The first thing Bke did when he woke up was go upstairs and kno Yahiko’s room. After a moment of silehe door opened, revealing Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan within. Yahiko frowned slightly, his shoulders tense. “Listen, Bke, I really don’t want to do this right now.”

  Bke’s frown mirrored his, but he took a deep breath, pushed away all the ive thoughts, and stretched out a hand forward. “I’m sorry, Yahiko. I overreacted yesterday. I was just mad because it seemed like my opinion wasn’t taken into at at all, especially sidering that Nightmare is my summon.”

  Yahiko narrowed his eyes, studying Bke, but then sighed and took his hand. “I’m sorry too. How is Nightmare?”

  Bke stepped inside, gng at Nagato and Konan before taking a seat at the table. “He’s alive. I unsummoned him and pushed all of my chakra into healing him yesterday. His limb seems to be regrowing.” Relief colored his voice, though tension lingered in Bke’s expression. He was happy fhtmare, but not happy overall.

  Konan smiled softly. “That’s great news.”

  Nagato aking a sip of tea. “Your healing teique is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

  Yahiko’s expression softened. “It’s a relief. I’m sain, Bke. I don’t want to go toe-to-toe with you all the time, but it’s what I felt worked best in the moment.”

  Bke’s smile was hollow. “Yahiko, I don’t want to always fight with you either, but I stand by my opinion. Nightmare ’t keep being used like this. I’m sure our enemies already know about him and are preparing. He’s going to die at this rate, and you know it.”

  Yahiko’s frown deepened as he g Konan and Nagato. After a pause, he nodded. “I know. I was in a bit of a stupor myself yesterday. The attacks on the Rain Vilge have been growing more frequent, and it’s getting harder to tain them. We’ve lost…many before your appearahat’s why I keep sending Nightmare as our front.”

  “The’s work together to solve this.” Bke’s voice was steady as he met Yahiko’s gaze. Konan poured tea for him, aook a sip. “It ’t keep going as it is now.”

  “I agree,” Nagato added, his tone measured.

  Yahiko exhaled heavily but nodded. “There is some good news, though. Hanzo the Samander has ended roup. There’s even a possibility of signing a peace treaty, uniting the Rain Vilge.”

  Bke almost dropped his tea. “Hanzo?”

  “Yeah… Are you alright?” Yahiko asked, notig Bke’s sudden rigidity.

  Konan g him with .

  “Everything’s fine. I just pushed some chakra fhtmare,” Bke lied, his mind rag. So it was happening, at st. He wao waro tell the truth, but he held back. He needed a pn first, a way to expose Hanzo without incriminating himself.

  “Anyway, back to the topic.” Bke’s eyes hardened. “From now on, I want to attend the missions.”

  Yahiko’s brows furrowed, and Konan and Nagato froze mid-sip.

  “No,” Yahiko said firmly. “When you came here, I expected you to have an actual pn in mind, not the same argument over and over. You’re a liability, Bke. I know you’re talented, but you won’t keep up with us. It could bring disaster for both you and my team.”

  Bke had a cold expression on his face. “It’s true. I might not keep up, but it’s my decision. If I ’t, then leave me. If I die, I die. But keeping me here won’t make me stronger. I need experience. I be useful to you. Konan, you know I am good at strategy.”

  Konan clearly didn’t want to participate in this, as she averted her gaze.

  Nagato interjected. “Respectfully, you don’t even know any ninjutsu yet—”

  Bke suddenly stretched out his hand, and within seds, an ice dagger materialized in his palm. Nagato’s eyes widened, and Konan gasped. Yahiko’s gaze narrowed. “Ice?”

  Konan spoke first, her voice awed. “I pletely fot to tell you, Yahiko, Nagato. Bke has a Kekkei Genkai of Ice, muy surprise.” She reached for the dagger, iing it closely. “Bke, did you learn to do this since yesterday?”

  Bke nodded, his expression calm but resolute.

  “That’s incredible,” Konan said, handing the dagger to Nagato, who ied it with a mix of curiosity and reverence. He passed it to Yahiko, whose surprise was evidee his effort to mask it.

  “That’s…a pleasant surprise,” Yahiko admitted. “But it makes you even more precious. If creating this dagger is all you do, it’s not enough. I’m not letting you join the missions.”

  Bke’s voice turned cold. “Then I’m not letting Nightmare joiher.”

  Konan’s eyes narrowed. “Bke—”

  “We took you in when you were desperate, fed you and trained you.”Yahiko’s voice was sharp, almost a hiss.

  “I know how it looks, Yahiko, but from my perspective, I’m in a prison. I’m not a kid. I’m older than all of you, yet I’m treated as such. My only summon keeps ing bajured, and one day he might not e back at all. IF we don’t ge how things work.”

  Yahiko g Konan and Nagato, seeking support. her spoke.

