A/N; THIS STORY HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED EVEN THOUGH IT SHOWS UP ON MY PAGE THAT IT HAS. I only deleted a chapter.

Monopoly

5

Jiraiya and Tsunade left and became much like the wind in Ame—there was none.

Konami couldn't stand to see them leave, the two that made her grow and had taken care of her all this time. She knew they had to, and that it would be a long time before they'd see each other again. The very fact of it made her heart ache, as the words 'good-bye' got stuck in her throat. The only form of consolation was that she wasn't alone in it. She had Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan after all. She also had a job to do, a monopoly to build up. She had to change their land from the inside out, and spread the tale of Akatsuki. Yes, that was her job, and she would see it through.

Four Years Later

Konami was fairly certain that she'd get him back soon. She'd get him back—and good too.

See, one did not mess with her when it came to matters like this, not without fear of retaliation at least.

"Ryuu," her voice was cold and unsympathetic as she called out to him, expecting him to come out with a helpless expression and a lame excuse like, Yahiko told me to do it.

Except what actually happened was that Ryuu stepped out from his room looking completely oblivious and confused, "What?"

It didn't look like he did it, so she merely asked, frowning, "Do you know who stole the sheet I have on Maiko? Her assessment paperwork is something I need before she can be allowed into the organization."

Ryuu shrugged, not looking particularly distraught about the mention of lost files, "Ask Taka, I'm sure he would know. He's a nut about paperwork, like you. Honestly, don't get it." Konami was far too disturbed to correct his last sentence, something she'd been doing help him increase his grammar skills.

Sometimes she wished he cared more about the things she did—it would make getting him to do work easier after all—but she preferred Ryuu as himself; interested only in animals and food. He was cuter that way, and innocent to the ugliness of the world. At fifteen, most would think there would be no way he could have slipped out by now without his dreams destroyed and heartbroken, but Ryuu hadn't been spared of this. He was merely a resilient boy, and detached enough to care little for the things that had gone wrong in the past four years she had known him.

In reply to his words she made a noncommittal grunt and went off in search of the doctor and her dear friend. She found him a mere moment later, nose stuck into the exact papers she had been in search of. Konami calmed immediately as she snuck forward playfully to see if she could wrangle a reaction of him this time, but he looked up just she was about to—.

"Ah, Konami, it looks like I was right again," Taka merely said with a grin and Konami winced, biting her lip before leaning to gaze at Maiko's assessment.

"Damn, I was hoping I'd have her all to myself," Konami deliberately pouted, looking to Taka with big eyes.

It didn't work on him as per usual, only bringing a smile to his lip as he gave an easy laugh, "Remember your word, I get all the bloodline limits, and you get the others."

"Yeah, yeah," Konami sulked before brightening, "but can't you at least let me borrow her, just for a bit?"

Taka looked thoughtful before shrugging, "It would depend entirely on what she would want."

"Great," Konami nodded to herself, "someone like her could help out so much."

"I'd imagine," Taka merely admonished before setting down the woman's files and turning to look at Konami, "How are the others doing?"

"Akatsuki is becoming very well known in Ame, and I can imagine that this means very good things for us."

"And very bad."

"Yes, there's that," she hesitantly admitted before brushing it off with a pleased smile, "but I have my hooks in him. Hanzo doesn't have much political sway in Ame anymore, and aside from a few of his supporters—."

"Danzo."

"Yes, Danzo and his ROOT members, there isn't much of a threat poised against us. Not when we have so much manpower backing us. Like Kumo, Suna, and Iwa" yes, she had gotten their allegiance in the name of Akatsuki not too long ago when she opened up trade with them, "Konoha is on the fence, probably due to Danzo's meddling, but there's little to worry about. They won't be making any attacks, not after what they've done in the past."

"So, it looks like we should be able to win this without a fight."

"Hanzo is dangerous and powerful," Konami reminded him, "I'm not going to doubt what he could do."

Taka just smiled at her, "If I had known that you would grow up to be the savior of our forsaken land—."

"I'm not the savior," she corrected him almost absentmindedly, despite what others would say, "Akatsuki is. We owe all our gratitude to the people who have joined us and helped us throughout the years."

"But it was you who united them," Taka insisted on saying, much to her surprise.

"I merely set the foundations for selfish reasons," she murmured, "Nagi, Yahiko and Konan did all of the real work." They really had, having been the ones to risk their lives in defending others and completing missions for the people of this land, earning their gratitude and respect. Konami hadn't expected it to go so smoothly for them, but it had helped that Akatsuki was aligned with Asahi, the organization that Konami had built a monopoly with before integrating it with Akatsuki.

"Just the physical side of things. You've acted as the brains, despite your age and ignorance."

"Well, Taki," she smiled warmly at him, using her special nickname with him, as she did when she was particularly feeling close to the older man, "you were the one who helped me with everything. If it wasn't for you…I wouldn't have ever been able to do this, any of it." She leaned down then and kissed his cheek, feeling the wrinkles of his aged skin and his comforting warmth. "Thank you, for the vow you took."

With knowing eyes, Taka smiled jovially, "It has been my pleasure, my dear Kona."

Konami refused to be disgruntled, but it didn't help her anxiety much when he talked like that. Like any second he would die on her, giving up the life he had built with Konami intricately woven in. It had been the very reason she had insisted he put a stop to giving up his lifespan for others. Taka had done more than enough in the ways of saving lives with his affiliation in Akatsuki as he worked as a doctor for the wounded and poor. He'd not only done that, but he had gone the extra mile in assisting Konami in her work, building up her monopoly, and then he had helped her in gathering members for her organization, knowing intimate details of other hidden kekkei genkai users—the ones that refused to work for Hanzo and the ones that had just wanted to live in peace.

Now, all of them worked for the better good of Ame under the system that Taka and she had assembled with equality of the people in mind. But not only that, when she had asked, he became her face and had taken on diplomatic meetings in her stead.

