"Mr. Ash's sister?"
Kisame bared his sharp teeth in a crooked smile as he noticed White Zetsu staring at Ash with visible fear. After chuckling to himself, he followed Ash down the corridor.
Ash's gaze shifted to the large bandaged object strapped to Kisame's back. Through his enhanced observation—like a predator sizing up prey—he assessed the weapon's internal structure. It looks just like a massive pufferfish from my previous life…
"That's Samehada — my most trusted blade," Kisame replied curtly, catching Ash's curiosity. Despite his monstrous grin and terrifying presence, Kisame was someone molded by tragedy. Anyone who ended up joining the Akatsuki had their own story soaked in darkness.
Once, Kisame was one of Kirigakure's most loyal shinobi.
Under Fuguki Suikazan, the previous wielder of Samehada, Kisame carried out the Village Hidden in the Mist's blood-stained "dark missions"—eliminating comrades rather than letting them fall into enemy hands and leak intelligence under torture.
There was a mission he never forgot: surrounded by a Konoha squad, outnumbered and trapped—he chose to slaughter his own teammates, then escaped over a cliff. It was a choice that shattered what little trust he had in the world.
Later, he killed his own master, Fuguki, upon discovering years of corruption and betrayal. Since then, Kisame trusted no one. He dedicated himself entirely to the mission… because if he stopped, he would crumble.
Deep down, Kisame only wished for a world without lies, without war—A world where he could finally have friends.
A year and a half had passed since Ash, Kisame, and White Zetsu returned to the Akatsuki. White Zetsu's presence at Ash's side never drew suspicion. After all—every member had their own loyal subordinate or informant.
Konan, however, found White Zetsu fascinating. After learning about his strange origins, the two got along oddly well… though she still thought Ash's emotional detachment was unsettling.
With the conclusion of the Third Great Ninja War, the world fell into a temporary peace. The Akatsuki profited from the chaos they helped resolve, earning the title:
The World's Most Elite Mercenary Organization.
No village dared meddle in Amegakure, Nagato's domain.
During this post-war era:
Minato Namikaze became the Fourth Hokage
Orochimaru, once approved by Hiruzen and Danzō for forbidden research, was exposed
To protect their reputation, the Leaf branded him a traitor—forcing him into the Akatsuki
When Orochimaru first saw Ash, even she froze, intrigued by the overwhelming power contained in him.
Soon after, Hidan—recruited by Kakuzu—also joined. Immortal and grotesquely fanatical, he caught Ash's curiosity… though Ash cleverly hid that interest.
Across eighteen months, the Akatsuki completed countless high-level missions for the Five Great Nations—especially Iwagakure, which paid enormous sums.
And in those long months, Ash carved his own legend into the shinobi world.
They called him the God of Slaughter.
Not only because of Susanoo, but because he had defeated:
Four Kage-level shinobi
One quasi-Kage
…and survived. Time and again.
Ash also clashed against the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, repeatedly. Their battles were devastating—a perfect tie almost every time. Both eventually reached Kage-level strength.
It wasn't that Ash was weaker—
Minato's teleportation was simply too fast. Time-Space Ninjutsu surpassed even instantaneous movement. Ash could still track flickers of mental energy—but Minato's jumps left no such trace.
Ash was undeniably stronger overall—yet without mastery over space-time techniques, he could only break even.
Five wins. Five losses.
A rivalry the world would remember.
Of course, part of Ash's frustration came from being unable to access the Second Stage of the Curse Mark in front of others. It was his hidden trump card. For now, only the First Stage had ever been shown publicly.
He considered using genjutsu to counter Minato, but the Yellow Flash was clearly aware of the danger posed by his Sharingan. With space–time ninjutsu, Minato avoided any opportunity for Ash to catch him in an illusion—the moment Ash tried to seize control, Minato simply vanished.
Every encounter between them resulted in the same problem: Minato always had the positional advantage. Even when Ash found an opening, the Fourth Hokage slipped away before Ash could land a decisive blow.
It angered him.
Still, Ash couldn't deny the satisfaction he felt watching White Zetsu grow stronger. Barely six years old, and already possessing the abilities of an elite chūnin—that alone comforted Ash greatly. Originally, he had only intended to take White Zetsu in as a younger sibling—nothing more.
But without realizing when it began, White Zetsu naturally became his maid and little sister—handling every chore of daily life flawlessly. Ash had simply gotten used to it.
In the darkness of a cavern, Ash leaned back with a tired expression as White Zetsu massaged his shoulders. "What's with the sudden urgency? I was enjoying a rare moment of peace," he muttered irritably.
"You two sure know how to relax," Hidan scoffed from across the chamber. Ever since Hidan had been paired with Kakuzu, his life was a nightmare. Kakuzu only cared about money, and the endless bounty missions were enough to drive Hidan half-mad.
"Stop dragging this out. My new puppet is almost complete. I don't have time to waste," Sasori said, speaking as the elderly shell of Hiruko concealed the true puppet master within.
"Silence. The mission is critical. The client will explain the details shortly," Yahiko's Deva Path ordered coldly when Hidan continued complaining.
No sooner had his words fallen than a swirling vortex of space–time tore open before the Gedo Statue. A man stepped out from the distortion—wearing a black Akatsuki cloak and a spiraled mask that hid his face entirely.
...
TN:
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