  “Oime. That’s all I ask,” Bke said, raising a single finger. “I have analyzed all of the member of the Akatsuki, their weakness and strengths, and I know that I devise a good pn in most of the situations you have faced so far. If I fail, I’ll stay here until I’m ready. But I ’t stand this anymore. Let me try ahe Akatsuki. Just orust me.”

  Yahiko’s jaw tightened. “I’m the leader of the Akatsuki. I ’t just leave their lives in your hands.”

  Bke’s gaze was unyielding. “A true leader is someone who listens to their subordinates. Otherwise, he’s just a tyrant. I know that you have grand pns and I am sure you will be successful, but in this world, there is always a persoer than you at something. What a leader does is reizes that talent and employs it under himself, instead of being ignorant of it.”

  “You really think that you devise better strategy than I do?” Yahiko sighed, seemingly yielding. He g Konan and Nagato, who both shrugged. What Bke said was arrogant, and Bke khat, but without arrogand fiden yourself, achieving yoals is impossible.

  “Just once,” Bke repeated, his tone resolute. “Let me lead.”

  Yahiko stared at Bke for a long time, not breaking the eye tact, until Yahiko finally broke in and smiled. “If only I had as much fidence as you…” Nagato and Konan smiled too, as they Yahiko. Bke returned a smile as well, relieved that it had worked out. Slowly, but surely, he was getting a foothold into the Akatsuki. Now, it was the difficult part, where he actually had to produce results that he had promised.

  “Today, you shall lead, then. You know the danger.” Yahiko said the st part in a heavy way. Then Yahiko took out the map of the Rain Vilge and its surroundings and spread it open along the table. “We have been informed of a group of at least 30 Stone Shining around the vilge and ravaging the nds. Farmers and civilians dead…in a cruel matter.”

  “Around 30?”

  Yahiko nodded. “A rge group. This mission…has a lot of unknown factors. The strength and iion of the enemy is unknown. Their exaumbers fuzzy. Are you sure you hahis, Bke?”

  “Perhaps it would be better for you to try after this mission?” Nagato asked, yet Bke was not answering, as he stared at the map with tration. His eyes fell on the red dots, which were his targets, and the surrounding viities. Bke put a hand on his , registering the forest nearby.

  “It’s a trap.” Bke smiled. “I do it.”

  -

  At first, some protested against his and, but Yahiko reassured them that he trusts Bke. Whilst everyone reparing, Bke was devising a pn that would shatter the enemies, pletely shock them.

  It was clear to him that the Stone Shinobi were waiting for the Akatsuki to e for them. What Bke noticed from analyzing the pn was that despite ravaging different farms, they rayed too far away from the forest that was in the south of the Rain Vilge. The reports said their number were around 30, but it was, in fact, probably more. It was substantially rger than their group, though Akatsuki was individually stronger.

  However, it to Bke to make sure everythi smoothly, and, for some odd reason, Bke felt fident. He liked being in trol, enjoyed allog people and devising pns. In this case, Bke was making sure that there would be no slip ups.

  Fear is death.

  -

  Daichi Ishimaru, the co-leader of this expedition, was starting to feel impatient. They have ravaged at least 5 farms already, yet there was no response from the Akatsuki. Having been paid quite heavily by that guy from the Hidden Leaf, they couldn’t afford to fail this missio, what could they do if those bastard weren’t going to show up?

  Cowards.

  Daichi made a mental o himself to talk with the boss ohey e back. Perhaps there was a o ge the tactics. As Daichi thought about this, the sight of the 6th farm came into view. Daichi stared at the empty streets and abandoned crops. Yet, despite that, Daichi could feel the people hidden within the houses.

  They had heard of the nearby ravaged farms, yet what could they do? Run away? Run away where? They would die of starvation or would just be killed off by some bandits. This pce was war-torn and Daichi hated it with his entire soul. Yet, this ce that earned money, and Daiever got betrayed by gold.

  Looking at his rades, who looked nothing like proper shinobi, but rather like some hunting dogs, Daichi smiled. “Kill them all, leave no on alive. Take the crops, steal all the food and anything shiny that catches your eyes. Have fun, friends.”

  It didn’t take long for the shinobi to start running. Daichi remaianding, overlooking the expanse as he took out a cigarette from his pocket. Lighting it up, Daichi started walking towards the farm with a carefree expression. Once he came closer, he expected shouting, yet he heard none of that. The blood was in the air.

  As Daichi ihe nie, he began to notice the fog. It didn’t take him long to realize that it was artificial, as he spat out the cigarette immediately, grabbing his kunai. Daichi realized that it was silent, not a single sound in the air. Sweat began to build up on his brows as he began to wonder what the hell was going on.

  Daichi tiptoed to one of the house, ope, and, to his horror, he saw two Stone Shinobi ying on the ground, their throats slit. Blood was everywhere, making Daichi’s stomach . He looked around wildly, as he run out of the house and theered another one, being presented with an even more horrible se.

