Naruto :Madam, You Don’t Want Anything To Happen To Sasuke, Right?

Asuma Sarutobi finally caved under the mounting pressure, unable to carry the weight of his secret any longer.

"I think this Uchiha Haru is just spouting nonsense—deliberately trying to tarnish the reputation of Konoha, and of your name, Father."

Even now, as he spoke of it, Asuma's expression remained tense and filled with resentment.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, kept his face calm, but inwardly, a coldness settled in his chest. He had known that meeting Uchiha Haru would bring nothing but complications.

"What about Kakashi and Kurenai Yuhi?" Hiruzen asked without emotion. "Did they believe Uchiha Haru's claims?"

"No," Asuma replied quickly, shaking his head. "Definitely not."

He knew just how disastrous it would be if either Kakashi or Kurenai were influenced by Haru's accusations, so he rushed to reassure his father.

"They're loyal to Konoha and to you, Father. If they weren't, Kakashi wouldn't have gone out of his way to suggest we keep the incident quiet—for your sake."

"Mm." The Third Hokage gave a small, approving nod. "Yes. Kakashi and Kurenai have always been loyal to the village. There's no way they'd be swayed by Uchiha Haru's delusions."

Hearing his father's confidence, Asuma finally relaxed. Even if he had broken his word and revealed what was meant to stay hidden, at least it hadn't corrupted Kakashi or Kurenai's loyalty. And more importantly, he knew his father would handle the matter decisively.

"Well then, go and get some rest. It's late," Hiruzen said with a gentle smile.

"Yes!" Asuma bowed respectfully. "You should rest too, Father. Don't push yourself too hard."

With that, he turned and departed swiftly.

But once the door closed behind him, Hiruzen's face darkened. The warmth drained from his expression as the shadows gathered around him.

"Kakashi is doubting you."

A voice came from within the gloom.

A figure emerged from the darkness—it was Danzo Shimura.

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't answer. He didn't need to. Of course he had seen it. He hadn't just heard it from Asuma. He had felt it in Kakashi's silence earlier during the briefing. Something about the way the young man stood, arms crossed, lips sealed. It had been... too quiet. Too measured.

Once, he would have called Kakashi his most trusted subordinate.

But now, after learning what Uchiha Haru had revealed, it all made sense.

The doubt. The hesitation.

Because of Haru's words, Kakashi had begun to question him.

"We have to eliminate him," Danzo said grimly.

He meant Kakashi.

"No," the Third Hokage replied immediately, his tone firm. "Kakashi is a genius. One of the few we have left. Konoha can't afford to lose someone like him."

Danzo scoffed. "And what about the deaths of Sakumo Hatake and the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze? You think Kakashi won't dig into those? If he starts questioning you, he'll uncover the truth behind both."

"You won't be able to hide it forever."

Hiruzen's brows furrowed deeply. He paused, fingers interlocked behind his back, then finally spoke again.

"It's been too long. Even if he suspects, he might not find anything concrete."

Danzo sneered, unconvinced.

"Have the Root operatives monitor him from the shadows," Hiruzen ordered.

Danzo gave a slow nod and melted back into the darkness without a sound.

Meanwhile, far from Konoha, the masked man's Akatsuki organization was expanding at a terrifying pace. In just one year, their numbers had grown to ten—each one a monstrous powerhouse, many at Kage-level strength or close to it.

Any one of them could devastate a nation. Gathered together, they were a force that could reshape the shinobi world.

Today, —acting through the alias of "Pain," the leader of the Akatsuki—had summoned them for an important meeting to decide the organization's future direction.

"Art is an explosion! Do you understand that?" shouted Deidara, his bright blond hair flaring as he gestured animatedly.

Sitting across from him, Sasori—hidden within his puppet body, the crimson-hued Hiruko—gave a snort of derision.

"Oh please. You think your little fireworks count as art? Real art is eternal. A masterpiece that lasts forever, something immortal. That's true art."

The two of them had been partnered together for some time now, and they were well acquainted with each other's philosophies. Their arguments over art were endless and never resolved.

Just like now.

"Tch. Loudmouthed fools," muttered Kakuzu from the corner, clearly annoyed. "I want to kill them already."

Next to him, Hidan gave a wide, wicked grin. "I agree! It's been ages since I last offered a proper sacrifice to Lord Jashin!"

"What did you say?" Deidara and Sasori snapped in unison, both turning toward the pair with chilling gazes.

Kakuzu and Hidan didn't flinch.

"You heard us just fine," Kakuzu growled.

The atmosphere in the room grew cold and heavy. The tension between the two duos crackled like charged lightning. A fight could break out at any moment.

Uchiha Itachi, Hoshigaki Kisame, and Juzo Biwa sat nearby, watching silently.

None of them moved to intervene. They merely observed with cool detachment.

This was Akatsuki—a collection of volatile monsters with egos the size of nations. Conflict was inevitable.

