Partner

In the Rain Village, the members of the Akatsuki gathered in a makeshift dojo.

Each individual was arranged neatly in rows. There was Kakuzu, Hidan, Kisame, Itachi, Sasori, and Zetsu. In the center of them stood Pain.

It wasn't long until Konan opened the doors with Kaito following close behind her. She took her place right next to Pain.

When Kaito stood in the midst of all the members, he could tell they all had various opinions of him. Some were curious, like Kisame, who now believed that the runouts of Kaito's death were falsified.

Others, like Kakuzu, were scrutinizing his character and wondering how he managed to pull such a stunt.

Pain immediately drew the attention of his followers as he announced, "We have acquired a new member to replace Deidara." Then his next words were solely directed at Kaito. "The Akatsuki aims to create a world of true peace among shinobi. Instead of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, the Akatsuki shall rule the world."

A powerful declaration, yet Kaito regarded it with skepticism since those were the same lines he once said to Itachi when that Uchiha first joined.

In truth, it was because Kaito already knew how the Akatsuki's story ended; they themselves, while interesting manipulators, were also being manipulated by Zetsu.

"From what I know of you lot," Kaito said in a steady voice, "your group is paired in twos, am I right?"

"You're well informed," Konan replied.

Sasori couldn't help but narrow his eyes at his puppet. Then he expressed his unsurety, saying, "I don't know how I feel about having a partner who was from the same village as that snake, Orochimaru."

Hidan laughed, "Never met the Sannin, but I guess it's fate you two were paired together."

"I don't believe in fate," Sasori countered.

Pain finally interjected, directing attention back to Kaito as he said, "Tell us, Kaito: we were informed that you are no longer affiliated with Orochimaru, but what is your relationship with Arthur Bennett?"

Kaito expected this question. He already had an answer prepped.

"My duties are my own. Arthur and I don't particularly have a relationship. My reason for accepting this role is to help change this corrupt world."

Pain considered this for a moment and found his answer plausible. Yet the same could not be said of the others, like Itachi.

"Kaito of the Hidden Sound Village," Pain announced, "we welcome you into the Akatsuki. From this moment on, reject all hidden villages."

At that, Kaito removed his purple rope and pulled out his Sound headband that he'd taken from the Sound Village. He then took a kunai out and carved a line through the headband's symbol, marking him as an official member.

"Starting now," Pain addressed, extending his hand out, "you are Kaito of the Akatsuki." In his palm was a teal ring with the kanji word for blue, Deidara's old ring. "Show the world pain…"

When the ceremony concluded, Kaito eventually donned the official Akatsuki uniform.

Many fans were accustomed to seeing this robe on earth. While Kaito (Arthur) never had a preference for dressing up as anything, he hadn't expected the robe to weigh so heavy.

It was black with multiple red clouds roundabout. The clouds themselves, as he understood, represented bloodshed.

Before the group dispersed, Pain laid out missions for each member.

Kaito found himself paired with Sasori—as expected. They were to travel to remote villages to perform missions in order to acquire funds and build the Akatsuki's reputation.

In terms of engaging in any one in combat, particularly those from the Five Great Ninja Nations, they were strictly prohibited.

It wasn't long until the two found themselves already leaving the Rain Village and on a route to their destination.

Sasori strolled beside him, eventually asking, "What are your combat skills?"

That inquiry was direct with no preamble, making Kaito understand that his partner didn't trust him one bit.

"I'm versatile in using chakra chains," he answered with a leveled tone. "As for combat styles, I excel in taijutsu and ninjutsu."

"What about genjutsu?"

"You don't have to worry about that…"

"Actually," Sasori said with a grudge, "I do. So long as we're partners, I don't want to find myself bailing you out when things get messy."

Sasori made a great point. Throughout all of the Akatsuki's shared history, they had far more internal conflicts than an organization should.

As Kaito understood, the Akatsuki, while an influential organization determined to reshape the world, faced numerous significant issues that undermined their objectives.

One major problem stemmed from its origins and the manipulation behind its formation. Though it had initially been created by Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan to achieve peace after suffering from war, the inception of the group was ultimately influenced by Black Zetsu, who was a pawn for Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

This manipulation not only corrupted the founding ideals of the Akatsuki but also led to internal strife as individuals were brought into a group built on a foundation of deceit, eventually resulting in conflicting goals and loyalties among members.

As the organization evolved under various leaderships, including Nagato and Obito, the Akatsuki's mission shifted from a genuine desire for peace to destruction and domination.

Nagato's perspective transformed from pacifism to one that embraced destruction as a means to achieve peace.

And if one didn't believe that, the continuous recruitment of S-rank missing-nin through coercion further alienated members. For many of them had their own agendas rather than a united front.

Because of that unnecessary drama between them, personal desires and organizational goals weakened their collective strength. Otherwise, their battle prowess alone was enough to destroy entire villages.

Look at Nagato, who almost single-handedly took down the Leaf Village because he attacked at the perfect moment.

Had the entire Akatsuki organization simply banded together instead of working in pairs, they could just as easily have taken over the world without the acquisition of the Tailed Beasts.

That's just one factor, for they also suffered from deep-seated rivalries and conflicts within its ranks. Teams that were supposed to work together often had strained relationships, resulting in distrust and antagonism.

The pairs formed tended to clash due to different ideologies or personal grievances, evidenced by Kakuzu's violent tendencies and Orochimaru's betrayal.

