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Back to the Present
The doors to the cavernous Akatsuki meeting hall rumbled open with a low groan.
Alex stepped through with Konan gliding at his side. The faint rustle of her paper flower caught in his peripheral vision, soft and delicate against the cold silence. Her presence was both regal and watchful.
The hall was alive with eyes. Every single one of them turned toward him as though gravity itself had shifted.
At the far left sat Yahiko, wearing the cloak of Pain but without the iron severity of Nagato's puppeteered paths.
Yahiko's face bore the steadiness of someone used to leading men, but when Alex's shadow crossed the threshold, Yahiko lowered his head in acknowledgment.
There was no resentment in his eyes, no attempt to mask respect.
Yahiko's voice had already become one of Alex's most reliable.
Beside him was Nagato, the true engine behind Yahiko's voice. He was still a little frail and pale, but looking much better than his skinny self. His Rinnegan burned with silent calculation.
Nagato did not bow, but the subtle incline of his head was enough to show his respect.
Next, Obito leaned back in his seat, his mask half-tilted toward the ceiling. He offered no greeting, just a muttered, sardonic chuckle.
Kakuzu sat with his fingers steepled, stitches shifting faintly under the tension of his muscles. His eyes, old and greedy, scanned Alex with the cold calculation of an accountant appraising a priceless treasure.
"Hn," He exhaled, almost dismissive.
Deidara was less composed, his restless fingers twitching near the mouths on his palms. "Tch. Took you long enough, hm."
But the way he avoided Alex's gaze betrayed unease as if looking too long might ignite something volatile in his chest.
Sasori, by contrast, was motionless, still, as the puppets he commanded. His eyes tracked Alex like a craftsman evaluating a rival's work. Still, when Alex's gaze met his, the faintest glimmer of old sadness rippled in Sasori's amber irises, but he said nothing.
Hidan, however, was the loudest. He practically leapt to his feet, scythe clattering against the table.
"LORD ALEX!" His voice boomed like a zealot at a sermon. "Your divine light graces us again!"
The room shifted uncomfortably as Hidan dropped to one knee with manic fervor, his silver hair wild around his face. His eyes gleamed with fanatical devotion and with the unholy thrill of the new power Alex had granted him.
The ability to twist his immortal flesh into new shapes at will made him feel like Alex's chosen herald, a living miracle.
Kisame laughed low and deep at the display. "Heh. Careful, Hidan. If you wag your tail too hard, you'll knock the table over. Though I'll admit... if anyone could tame an immortal mutt like you, it'd be him."
He flashed Alex a toothy grin full of both respect and menace.
And then there was Itachi. Seated in perfect stillness, eyes half-lidded but unblinking. He did not rise or bow as he just simply observed. His Sharingan swirled faintly like an endless mirror. And though his lips did not part, a subtle nod, almost imperceptible, passed between him and Alex.
Alex let the silence linger, savoring it. Then, with a deliberate calm, he crossed the hall and slipped into the head seat.
Konan remained standing at his right hand, her arms folded, paper flower gleaming against her blue hair. To those gathered, the sight was unmistakable: a queen beside her king.
Alex leaned back, folding one arm casually across the armrest. His eyes swept the table once, slow enough that every man felt weighed and judged.
"Yahiko, present your report," He said simply.
His voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be, as an unmistakable authority thrummed in the single word like a blade pulled halfway from its sheath.
Yahiko heard Alex's words and stood up, bowing to him.
"Lord Alex," Yahiko said, his voice carrying cleanly across the hall. "Deidara and Sasori have completed the mission you assigned them. The daimyo of the Land of Sound is dead. The nation has been destabilized and folded under our influence."
Deidara smirked faintly at the recognition, though his chest tightened at the way Yahiko credited Alex, not him. 'Tch… they act like I'm some delivery boy for his grand design. My art isn't just a weapon for their politics. It's beauty… fleeting, explosive beauty.'
Sasori, though silent, thought the opposite. 'Politics… beauty… all are meaningless. Only permanence matters. And yet…'
His eyes flicked briefly to Alex. 'Why does this man's vision feel like something that might endure?'
Yahiko continued.
"At the same time, Kakuzu and Hidan eliminated the Guardian Twelve from the Land of Fire. The threat there has been neutralized."
Before Alex could respond, Hidan burst up again, grinning madly.
"HAH! Neutralized? Crushed is more like it! With the holy body Lord Alex gave me, it was child's play, you hear? Their screams were like hymns in your honor, my lord!"
He thumped his chest proudly, his flesh rippling unnaturally as he flexed his new gift. Bones twisted, muscles expanded, then retracted in a grotesque but awe-inspiring show.
"See? Immortality wasn't enough. But you made me MORE!"
The others exchanged wary glances.
Kisame just laughed again. "Never thought I'd see the day when Hidan got louder. Congratulations, Alex. You've made a zealot even crazier."
Hidan ignored him, still grinning at Alex like a worshiper desperate for approval.
Kakuzu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"And while we're on the subject," He muttered, "why didn't you let us kill that Sarutobi brat, Asuma? He is also one of the remaining Guardians... That would have been another thirty-five million ryō. Easy money wasted."
The room tensed slightly as rarely anyone questioned Alex openly. But Kakuzu's greed was notorious, and he had said what was on his mind.
Alex's lips curled into a chuckle. He leaned forward, resting his chin against his knuckles.
"Because, Kakuzu… his time has not yet come. But when it does come, I promise you that I'll let you take the lead. You'll get your bounty and more.."
The way he said it was not dismissive, but assured, as if the future was already written.
It made Kakuzu's eyes glint with satisfaction. He leaned back, pleased. "Hn. As long as the profit comes, I'll wait."
Yahiko resumed, steady as ever.
"With the daimyo eliminated and the smaller nations consolidated, we've nearly completed your directive. The banners of the minor countries now align with ours. As you instructed, your knowledge and ideals have begun to spread across their people. Soon, the result of it will be seen on a large scale."
Alex's gaze flicked briefly to Konan. She met his eyes, and for just a moment, there was a spark, the faintest curl of her lips, a silent acknowledgement of Yahiko's skill and Alex's guidance aligning perfectly.
"Good," Alex said at last, his voice low and approving. "Very good. You've all done well."
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