Uchiha Tsukiko leaped lightly from the windowsill of Hanzō's residence, her body cutting through the rain like a streak of crimson. Her toes landed briefly on a slick pipe jutting from the wall, using it as a point of balance before she pushed off again. A second later, she drifted down into the shadows of a narrow alley, moving so lightly that even the puddles beneath her feet barely rippled.
Once she was sure no one was watching, she let the disguise drop.
The cold, lifeless Root operative vanished, and in its place stood a small girl in a ridiculous frog-patterned onesie.
In the middle of Amegakure, where assassins lurked behind every corner and every shinobi wore a face trained by war, Tsukiko looked hilariously out of place.
But Tsukiko herself clearly had no problem with that.
She brushed damp hair away from her face, stretched both arms above her head, and let out a long satisfied sigh.
"Ahh... controlling that old man really took a lot out of me." She rolled her shoulders and yawned. "Looks like I need to go back and recharge with Sister Konan."
The moment she said that, the familiar mechanical voice of the system rang through her mind.
It sounded better than any music.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Hidden Epic Achievement unlocked: "Demigod Beast Tamer."]
Tsukiko's tired eyes instantly lit up.
"A hidden achievement?"
She straightened so fast it looked like she had been struck by lightning.
"System, you finally learned how to reward true talent properly. Come on, hurry up. Let me see what I got."
The notification continued.
[Mission Description: Successfully controlled Hanzō, leader of the Hidden Rain Village, without triggering large-scale conflict, and converted him into Akatsuki's unofficial external guardian.]
[Mission Rating: SSS. Efficient, precise, environmentally friendly, and produced zero corpse waste.]
[Rewards are now being distributed.]
Tsukiko clasped her hands together with excitement, already grinning from ear to ear.
Then the reward list unfolded before her inner vision.
[Reward One: Advanced Physique Enhancement — Immunity to Ten Thousand Poisons.]
[Description: The Host has absorbed and refined part of Hanzō's poison resistance. Blood, breath, saliva, and bodily fluids may now carry toxic or detoxifying effects according to the Host's will. Warning: Please ensure poison mode is disabled before kissing, unless sudden death is the intended outcome.]
Tsukiko froze.
Then she slowly covered her mouth, her eyes widening.
"This..."
Her expression immediately turned serious.
Then deeply thoughtful.
Then incredibly pleased.
"This is amazing."
For someone like her, who enjoyed hugging, clinging, teasing, and generally invading Konan's personal space at every possible moment, this ability was both dangerous and strangely perfect. She could poison enemies with a touch if she wanted, or protect allies from toxins just as easily.
And if anyone dared lay a hand on Konan in the future...
Tsukiko smiled sweetly into the rain.
That person would have a very educational death.
But before she could fully enjoy Reward One, the second reward appeared.
[Reward Two: "Glory of Akatsuki" Premium Set — Group Edition.]
[Contents: "God-Grade Black Robe with Red Clouds" x10. Woven from chakra-conductive fibers. Resistant to rain, fire, blades, and ballistic impact. Temperature regulating. Auto-cleaning. Self-adjusting to fit the wearer's body type.]
[Additional Contents: "Mental Communication Rings" x10. Preserves the functions of the Magical Lantern body communication while adding private channels, group connection, and location sense. No mother will ever again worry about Akatsuki members getting lost.]
Tsukiko blinked.
Then blinked again.
"...What?"
For a second, even she was speechless.
Then she exploded.
"THIS IS GOD-TIER!"
If not for the rain and the need to maintain some tiny amount of dignity, she would have started jumping in the alley.
A complete robe upgrade for the entire organization.
Advanced communication tools.
Protective gear.
Stylish uniforms.
And most importantly—
Konan would never again have to walk around in clothes soaked by the endless rain of this miserable country.
Tsukiko's heart instantly melted at the thought.
She imagined Konan wrapped in that black robe with the red clouds moving against the dark rain like a cold and beautiful angel of judgment. Elegant, protected, dry, and untouchable.
Her mood improved so much that she nearly forgot the chakra exhaustion still weighing down her body.
"Claim it. Claim it right now."
At her command, the rewards were deposited into her storage space. Neatly folded robes appeared there in perfect order, along with a carefully prepared box of rings engraved with different symbols.
At the same time, a warm current spread through Tsukiko's body.
It flowed through every limb, every vein, every breath. The heavy sense of drain left from controlling Hanzō eased. Her body felt lighter, cleaner, sharper. Even the scent of cold rain in Amegakure seemed less rotten than before.
Tsukiko took a deep breath and grinned.
"Hehe... with this, tomorrow's peace talks are going to become a full Akatsuki debut ceremony."
She reopened her lace-trimmed umbrella, lifted her chin like a noblewoman returning from a victorious campaign, and headed back toward the Akatsuki base at a slow, smug pace.
By the time she returned, evening had already settled over the Hidden Rain Village.
The sky was no darker than usual—the Land of Rain always seemed trapped in endless dusk—but the air had grown colder, and the rain had become heavier. When Tsukiko pushed open the heavy front door of the base, a gust of wet wind rushed in ahead of her.
The first thing she heard was the sound of water dripping.
