VII

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Arc VII Chapter 9

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A?Root ANBU knelt and reported.?“Danzo-sama,?the ANBU?failed. We assume the target escaped.“

Danzo looked up from his desk and listened. His fight with Asami weakened the old man. He required time to recuperate. His chakra was low, and his hands lacked strength. The state of his right arm was beyond deplorable. The Hashirama cells ran amok and worsened his condition. Controlling them grew increasingly difficult.

Danzo panted. “So?she is still alive?“

The Root ANBU?confirmed his fears. “We suspect so, Danzo-sama. The girl eluded capture and escaped. Asami seemingly vanished.“

“Patrols went?missing last night. They never returned.“

“We recovered their coprses this morning. Stabbed, garrotted, charred. The patrols were targeted and hunted down systematically.“

“The ANBU platoon stationed at the mansion met a similar fate.“

Danzo contemplated. He had underestimated Asami. He had severely underestimated her. The case Asami represented?a massive threat to his political survival. The truth was never allowed to be discovered. “How much does?the village council know?“

The ANBU paused. “The?council?was?informed this morning. A squad of chunin investigated the mansion?and stumbled across their mutilated corpses.?It was a gruesome sight,“

“What did they report?“

The ANBU hesitated. “The captain reported he hadn't seen such a degree of brutality even during?the?darkest stages of the war. This wasn't a fight.?This was massacre. They ANBU were slaughtered.“

Danzo grinned, satisfied and folded his hands. This was the perfect pretext. He only had to convince the village council to brand her a traitor, an enemy of Konoha. “It's time.“

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Kakuzu despaired. Today was a terrible day. Akatsuki?had run out of worthwhile missions, and?their recent?requests?left much to be desired. The bounties were meager. The pay disastrous as the bounty market experienced difficult times.

He loved money above all else, but even he didn't work his ass off for nothing. His time was precious.?Missions had to be profitable for both sides.

Kakuzu sighed and studied?the recent?Bingo book entries. The villages published their newest targets ...

Kakuzu's hands stopped. A certain?entry?caught his attention.?The picture looked familiar.

He had seen this girl?before.?He remembered?her?name, but the bounty had?changed and the classification:

Minami Asami. The Black Princess of Konoha.

Konoha-nin. Kunoichi. ANBU. Rogue-nin. Traitor.

S-rank. Bounty,?150,000,000 ryo.?Elimination on sight recommended.

Kakuzu grinned. “Hidan! Get your ass ready! We got a job to do.“

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Desperation, apathy, depression?hit Asami. Hunger and fatigue eroded her spirit. Weeks had passed since leaving Konoha and Asami?crossed rivers, forests, mountains, lands without purpose, without goals, without destination.

Her stomach?grumbled. Her feet hurt. Dust and filth dirtied her precious attire. Insects bothered her.

The nights were cold?and the wind icy.

Asami missed her fluffy bed, her pyjama, her warm bath, her home, her regular breakfasts. Her heart craved?her old comfortable life, Her current lifestyle didn't befit her standing.

She was a princess,?the last true Uchiha. Divine blood coursed through her veins. She deserved better. Ninja, ANBU, mercenaries, bounty hunters, they all wanted to have her head.

Their futile attempts entertained her, but they persistent like flies. Her admirers only dwindled after she nailed?a few of them to the nearest tree.

Asami fell. Her exhausted body hit the soft grass below. The fluffy green invited her like a huge lovely pillow?and Asami accepted the invitation. Her body was tired. The world weighted on her shoulders.

Dark?clouds covered the?sky. Rain loomed.

Asami earned her rest?and she relished every second in these dark times, minutes of solitude, peace and silence.

Asami persisted. She survived the?night?Okaa-san died.?She survived Itachi. She survived Konoha's betrayal.

Her heart bled, but nobody cared. Her heart cried, but nobody cared.?Asami?was?all?alone.

The sky?roared and a thunder announced the rain. Droplets tickled her skin and?their numbers ?grew.

Asami smiled. She liked rain and rain liked her.

Her world wasn't a sunny place. Her past, her present were filled with misery and sorrow. Her future uncertain. Fate was indeed a cruel mistress.

Asami lost everything. She paid a heavy price, reaping nothing but disappointment and betrayal. Nothing but resentment and hatred.

One day,?she would repay Konoha's?kindness, but for now Konoha was a relic?of the past, a testament to?wasted time and effort.

The rain poured?down. Myriads of droplets descended and soaked?her hair, her kimono, but the rain didn't bother her. Asami enjoying the refreshing rain, the water?trickling from her skin.

Asami reached for the sky amid the?endless stream of tears. Heaven shared her pain, her suffering, her bitterness, but this wasn't the end.

Asami smiled. She would rise again and claim what was rightfully hers, her birthright.?Nobody would deny her the greatness she was destined to.

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“Kakuzu.“

“Kakuzu“

“Kakuzu!!!“

“Hidan, stop pestering me. You annoy me.“ Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. The immortal bastard was lucky he couldn't just kill him.

Hidan ignored his warning. “Kakuzu, why are we doing this? We have been?searching an entire month for this fucking bitch?without a?single fucking clue!!!“

“This?is an utter?waste of time!“ Hidan barked.

Kakuzu dismissed him. “I doubt so. The bitch is worth?a fortune. The girl is worth her weight in gold, so shut the fuck up, Hidan. Less complaining. More working.“

Hidan clicked his tongue, “The money doesn't matter?if we can't find her, Kakuzu!! Don't you get it ...“

“Are you even listening?!“ Hidan boiled.

Kkauzu assured his partner. “I have?my?network.?I have my connections. The little princess can't be far.?She must be in the area according to my sources.“

“I remember how well that worked last week, and the week before ...“ Hidan grew silent. They reached a crossroad and made an unexpected find, corpses.

...

...

...

“I told you we are on the right track.“ Kakuzu studied their mutilated corpses. They weren't the only ones.

They faced?her, and?it didn't end?well. Their masks?and attire betrayed their affiliation. They guys were Kiri-ANBU, supplemented by?mercenaries?to bolster their forces.

Kakuzu furrowed her?eyebrow. The girl had numerous enemies. Kiri, Iwa, Suna, Kumo, Konoha, they all?wanted her dead, but the princess didn't care.?They all tried, and they all failed.

Asami?didn't hide, didn't run, didn't bother to cover her tracks. The girl left a?trail of blood?in her wake.

Kakuzu inspected the dead. Stab wounds through their chests. Her sword burned through their torso. The fragrance of burnt human flesh still lingered. The dead carried her signature. The blood was still fresh.

This degree of precision.?This efficiency. This brutality.?This was her.

Kakuzu turned his attention to the nearest settlements. A small town located down the valley. A peaceful place.

Kakuzu grinned. “Told you so. We will find her eventually ...“

“Hidan?“

Hidan stared at tthe blood stained tree. His hands trembled, and he clenched his fists in rage. His temper exploded. “This fucking bitch! Who does this slut think she is?!“

“I am the servant of Jashin here! Not she! Massacring people is my job, goddammit!“

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