments later—
Hidan stood back up.
"Hey! That hurt!"
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed.
"Oh?"
Interesting.
Hidan snarled, drawing a circle in blood.
"Ritual ready. Die!"
He stabbed himself—
And Kakuzu clutched his chest, dropping to one knee.
"You bastard…"
Hidan laughed wildly.
"Praise Lord Jashin!"
Fortunately for Kakuzu—
He had multiple hearts.
Losing one wasn't fatal.
After observing enough, Konan and Itachi proposed recruitment.
Hidan initially refused.
"I don't care about 'Akatsuki'!"
"My mission is spreading Lord Jashin's faith!"
After what was essentially ideological brainwashing—
Hidan joined.
Back at base, he scratched his forehead protector.
"Fine. I'll join. But I'm still preaching Jashin!"
Pain handed him the cloak and ring.
"As you wish."
Akatsuki Expands
Within months:
Jūzō Biwa died investigating the Three-Tails.Orochimaru attempted to seize Itachi's body—lost an arm to Tsukuyomi and fled.Pain ordered: "Recruit new members."Hidden Mist — The Birth of a Monster
Deep in the forest, Kisame Hoshigaki escorted a cipher team.
A kunoichi approached him gently.
"Mr. Kisame, sit and eat with us."
"Don't try to get close to me," he replied coldly.
Later, ambushed by Konoha forces, Kisame fought fiercely.
But when defeat loomed—
He killed his own teammates to prevent information leaks.
One by one.
Even the trembling kunoichi.
"Why?" she whispered.
"It's my mission."
Then he leapt from a cliff.
Days later—
He killed his superior, Fuguki Suikazan, and claimed Samehada.
As he prepared to leave—
A voice stopped him.
"Well done, Kisame."
It was the Fourth Mizukage.
Behind him—
A masked figure stepped forward.
Three-tomoe Sharingan glowing.
"You are…?"
"Uchiha… Madara."
Thus, Kisame was recruited.
The South Star returned to its position.
Target: Deidara
Land of Earth.
Inside a temple.
A blond young man molded white clay between his hands.
Boom.
Another explosion.
"Perfect… art…"
Suddenly—
Itachi. Sasori. Kisame.
"Young man," Itachi said calmly.
"We invite you to join Akatsuki."
"Akatsuki?" Deidara scoffed.
"Whoever you are—don't interrupt my art!"
Inside Hiruko, Sasori muttered, "Must this brat be my partner?"
Itachi answered, "Leader's orders."
"He's useful."
Deidara smirked.
"You know my abilities?"
Kisame grinned sharkishly.
"You assist insurgents across nations."
"Causing terrorist bombings."
"Why?"
Deidara shrugged.
"No reason."
"I just create art."
He pulled out a clay spider.
"Look at this."
"Exquisite lines. Refined curves."
"This is my clay art."
"But that's not all."
"It has motion."
"And it explodes."
"Through explosion—its existence is elevated."
"That—"
He grinned madly.
"Is true art."
"Art… is an explosion. Hmm!"
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