The second was Yahiko groaning in misery.
Tsukiko stepped into the entryway and paused.
Three people stood there on the absorbent rug looking like they had just crawled out of a river.
Yahiko was bent over, wringing out his jacket with both hands. Water poured from it in streams, splashing onto the floor. His hair was flattened to his face, and mud stained his trousers up to the knee.
Nagato stood beside him, trying to dry himself with a weak Wind Release. Unfortunately, instead of actually drying his hair, the jutsu had only made it puff out in every direction, making him look like a wet and deeply offended porcupine.
And then there was Konan.
Tsukiko's eyes locked on her immediately.
Konan was standing farther inside, a towel around her shoulders, but her clothes underneath were completely soaked. The thin fabric clung to her body, tracing the graceful lines of her figure with painful clarity. Rainwater slid from her pale hair down along her cheeks and throat, disappearing beneath her collar.
She looked cold.
Her nose was a little red.
And that was enough to make Tsukiko's expression change at once.
"What happened to you people?" Tsukiko shut her umbrella and clicked her tongue. "Did you go on a mission or wrestle a flood?"
Yahiko gave her a miserable look. "Don't ask."
He tossed the half-wrung jacket into a basket. "We got ambushed on the way back by some wandering ninja. They weren't that strong, but they blew up the bridge with exploding tags. We had to cross the river ourselves."
Nagato sighed. "The rain carried away half our gear."
Right on time, Konan gave a small sneeze.
Tsukiko's protective instinct surged so fiercely that she almost turned around on the spot to go kill somebody.
Good thing Hanzō had already been handled.
Good thing she already had the perfect solution.
Without another word, Tsukiko strode forward, snatched the towel from Konan's hand, and stuffed it aside. Then she reached behind her back and, with the flair of a stage magician, pulled out four neatly folded black robes patterned with red clouds.
"Perfect timing," she declared. "The Akatsuki Organization's new official combat uniform is here."
Yahiko stared. "...What?"
Tsukiko shoved one robe directly into Konan's arms, taking the opportunity to brush her fingers over Konan's cold wrist. "Go change. Right now. No arguments."
Konan blinked in surprise. "A uniform?"
Nagato looked at the robes with open doubt. "It's just a robe, isn't it?"
Tsukiko gave him a lofty look. "Your ignorance wounds me."
She threw one robe to Nagato, one to Yahiko, and kept the last for herself.
"Less talking, more changing. If Konan catches a cold because you're all too slow, I'll hold a grudge forever."
That moved things along.
Though all three of them looked suspicious, they had long since learned that Tsukiko's strange inventions and impossible tricks usually worked far better than expected. So they took the robes and disappeared to change.
A few minutes later, Konan returned first.
Tsukiko nearly stopped breathing.
The robe had adjusted itself perfectly to Konan's body the moment she put it on. What should have been a plain cloak now looked elegant and commanding on her. The high collar framed her face beautifully. The dark fabric sharpened her naturally cool aura, while the red clouds gave her just enough color to make her look both dangerous and impossibly graceful.
Even better, her wet hair had already begun drying under the robe's built-in warmth.
Konan looked down at herself in surprise, running her fingers along the sleeve.
"It's warm," she said softly. "And my chakra... it's moving more smoothly."
Tsukiko snapped out of her daze and instantly puffed up with pride. "Of course it is. Waterproof, windproof, fireproof, blade-resistant, self-cleaning, temperature-regulating, and comfortable enough to sleep in. This is peak design."
Then she added, with full sincerity, "Also, you look amazing."
Konan looked away almost at once, though the faint color at the tips of her ears did not escape Tsukiko's notice.
A moment later, Yahiko and Nagato came out too.
Yahiko's robe had adjusted into a looser fit suited for close combat, giving him freedom to move while still looking far more imposing than before. Nagato's, by contrast, fit in a way that concealed his thin frame and gave him a colder, more refined presence.
Yahiko's jaw dropped. He kicked once, then twice, then spun on the spot. "This is incredible!"
Nagato flexed his fingers and nodded slowly. "It really is channeling chakra better."
Tsukiko put both hands on her hips. "Naturally."
Then she took out the ring box.
Inside were ten rings, each engraved with a different symbol.
"This," Tsukiko said grandly, "is the second part."
She picked up the ring marked with White and, without consulting anyone, slipped it directly onto Konan's finger. The position she chose was deliberate, and the satisfied look on her face made Konan instantly suspicious.
"Tsukiko," Konan warned.
Tsukiko ignored her completely.
She placed the ring marked Zero in Nagato's hand and gave Yahiko the one marked Mystery. Finally, she put on her own ring, engraved with Vermilion.
"These are Akatsuki communication rings," she said. "The old long-range techniques are too clumsy. This is better."
Then she focused for a moment and sent a thought through the ring.
[Can everyone hear me? Testing. Testing. This is the cutest and most brilliant member of Akatsuki, Tsukiko, speaking.]
The voices of the room did not change.
But inside each of their minds, Tsukiko's cheerful voice rang out clearly.
Konan's eyes widened.
Nagato stared at his hand.
Yahiko looked around in shock. "What was that?!"