"Taki," she softly spoke, forcing a smile on her face, "you can't leave us before we're finally free. Not until we've united the world, okay?"

Taka's own smile was warm, but he said nothing, only bringing a gentle hand to her face as she leaned into it. She horribly wished that she had seen him as he was with Hana, how different of a person he had been before then, with a wife in his life. She knew intimately of Taka's pain, and she knew just as well that there would be no release for it.

"You shouldn't have done it, you know," Taka suddenly spoke up as the momentary silence left them.

She raised a brow in question, confused, "What shouldn't I have done?"

"Faked your death, along with the others too."

She knew immediately who he was talking about, but she frowned just the same, pulling away as she came to regard him stubbornly, "We had to. Jiraiya and Tsunade can't become involved with Ame anymore." Also, it kept her fellow orphans safe from being kidnapped and being killed.

"So you figured they wouldn't care at all that the four of you are now presumably dead?"

She pursed her lips, "We'll tell them when things are fixed in Ame."

Taka sighed but nodded with the patience of an expert, "I hope that day comes soon. Very soon."

Konami tried to tell herself that there was nothing wrong but she couldn't shake the niggling feeling in the back of her mind as she softly whispered, "What's wrong? Is…your health bad? Be honest." She turned away, trying so hard to deny the likelihood of Taka dying any time soon. He had so much work to do ahead of himself. He couldn't give up on her yet, not when they had gotten this far.

"You shouldn't have faked your death," was all he said to her in response. But that was more than enough for her to know with certainty that Taka didn't have much time left. Her shoulders sank before she turned to him once more, coming to kiss him on the cheek once more.

"I love you, Taki," she murmured to him almost without a thought but then when her words sank in, her face flushed red with embarrassment. It didn't matter that she always said it to him being that he was like a grandfather, or an older brother to her. She was always shy when opening up about her feelings. The thing about knowing so much information on others was that it made her apprehensive to be honest about herself. One could never know what others will do with it.

Taka just merely smiled at her as he brought a hand up to ruffle her bangs, "I love you too, little Kona."

She grinned then, letting herself laugh before coming in to hug him. In the end, what mattered to her now was that Taka was alive and here, breathing just like she was.

The Shadow of a Rising Sun

"Nagi," Konami called out to him, stepping into their new hideout. The last one had been abandoned back when an enemy ninja had entered, something that was inevitable and made living there dangerous. So they had moved into a different space, one that Nagato had created with one of his massive earth bending jutsu he liked to show off to Konami with. This one was safer than the last, being underground, and larger, but nothing could beat the imprinted memories from their last home, with the Hop-In planks still as they were. She still visited to keep the home clean, if there ever came a day that the four of them could move back in.

The cherry haired boy was already standing at the entrance, expecting her. He gave her a smile before wrapping her into a hug, his scent immediately calming her down. It had become their ritual as the years had spanned on. When Nagato had started getting into dangerous situations, ones where he would come home beaten and tired, they had taken to hugging whenever they saw each other and whenever they left each other. It was always a nice, comforting feeling when she was in Nagato's arms, protective against her slight, thin frame. He'd really filled out over the years, towering over her in height and thicker than her with the muscles he had gotten from the arduous training he put his body through.

Silently, as they had grown accustomed to instinctively reading each other, they moved into the kitchen with food on the brain. Raiding the pantry, they moved around each other easily, never once getting in the way of the other as she could know wherever he was at in the world without thinking and he'd grown accustomed to feeling for her chakra by then. Soon, they had two plates of easily prepared sandwiches and a fruit salad.

The two then found themselves seated at the table as they quietly ate, reminding her of the past when her family used to do the same.

However, before long, she did have to begrudgingly speak up, asking him, "Where are Yahiko and Konan?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. The two of them headed out an hour before you came home. It sounded like they wanted to be alone though."

Konami couldn't resist an eye roll, "Those two ready to get married yet?"

Nagato chuckled, grinning at their private joke they often made when regarding the other two, "I bet they'll elope by the end of the month."

Konami snickered, "Well, it is legal for fifteen year olds to get hitched." In fact, thirteen year olds like herself could also get married. It wasn't that strange if you considered the estimated lifespan of most civilians of Ame. Places like Konoha were probably stricter about the whole thing though.

"I wonder why they're trying to keep it secret though," Nagato had been trying to figure out, but the minds of those two teens were unfathomable to Konami and him.

"You think they're embarrassed? Or maybe they think we'll make fun of them?" Konami suggested, thoughtful.

Nagato chuckled, "If only they knew."

To this, she grinned, "We're so bad."

"Definitely worth being punished by Hanzo for."

They erupted into laughter.

"Whatever it is, they need to tell us so that we can set the date for the wedding," Konami intoned seriously after she regained her breath. It was short lived as before long, she ended up breaking into another whoop of laughter, which Nagato joined in with heartily.

Times like this were good for her, after having such a stressful day. It really helped relieve her tension and anxiety and Nagato was the only one that could have her crying from laughing too hard. Over the years, he had changed so much, becoming much more open with her, happier. He didn't sulk as much, and most days he was in a rather chipper mood. He often told her that he was only like that around Konami, like himself back before his home had been raided and his parents killed.

She knew that the scars on his heart would remain forever, but knowing that he could smile like this with her had always been a relief and a much needed reprieve from the world and the agitation it brought to her.

"Nagi," she murmured softly as soon as their laughter had died out, leaving them to soak in the moment as the feelings lingered.

"Nami," he smiled at her then, understanding that she had nothing special or of importance to say to him. She had merely wanted to feel close with him by using his nickname, the special one that no one could ever call him.

She doubted she'd ever find someone who understood her as well as he did, making her so terribly glad that Nagato was in her life.

They sat in silence after that, goofy grins splayed out on their faces for anyone to walk in and see. Humor colored their eyes, as well as a deep love for one another. Trust, unadulterated trust, hung between them like a bond made of the strongest metal.

