VII

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Arc VII Chapter 9

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A Root ANBU knelt and reported. “Danzo-sama, the ANBU failed. We must assume that the target escaped.”

Danzo glanced up from his desk and listened. His fight with Asami weakened him. He required time to recuperate. His chakra was low, and his hands lacked strength. The state of his right arm was beyond deplorable. The Hashirama cells ran amok and worsened his condition. Controlling them grew increasingly difficult. “So that means that the girl is still alive?”

The Root ANBU confirmed his fears. “We suspect so, Danzo-sama. The girl eluded capture and escaped. The girl seemingly vanished. A few patrols went missing last night. They never returned. We found their corpses this morning. They were slaughtered down to the last man. The patrols were hunted down systematically. The ANBU platoon that was stationed at the mansion met a similar fate. We believe that she was behind it.”

Danzo contemplated his options. He had underestimated Asami. He had severely underestimated her. The case Asami represented a massive threat to his political survival. The truth could not be allowed to be ever discovered. “How much does the village council know?”

The ANBU paused. “The council was informed this morning. A squad of chunin investigated the mansion and stumbled across their mutilated corpses. It was a gruesome sight.”

“What did they report?”

The Root ANBU hesitated. “The captain reported that he hadn't seen such a scene of carnage even during the darkest days of the war. This wasn't a fight. This was massacre. They ANBU were slaughtered.”

“I see.” Danzo grinned with a sense of satisfaction. This was the perfect pretext. He had enough evidence now to convince the village council to declare Asami a traitor, an enemy of Konoha.

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In a secret hideout in a far, far, far away land, Kakuzu performed his usual work, sorting the incoming Akatsuki mail. Only a lone desk lamp kept him company.

Despite his age, Kakuzu hadn’t turned to dust yet. He enjoyed the benefits of his longevity, leaning over a pile of mail. Pain had tasked him with organising their incoming correspondence and missions, turned him into their de facto a secretary. He didn't complain, however, and did his work. Duty was duty.

Kakuzu opened the mail, letter after letter. “No. No. Never ... In a few years maybe ... No. No. No ... Certainly not. We aren’t that cheap ... No. No. No ...”

The majority of them were immediately discarded, wandering directly into the rubbish. Promising letters, meanwhile, were set aside. Furthermore, today was his favourite day. It was the start of the month, which meant that the new bounties were coming in. The villages had updated their bingo books.

“Iwagakure? The senile Tsuchikage should better pay his debts before recruiting us again. The arsehole still owes us. No. No. No ... Are they kidding? We are not a charity. No. No. Maybe ... No. No. No ... A request from Takigakure?” Kakuzu studied the letter. “I guess they can go fuck themselves. No. No. No ... No. No. No ...” Kakuzu challenged the paper flood alone without help whatsoever.

Deidara wouldn't be of any help due to his explosive temperament. His solution would be to blow everything up. Nor would be Zetsu. The guy was a fucking plant, completely useless for manual tasks. No idea why he was even part of Akatsuki. Nor Hidan. His partner in crime might be immortal, but his jelly brain certainly wasn't. Nor Konan. Her organisational skills were lacking, despite paper supposedly being her element. Unfortunately, he was the only one in the entire organisation with a basic grasp of accounting. Without him managing the finances, Akatsuki would have long since gone broke.

Kakuzu continued his monotone work, him against the paper tsunami. “No. No. No ... No. No. No ... No. No. Interesting ... No. No. No ...”

“...” His eyes blinked. Apparently, Kiri demanded a full refund? Cheeky bastards. Didn't they know that Akatsuki had a firm no refund policy?

“No. No. No ... Another paper delivery for our little angel.” No idea what she needs so much paper for. Certainly not for her Origami.

“No. No. No. Maybe. No. No.” This was all mail for today. Now to his favourite part, the bounties. There were a lot this month, which made him happy. Already the first one elicited his attention. It was one from Konoha. Weren't they goodies?

Kakuzu studied the bounty and the attached picture. The target was a girl. The girl was young. Black hair, black eyes, a black kimono that could easily bankrupt men of lesser birth. The girl radiated an aura of nobility. Was the daughter of a Daimyo, or what? Apparently not. Apparently, the girl was a kunoichi turned traitor. A missing nin. Her death was desired, and Akatsuki was of course happy to oblige.

S-rank. Konoha-nin. Kunoichi. Name, Minami Asami. Nickname, the Black Princess of Konoha. Rank, jonin. ANBU. Traitor. Elimination on sight, recommended.

So this girl was the ominous Black Princess of Konoha. Interesting ...

And the bounty was ...

“...” Kakuzu blinked in disbelief, unable to believe his eyes. His eyes didn't deceive him. The bounty remained the same. 120 000 000 ryo.

120 000 000 ryo for a single girl ... That was insane. He would sell his grandmother, his mother and his future children for this amount of money, but where was the catch? If he learned one thing over the years, then that customers rarely overpaid out of generosity. There was always a catch. Judging by her bounty, the girl must be dangerous. The question was only how dangerous.