Moreover, emotional detachment and lack of loyalty among members further exacerbated the situation, making it challenging for them to function cohesively.

Just those unnecessary internal strifes diminished the efficiency of the organization and often distracted members from their primary objectives.

For instance, Konan could go toe-to-toe with Jiraiya, a Sannin. Sasori earned himself the title of the "Sasori of the Red Sand" because of his bloody feats in battle. Itachi was capable of slaughtering his entire clan and is regarded as one of the most powerful Uchihas to be bred. Kisame earned Samehada from its previous owner and single-handedly took down Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki. Kakuzu once challenged Hashirama and survived to tell the tale. And lastly was Hidan, who was technically immortal and had also defeated the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.

Why, if only one member was enough to take down a Tailed Beast, just imagine what all the members could do together.

Arthur himself might have survived his last encounter with them, but he was truly their prey—using all manner of tactics to escape their desire to devour him whole.

And he knew what their problems were. The reliance on manipulation and coercion took a toll on their reputation. As they became known for their violent methods, they increasingly alienated potential allies, leading to a growing resistance from the hidden villages.

Their earlier popularity diminished over time and reduced their influence in a world that was increasingly turning against them.

Each failed mission heightened disputes with those who previously hired them, thus deteriorating relationships they had established and jeopardizing their sustainability as an organization.

Consequently, their ability to enact their grand plans faced increasingly insurmountable obstacles.

Each leader's attempt to use the organization for their purposes ended in hardship. The layered betrayals and struggles from external enemies compounded their failures, rendering them ineffective as they writhed to maintain coherence amidst constant manipulation.

In the end, all these intertwined problems closed in on the organization's letdown to achieve its founding goals.

Because Kaito understood these unfilled aspirations of theirs that would more or less take place two and a half years from now, he knew the correct words to say to Sasori.

"I suppose you're right… While I don't focus on attacking with genjutsu, I do have strong enough means of dispelling them."

Sasori understood but was not quite satisfied. So he asked, "You seem to have an interesting approach, but it doesn't reveal much. How skilled are you exactly?"

"Skill is subjective," Kaito smoothly replied. "I merely adapt to situations."

Sasori's gaze sharpened as he sized his new partner up. Kaito himself could feel the scrutiny but maintained his composure.

Whatever it was about Sasori, it was that his methodical nature was laced within his perceived aloofness.

Born from sorrow, it was evident that Sasori conducted himself like a puppet on strings. Parental absence had molded him and roughened his emotions while dulling his view on the world.

From what Kaito recalled, Sasori had found solace in puppetry through his grandmother, Chiyo, during childhood. that journey had brought him some joy, yet it had also carved a deeper wound.

Sasori aspired to create real puppets that mimicked those around him, but this pursuit led to a broader detachment from emotional connections.

That's what led his heart to morph into a mechanism that functioned without any real substance.

"Sasori of the Red Sand," Kaito said, breaking into the silence, "I know much about you and your past…"

"Oh…?"

"Yes, the one who the way you approach this world feels trimmed of warmth. Is that because of Chiyo or Orochimaru?"

If there was ever a moment to attack someone, now was it. But Sasori wasn't that type. Instead, he first warned, "Focus on your own skills and not on the past of others…"

Kaito chose to follow the flow of the conversation and said, "I hardly interacted with him, just so you know." He was referring to Orochimaru. "If I ever do see him again, I'd love nothing more than to rip his tongue out so that he doesn't grow it back."

Sasori's interest was almost piqued. As such, Kaito continued.

"Our interactions were scarce, and I detest almost everything about him."

"Almost?" Sasori repeated.

"I see you've never heard…" Then he quoted from Mathew 10: 16, "'Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.'"

At that, their conversation became quiet, as if a shared understanding had formed between them.

Sasori regarded Kaito for that moment, and in a rare show of diffidence, he stopped. This prompted Kaito to stop as well and see what Sasori's next act was.

With a soft click of mechanisms, the wooden shell of his puppet slowly began to retract. It peeled away without tearing his cloak.

Then, Sasori's countenance transitioned from the stoic expression of his puppet to the youthful visage he had retained despite the years.

He slowly emerged and revealed his true self. His crimson hair fell elegantly around his face, and Kaito could clearly see the metallic structures of his body.

"You don't seem too surprised," Sasori smirked.

"I'm merely rapt by your tastes," Kaito remarked. "I assumed you'd transition yourself into a puppet due to your fascination with them."

There was a certain veil beneath that compliment, as if he were struggling to reconcile the calm, almost artistic presence of Sasori with the cryptic threat of his puppetry.

This only made Sasori more amused as he asked, "Since you did your little research on me, do you know the name of this puppet?"

"Enlighten me," Kaito responded, knowing the answer.

"He's called Hiruko, and he's served its purpose admirably… Quite frankly, it's my favourite one."

"A puppet that represents your own art, I see…"

"Hmph… For a second, you almost sounded like my old partner." Then Sasori looked up as if remembering the times Deidara and him shared. "This body, while it appears youthful and frail, is just a function of my ethos."

"That is because you're both the puppeteer and the puppet."

At those words, Sasori's eyes darted to his partner. He was taken aback by that true statement; something neither Deidara nor Orochimaru would have ever said.

As the discussions ended, Sasori closed his eyes before letting out a small laugh. He then slowly crouched to return to Hiruko.

As the two finally trekked forward, Sasori finally said the one thing that truly caught Kaito off guard: "You know, I think I'm gonna like you…"