Konami felt content with her life, even knowing that it would be taking a change soon, if Akatsuki was successful in their war against Hanzo. She had a nagging feeling that something else would affect it soon enough, but she had little sense to know what she should be looking out for.

For some reason she thought of masks, but she couldn't fathom on why.

The Shadow of a Rising Sun

Maiko was a waifish, tiny, and slight woman who looked just as sickly as her little brother was. What really took her off guard, however, was the very western style of clothing she chose to wear; a maid's outfit, with full long skirts, an apron and a cap over platinum hair to match. Her face was expressionless, almost unimpressed, but there was a strange look in Maiko's green eyes. Something akin to worry.

Konami couldn't help but blink, images flashing through her mind briefly. She resisted a snort, but the experience was a new one to her; she'd never seen western clothing taken so far in Ame, although out of all of the five nations, it was the country that had the biggest influx to be inspired by the westerners. It was something Konami had always found a bit humorous, that the spread of western culture was the same as her past life. She didn't often think about it, being that she'd never heard the word spoken, but perhaps their very own world was just a mirror to her other one? There was evidence to prove it contrary, however, as she had never heard any of the countries name spoken.

"I hope you can excuse my state of dress," Maiko said as the silence between them lingered, hand hovering over her little brother who wore an unhappy face, "I was just heading from my place of work before Sorato-san came with the message."

Konami nodded, but didn't ask where she worked, "I see, well, I think we should get to the point of the matter then. You may call me Asahi, leave the honorifics if you please, and I think we'll get along great."

Maiko smiled then, a somewhat forced one, as if she weren't used to the action, nodding her understanding.

"I have been wondering whether you'd feel up to joining Akastuki for a brief period of time."

"But the benefits—."

"Will be yours. Do not worry, we have a lot of members who have sickly siblings," Konami explained gently, "we have top level medics working with us to give those benefits to all of those who help us in our dream and only the best will come to heal your brother, free of charge."

Maiko visibly relaxed, "If I may ask, what is the difference?"

"Well, Akatsuki is a fighting force, similar to that of a shinobi village, while Asahi is mostly information gathering. You specified in your assessment test that you wanted to work in Asahi, and we have a rule that all kekkei genkai users will be placed there first, until they get an understanding of where they want to be. It is their own personal choice where they want to be. We don't abuse our members with their contracts, and if you've read it, you know that you can leave whenever you want—within reason, of course."

Maiko looked thoughtful, the barest hint of her brows lifting, before she spoke, "I…I am not a fighter, but if you need my kekkei genkai, I would be happy to provide assistance."

Konami nodded, pleased as she stood up from her chair, "Follow me then, I have your team to introduce you to."

"T-team?" Her brother spoke up for the first time, eyes wide and almost shining, "Like in the games with ninja?"

Konami smiled at him, and nodded, "Yes, very much like that, except they are all real shinobi who've aligned themselves with Akatsuki. I'm not sure if you're aware, but with funds from the Daimyo, we've managed to create an Academy, one fully operated by us and for us."

Maiko blinked, "Then, is the orphanage also under your control?"

"Yes, it is. Along with the new library and homeless shelter," Konami informed them, "Our goal is to one day be the only form of government in Ame, that Hanzo will be shred of his title. This is where Akastuki comes in. Hanzo will not leave without a fight, and thus we have built up a fighting force to combat him. Asahi is for establishing exactly where he is," Konami explained, although she'd known where Hanzo was for quite a bit of time. His chakra wasn't one to be missed, even if it were so far away.

"That's so cool," Maiko's little brother whispered, eyes wide.

Konami knelt to look him in the eye, a gentle smile playing on her lips, "What is your name, little one?"

"Yuki," he said, almost shyly. Konami tried to keep the look of annoyance off as a certain agitating face skirted on the edge of her mind. She wouldn't give that man any more power than he already had over her.

"Well, I hope that when your sister allows, you can join and be cool with us." Konami straightened and looked into Maiko's eyes, "Since this is only temporary, you don't have to go through courses at the Academy, but if you wish to continue on with Akatsuki, it is imperative that you travel up the chain like all others. We use the regulated class distinction of genin, chuunin, and jounin like the other hidden villages do."

Maiko nodded again, that thoughtful expression on her face once more before she murmured softly, "You were saying that I'd be meeting my team?"

"Oh, yes," Konami immediately spun on her heel, heading for the door, "please follow me."

With footsteps following behind her, she took them through the building that all work had moved to before leading them to the door outside. Konami then distributed umbrellas, opening them up as they all left and came to one of the training fields that had been created for Akatsuki uses.

"Isai, Jun, Aiko," Konami called out and the three ninja appeared before her, questioning looks on their face.

"What is it, Asahi? You never bother us at this time of day," Jun said, wincing when Isai jabbed his elbow into Jun's waist.

"It isn't a bother," Isai murmured, pushing up his glasses on the edge of his nose, a glint catching on them. Konami blinked, cueing the image away for later, when she needed a good laugh.

She placed her hand on her hip, but gave them an easy smile, "It's no worry. I just thought you would like to meet your newest team member, and her little brother."

"Her?" Jun asked, face instantly bursting into a flush. It was Aiko who jabbed him in the stomach this time, a look of annoyance clear on her dark skinned face.

Konami looked at Jun with concern, "I thought you'd gotten over—never mind," she looked to the others, "Just don't cause trouble for the medics, you two."

Aiko smiled with a nod as Isai have a strict "yes".

"This is Maiko and Yuki. Maiko," Konami gestured to the girl as she gave a stiff bow, "will be using her bloodline limit to help us out. She's just a temporary member, for now. Treat her with respect."

"Will she be training with us then?" Aiko asked, gazing curiously at the stone-faced Maiko.

"No," Konami answered, "She'll be going on missions, but the three of you will have to look out for her well-being. Her kekkei genkai is long range so there shouldn't be too much trouble though."

