Warning: This story contains spoilers for those who don't read the manga.
Note: I'm intending to structure this story as a series of one-shots, with each chapter focusing on a different Akatsuki member. There should be 10 chapters in all, since I'm planning to do chapters for both Sasori and his replacement Tobi. The individual chapters take place at different points in the storyline—some will tell about the members' pasts before they joined, and others will be pretty close to the current point in the manga. The story overall is rated T for safety, just because I'm not exactly sure yet what the content of all the chapter will be (but there shouldn't be anything M-worthy). First up: the mysterious Leader.
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Brotherhood of the Red Moon Chapter 1: In the BeginningKimura Hidoshi, leader of the Hidden Village of Grass, paced back and forth in his tent. Outside, shouts and the sound of explosions were a testament to the battle that raged between Grass and Stone. Hidoshi massaged his temples, trying to get rid of a nagging headache.
At that moment, the flap covering the door of the tent was pushed aside, and a terrified-looking chuunin rushed in. "Kusakage-sama, the Stone shinobi have broken through our western perimeter!"
Hidoshi sighed and turned to the table that took up most of the tent. Stretched out on it was a map of the battlefield, with the positions of the Grass battalions marked in green and those of the Stone ninjas in brown. Hidoshi scrutinized the map for a moment and then said, "Have Rear Battalions 1,3, and 6 move up to engage the Stone ninjas. Try to encircle them with our own forces."
"Yes, sir!" The chuunin dashed out again.
Hidoshi barely had time to draw a breath before an ANBU member entered the tent. "Kusakage-sama, our advance scouts are reporting that the area surrounding Enemy Camp #12 is full of traps and genjutsu. They don't think they'll be able to get through without being detected."
"Did they send a report on exactly what kind of traps and genjutsu are set up in the area?"
"Yes, sir." The ANBU kunoichi handed him a scroll, which he quickly untied and read. At the bottom, he added instructions on how to defeat the enemy defenses. "Take this to the scouts immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
Hidoshi went back to massaging his temples. The war with Stone was difficult, as the two forces were evenly matched. But it wasn't the stress of fighting a war that was grating on Hidoshi's nerves. What was bothering him was the sheer weakness of most of the shinobi under his command. Take the traps and genjutsu the advance scouts had complained about, for example. It had taken him about 10 seconds and 2 brain cells to figure out a way to undermine those defenses. His advance scouts, on the other hand—supposedly among the best shinobi in the Grass Village—were completely at a loss. The soldiers on the western perimeter were struggling to subdue a mere 4 battalions of Stone ninjas—Hidoshi could probably defeat that many without breaking a sweat. And the civilians were even worse. They couldn't defend themselves at all. A few petty bandits showed up, and they were running to the shinobi for help. I became Kage to lead a nation, not protect a bunch of weaklings who couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag!
"Kusakage-sama?"
Hidoshi gritted his teeth and narrowly avoided shouting at the nervous, trembling young genin who stood before him. "Yes?"
"Sir, Shi-san has killed all the Stone shinobi who penetrated through the western perimeter."
"Good. Tell her to focus her attention on the ninjas assaulting the southern perimeter next. If they get through, it will put several of the farming villages at risk of destruction." Thank Kami-sama, at least I have one competent subordinate.
Of course, Nakamura Shi was a bit more than simply competent. She was a jinchuuriki, the container of the seven-tailed demon Suzaku. As such, she was vastly more powerful than any other shinobi in the village—she might even stand a chance against him.
To have that kind of power…it must be intoxicating. Unlimited chakra, increased rate of healing, unique jutsus…incredible.
"Er, Kusakage-sama?"
Hidoshi blinked; he hadn't realized the genin was still there. "Why haven't you gone to convey my orders to Shi-san?"
"Because I have another message for you, sir. Our scouts in the northern mountains have reported that Stone has dispatched a group of ninjas who appear to be specialists in explosives and demolition." As if to illustrate his point, a massive explosion sounded somewhere in the distance. Hidoshi winced. Goodbye scenic countryside, hello giant smoking crater.
Hidoshi's headache started to reassert itself. "Send Shi-san to intercept that group, and dispatch Battalions 11,12, and 13 to the southern front instead."
"Yes, sir!"
Why am I doing this? It's pointless. I wish I could just leave. Of course, shinobi tended to take it rather poorly when one of their own abandoned his village. Even he couldn't fight an entire village full of ninjas, especially when one of them was a jinchuuriki. But if they didn't know that I'd left…if, for example, they thought I was dead…Hidoshi shook his head. Even if I did manage to leave without my own army hunting me down, what would I do with the rest of my life?
What Hidoshi had always wanted, of course, was to be the strongest, and to be acknowledged as the strongest by others. It was why he had devoted the first twenty years of his life to becoming Kusakage. What could make me stronger than I am now? An image flashed through his mind—Shi, channeling the power of the demon sealed inside her. Chakra red as flame, whipping out to blast enemies away with sheer force. Being the vessel of one of the nine bijuu granted an exponential increase in a shinobi's power. Hidoshi had always been envious of those who were granted this power, and wished he could have it for himself. Of course, transferring a demon from one host to another wasn't exactly easy. It required that the chakra output of the bijuu be precisely matched. No single ninja could hope to equal the chakra level of a demon, so such a transfer would require a group of shinobi working together. Sealing Suzaku into Shi's body, for example, had taken a group of nine shinobi three days. Wait a minute…nine shinobi are needed to transfer a demon in a reasonable length of time…and there are nine bijuu in total…A hazy plan was beginning to form in his mind. He couldn't possibly be the only powerful ninja who was disillusioned with the shinobi creed of protecting others. He couldn't be the only one who cared about getting stronger more than anything else.
Deep in thought, Hidoshi stepped out of his tent and looked out over the Grass encampment. The sun had just set, and many people were preparing for an evening meal. Squads assigned to night missons were gathering their gear, and those who had been on daytime missions were returning to report in. The battle against Stone has been getting fiercer and fiercer. If I could…if I could somehow make everyone think I was killed during a fight, no one would come looking for me. Then I'd be free to do whatever I wanted. Nine bijuu. Nine shinobi required to transfer a bijuu. One for each. Getting such people to work together would be difficult, of course, but…with such a great reward as inducement…
Hidoshi looked to the sky. The moon was rising, and all the smoke in the air distorted the light so that the moon seemed to be colored a bright crimson. It was an omen of change, and of bloodshed. Turning his face up to the bloody radiance of the moon, he smiled for the first time in months. Soon, I'll be free.
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A/N: I really seem to be on an Akatsuki kick lately. I don't know why; maybe just because they're all so cool and badass. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter; reviews would be much appreciated. Deidara's story will be next!