Evolution Point

4

Garra's lifeless body fell to the floor with a thud. The sealing was complete. My entire body felt stiff like a board and my stomach churned. I hadn't had an appetite for the last few days, the guilt for knowing I was going to have a hand in killing Garra keeping me from eating. Even so, watching the completed act filled me with a destructive hatred for myself.

"That took longer than I was hoping." Kisame commented.

"No matter, it's finished now. You're all dismissed." Pein told us. One by one each Akatsuki astral projection faded. Only Deidera and Sasori remained. I noticed Sasori give me an odd look from the corner of my eye.

Garra is dead. We killed him. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the corpse before me. That poor boy... both his life and death were decided by the chakra beast inside him, an ownership he had no hand in choosing.

Just like Fugaku the Akatsuki, more specifically Madara, covets power that is not and never will be theirs to wield.

"Is there a reason you're still here?" Sasori finally asked me. Deidera smirked.

"Don't worry, doll. I'll be back at the hideout soon. Wait for me." he winked.

"I'm not at the hideout." I answered blandly turning my nose in the air away from the offending blonde, finally having glanced away from Garra if only to help mask my true feelings from those around me.

"What?" he asked, brows furrowed, "where are you then?" the secluded spot shook as the wall crumbled suddenly. I watched, eyes wide, as a familiar knuckle-headed ninja rushed into our territory blindly.

"Looks like you have company. I'll leave you to your party. As always, Sasori please try not to die and Deidera please rot in a hole." With that I made a hasty retreat and let my astral projection jutsu fade.

When I opened my eyes I was back with Jun on the side of the road. I breathed a deep breath wishing that the fresh air would bring peace to my inner turmoil.

"You can't let them see you, Miyu." I told myself, "You're an S-rank criminal now. They don't want to see you. No matter how much you might miss them... they would never take you back." I bit my lip and watched the grass shift with the breeze. The world was calm and at peace making me feel out of place.

"It's for the best if you never see them again." I muttered to myself.

The important thing wasn't my feelings. Feelings are useless and only get in the way. I have a goal, a mission, to make the world a better place. I can never go back to Konoha and I didn't plan to.

There are currently 4 Uchiha in this world; Sasuke, Itachi, Madara, and myself. Itachi will let Sasuke take his life to atone for the sin of killing the Uchiha clan. That leaves Sasuke, Madara, and myself left as the only Uchiha in the world.

I will eradicate them all. I will end this disgusting bloodline that breeds only greed, malice, and bloodlust.

I glanced towards Jun, still passed out despite me having been gone for days. I tossed the criminal over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and began to make my way towards the Village Hidden in the Mist.

Since it wasn't common knowledge that I was affiliated with Akatsuki I was the only member who could freely enter and exit ninja villages.

"Halt, who goes there?" a guard practically screamed at me.

"My name is Miyu Uchiha. I come bearing gifts for the Mizukage." I answered with a smirk as I tossed Jun on the ground with a thud. The man wheezed, still on the verge of unconsciousness, proving that he's still alive.

"Wait here." The second guard told me before rushing off to tell his Mizukage. Despite being allowed to enter ninja villages without the threat of being arrested, the Village Hidden in the Mist was still very secretive and that made them wary of any outsider.

"How's it going?" I asked the guard nonchalantly. The guard glanced between Jun and I then gave me a weird look. I scowled. "Fine, don't talk to me." I muttered. The first guard returned quickly, a new person at his side.

The new person squatted beside Jun and examined his bruised and bloodied face for a few minutes before nodding to the other guards.

"Here's your payment. An extra 20% for bringing him back alive." The man handed me a suitcase of cash and I took it with a smirk.

"Pleasure doing business with you." I nodded to the three men who all watched me warily before walking off.

"Jeez..." I murmured to myself, "is it too hard to say 'thank you'? Jerks..."

I walked slowly through the woods, not really feeling excited about returning to the Akatsuki hideout. The journey only took me a few days to make. Despite my efforts to turn a 3 day long trip into a week I made it back to the hideout only having been gone for somewhere around 5 days. As always when I got back from these bounty hunting trips, Kakuzu waited for me at the door to collect the money I brought back.

"Thanks for the welcome party." I muttered sarcastically as I tossed the suitcase of cash towards Kakuzu.

"Is it all here?" his gravely voice rumbled.

"Yup."

"Did you count it?"

"Yup."

"No you didn't." I rolled my eyes at Kakuzu's response.

"I counted it, it's all there." I lied again. Kakuzu muttered angrily under his breath.

"Leader wants to see you." He growled then stalked off. I frowned. Instead of going to my room I went straight to the Akatsuki leader. It wasn't often that he was in this hideout, so I knew I had to see him sooner rather than later. I knocked on his office door then entered when told.

"Ah, Miyu, I'm glad your mission was a success." His deep voice always seemed to give me chills. It wasn't the depth per say that got under my skin, but rather the coldness with which he spoke.

"Madara." I addressed.

To any other Akatsuki member, save for Itachi, they would've assumed the title 'Leader' belonged to Pein; and to a certain extent they would be right. But Itachi and I knew who the real puppeteer was. The whole idea of using war to create peace that Pein developed was nothing more than a ruse for Madara's actual plan. Poor Pein has no idea what he's doing.

"Sasori is dead." Madara told me calmly, no emotion crossing his tone despite having lost one of the best members of the Akatsuki. I frowned.

"That's a shame." I actually liked Sasori despite his irritability.

"Deidera is still alive."

"That's a shame." I repeated with the same tone. Madara chuckled and crossed his arms.

"We need to keep up our ranks. I suspect that Kakashi and his team will be trouble in the future... I want you to officially join Akatsuki." As much as I wanted to argue with him, Madara was my trainer and leader in this criminal world. As much as I wanted to kill him I wasn't strong enough yet, so I would have to follow his orders like a good little pawn.

"Ok. So what do I have to do?" I mimicked his posture, except where his posture showed dominance mine was defensive.

"I will also join Akatsuki under the alias Tobi. This will ensure that I can keep an eye on the day-to-day happenings. I will be taking Sasori's old ring, or whoever else dies. In the mean time, I need you to take the Sky ring from Orochimaru." I scowled.

Damn Madara is going to make me go through a lot of work for this stupid ring. Why can't I be a member without it? It would be so much easier.

"I've already done most of the work for you." Madara spoke causing my scowl to disappear.

"Oh?"

"It would take you much too long to find where he's hidden it. So I've taken the liberty of tracking him down for you. Go pack your things, you'll be leaving at first light." I silently nodded to Madara and left to do as told.