"What is it anyway?" Jun asked, face still red as he looked at Maiko. He used to say that it was because he didn't like girls, but as time went on Konami had begun to suspect that it was he liked girls a bit too much.

Konami looked to Maiko, "Want to explain?"

She nodded, and spoke up, her voice soft and nearly drowned out by the pattering of rain, "I can reinforce other people's abilities and strengthen them to their max limit by distributing a bit of my chakra into theirs."

"Like bringing out the latent talent of a person," Isai murmured, gaze studious as he took in Maiko's form before turning to Konami in all seriousness, "Great job, leader, in finding such a gem."

Konami refused to give into her desire to ironically preen as she gave a simple nod, coming to clap her hands together, "Well then, you may take the time to acquaint yourself together. I'll be heading home for the day, if you need me."

"Right," came their chorused reply. It was almost funny to her that most of them were older than her.

With a wave, she went off on her way and before long, she found herself in the company of her family.

"Welcome home," Yahiko was saying with a sly grin, the very same one he had adopted from Jiraiya, "Konan is in the bath."

I figured you'd be in there with her, Konami wanted to say but decided to save it for when she saw Nagato. She highly doubted Yahiko and Konan's relationship had gotten to that point, but hormones and teenage puberty were no joke, and she could never be certain. She shivered, balking at the thought of her sister and the boy she looked up to as a brother being together. It was fun to joke, but there was still something strange about it to her.

Best not to linger then.

"Where is Nagi?"

"Right here!" Nagato stepped out, hair in tragic disarray and clothes in tatters. She gaped.

"W-what happened to you?" she sputtered out.

"One word," Yahiko helpfully chimed, "fangirls."

Konami couldn't help but feel confused, "What?" She doubted she'd ever heard such a conjunction in her life, "Girls who are fans?" She felt like she had known something akin to it in her past life but she couldn't be sure.

"Exactly," Yahiko snickered to himself as Nagato's face became heavily flushed, "Rin, it seems, is quite the popular fellow. There were even a few guys tossed in the mix."

"Well, Chahan should have been helping Rin out," Konami muttered, coming forward to fix Nagato's hair. The cherry red haired boy laughed as soon as she mentioned Yahiko's chosen name. It was just like him to name himself after food, fried rice of all things, when they refused to help him out when deciding new identities for themselves.

Yahiko just laughed to himself, earning a glare from Konami. When he just gave her his usual grin, she gave up, turning a sympathetic eye to Nagato. His face seemed to burn brighter, his long bangs coming to frame the sides of his face as she tried to fix his hair.

Something within her was feeling particularly venomous when over hearing that other people had been touching what was hers. That was another drawback to having built up a monopoly; she felt like things were possessions to her, and Nagato wasn't any different. Of course, she had already informed him of his status, having been bought by her love. He was to be her best friend forever, and no one should, or could, change that.

"Ow," Nagato winced when tugged particularly hard on a lock of hair.

She bit her lip guiltily, quickly finger combing out the rest of the knots formed, "Sorry."

Nagato simply smiled at her when she pulled back, a white one that showcased all of his pearly whites, "Thank you."

Someone so cute and innocent shouldn't have to be attacked like this. Konami sighed, and tugged her own hair out of her braid, allowing the moist locks to frame her face as she gave Nagato a soft look, "Be more careful."

His own gaze came to soften, "I will."

"Get a room," Yahiko called to them, interjecting. Konami, unwittingly, flushed as she moved further away from Nagato.

"You should just go join Konan in the stupid bath," she snapped, then brought her hand up to her face in surprise, "Sorry, that was uncalled for." Stupid senseless teenage hormones. They were to blame for things taking such a strange turn in her life.

"Oh," Konan came out just then, hair wrapped up in a towel as her cheeks burned, "oh."

Konami simply sighed before speaking again, "I have to talk to all of you."

The atmosphere in the room sobered up, their eyes coming to meet hers.

"We have a new rule, okay? No doing business with guys with masks. Ever, not even if things get tough, got it?" She waited for them to nod, even when they looked confused by her senseless order. She still couldn't remember all the details, only having her books to really help her out, but it made sense to her that she should take an extra precaution in warning them. Just to say, if everything she had done had been for naught, that she had done everything she could in trying to keep her family safe.

The three of them came to nod, having come to accept that sometimes Konami was just weird.

The Shadow of a Rising Sun

Nagato knew that only someone with a great strength and ability would be able to invade their hideout so easily. It made him feel stiff, and ashamed. He had to figure out exactly how the masked man had arrived in their home, and exactly how to defend against it.

Yahiko was standing just like Nagato was; with a body taut for action, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

The masked man looked unconcerned, relaxed as he spoke up, "I'd like to speak with you both about joining me—."

"No," Nagato surprised himself with how vehement it had come out, "we don't discuss matters with people in masks." He felt almost proud of himself for recalling Konami's newest rule. He hadn't expected to when he had been so distracted with looking at her with her hair down. She was always the prettiest like that, when her waved and curled hair came to frame the sides of her face in a flattering fashion, making her appear cuter than usual. It didn't help matters when she had been looking at him with those eyes of hers—Nagato shook himself of the thoughts, focusing on the situation at hand.

"That's right, we don't. So, we ask that you leave," Yahiko stood as brave as every other time he was faced with a possible enemy. It was something Nagato so deeply admired him for—his readiness to never flee, to never give in to defeat. When he was younger, he could recall wishing to be like him, to be admired, but things had changed since then and Nagato felt fine being the way he was.

The masked-man took a step forward, and it sounded like there was a smile in his voice, "I'll be back, and when I come back, I know that you will need to accept my help."

The words sounded ominous to Nagato but his eyes couldn't help but widen as the man before them had disappeared into a void. He blinked, reading the jutsu that took place but couldn't recognize it. He only knew that it had something to do with space and time ninjutsu, and the Sharingan eye he'd managed to catch a glimpse of.

