“Eleven Rain Shinobi. Violent rebels, currently have 6 civilians as hostages. They have stolen on and a few ninjutsu scrolls. Orders are to either kill or subdue.” One of the Akatsuki stated with a calm voice, bending on his knees with the remaining squad. Rai falling from the heaven, piling up the streets, washing away the blood and signs of battle, washing away the guilt and the pain.

  Yahiko looked around, making sure to make eye tact with everyone. “Pn is simple.” Yahiko’s eyes nded on Nightmare, a monster who, even though he was hunched, looked like a walking artillery. Seeing his red eyes, the shinobi by his side kept an appropriate distance.

  “We have their location, so Nightmare is going to rush through the front door and distract them. Nagato is going to lead a separate team of six, free the hostages areat. Whilst me, Konan and our remaining team is going to attack the rebels head on. There might be traps, so be aware. Does that sound good?”

  Everyone nodded, except Nightmare. The pn might seem a bit crude, and they were kind of using Nightmare as a shield, but they have seen how tough the monster was, so it should work in a sense. Yahiko stared at Nighmare.

  “Nightmare, I uand that Bke has given you orders to pletely follow my orders, but I don’t want to risk your life for nothing. Do you think you distract them for a bit?”

  It was strao talk to a summon like that, but Nightmare clearly exhibited intelligence, and they had heard that he was trying to learn ninjutsu, so Yahiko couldn’t help but take his feelings into at. However, Nightmare clearly didn’t have any issue with the pn, so he nodded a few times.

  Nagato and Konan too. Konan was still clearly untrusting of the creature, though. “And don’t ihe civilians, Nightmare.”

  All of them stood up, nodding at each other, saying good luck, before suddenly going into a. Nagato walk up to Nightmare, who was standing at two meters tall, tapping his shoulder. “Good luightmare. Let’s bring Bke good news.”

  Upon hearing Bke’s he Minotaur’s eyes lit up with fierce determination.

  Yahiko stopped in his tracks, a smile surfag on his face. “I haven’t heard you ence someone for a long time, Nagato.”

  Nagated. “He…deserves respect.”

  Yahiko nodded.

  “e on, we chat ter.” Konan urged the two to stop bbbering.

  Everyone began to make groups, either with Nagato or with Konan and Yahiko. Then they walked through the underground tubes, which were artificially made to be abnormally big for Akatsuki missions. They quickly found the location of the pce with the rebels. It was mid-sized house.

  Yahiko made a few signs and Nightmare, who got the gist and climbed out from the hole that they had made in the ceiling. As soon as he was out, Nightmare rushed towards the house at full speed, surprising even the rades at his ck of fear. Nightmare kicked the front doors open, revealing a group of shinobi sharpening their ons aing some pe.

  They started at the monster who rushed into their hiding spot, stupefied at the sight of the creature. It took them a sed to realize what was going on, but the red eyed creature opes mouth and howled! It roared so loudly that they thought their earbuds were going to pop.

  They covered their ears, distracted and scared as they stared at the huge monster with an axe in its veiny hand. They didn’t evehe windows shatter before it was too te. Six of the rebels were killed instantly, stabbed from behind, and the unscious civilians were promptly taken away.

  As soon as the remaining five rebels realized what had happehey rushed to the windows, trying to attack get their hostages back. One of the made a few hand seals, shooting wind bdes towards the retreating shinobi, but Yahiko suddenly appeared out of nowhere, creating a huge stone wall that stopped the attack.

  They rebels cursed and then they were hit in the front. Nightmare was within their midst, swinging his axe wildly, beheading a single shinobi with a cut. Konan joihe onsught, murdering two people with her paper shuriken’s. The remaining three were promptly subdued by the other Akatsuki members.

  The etle took barely a minute, proving their effiightmare had done his part perfectly too, earning a nod from Yahiko. It was an easy mission. Too easy, in fact. Yahiko suddenly frowned, seeing one of the bleeding rebels smiling. Yahiko looked around wildly, notig explosives papers hidden on the walls. There were hundreds of them, stuck to every surface within the building.

  “Explosives! Take cover!” Yahik shouted, urging everyoo e to him, but it was too te. One of the Akatsuki members performed a ninjutsu, creating a stone dome, which surrounded everyone, except Konan and Nightmare who stood a distance away. “Konan! Run!”