Kakuzu contemplated. Should he decline, or accept? Decline, or accept? Greed, or common sense? 120 000 000 ryo, or nothing? A difficult choice.

It was a dilemma, and as usual, he came to rely on his only friend in this miserable world, money. Money had never abandoned him. He decided to flip a coin. Head for killing her. Tails for killing her. His coin had the choice.

He tossed the coin into the air, the outcome certain. He erred, the outcome was anything but sure. The coin fell and got stuck between two ancient floorboards. An unexpected result.

Kakuzu chuckled before picking up the coin. Fate wanted her to live ... Not that he cared. He had different plans for the girl. “Hidan! Get your arse ready immediately! We have got a job to do.”

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Desperation, apathy, depression hit Asami. Hunger and fatigue eroded her spirit. Weeks had passed since leaving Konoha and Asami crossed rivers, forests, mountains, lands without purpose, without goals, without destination.

Her stomach grumbled. Her feet hurt. Dust and filth dirtied her precious attire. Insects bothered her. The nights were cold and the wind icy.

Asami missed her fluffy bed, her pyjama, her warm bath, her home, her regular breakfasts. Her heart craved her old comfortable life, Her current lifestyle didn't befit her standing. She was a princess, the last true Uchiha. Divine blood coursed through her veins. She deserved better.

Ninja, ANBU, mercenaries, bounty hunters, they all wanted to have her head. Their futile attempts entertained her, but they were persistent like flies. Her admirers only dwindled after she nailed a few of them to the nearest tree.

Asami fell, collapsing. Her exhausted body hit the soft grass below. The fluffy green invited her like a huge lovely pillow and Asami accepted the invitation. Her body was tired. The world weighed on her shoulders.

Dark clouds covered the sky. Rain loomed. She deserved some rest, and she relished every second in these dark times, minutes of solitude, peace and silence.

Asami persisted. She survived the night Okaa-san died. She survived Itachi. She survived Konoha's betrayal. Her heart bled, but nobody cared. Her heart cried, but nobody cared. Asami was all alone.

The sky roared, and a thunder announced the rain. Droplets tickled her skin and their numbers grew.

Her world wasn't a sunny place. Her past, her present were filled with misery and sorrow. Her future uncertain. Fate was indeed a cruel mistress. She had lost everything. She paid a heavy price, reaping nothing but disappointment and betrayal. Nothing but resentment and hatred. One day, she would repay Konoha's kindness, but for now Konoha was a relic of the past, a testament to wasted time and effort.

The rain poured down. Myriads of droplets descended and soaked her hair, her kimono, but the rain didn't bother her. Asami enjoying the refreshing rain, the water trickling from her skin.

Asami reached for the sky amid the endless stream of tears, asmile adorning her lips. Heaven shared her pain, her suffering, her bitterness, but this wasn't the end. She would rise again and claim what was rightfully hers, her birthright. Nobody would deny her the greatness she was destined to.

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“Kakuzu.”

“Kakuzu.”

“Kakuzu!!!”

“Hidan, stop pestering me. You annoy me.” Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. The immortal bastard was lucky he couldn't just kill him.

Hidan ignored his warning, barking, “Kakuzu, why are we doing this? We have been searching an entire month for this fucking bitch without a single fucking clue!!! This is an utter waste of time!”

Kakuzu dismissed him. “I doubt so. The bitch is worth a fortune. The girl is worth her weight in gold, so shut the fuck up, Hidan. Less complaining. More working.”

Hidan clicked his tongue. “The money doesn't matter if we can't find her, Kakuzu!! Don't you get it ... Hey, are you even listening?!”

Kakuzu assured his partner. “I have my network. I have my connections. The little princess can't be far. She must be somewhere in the area according to my sources.”

“tsk, I remember how well that worked last week, and the week before ...” Hidan grew silent. They reached a crossroad and made an unexpected find, corpses.

...

...

...

“I told you that we are on the right track. She must be near.” Kakuzu studied their mutilated corpses. They weren't the only ones hunting her. They fought her, and it didn't end well. Their masks and attires betrayed their affiliation. They guys were Kiri-ANBU, supplemented by mercenaries to bolster their forces.

“...” Kakuzu furrowed her eyebrow. The girl had numerous enemies. Kiri, Iwa, Suna, Kumo, Konoha, they all wanted her dead, but the princess didn't care. They all tried, and they all failed. The girl didn't hide, didn't run, didn't bother to cover her tracks. The girl left a trail of blood in her wake.

Kakuzu inspected the dead. Stab wounds through their chests. Her sword burned through their torso. The fragrance of burnt human flesh still lingered. The dead carried her signature. The blood was still fresh. This degree of precision. This efficiency. This brutality. This was her.

“...” His attention turned attention to the nearest settlements. It was a small town located down the valley. A peaceful place.

Kakuzu grinned. “Told you so, Hidan. We found her ... Hidan?”

“...” Hidan stared at the blood stained tree. His hands trembled, and he clenched his fists in rage. His temper exploded. “This fucking bitch! Who does this slut think she is?! I am the servant of Jashin here! Not she! Massacring people is my job, god dammit!”

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