"So this was what Konami was talking about," Yahiko was saying, laughing, "I wonder how she knew?"

"Or maybe he went to visit her first and realized that she's the paranoid one?" Nagato suggested, but felt his hackles rise at the thought of a stranger like that coming into contact with Konami.

Nevertheless, Yahiko chuckled at Nagato's weak joke before coming to face the redhead, "We should go tell the girls what just happened, then."

Nagato felt conflicted—he didn't want Konami to worry any more than she did already if she didn't have to but he knew how she'd get when she figured the truth out. She always did, and then she'd feel betrayed.

In the end, Nagato sighed and nodded, "I'll go tell Nami, she should be withSorato inKiyoshuu."

The Shadow of a Rising Sun

Kiyoshuu was a village unlike many others. It had become the hub of Asahi's networks. Mostly because it was primarily a market, one of the largest in Ame and as bountiful in wares and goods as it was of solid information. People worked here, people who worked for others, hung around others, and people could get particularly chatty when they were unhappy. The same could also be said for the vice-versa, practically making this Konami's special haven. When she wasn't back at the underground lair or sorting things out with Taka, she was here, listening and walking around as in inconspicuous civilian with a little too much time on her hands—or not enough, depending on how you look at it.

Konami blinked up at Sorato and he was smiling at her. She couldn't help but make a face before nudging him with her foot, "Do you have it for me?"

He nodded, clearly pleased with himself as he produced a sheaf of papers covered in a protective wrap. Konami took them into her hands irreverently and with a grin. She didn't care so much about how she got them but she did. Proof that Hanzo and Danzo were working together, organizing something. She could show this to her family and then they'd know. Fighting to save Ame was the only thing they could do. They had all they needed now. They could take over and finally, finally Ame would be theirs for the taking. Hanzo had been the only thing standing in their way and now they'd have to believe her.

"Thank you, Sorato," she murmured with a grin and he tweaked her nose with an expression of companionable fondness. Grumbling, she shifted away from him with a touch of a scowl before blinking. She could feel Nagato in the area.

He was quick to get to her, as he always was, and she smiled as soon as she saw him. He looked just a bit frazzled and concerned. Instantly worried, she closed the distance between them with Sorato quickly forgotten. It didn't stop the indignant spark in the runner's chakra as she chafed him unintentionally. Nagato's hands went to her chin, his fingers trailing across the wet skin. He looked troubled and that expression always did terrible things to Konami.

"What's wrong?" she asked, fearing the worst.

"We met the masked man," he told her and she blinked rapidly.

"He wanted us to work with him?" she wondered then she shifted uneasily as she looked around where they could never be too certain if someone was listening in or not. Konami got closer to him, slipping into a hug as she stood on the tip of her toes to whisper in his ear, "He's bad for us. He wants to control us. He plans to help Hanzo destroy us and then manipulate the broken pieces of Akatsuki to his purpose."

"We won't let him," Nagato whispered back, just as fervently as she had been speaking, his hold on her back tightening.

"No," she agreed, pulling back with a faked smile, "we won't. Now, we should get back to the hideout. I have something to show the three of you."

The Shadow of a Rising Sun

"See?" she told him, spreading out the papers. She leaned back as she watched them take in the information, her arms crossing over her chest. "I've had members of both Akatsuki and Asahi tailing the both of them for months and Sorato's been helping me piece together the information they've all overheard and transcribing them. That is what you see before you. Not to mention," she grinned, snatching one specific piece of paper out of the bunch, "I have several of the actual notes they passed to each other. Asahi is quite good at information recovery."

Konan's usually impassively calm eyes were wide, "This is huge, sis. This is exactly what we've been needing, isn't it? Now we can show the rest of Ame who he is. His supporters will know just how bad he is, and then we'll be the major power, right? We could end this without bloodshed!"

Konami wasn't convinced with that last statement. In her mind, this made for all the more reason to attack and kill Hanzo. They certainly had the manpower for the battle, the information on his attacks and abilities to plan contingencies upon contingencies to corner and destroy him. That was the intent for Asahi, the reason she had worked so tirelessly to assist in training strangers into shinobi who viewed her as something akin to a goddess. It was why she sent out so many platoons in information gathering missions, snatching Akatsuki members when she could so that they could return safely to her. Now Konan was intent to ruin the fun of that.

Yahiko was grinning broadly, quite pleased and it was enough to set her off from her disatisfaction.

He reached over and tousled her hair affectionately, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead when she didn't immediately smack his hand away as she had taken to doing.

"You've done so well, little sister," he told her and she wasn't above preening now as she grinned and let him compliment her. "Seriously, we would have never gotten this far had it not been for you."

"So Hanzo is intent to double-cross us," Nagato piped up, frowning as he scoured the information before him, "How do we go about dealing with him? Any way of setting up a meeting will leave him looking for ways to harm us, so we can't go to him full on unless we want to kill the guy."

We should kill him, she thought with a nod.

Then, because it was Nagato and he'd never suggest to do it, she sighed, "I have enough contacts that I should be able to spread news of his plans to deceive us quite quickly. I doubt his supporters will care too much though. They're his and not ours for a reason. I vote we cut the head off the salamander and be done with it."

Konan frowned at her, "But Konami...we should try to be better than him. That's exactly what he's trying to do to us."

Konami blinked at her, unimpressed, "So? He'll never stop trying to hurt us and it's not like he wants to be friends with us."

"What if we could be though?" Nagato wondered, looking sad and a bit dejected.

She had to force herself to look away. Konami wondered how exactly they had all turned out to be so terribly idealistic. What did they even expect out of her? Sure, let's all go be friends with people who want to see us dead! No, that wasn't a good idea. At all.

For just a second, she felt like she was at work and attempting to wrangle common thought out of kids who refused to see reason. Or perhaps the problem was her? Maybe she was too arrogant, thinking she knew best when each of their thoughts had equal merit. After all, for as much as she knew, it wasn't as if actually dealing with people had ever been her forte. No, she was too uncomprehending of others that she had nothing more than a passing interest in. She just wasn't naturally empathetic towards others who had yet to prove themselves worthy of her attention that was already split in too many directions as it was.

