=0=0=Amegakure=0=0=
The trio, dubbed as the Akatsuki, is going through some shit right now. It is the time of the Jonin exam and they are nervously entering the Ancor Vantian, the Palace of Sky.
Why are they nervous? Because they did not study at all. Their trainings are mostly practical, not much on the theory stuffs. Even then, most of their understanding came from Jiraiya, a Konoha shinobi, so some teachings would not be helpful at all.
They are children of the rain, from the moment of their birth the rain was always there. The endless tears of heaven beating down onto the mortal world, the eternal drums of sorrow, the ever present cold embrace, and the stuffy humid air. Comparing to the lush green forest surrounding Konoha, the warm sun shining almost everyday, a perfect place to live, an evergreen due to the blessing of Senju Hashirama.
Ame and Konoha cannot be any more different, so their views are entirely different.
They took their seat in a huge classroom, there are not only Ame shinobi but also Suna shinobi. This is the proof of their treaties, since now their economy are tied together.
Over all, there are at least 150 shinobi in the room. All anxious for what to come.
Walking into the room is a masked Ame shinobi, carrying a long spear, over four meters in fact. Next are dozens of shinobi, from both Ame and Suna, all sitting on one side of the room.
"I am Hattori, the Divine Spear. And I will be the main supervisor for this part of the exam.", he began to explain, "In an hour, you will have to finish the test given by any means necessary. There are only two rules - you must stay in your own seat at all time, and, no speak allowed."
There was not any rule against cheating. But that was not the thing that worried the shinobi partaking the test.
Then Hattori added, "Those ten who score the highest, and ten who score the lowest... will be eliminated."
This is to test the observation skill of the shinobi, as well as the ability to make decision. The Jonin rank is only meant for the best shinobi after all.
Papers magically appeared on the table of the people taking the exam.... 50 questions in total.
"Time... start!", Hattori announced.
Every single shinobi began to look around to copy the answers, to observe what the person next to them would write.
As for the Akatsuki trio, they all have different approach to this problem. Konan blocked the view all around her table, trying to keep to herself all the while spying on others with her right eye in the form of paper floating above. Yahiko was glued onto his sheet, trying his best to not be the bottom ten, coming up with answers with the most absurd mental gymnastic ever.
As for Nagato, he had not even touched his paper at all. His eyes are looking at something else on the ceiling.
Through his Rinnegan, he saw shadows made of Dark Chakra clinging to the ceiling like spiders looking down at them. Nobody else seemed to notice them.
'What are those...'
They are definitely seeing Nagato.
=0=0=Klara=0=0=
""Klara, Nagato has seen us."", Hiriko reported to me.
Currently, I'm sitting on my fine stone chair like the empress I am in the control room of the Ancor Vantian. Am I an empress? Well, I could be with the fact that I'm the inheritor of the Land of Sky.
I glanced at Hiriko, one of my Shade.
"The hidden objective of this test is to see if people can spot you guys, those who spotted Makiri and Sougo automatically pass the test."
""Uh, why are you explaining that to me?"", Hiriko tilted her head, ""You know I know that, right?"
"Just explaining to the viewers.", I spun my index finger with a smile.
""You mean the god that is watching you like some sort of television show?""
"Yeah! That!", what's a television show anyway?
""Hm, alright. Then what do you want to do with him?""
"He's obviously an Uzumaki. Though I may have abandoned the Uzumaki name... I am still a full blooded Uzumaki, learned the proper way of becoming a true Uzumaki. He could learn a thing or two from it.", I smiled as I think back to those days.
""Ah yes, the trial that made the Uzumaki name synonymous with 'savanges'."", she nodded to herself.
I couldn't blame anyone for thinking of it like that. Since the Uzumaki's childhood test is the moment a child can walk on two feet, they throw the children into the forest on the outskirt of the village and survive until they are five years old. This is to help with connecting to nature and spirits of the world, gain a better understanding of the spiritual realm around them from a young age. Though most turned out to be people with repressed anger issue.
There are some exceptions to this act, however, in the case of Kushina as she was raised to be a Jinchuriki.
"Anyway, how is the preparation for my part of the test?", I asked Hiriko.
""Going just fine, the terrain reconstruction needs a bit more adjustment but everything else is gucci.""
"Nice.", what the fuck does 'gucci' mean?
Usually the practical test would have three parts, the disaster situation, the battle royale to cut half the team or more, and the one-on-one fight.
But I do things differently, I combined all three into one test to save time! Disaster situation? Check, I am the fucking disaster. Battle royale? Check, I have an army of Shades to weed out the weak. One-on-one? Me, again!
""Oh, someone spotted us again. Pakura of the Scorch Style.""
Oh, a big shot from Sunagakure.
"Give her the pass."
""Makiri just gave her a thumb-up. She is freaking out in her seat.""
"Well, it's not everyday you see a spirit made of hatred that have no qualm tearing you apart limbs from limbs. Speaking of limbs, Araki, is there any food?"
Araki, sitting on one of the control panel turns around, ""A few shinobi from Iwa, trying to take the rest of our newly acquired territory.""
"Ooh~ how many?", I beamed a smile.
""Fourteen in total."", Araki showed his shadowy smile in response.
"Put half of then on stakes, mutilate them to have their gut opened. For placement, put them somewhere Iwa can see in our territory. They can't do anything, unless they want to admit their crime of trespassing the border..."
There are two ways to start the war right now... one is the Mizukage and the other is me. Well, I'm taking a page out of Kakuzu's book, he was the one of the reason the First Shinobi War started. Going around killing the first generation Kages is bound to cause chaos.
"Make sure the world knows that they are not facing a human, a demon... but a force of nature. An evil born from this fucked up system.", I smiled as I laid back on the stone throne.
""Oh, another one. Yahiko of the Akatsuki.""
"Oh, that boy huh. Good, and what about the girl?"
""She has yet to notice.""
"I see... well, pass her too. Gotta—"
""She just noticed us.""
Well damn, I was just about to say a cheesy line about the Akatsuki come in a pack. But I jinxed it.
Anyway, I just keep on observing through my Mind's Eye. I get why Haseka-sama like to do this, it's like watching a film or something—
—Wait! I have a great idea!
"Matsutaki, can you go and steam me some potato?", I asked him, one of the Shade managing the control panels.
""Sure, my dude."", and he sunk into the ground.
""Grab one for me too."", Araki said.
""Also me."", Hiriko followed the trend.
After thirty minutes, Matsutaki entired through the entrance with a bowl full of steamed sweet potatoes. He placed it on the arm rest of the throne for each of us to grab one.
"So what does it taste like for you guys?", I think it needs a bit of salt and spice.
""Needs a bit of salt and spice."", Araki replied.
Oh yeah... being corrupted dulled your taste... but it doesn't take away the actual joy of eating with friends.
We ate while chatting, talking about what they did in the past before they became the Zero Tails. Hiriko was just a normal farm girl, working in the field and all. Araki was a technician overseeing the softwares of the Ancor Vantian. Matsutaki was a construction builder working on homes. The rest of Ginga also chimed in now and then.
They were ordinary people, people of the Land of Sky, who just work to see another day. They are the types you would find everywhere.
But what did their ordinary life rewarded them with? Death, pain, despair, and... Rage.
Why did they deserve this kind of life? Why did this fate befell them? Why is this world so cruel...?
I reached my hand up to the ceiling, clench my hand tightly as I smile. My hand turned black, with corrupted veins forming.
"I will fulfill my mission, to destroy the world... to cleanse the world of the disease called..."
"Shinobi."