Tsukiko grinned. "Mental communication. No hand seals. No shouting. Private channels, group connection, and position awareness if needed."
Nagato's expression turned thoughtful. "A direct mind link... and this stable..."
Yahiko's shock lasted all of two seconds before being replaced by pure excitement.
He immediately sent a message back.
[HELLO! THIS IS YAHIKO! FUTURE SAVIOR OF THE SHINOBI WORLD!]
All three of the others flinched.
Nagato instantly grimaced and pressed two fingers against his temple. [Yahiko... you do not need to shout mentally.]
[Really? Can everyone hear me? This is amazing!]
[Yes,] Konan answered with visible restraint, [we can all hear you. Very clearly.]
Tsukiko nearly laughed out loud.
She turned the Vermilion ring on her finger and silently assigned meanings in her head.
Vermilion for herself—bright, dangerous, dramatic, and obviously perfect.
White for Konan—pure, beautiful, untouchable.
Zero for Nagato—the beginning and end of all things.
Mystery for Yahiko—not quite elegant, but acceptable.
Her gaze drifted to the remaining rings.
Some of them would be useful later.
One in particular already had an owner in her mind.
"Orochimaru can take this one eventually," she muttered under her breath. "It fits that creepy snake perfectly."
Then, because she could not resist, she added to the mental channel:
[From this day on, no one in Akatsuki is allowed to vanish mysteriously, get lost, or sneak off to dangerous places without me knowing. Especially certain orange-haired idiots.]
Yahiko laughed. [That sounds unfairly targeted.]
[It is targeted,] Tsukiko replied.
Nagato lowered his hand at last and looked around at the transformed room, at the robes, the rings, and the strange but undeniable energy now surrounding their tiny group.
Something had changed.
It was more than equipment.
More than tools.
For the first time, Akatsuki felt like a real organization.
Not just a dream.
Not just three war orphans stubbornly refusing to give up.
Something real.
Something growing.
Konan seemed to feel it too.
She looked at the robe on her body, then at the ring on her finger, and finally at Tsukiko—still grinning like she had just gifted the world itself to them.
"Thank you," Konan said quietly.
Tsukiko froze for half a second.
Then she looked away and coughed. "Well. Naturally. It's the duty of a genius."
Yahiko was still punching the air in excitement, the robe fluttering around him dramatically. "With gear like this, who can stop us now?"
Tsukiko immediately answered, "Many people. Don't get arrogant."
Nagato actually smiled at that.
Konan raised one sleeve and glanced toward the hallway. "Enough testing. We still have to meet Hanzō tomorrow. And waterproof or not, these robes are not a substitute for a bath."
The moment she said the word bath, Tsukiko's eyes lit up.
Her mood shifted so fast it almost made Yahiko step back.
"Bath?" Tsukiko repeated. "Hot water? Steam? Sister Konan changing clothes?"
Konan narrowed her eyes.
Tsukiko was already wrapped around her waist a second later.
"Sister Konan, do you need help testing whether the robe is easy to remove? For safety purposes, obviously."
"No."
"Maybe just a little?"
"No."
"What about for research?"
"Absolutely not."
Konan began dragging her away toward the bathing area, one hand firmly gripping the back of Tsukiko's robe. Tsukiko, meanwhile, continued speaking in the mental channel just to be annoying.
[Testing, testing. How is the sound inside the hallway?]
[Tsukiko, stop.]
[I'm only checking communication quality.]
[Stop talking nonsense in my head.]
[Then let me help you undress faster—]
[No.]
Watching the two of them disappear while bickering, Yahiko and Nagato stood in the quiet entryway and exchanged a look.
Then they smiled.
After a moment, Yahiko looked down at the ring on his hand.
Rain still battered the windows outside. The night beyond the glass remained dark, wet, and endless, just like it always had in the Land of Rain.
But tonight felt different.
"Hey, Nagato," Yahiko said, his voice softer than before. "Do you think... with Tsukiko here... the rain might really stop someday?"
Nagato fell silent.
He looked at the Zero ring resting against his finger. He thought of the robe on his shoulders. He thought of Hanzō, of their growing strength, of the impossible things Tsukiko kept doing as if the world's rules simply did not apply to her.
And then, behind all of that, he thought of the future.
Not the broken future he feared.
A different one.
One where they might actually win.
One where Yahiko could keep smiling.
One where Konan did not have to cry.
One where peace was no longer just a foolish dream whispered by children.
Nagato lifted his head and looked into the rain.
"It will," he said quietly.
And for once, he truly believed it.
Then Yahiko grabbed his sleeve.
"Come on. Bath time."
Nagato looked horrified. "What?"
"You heard Konan. Bath."
"That is not what she meant."
But Yahiko was already pulling him down the hallway.
Outside, the rain continued to fall over Amegakure.
But inside that small hidden base, Akatsuki had taken another step forward.
Their strength had grown. Their bonds had deepened. And for the first time, the dream of changing the world no longer felt impossible.
Because now, they were no longer just surviving.
They were leveling up.
--------------------------------
Extra chapters available on patreon 🔥🔥🔥
patreon.com/Samurai492
__________________________________