"Okay," she said finally, "we'll try to work things out with Hanzo peacefully."

The Shadow of a Rising Sun

That bastard was really testing her resolve to do as her family wanted of her.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she asked, and Taka raised his brows at her harsh language.

"No, I'm not. He's actually attempting to deassemble Akatsuki by targeting the members. Asahi is too well hidden, or," his lips quirked into a wry grin, "too far spread out to actually attempt to disassemble it. But Akatsuki is different and he knows that."

Konami chewed at her thumbnail, nasty habit that she'd developed, but one that was helping her think.

"Has anyone died yet?" she wondered and was half dismayed to find that she actually cared if the answer would be yes. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach and she almost felt a bit sick at the prospect of people on her side dying. In a way, she understood this less as people she loved being in danger but more as people in her protection, never minding the fact that Taka worked more in concern to Akatsuki than she did.

"No," he answered, and now he was fully smiling, "I planned for this. Did you think I'd be useless at a time like this? All the members are safe and sound, I've pulled them out of missions for the time being and have worked with Nagato and Ensui to create a hiding place for them underground. With Ensui's ability to hide things so well, I figure they'll be just fine."

Which would explain why she couldn't sense them either. Ensui's kekkei genkai wasn't obviously destructive or even so noticeable at others. It had been a surprise to find him, even more of a surprise when they all discovered his certain knack later on. His chakra became a dense shroud that mimicked nature chakra, allowing him to hide himself from sensors and trackers alike. She could only assume that he'd been training just for a moment like this, when he'd have to use his abilities for the others. Konami only hoped he could hold out long enough so that they could see this through to little to no bloodshed.

"So he can't attack us and we're at a stalemate," she summarized, tapping a finger against her nose, "Should we pay Hanzo a visit?"

"He's deflecting any of our advances and invitations to meet. He knows we know about his relations to Danzo and ROOT, but he doesn't know how much and I think that makes him nervous. His allies are beginning to lose their faith in him as a result," Taka shifted in his seat, rubbing absentmindedly at his bony wrinkled hands. No one would ever expect that he was only twenty-seven...

"That's wonderful," Konami commented, shifting her thoughts elsewhere, truthfully pleasantly surprised that she wasn't receiving a completely shit update about the state of affairs in Ame. Nope, still just the usual hunger and repairs that the war had left them to deal with that Hanzo had been slacking on. Soon, the entirety of reconstruction and repairing the government in Ame would be their problem and she'd be gladder for the burden than she was for the limbo that Hanzo had pressed them into.

"We shouldn't relax too soon, Konami. You know better than others just what a desperate man will do to survive," Taka met her gaze full on, the intensity of his eyes burning into her, "He'll be acting soon and we have to be prepared for the worst."

"Okay," she murmured, placing her hand on his and leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"I wish you had never faked your death," he grumbled before catching her chin in his other hand and placing a gentle kiss to her forehead. He pulled away with a frown, "We could have really used your Sannin as allies in this."

She smiled, "They've helped enough."

Exasperated at an age-old argument, he shook his head and stood on shaking legs, "I'd best be getting back to Ryuu now. He'll like to know what's going on too."

"Yes," Konami murmured thoughtfully as she stood, hand reaching out to steady him, "I'd like Ryuu to know what's going on too."

The Shadow of a Rising Sun

"I'm setting up these seals for your protection," Konan said as she drew on Konami's arm, "Something Nagato helped me design with the fuuinjutsu know-how he got from Jiraiya-sensei. It's actually really interesting. Part of my chakra enters in through this and will trigger when you're in danger, releasing enough paper to protect you from the initial attack of just about anything. We don't really know how Danzo will attack, after all," her amber eyes flashed with concern but she quickly shook her head.

"The boys better hurry up with this," Konami muttered, feeling that nervous feeling that had been pestering her all week to do something. Most of the time she was able to rely on others, was aware of the fact she couldn't do everything that needed to be done, but it was hard not to worry when her books all said the same thing. Hanzo would try to kill one of them, and she needed to be ready for it when his attack came.

The Shadow of a Rising Sun

He'd come for her himself, the weakest link. Even with all of his plans unraveling before him, he went for the simple one, the one that would break the group up her fought so valiantly against. But he didn't thrive off of information like her, he didn't know the world like she so fully did. He didn't know her.

Konami couldn't help the grin as he reached to grab at her. Then she laughed as soon as Ryuu began to growl besides her in bed. Such a lovely guard dog, he was—and he was hers. Already Hanzo was seizing up, Ryuu's chakra doing what it did best as it ate and ate at what made Hanzo a shinobi. His chakra, his lifeline. Everyone had one.

"This is a hostile take-over," Konami said into the air and it somehow made the air that much cloying. She shifted in her footing and looked into Hanzo's eyes squarely, "You're reign is over. You'll be meeting your demise now."

He blinked slowly, before he began to cough, blood curling up and rising from his mouth as he spewed it in the form of hacking that his body was wracked with. Konami was very familiar with this and could even empathize with him for it. Ryuu was blinking at her, reading her and worried as he always was when he unleashed his kekkei genkai, his chakra a low ebb in the air as it locked onto Hanzo with a snapping dog's intensity. But she felt fine, and because of that, she had been able to use her safety kunai to stab it into Hanzo's heart. She hadn't exactly wanted to resort to killing—neither of them had. But he wouldn't keep to his word and now he was paying for it with his life. For as powerful as Hanzo was, he'd never quite met the likes of them, four war-torn orphans who promised a better future, orphans that kept their promises.

