23 | Offer

                                    

                                          
Days passed since Itachi learned about Hagami's parents; and Itachi informed Shisui on her behavior. Spying on a ninja above his caliber was harder than he thought, especially since she's been watching over the Village as a whole. Many times already, Itachi was almost caught; or maybe he was and Hagami merely ignored it or didn't bother to bring it up. The month was drawing to a close and Hagami's time to wander and watch the Village was limited. She's have to make her decision fast and accurate but without dragging Shisui and Itachi into it. A week was left in the month before Kakashi would take up his Squad. A week was left in the month for Hagami to think through everything along with almost every possible outcome and her way to avoid it. A week was left in the month until the actual Coup d'État, as Fugaku had declared in their last meeting just now.

                          
The selected members of the Uchiha Clan who'd be involved in the meetings left the building where they met weekly until Fugaku and Mikoto appeared. Shisui and Itachi emerged next; Sasuke wasn't allowed to be at the meetings, he was too young, too innocent to be dragged into Clan affairs. Hagami's eyes burned holes into the back of Fugaku's head as she was the last to leave the room where they met at. She had been asked to speak during the meeting because some of the Uchiha suspected that she had also kept watch over the Village and Anbu. Hagami responded with what she knew, but did so in an extremely vague way. The moon was high in the sky by the time the meeting was over. It ran late again, which didn't surprise Fugaku and his family. It had to run long, in order to plan for the Coup d'État. They too thought of every possible outcome that could come their way.
                          
"Otousan, is this really the only way out of this? Massacre Konohagakure?" Hagami asked stalking up to Fugaku's side. No one was around, at least no one she could sense so her Sharingan gleamed in her eyes. If she turned her head to the right, she would be staring right into Fugaku's and she wouldn't be surprised if she were challenged; looking into each others eyes with the Sharingan activated is a threat.
                          
"Unfortunately," Fugaku let out a sigh, "Konohagakure has been stripping our rights since the reign of the Second Hokage. We're not just dogs to be contained, we're more and we deserve to have a say in certain aspects of the Village. Lord Hiruzen just doesn't see what we're capable of doing in order to better the Village. This'll show them that we're worthy enough to serve, as well as get out way in the future."
                          
"So you're going to use fear in order to provoke them?" Hagami asked and her Sharingan died down.
                          
"It's the only way left." Fugaku growled. His voice had dropped in an irritated manner and Hagami's brows quirked down. "We're going to attack in a week, at..." Hagami's eyes widened and she turned her head away from Fugaku. She gritted her teeth audibly and Fugaku put a hand on her shoulder. But the sudden contact made Hagami flinch and she leapt away from him. Despite being shocked, her anger transformed into hate.
                          
"Don't touch me." She hissed threateningly and the crows that she had grown to love surrounded her and erased her very presence. Itachi and Shisui were left to watch the fading memory of her standing there, and so was Mikoto. Fugaku stood there, partially stunned and partially not surprised that she had vanished. He knew she was fond of the Clan as well as the Village as a whole. For her to attack her own Village, he thought she didn't have the guts to do so.
                          
---
                          
Hagami made it home before they could and she appeared by her window. She never locked it so it was easy to get in. Walking to her desk in the corner to the left if she were to enter through the window, she quickly took a blank scroll and rolled it out. Two rocks held down either side of it as she began to write.
                          
Hiruzen needs to learn of this. Hagami thought and her hand-writing appeared sloppy. Groaning, she hesitated before continuing on but then remembered that many other ninja have much sloppier hand-writing than her.
                          
Suddenly, a cold hand wrapped around her left wrist. Despite being gloved, the hand was cold but Hagami didn't fight against this person. She already knew the chakra source and her grip on the pen slackened. The pen dropped out of her hand but she did it intentionally and the man let go of her wrist. When she turned around, her blood went cold but she didn't let anyone see, not that anyone was around.
                          
"Well, isn't this a fine visit from the man who awakened my Mangekyō Sharingan." She mocked surprise and actual consideration but made no move to get a weapon in her hand. "What do you need? I take it that you're the one who was watching over the meeting, right?" There had been an ominous chakra at the whole meeting that Hagami sensed. She knew the chakra well and noticed that it remained at its resting level the whole time. Hagami had no reason to be worried about it.
                          
"Are you the one who's plotting to override the Coup d'État?" He asked, his voice deep. Hagami raised a brow and then remembered her partially written note.
                          
"Of course I am." Hagami retorted.
                          
"And what do you suppose will happen in the future if you override their decision now? There's always chance they'll resort back to that decision, in fact, I'd count on it." He responded but Hagami's expression didn't waver. A chuckle passed the masked man's lips and he continued, "But judging by your expression right now, you've taken countermeasures, am I right?"
                          
"Ah." Hagami said simply. It was obvious he wasn't allied with anyone from the Village, or any other one for that matter.
                          
"What do you intend to do then? If it's any sort of violence against the Clan or Village as a whole, you're going to be ranked as an S-Rank Criminal." He noted and Hagami merely nodded. She was most certainly going to be ranked as an S-Rank Criminal after this. "Where are you going to go after this?"
                          
"Somewhere where they won't be able to touch me." She answered in an obvious tone.
                          
"But ninja like you don't have any home. Nowhere to go where those who are pursuing you where they can't reach you," he contradicted what he said. "but I have an offer for you. My name is Tobi, the leader of an organization called the Akatsuki. I'm willing to let you join, if you'd like. It's a place where S-Ranked Criminals such as yourself can find a safe haven all the while completing a certain goal."
                          
"Akatsuki..." Hagami let the name roll off her tongue. "And if I join?"
                          
"You're given a safe haven." Tobi assured. "Away from those who're hunting you."
                          
"What do you get out of me joining?"
                          
"You'll be the sixth member to join. There'll be ten in all by the end of it." Tobi answered. "Akatsuki is the organization that will bring peace to this world."
                          
"Who're the members that are already involved?"
                          
"That information I may not disclose to you, Hagami." Tobi said in a stern voice. Hagami nodded understandingly. "A week from now, I'll wait at the Land of Fire's border at around 1500 to 1645 (military time for 3:00 AM to 4:45 AM)."
                          
"I'll take your offer into consideration." Hagami said bowing her head. Tobi did the same and where the opening was on the right side of his mask, space became distorted and he was slowly sucked into Time-Space that erased all traces of him even being there.
                          
Hagami turned around to the scroll she laid out. She took her hand and laid it gently on one end and her fingertips lit up with chakra. In one quite swipe, she slit the scroll in several places until it was illegible. She took the next blank scroll from the container on her desk and began writing a different message; one that explained what path she would follow.