  But it was too te. The paper ignited and Yahiko’s face disappeared within the dome. Konan’s eyes widened as she tried to create a shield surrounding her, but it was too te. Konan closed her eyes, when she felt someone push her to the ground. Her head hit the floor and the entire pce exploded.

  Kona no pain, except the ringing in her ears. She tried to look around, but for some reason she couldn’t move, like she ressed to the ground by a boulder. It was dark. For a sed, Konan thought that she was dead, when she heard Yahiko shouting. It was ing from somewhere far away though.

  Konan tried to push away the thing that ressing on her and obsg her vision, but no matter how hard she tried, it was too heavy. Konan trolled the paper to softly attach to the thing on top of her, and, slowly but surely, eyesight returo her. To her horror, the first thing she saw were red eyes staring back at her. Only a sed ter did she realize what happened.

  “Nigthmare…you protected me?”

  Nightmare was clearly in pain and the red light in his eyes was shimmering only slightly. Some smoke escaped from Nightmare’s nostrils. Konan stood up, seeing only rubble in the viity. Yahiko was rushing towards her, but she held her eyes on Nightmare’s scorched body.

  Nightmare had saved her and paid for it with serious injuries.

  “Thank you.” Konan bowed slightly, though she clearly looked uo process what has just happened. Nor did she uand how the minotaur survived. He looked tough, but that was extreme. “Thank you for saving me, Nightmare. Sit down, we are going to help you go back to the base.”

  To her surprise, Nightmare moved his head side to side.

  Then flexed his bicep and poi it.

  Konan didn’t know what to think of that.

  -

  “I am sorry, Bke. This was pletely my fault, I should have checked for traps first.” Yahiko gritted his teeth, standing in front of Bke, who was staring at the scorched back of his summon. Bke was irritated, he was not going to lie. The Minotaur was clearly in a lot of pain, but he put o of being strong.

  Nightmare had even refused ao get back to the base, running through nothing but sheer will. Bke made eye tact with Yahiko. He khat participating in Akatsuki missions was going to dangerous, yet he didn’t expeightmare to e out injured from the first mission.

  He had saved Konan, but it was a joke heless. How did none of them expect traps? That was the first thing that Bke would have done. He expected professionals, not amateurs. As Bke’s gaze returned on Nightmare, Bke sighed. “It is okay, Yahiko. I knew what I was getting myself into. However, if yoing to use him as a meat shield, at least check for traps first.”

  Yahiko nodded. “This was a mistake on my part. Konan has almost died in that house, and your summon had saved her life. Akatsuki owes you.”

  Konan, who was standing behind him, nodded and Bke was gd to see at least some warmth in her faagato stood o Konan, clearly still shook from the mission. He was standing outside at the moment wherap activated, and he had almost gone crazy thinking that Yahiko and Konan were dead.

  “Nightmare, rest for now.” Bke said, softly pressing his hand against Nightmare’s bad sug him in. With the Minone, Bke turowards Nagato, still irritated slightly. “I have learo sehe chakra while you were out.”

  Nagato raised an eyebrow. “You did?”

  Before Bke could respond, Konan intervened. “Then, tomorrow m, I will begin expining how to trol that chakra. You pass that knowledge to Nightmare once he mao feel the chakra.”

  Bke looked at her, remembering that Konan and Nagato were meant to be switg each other every few days. Bke had no issues with that, both of them had learned from Jiraya, and knew all the essentials Bke o know.

  “Oka---”

  As Bke was about to respond, he suddenly felt light-headed. Bke promptly found a chair to sit down, as Konan, Nagato and Yahiko stared with a raised eyebrow. Yahiko put a hand on Bke’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”

  Bke felt like answering would be to right now, so he stayed quiet, holding onto his head.

  “His chakra is being used up promptly.” Nagato stared at Bke with narrowed eyes.

  “Used up? But where?” Konan asked.

  “I…don’t know. It is like there is a void within him that is sug it all out.”

  “Could it be Nightmare? Bke said that his summon is stored within him. Maybe it es with a certain cost.” Yahiko guessed.

