MHA: Akatsuki

The room fell silent as Konan's question lingered in the air. Kaito sat still, his fingers lightly tapping against each other. His eyes, sharp and calculating, stared ahead as his mind worked through the situation. True peace... was such a thing even achievable in this world?

Unlike Konan's previous world, where war dictated the flow of power, this society was built on deception hidden behind heroism. Corruption ran deep, veiled beneath laws that benefited the powerful. Bringing true peace here might be even harder.

After a few seconds, he finally spoke. "You're right to question this," he acknowledged, his tone measured. "True peace in this world might be even harder to achieve than in yours. This world doesn't just suffer from war or conflict—it suffers from a system that allows corruption to fester under the guise of justice."

He paused, exhaling slowly. "I don't have a final plan yet. But for now, our best course of action is to remain hidden and build our strength. Akatsuki needs time to grow." His fingers stopped tapping, his hands now steepled together as he continued. "Meanwhile, I'll focus on mastering the Rinnegan. And to further our goals, I'll enroll at UA through the General Studies course."

His eyes glinted with quiet determination. "If I'm strong enough by the UA Sports Festival, I'll use it as my opportunity to get promoted to the Hero Course. From there, I'll work to stand out, to make myself the hero in everyone's eyes. I will protect the people in the light." He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering. "And while I play the role of the hero, Akatsuki will move in the shadows, eliminating the corruption that heroes can't touch."

He sat back, his expression unreadable. "Through our actions, I'll shape Akatsuki into the embodiment of true justice—justice that cannot be bought or manipulated. If we do this right, we can make them fear the consequences of corruption, force them to think twice before abusing their power." His gaze locked onto Konan's. "That is our path forward—for now."

Konan considered his words, then nodded approvingly. "It's a solid plan so far. I will follow."

She then tilted her head slightly. "Is there anything I should do at this point?"

Kaito paused, thinking. His mind briefly wandered to an answer—one that involved Konan, and a very different kind of 'training.' His face remained neutral, but internally, he slapped himself. "Focus, damn it!" he thought.

Clearing his throat, he answered, "For now, stay low. Get familiar with your body and your quirk. Don't let anyone know you're a late bloomer, and don't register your quirk with the government."

Konan nodded. "Understood."

She turned to leave but then paused, glancing over her shoulder. "The owner of this body has a job. My shift starts soon." Without another word, she walked away, leaving Kaito standing there, still wrapping his head around the bizarre reality of his situation.

Kaito's gaze lingered on the door as it clicked shut behind Konan, the soft sound echoing in the silence. He was left with a momentary feeling of disbelief—Konan, having a job? It seemed so... ordinary, so mundane. For someone with her history, her power, to be tied down by something so simple was almost comical. 

Shaking his head, he brushed off the thought and turned his focus inward. His eyes still burned with the otherworldly perception of the Rinnegan, the deep, swirling pools of power that had once felt like a gift, and now, increasingly like a weight. The world looked different through its lens—too different.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the depths of the Rinnegan's power. He willed himself to shut it down. The air around him seemed to shift as he focused, and the once intense, overwhelming clarity of the world around him faded. When he opened his eyes again, the colors were duller, the shapes sharper—everything was back to normal. He was, for the first time in a while, seeing the world as it was.

A small sigh of relief escaped his lips, but the moment was fleeting. His eyes shifted to the corner of the room, where Yahiko's body lay, still, lifeless, and full of black rods.

Kaito activated his Rinnegan once more, the familiar surge of power rushing through him. The world sharpened, and everything around him became clearer, more defined. He focused on Yahiko's lifeless body, feeling the power within him stir. He attempted to manipulate it, to control the corpse as he had seen Nagato do—but nothing happened.

"Why isn't it working?"

Frustration bubbled up inside him. His concentration sharpened, his thoughts racing. He should have been able to control Yahiko's body. The Rinnegan was supposed to give him that ability, but something was missing.

"The rods... I need the back rods."

Kaito's mind snapped back to what he had learned. He needed the black rods to complete the technique, to fully control the corpse. His eyes flicked to the floor, and he sighed, pushing the frustration aside. He would have to create one.

"Focus. Just one rod. One rod is all I need right now."

He closed his eyes and began to channel his energy, willing the rod to form. His hand trembled slightly as he summoned the power within him, trying to shape it, but he could already feel the drain starting. The process was slow—painfully slow.

Minutes seemed to drag on, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, the rod began to form. It flickered in the air before stabilizing, but it wasn't perfect. It was rough, jagged at the edges, and definitely not the smooth, polished rod he had hoped for.

"It's done, but... why does it feel like I ran a marathon?"