An orphan like Konami who was as ruthless as he was but smarter and perhaps more deadly for it. She recognized then that the only difference between them was that she was selfish for others, and he had only been consumed with thoughts of himself. Hanzo was a sad existence and ultimately useless though he fought against that. Konami was a sad existence too but she had her uses and she fought tooth and nail to keep it that way. As long as her Akatsuki was alive, Konami's life had meaning.

With cold eyes, Konami watched the final moments of a man who had been the cause of suffering for many, and she shifted off the bed the moment he exhaled his last, seizing breath. She thought it was over—he was dead, shouldn't it have been?

But it hadn't been and just behind her, the familiar sound of a bomb went off.

The Shadow of a Rising Sun

Konami's disease was gone but that didn't seem to matter much when it came to her overall health. No longer were her cells dying off too quickly and eating her from the inside out. But her chakra was mostly a useless pool, her health always a precarious thing. For the most part, her will made her able to go about life as she wanted but there was always those days.

Days where her lungs moved too slow and were more burdensome than useful. She would cough and hack and be thankful there was no blood to the mix but that never quite stopped the pain. Her body would be sore, her bones aching to the point of agony if she dared to move. It was forced bed rest. She wouldn't have been able to argue with the doctors even if they did order her to stay in bed. Konami couldn't have dared move a muscle when her health hit those all time lows. Her mind was usually the worst in this state, however. Fever dreams visited her with a heated fervor and in them were those monsters, those eyes that melted and that face who laughed at taunted her. They'd scared her as a child and as a teenager it was no better.

Nagato's hands were touching hers, a comforting warmth but there was nothing to comfort her for long. Konami always worried that days like these, moments like them, would be her last one. That she'd slip away from the pain of her body, the heaviness of her chest and thoughts...

But she never did.

It seemed almost painfully fitting that the day of Hanzo's death was followed by a day like this. Though this day was different. There was a distinctly new agony to the mix. The part of her mind that was aware, noted that it had to do with the poison that she'd been infected with when she killed Hanzo, when the bomb had gone off.

"People fine?" she wondered out loud, her voice slurred by a touch of her fevered delirium, "Ryuu? Konan? Yahiko?"

"Yes," Nagato whispered, "Konan's paper seals in your room was able to protect the both of you from the brunt of the impact. The poison is being worked on by our best medics. We'll soon have an antidote."

But there was a trace of worry and unease in his voice, a shake that wasn't normally there. He was afraid. Konami wasn't so much afraid as she was worried for Ryuu. She didn't want to be the cause of his deaths, didn't want to take that into another life, knowing that she'd only used a boy she thought of fondly as a pet and perhaps a little brother. Konami never disrespected what was hers, after all.

Nagato caressed her sweat covered cheeks and there might have been tears in the mix because now she could distantly realize she was crying.

"Keep them safe," she whispered, her last words. She didn't think she would make it much farther, not now when her body was so fucking weak. She couldn't even move her fingers anymore, and there was so much pain. Her body was alight with it and she recognized the miracle that it was that she had made it so long in the first place. She'd never been intended to live so long, should have died when she was a child so many times. She was alive only due now thanks to Taka and the gift he'd given her, only alive for the people she loved so fucking much.

Konami didn't want to die—just a bit longer, please!—but she wasn't afraid of it. After all, she'd faced it once before and had been close to it even more times than she could count. Her health wasn't strong enough to combat poison and, judging by Nagato, his Mystical Palm was the only thing keeping her from succumbing to it.

Thirteen was a pretty good number, she thought. She'd warned her family, they knew not to trust the masked man. Hanzo was dead. They'd be fine. Her time had come, her use was up. Everything she'd ever done had led to this point, had led to her laying in a bed, hand held so tightly by a boy she loved with all of her being. Her fingers twitched in his hold and it was her only way to express how much—it wasn't enough.

"You're not dying, silly. You can keep them safe yourself," Nagato told her and she could only manage a soft smile at that.

If she had more time, she could have done more for them, she knew. If she had more time, she would have seen the world, a world in which Yahiko's ideals and Nagato's hopes could exist, in which they could make a happier future. A world so perfect and beautiful it made her heart sing at the thought. She was crying, she knew, and she was saddened because no, she could never see that world with them, because she'd be leaving it too soon. Not enough time, never enough time.

The only thought that could satisfy her was that, at least, she had helped.

But it was poor in comparison to the raw sadness that was now hanging over her. She wanted to see it! She wanted to be there, with her family and she wanted to smile and laugh with them in what would feel like an eternal calm.

She met Nagato's eyes but couldn't speak everything she so desperately wanted to say to him.

I love you, I love you, I love you, she thought—then her body began to seize, just seconds before she felt herself exhale.

Death was warmer than she remembered it being.

The Shadow of a Rising Sun – End

- Extra: Wolf's Den

Ryuu wouldn't ever tell a soul, but he had actually known humans long before he'd been found by Taka. He just didn't want them to know. He wanted no one to know the truth of his past.

He didn't want them to know that he used to have a family; an older sister, and a father.

Because he didn't want them to know...that they were gone because of him.

It wasn't something he had been aware of back then, being the age he had been. He hadn't understood the weight of a life and in all honesty, he wouldn't understand it until much, much later in his life. To him, death had always been just that. Nothing more to it. It was the sort of mindset he had to develop for the sake of his sanity even when it had felt wrong. This was his protection.

See, Ryuu was six when it happened. When his powers ignited to its new levels of destruction, and he hadn't even been aware of it. Only his father had been, who had sensed the drop in Ryuu's presence and he had known immediately what was happening. His own mother had had the rare kekkei genkai, and had killed herself because of its potency.

So his father knew immediately what he must do even as Ryuu failed to comprehend.