  “Could be tru—”

  Nightmare materialized out of nowhere, startling the three. Yet, what startled them even more was when Bke suddenly stood up, a huge grin on his face. They didn’t know what was meant behind that smile, but it was creepy heless, for it was the scariest of smiles. The smile of greed.

  “I see.”

  They heard Bke’s words and they followed his gaze, realizing that Nightmare’s back was healed. There was no sign of the burns, f Konan to widen her eyes. Nightmare had healed himself within Bke in a matter of a few minutes. It was instant regeion, which was frightening even to the three students of the Legendary Sannin.

  -

  Bke stood in a solitary room, fag Nightmare. Today was a good day, despite the shrivelled way in whiightmare came back. He had mao finally get the gist of sensing chakra within him, and spend the rest of time analysing the system extensively.

  He had learned four thing.

  First, in order to summon someone, he o will it, but the creature wouldn’t appear further than 10 timetres away from him. Now, to unsummon someone, Bke o actually make tact with the summoned creature, which was a big disadvantage, since he wouldn’t be able to unsummon them once he noticed that they were in clear danger.

  Sedly, the summons could die. He had hoped that perhaps they are immortal, but that his wishful thinking. They could get injured and die. However, from what he experieoday, Bke was happy to know that they could heal inside of him by abs his chakra. He didn’t know how to trol it at first, but after some testing, Bke had e to clusion. He could trol the rate at which the creature was healing. He could do it slowly and use less chakra, or do it instantly and probably drain his reserves depending on the severity of the injury.

  Thirdly, his summons required no chakra from Bke, unless it was during the healing process. This implied that Bke could theoretically just send them off somewhere far away and they would be able to survive on their own. If he focused enough, Bke could tell the general location of his summon evehey were not near each other. It was like a satellite vision, and Bke could see dots where Nightmare was.

  Finally, in order to get another summon, Bke had to plete the [Last Wish] of his st summon. In this case, it was Nightmare. Bke focused o wish, though he had read it numerous times already.

  -

  [The Last Wish of Nightmare]

  World of DanMachi – Quest

  "You... adventurers... sughtered my kin... stole our freedom...I... refuse to die without vengeance. My strength wanes, but my will... remains. Mark my killers... Hunt them as they hunted us. Only then... shall my rage... be satisfied.”

  Quest Unlocked: "The Minrudge"The dying Minotaur has cursed the dungeon with its final breath. It seeks revenge on the adventurers who hus kin. Fulfill its dying wish.

  Objective: Travel to the World of DanMachi and sy 5 Adventurers in the dungeohe Minotaur ot be summoned during the pletion of this quest.

  -

  Okay. So he had to travel to the world of another anime and kill five people. Bke sighed. This seemed super unrealistic, but Bke had no doubt once he wished for it, he would be teleported to another location. Kill five adventurers. Bke’s stomach twisted slightly.

  He had killed a person, yes, but that was self-defense. Now, he would actually have to hunt people down and kill them in cold blood. That was disturbing, but Bke uood that was the only way that he could grow stronger. He was still weak, too weak. He couldn’t protect himself without Nightmare, that was for sure.

  However, Bke also realized that he was not prepared for an expedition to the world of DanMachi. He would have to kill five people, who were probably better trained and equipped than him. Bke wouldn’t be able to summon Nightmare either, which meant he would have do it alone. He ime to learn how to trol chakra, learn at least one ninjutsu and equip himself well before finally delving on this quest.

  Bke leaned against the wall, staring at Nightmare. “So you were killed by an adventurer?”

  Nightmare’s eyes ignited with anger and he nodded.

  “If revenge is what you seek, then I shall give you exactly that.”

  A pn began to form in Bke’s mind. He would built his strength, find stuff that would help him on his quest, plete it a another summon. Thehe situation within the Akatsuki. Bke…wasn’t too keen on staying here for too long, for he khat Hanzo was doing something behind the ses, and he didn’t want to face that disgusting Samander.

  Furthermore, if he remembered correctly, Obito Uchiha was also pying a part in all of this mess, wanting to inflict as much damage as possible on the Akatsuki so that Nagato finally realizes ‘the truth of the world’.

  It was a mess, and Bke was a just a small fry right now which wouldn’t ge anything.

  “For now.” Bke smiled.