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"Brother, let's go home."
"Home…"
Kagaya's face was blank as he steadied Shisui on his back with frostbitten, cracked hands. With equally frostbitten feet, he trudged toward the Uchiha clan grounds.
Last night, a ninja died. His death wouldn't shake the world. It would only leave a seven-year-old boy utterly without support.
'Hey, Big Brother, can you teach me ninjutsu?'
'Huh? Me?'
That was the beginning of Kagaya and Shisui's bond.
Back then, under the setting sun, a six-year-old boy had made a request to an Anbu, who agreed.
From that moment on, Kagaya gained a brother who was almost like family. At the time, Kagaya never dared slack in his training. He pushed himself harder and harder, determined to protect his parents and Shisui from the Uchiha clan's destruction.
But he never imagined the disaster would come so quickly. Danzō's two Root members became the spark that ignited everything.
In just two months, his parents and Shisui were taken from him. He no longer had a home. He had completely lost any place he could call "home."
So, Kagaya didn't go home. Instead, he carried Shisui to the training ground where they often spent time together. Gently setting Shisui down, he took out a kunai and began digging in the dirt.
Perhaps, at this point, only this familiar training ground could barely be called a "home."
Shisui had no family left either, so Kagaya would bury him himself.
But his hands, frozen from a night in the river, were fragile. Before long, blood flowed from his palms, dripping onto the ground and staining the soil red.
Itachi had left when Kagaya found Shisui's body, returning to report Shisui's death to the village.
So here, Kagaya alone would lay Shisui to rest.
Drip.
Suddenly, something other than blood fell onto the ground. Kagaya touched his face.
"Tears?"
No sooner had he spoken than rain began to fall from the sky.
Drip, drip, drip.
"Oh, it's rain."
The rain soaked Kagaya, streaming down his cheeks. No one could tell whether it was tears or rainwater.
The downpour was heavy. People rushed to take down their drying laundry and retreated indoors.
"It started raining out of nowhere. I almost didn't get my clothes in time."
"Ugh, it's so cold. I wish the weather would warm up."
"Well, I had things to do, but the rain's ruined that. Guess I'll wait it out at home."
People grumbled helplessly about the sudden rain.
---
Uchiha Clan Grounds.
Itachi stood at his doorstep, staring at the pouring rain, lost in thought.
"Big Brother, Big Brother, when the rain stops, teach me some ninjutsu! Kagaya's so strong—I can't fall behind!"
Sasuke ran out of the house, tugging at Itachi to teach him.
Itachi turned, putting on a smile, and gently tapped Sasuke's forehead.
"Sasuke, I've got things to do after the rain stops. Next time, okay?"
"Hmph."
Sasuke puffed out his cheeks, glaring at Itachi discontentedly.
---
Hokage's Office.
The Third gazed at the intensifying rain, sighing.
"Shisui's dead… Did he really have to stop the Uchiha this way? And that boy—his parents just died, and now Shisui's gone too…"
The rain grew heavier.
---
In the darkness.
Danzō spoke coldly.
"Shisui's dead, is he? In that case, Uchiha Kagaya can't be spared either. Now that he's lost all his support, killing him will be as easy as flipping my hand."
---
Two days later.
Kakashi visited Kagaya's house but found no one there. He had heard of Shisui's death and wanted to check on Kagaya.
The deaths of his parents, his teammate, and now the big brother who guided him—Kakashi knew all too well how painful that was. Their experiences were so similar. He wanted to pat Kagaya's shoulder and tell him everything would be okay.
But unfortunately, Kakashi didn't find Kagaya.
---
Uchiha Training Ground.
Kagaya knelt before a tombstone, on which he had shakily carved the words: Tomb of Uchiha Shisui.
To complete this, Kagaya's hands were covered in dried blood and had lost all sensation.
If he stayed here without treatment, his hands might be permanently ruined.
"Are you despairing of this world?"
A voice suddenly came from behind Kagaya.
He turned slightly to glance back. Three figures stood there: one was a masked man with red markings, another a man in a black robe with red clouds, his face pierced with black rods, and the last a mature woman with purple hair, also in a black robe with red clouds.
Obito (Madara), Pain, Konan.
The one who spoke was Obito, or rather, the masked man.
Kagaya ignored them. Though Obito had killed his teammate, Kagaya was utterly broken. He had lost count of how many times he'd considered carving a tombstone for himself. He had no interest in anything else. He was tired—so tired.
"Join Akatsuki," Obito said again.
He hadn't planned to personally invite Kagaya, but in the end, he couldn't resist coming. Kagaya's experiences made Obito reject the idea that this world was false. That look of utter despair—Obito understood it. When Rin died, he had felt much the same.
"Not interested. Get lost."
Kagaya's reply was blunt, even crude.
With death on his mind, what did he care about anything else? Those who truly wished to die cared for nothing. In these past few days, Kagaya hadn't sought anyone out or bothered anyone. He had no attachment to this world. It would be best—best if he could quietly die here.
"Don't you want to take revenge on Danzō?"
But Obito, having experienced similar despair, knew exactly what someone like Kagaya cared about: hatred.
Sure enough, a flicker of light returned to Kagaya's eyes.
"Can Akatsuki help me kill Danzō?"
"First, you'd need to join," Obito replied.
Kagaya remained unmoved.
"You need to promise me first."
"Fine. I promise that when you seek revenge on Danzō, Akatsuki will send someone to assist you."
Pain nodded in agreement.
Kagaya currently lacked the power to take on Danzō. Though he had awakened his Mangekyō, he couldn't control it or even know its abilities. To exact revenge, he needed Akatsuki's strength.
"But before your revenge, you'll need to help us build Akatsuki. We don't have enough members yet. Until Akatsuki is complete, I won't send anyone to help you."
"Fine."
Kagaya didn't care about time. He could wait. Besides, simply killing Danzō wasn't enough. He wanted Danzō to feel the same pain he had. Just killing him was far from sufficient.
Danzō wanted to protect Konoha, didn't he? Then let him protect it.
Though Kagaya had promised Shisui he wouldn't personally act against Konoha, that didn't mean he couldn't destroy it through others. Akatsuki was the perfect tool. If Danzō wanted to protect Konoha, Kagaya would tear it down. If Danzō wanted Sharingan, Kagaya would one day gouge every single one from his body.
Danzō wanted to be Hokage? Fine. Kagaya wouldn't let him live to see that day.
"Then show me you can reject Konoha," Pain said.
Kagaya understood what Pain meant. With all his strength, he lifted his numb hands, removed his Konoha headband, and slashed a deep mark across it with a kunai.
From today, he was a rogue ninja of Konoha.
Pain stepped forward, handing Kagaya a ring.
"From today, you are Uchiha Kagaya of Akatsuki."
Kagaya took the ring. On it was a single character: Azure.