Ryuu had immediately been unable to leave his room unless under strict supervision under his sister or father. It meant that Ryuu had very little time to play out in the rain and the mud and he was forced to wear the restricting clothes that covered up every single speck of skin. He hadn't understood anything of it, only knowing that when his flesh touched it, the bunny he had been holding would seize up and die. So he soon stopped playing with the rabbits and moved onto turtles. Those were a lot of fun, because if he found the big, big, big ones, he could ride on the turtle's shell and not be afraid of hurting it. But then his father had noticed that he would sneak out of his bedroom to play with his animal friends and started putting locks on his door. He had been so confused but then he realized that his turtle rides would have to be taken during the little moments his sister decided to look after him.

It had been on a day like that, when it had all happened. Later on this would be the great regret of his life, when he fully understood the impact of what he had done but hadn't meant to do.

"Ryuu?" Taka's voice rang out, clearing up the fog that was his memories. He jumped up from his corner of the room and padded forward eagerly as he gazed up at his master, "I'll be making dinner now, do you want to help me?"

His head bounced up and down, feeling his overgrown mane flop around with him, much to Taka's amusement, "Yeah, yeah yeah!"

"I'm frying the fish you caught this morning, so let me show you how it's done," Taka guided the tiny boy forward into the kitchen next door as he gathered the necessary cooking utensils and ingredients. Taka was always teaching him things, making certain he understood every single action taken. He drilled into him what consequences were, why he had to think things through before doing something or else bad things could happen. Most of his lessons made little sense to Ryuu, like the fish thing. Taka would always be here to fry his fish just the way he liked it, wouldn't he? That was what Taka had promised to him anyway.

But then he thought that maybe Taka wanted Ryuu to fry him fish and he really wanted to make Taka smile like Ryuu smiled when he ate his master's cooking. Ryuu really liked his smile, better than any other person he had known before, even his sister's. So he paid apt attention to the lesson, despite the way his tummy grumbled and his nose twitched. Well actually, when his nose twitched, Taka had the habit of placing his fingers to Ryuu's nose, but he knew how dangerous simple touches like that were, and he stopped the twitching himself. He wouldn't ever ask Taka to touch him, not after all he had already done for him. Taka had been working tirelessly, more than usual, to find a way to tame his kekkei genkai. Ryuu couldn't even count on his fingers and toes anymore how many times he had to settle down for tests.

It wasn't really his favorite part of his life with Taka, but it was something he understood was necessary.

Ryuu could still recall the first time he had ever met the man, his caretaker. It was a cold, wet, and dreary day. It hadn't been in Ame, no, he had traveled far up north from his original birth place and had taken solace in a tiny little den that used to be home to wolves. Taka, from the way he told his side of the story, had been traveling back to his hometown with his wife in tow. They had been arguing which had alerted Ryuu immediately to their presence.

Of course, he understood nothing of what they were saying but Taka would later fill in the dots once Ryuu recalled enough of the language to be told.

They had been fighting over his ability, his kekkei genkai. Hana had been particularly vocal about it, claiming that she couldn't be married to an old man. It wouldn't be right. How could she stay with someone and not grow old with them? That was what she had married him for, had loved him and hated wanted that happy family who would happily live and grow before the inevitable death. Taka had ruined all of that, had stolen that chance from her—then she decided that she needed to take the chance back.

Legally, Taka was dead and she was a widow, now remarried to some shinobi in the east. They didn't keep in contact and Taka didn't bother to talk about her. No, he was far more interested in his medical research or the one that delved into the genetics of how and why kekkei genkai existed. More importantly, Taka was working on figuring out a way that would help Ryuu, that would keep him safe to be around others and temper his volatile chakra. Ryuu didn't understand everything himself but he did know one thing. Taka was dependable and trustworthy and the coolest person in the entire world.

Konami was the second, but she only ranked higher than Nagato because she gave him sweets when she visited and sometimes scratched his head. If she was afraid of Ryuu, ever apprehensive, she never showed it and for that Ryuu was always thankful. She was his very first love and Nagato...

Well, Nagato was great but he also liked Konami and Ryuu was always a bit confused by it all. He didn't know if Konami was his or the other boy's. She never weighed in on the debate though she probably didn't know that one even existed...

Eh.

Whatever.

"What are you smiling about, Ryuu?" Taka asked with a smile of his own on his wizened face. No matter how many times Ryuu had seen his face change, those eyes of his always stayed the same, bright and full of energy. It made him feel so...alive. This was not a man he could kill, ever.

"Are you alright? Where is your family?" Taka had once asked. Ryuu hadn't had any answers then but he did now.

Yes. With you.

Ryuu's smile grew into a grin and he pressed his face into Taka's pant leg. A hand immediately sank into his hair and ruffled the curled locks that hung there. At first, when he'd first met the older man, Ryuu had been afraid to be touched. He could still recall the simple caress his sister had planted against his cheek, the smile she had on her face before...

Taka never got hurt from Ryuu's chakra, and though he didn't understand it, he didn't question it and accepted it as a fact of life. Taka was unkillable.

Unlike his father, who had simply been too easy to kill.

"Food!" Ryuu crowed loudly as Taka set to tossing the descaled and deboned fish on the pan, flipping it over with his chopsticks. Ryuu waited impaitently as Taka seasoned it, hopping where he stood and feeling saliva collect in his mouth along with his level of anticipation.

Taka laughed at his antics, in a way that Ryuu's father never had. Ryuu's father hated Ryuu's excitable nature, loathed to find the boy expressing much more than a smile. His sister had been the one who was calm and subtle and kind. Not Ryuu though, he was the exact opposite and though he had been told that he was a bad boy for it, he never understood why.

Sure, he'd tried to change to suit his father's expectations but sooner or later, Ryuu always behaved like Ryuu would when he forgot to be anything different. It was for reasons like those that Ryuu wasn't a very good liar, could try but would always fail in the end with a confession made of heartfelt tears.

But Taka never got mad at Ryuu, at least never in a way that would leave Ryuu starved as a punishment. Taka said he loved Ryuu, said that Ryuu would always be his first priority, that he would never leave him to fend for himself, that he would be there when Ryuu needed him most.

Taka promised.

Dinner was delicious as always that night.

Wolf's Den – End