And none of them minded. In fact, many welcomed the chance to measure each other's strength.

Just as the hostility was nearing a breaking point, a commanding voice rang out.

"Enough."

All heads turned.

Pain, the nominal leader of Akatsuki, stepped forward from the shadows, his Rinnegan eyes scanning the assembled rogues like a god judging mortals.

"I didn't call you here to bicker like children."

His voice was cold and impassive, yet carried overwhelming authority. Even the most rebellious among them fell silent.

Beside him stood Konan and Zetsu, both core members of the Akatsuki. Including the masked man silently observing from the shadows, every member of the Akatsuki organization was now present.

Pain's appearance immediately shifted the tense atmosphere.

It wasn't just because Pain was the leader of Akatsuki—

It was because of his power.

More precisely, because of his eyes.

The Rinnegan.

Eyes of legend—ones said to wield the power of life and death itself.

The individuals present were dangerous, unruly, and difficult to command.

But when facing Pain, even they couldn't help but feel reverence.

In this world, the strong always submit to those stronger.

Once silence had settled over the group, Pain began to speak.

"This is the first formal gathering of all Akatsuki members."

"I expect everyone to communicate with civility. We're not here to fight each other."

"Remember—we are an organization…"

He paused.

The silence that followed spoke volumes.

Even Pain, with all his strength, understood the absurdity of expecting cooperation from this group of merciless rogues and killers.

Helping each other? Unlikely.

He would settle for not backstabbing one another during missions.

"Scorpion," Pain continued, turning to the puppet master. "How is your investigation into Orochimaru progressing?"

Orochimaru had defected from Akatsuki not long ago. Pain had tasked Sasori with tracking him down and eliminating him as punishment.

Now that time had passed, he wanted an update.

Sasori responded in his usual cold, mechanical voice. "I've embedded a spy close to Orochimaru and gained his trust. But he's slippery—constantly relocating and masking his tracks."

"It's difficult to make contact with my spy right now," he admitted. "It will take more time to assassinate him."

Pain nodded slowly, processing the report.

Before he could speak again, another voice cut through the air.

"It's been this long and Orochimaru is still alive? Are you even capable of finishing the mission?"

"If you're just going to waste our time, hand the task to me."

All eyes shifted.

The speaker was Kakuzu—his voice laced with disdain. Tension crackled.

Kakuzu and Sasori had clashed before. It was no surprise he'd use this moment to provoke him.

Without saying a word, Sasori raised the tail of his puppet body, Fei Liuhu. The sharp, venom-tipped stinger gleamed with deadly intent.

No one in the room doubted its lethality.

He didn't speak—but his threat was clear. The two were moments away from violence.

"You still take me seriously, don't you?" Pain's voice broke in again, calm but stern.

He realized, once again, just how volatile this group was. Putting them together was a calculated risk.

"I assigned this task to Sasori. That decision stands."

He turned his gaze back to the puppet master. "But you must act quickly."

"It's only Orochimaru. If we can't handle him soon, our organization's reputation will suffer. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Sasori responded, shooting Kakuzu a venomous glare.

Kakuzu returned it with one of equal disdain.

Pain saw it all—but chose not to interfere further.

As long as they didn't kill each other, he could live with the hostility.

He continued, "There is another reason I've summoned everyone."

"I mentioned before—our organization's goals will be achieved in three phases."

"Phase one, the recruitment of members, is nearly complete."

"Now, we enter the second phase."

"From this day forward, we will begin the process of capturing the Tailed Beasts."

Gasps rippled through the air.

The Bijū.

The most powerful chakra entities in existence.

To the average shinobi, they were forces of nature—gods of destruction.

But to the members of Akatsuki, capturing them was nothing more than another mission—a chance to demonstrate their power.

A low rumble of discussion erupted among the group.

"I want the One-Tail!" Deidara declared eagerly, stepping forward.

"Fine," Pain said with a nod. "You'll take Scorpion with you."

"Perfect!" Deidara exclaimed, visibly thrilled.

Sasori, however, was not impressed. "Generally, the higher the number of tails, the stronger the Bijū."

"Why would you choose the weakest one?"

"What?" Deidara blinked, confused.

"Isn't the One-Tail the strongest?"

A wave of silence followed.

Deidara had always assumed the One-Tail was the top of the hierarchy. Realizing his mistake, his face twisted in disbelief.

"Wait, wait—Chief, no! I want to change! I want to go after the Nine-Tails instead!"

"The Nine-Tails is mine."

The voice was low but absolute.

It came from Uchiha Itachi.

He stepped forward, calm and composed, but his presence carried a chilling weight.

As he spoke, his eyes turned crimson—his Mangekyō Sharingan glowing ominously.

The room fell silent again, everyone feeling the gravity of his words.

Deidara's excitement faltered immediately, and he took a step back, muttering something under his breath.

Pain didn't interfere.

When it came to the Nine-Tails, there was no better candidate than Itachi.

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