Kaito's legs buckled, and he sank to his knees, gasping for air. The exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks. That single rod had drained so much of his energy that his body felt like it was on the verge of giving out.

"That... That atleast half of my stamina..."

He stared at the rod in front of him, his hands shaking as they hovered near it. He had done it, but at what cost? The effort to create this one rod had left him tired.

"If creating a single rod costs this much energy, how the hell am I supposed to use Almighty Push?"

Kaito's chest heaved as he stared at the black rod on the ground. His hands were still shaking, the fatigue from creating something so simple weighing heavily on him. He winced, rubbing his temples, and the thought hit him with an uncomfortable force.

The exhaustion from creating a single rod should have been nothing. It should've been easy. But instead, he was exhausted. "How out of shape am I right now?" He realized just how little physical training his new body had been through. 

If he was going to face real challenges, he needed more than just raw power. He needed strength, endurance. After all, If he couldn't handle a simple task like this without getting tired, how was he going to survive the intense physical demands of the Sports Festival?

His thoughts quickly drifted to the upcoming event. His UA entrance exam. He rubbed his chin as his mind played out scenarios. "General Studies course... that's where I'm starting. But it's only a few weeks away. Should I study?"

Kaito quickly brushed the thought aside, his lip curling slightly. "Study? Ha. That's funny."

In his previous life, he had majored in computer science, but when AI became too advanced, the job market had tanked. He had ended up going down the rabbit hole of anime and escapism, trying to numb the disappointment of being replaced by machines.

As Kaito sat back, still absorbing the exhaustion that clung to his muscles, his thoughts drifted back to the system he had vaguely noticed when he first arrived in this world. The idea of AI was still fresh in his mind, and it made him think about the strange, almost artificial nature of the power that brought him to another world

"Wait, the system... It should have more features." He couldn't shake the curiosity about what else it could do. "If it's like the systems in the Fanfics I read, then there should be more."

He sighed, half-dreading and half-excited at the thought. "Let's check it out then."

He muttered in his mind, "System, show me all features."

The air shimmered slightly, and a screen materialized in front of him, a holographic display listing out the various abilities.

System Features:

1. Status:

You can view your current power and stats from the system.You can also see the powers of any character you summon, allowing you to assess their abilities.

2. Clothing:

The system can provide you with a cloak and a mask.These items are exclusive to the Akatsuki and cannot be used by anyone else.

3. Summoning:

You can summon Akatsuki members based on your achievements.The stronger your progress, the more powerful the members you can summon.

4. Rewards:

Based on your personal achievements, you will be granted rewards.

Rewards include: Pre-produced black rods, Bodies of the Paths of Pain, Items from the Naruto world.

Kaito stared at the list, a mix of intrigue and skepticism swirling inside him. "So, this is what I've got to work with?"

Then, Kaito's eyes flickered back to Yahiko's lifeless body, still lying on the ground. His fingers clenched tightly around the black rod in his hand, the cold metal now familiar yet unsettling. His mind raced, and without thinking, he jammed the rod into his palm. The sharp sting of pain shot through him, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Damn it," he thought, fighting to stay composed as the pain swelled in his hand. His body trembled, but he fought against it, pushing himself to focus. It was excruciating, but he had to see if this could work. He took a deep breath and slowly started concentrating on the task at hand, focusing on the corpse in front of him.

This time, he could feel the power flowing more easily, though it still drained him. With a quiet exertion of will, he tried to control Yahiko's body, forcing it to move. Slowly, the lifeless figure began to twitch. The limbs jerked into motion, and the body slowly rose from the ground, its movements stiff and unnatural.

Then, Yahiko's eyes opened—revealing the familiar, legendary Rinnegan.

Kaito blinked, a strange sensation spreading over him as he felt the body's vision merge with his own. For a moment, he could see through Yahiko's eyes.

But then, everything around him began to blur. His head swam, and the familiar feeling of dizziness took over. "What the hell?" His body felt unsteady, like he was about to fall at any second. The strain of controlling the corpse combined with the simultaneous sensory overload from Yahiko's eyes was too much. He could feel his body protesting, his energy draining far faster than he expected.

Before he could even process what was happening, the vision blurred even more, and Yahiko's body slumped, collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

The sudden loss of control sent Kaito tumbling backward, his legs giving way beneath him. His body hit the floor, too weak to fight against the overwhelming pressure of exhaustion and dizziness.

"Damn it," Kaito muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. His vision blurred, the edges of his world fraying like a poorly stitched seam. "The hell was that? This body... It's too weak." He spat, feeling the sting of defeat in his chest.