  Daichi repared to fight at a moment’s notice. He run out of the house, looking around the annoying fog, until making a few hand signs and opening his mouth. A burst of air escaped from his mouth, dispersing the fog in front of him. As it disappeared, though, Daichi saw a huge monster rushing towards him on all fours, quickly crossing the distaowards him.

  He immediately uood who was the creature. Nightmare, a member of the Akatsuki.

  Daichi promptly made a few more hand signs, pressing his hands against the ground. The grouh Nightmare suddenly vulsed and stone spike rose from underh, peing the monster’s body in multiple locations. However, the Minotaur suddenly puffed into smoke, leaving a k of wood.

  At the same time, a rulfed the entire farm, f Daichi to widen his eyes as he felt danger from the right. He turned his eyes side-ways, seeing an axe slig towards his head. Daichi ducked promptly, yet a kick followed immediately that ected with his nose, sending him flying away as he rolled on the ground.

  He stood up promptly. The fog had engulfed the entire expanse again, blog his vision. The monster was no longer visible, yet Daichi could see shapes standing on top of the houses, staring at him. Daichi stood, his nose bleeding, looking at the ehat were surrounding him.

  To hell with this. Daichi turned around suddenly and began sprinting out of the farm, not looking back. A few ninjutsu fell on him as he advanced but Daichi maneuvered through them, until he was on the field. The ominous rai falling down from the sky, and he kept running, his face hurting. Daichi run and run, until he was in the forest, searg for his teammates that were waiting in ambush.

  He spotted them, rushing towards his boss.

  The man spotted him, running towards him.

  “What the hell happened, Daichi?! Where is everyone?”

  Daichi’s was shriveling.

  “The Akatsuki! They ambushed us, we have to retre-“

  Suddenly, the boss’s eyes widened, as he stared at Daichi’s body. Only then did Daichi look down on himself. His heart leapt out of his body. There were explosive papers stuck to his body, and, not just one, but multiple. Before the boss could get away, the papers ignited and a huge explosion resouhroughout the forest.

  Daichi exploded into dust, whilst the boss was repulsed away, half of his body missing.

  The 40 Stoni Shinobi came out from behind the trees, their eyes wide as they stared at the remains of the their leaders. Yet, they had little time to think. The grouh them, which was already muddy due to rain, turned into ah s. Almost all of the shinobi got stuck within the mud, when they felt a gust of wind surrounding them.

  And…then it was all abze.

  A huge fire tornado materialized out of nowhere, burning everyohin the forest. The shinobi tried to build a stone wall around themselves, yet they simply trapped themselves, uo breathe. The few that mao run away were promptly killed off by Akatsuki in elee, ganged 3-1.

  The forest burned, mixed with the cries of the burning men.

  Until, suddenly, it was quiet. The fire tornado disappeared, leaving only burned bodies and bzing trees behind. All was ash. The rain p from the sky forced the fire to disappear, but the battlefield remained bck.

  Bke came out from behind the tree, followed by Nightmare.

  He stared at the bodies, the bess of it all, of what he had done.

  His stomach ed. He had killed so many, so ruthlessly. They burned alive, not even knowing what had happened. Yet, Bke’s triumph overcame his feelings ret. It was the only way to survive in this world.

  He had do.

  Bending down, Bke grabbed a pack of cigarettes ying on the ground,

  He took o, lighting up on one of the burning trees. Nagato, Konan and Yahiko came out from behind him, staring at his back as a puff of smoke escaped his lips. The trio trained by Jiraya exged gnces, as they stared at Bke’s back.

  It was a fwless mission. Cruel perhaps, but not so much more cruel than what they had done. Bke had predicted where the Stone shinobi were going to loot , evacuated the civilians and easily coordihe attacks to kill them.

  Then he forced one of the shinobi to retreat, whilst Konan pnted some explosives on him. Sihe man was in dissaray, he hadn’t noticed it. Then, the man brought straight them to the camp, and, under Bke’s and, Nagato and a few other Akatsuki members created that vortex.

  Zero casualties. No, rather, zero injuries. And they were barely tired. Yahiko didn’t even participate itle, except of creating that fog. Yahiko stared at the dead bodies. He wanted peace for the Rain Vilge, and he wa done diplomatically, but the world only uood battles and pain.

  And, Bke was, clearly, capable of invoking both with grace.

  It was scary.

  “From now on,” Yahiko stepped forward, making eye tact with the Akatsuki who revealed themselves behind the trio. “I name Bke the Strategist of the Akatsuki. Everything involving pns and battles will be under his jurisdi.”

  The Akatsuki nodded without thinking. They had seen what he had done.

  Everyone khat Bke wasn’t that strong, yet they…would not want him to be oher end of the battlefield.