Chero ran and ran. Her legs were burning, but she has to escape. She had to keep running or her village would catch her and kill her. She couldn’t die yet. Not until Sasuke Uchiha payed for killing her brother. Eventually Chero couldn’t run anymore so she collapsed onto the ground and fell into a deep sleep in a strange unknown forest.
Four cloaked figures were walking along in the forest heading for home. The cloaks all had red clouds on them. These clouds were famous and all who saw these clouds ran in fear.
The figures kept walking until one of them stopped.
“What is it?” one of the others asked.
“It’s a girl.” the one that stopped said pointing to a sleeping Chero collapsed on the ground.
They walked over to the girl and looked at her.
“Is that the brat the Grass Village just sent a notice out for?”
“I think so. She looks too young to have killed a political leader.”
“I heard it was her own father and that she used a super strong poison.”
“Jugen-sama, what do you think? Should we take her with us? She could be useful to the Akatsuki.”
They turned to their leader for guidance.
Jugen closed his eyes and activated his kekki genkai. He then deactivated it, learning everything he needed to know about Chero.
“Take her with us and when she wakes up we’ll see what she thinks.”
One of the cloaked figure then picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder.
Chero woke with a start. Was it all a dream? Did she really kill her father? Did she really run from her village? Her body started to tremble. She then glance around her surroundings. She was in a bed in a room. It was a black room with nothing in it except a the bed she was on and a clocked man leaning against the wall. She couldn’t speak. Who was this man and why did she fear him?
“So, you’re awake. No this is not a dream. You really did kill your father and I commend you on a job well done.”
Chero found her voice.
“Who are you? ” she demanded, “And where am I?”
“I’m Jugen. Leader of the Akatsuki and you are currently in our lair.”
The Akatsuki? Chero had read horrible stories about them....But she thought that they were all killed.
Jugen smiled at the look of shock that crossed Chero’s face.
“We’re the new Akatsuki group to answer your question. And no I’m not a mind reader. It’s just people are very predictable and easy to read.”
“What am I doing here?”
“Well, we found you collapsed on the ground in the middle of our forest. So, we took you along with us.”
“Why?”
“Well, in order to make you an offer.”
Chero gave him a questioning look.
“Join the Akatsuki.”
“But I can’t ”
“Yes you can. We can take care of you. What were you going to do next? You can’t go home or escape anywhere now that you’re an S class criminal. If you stay with us, you will live and we can help you get your revenge against Sasuke Uchiha. But in return you must follow my every order.”
“How did you-? ”
“I know everything about you Chero Aoyama.”
“So.... what will it be? Will you join us?”
He held out his hand.
Chero got out of the bed and trudged across the room. She took his hand and shook it.
“You have a deal. I’ll join the Akatsuki. On one condition.”
“What?”
“I get to design my own outfit.”
“Alright, but the clouds stay.”
“Okay.”
Jugen smirked.
“Welcome to the Akatsuki, Chero Aoyama.”
A few years had passed and Chero trained intensely. She created poisons and trained her genjutsu. She made sure that in her free time she always studied Sasuke Uchiha and his life. Jugen provided her with all the info she needed about Sasuke and in return she made him poisons.
One day she was sitting in her room making a poison for Jugen. She was working hard when Jugen entered her room.
“How is it going?” he asked.
“I’m almost done.” she said.
“I’m afraid I have some good news. Well, it may be bad news depending on how you look at it.”
She gave him a questioning look. He not saying anything Jugen continued.
“You will no longer be pursued by the Grass Village anymore.”
“What?! How?”
“They were attacked and completely destroyed. There were no survivors.”
“None at all?”
“None.”
“..........I need to work on this poison.....” she said turning away from her master.
Jugen left the room.
Chero burst into tears. Michi, Koichi! Both of her best friends were now dead and Etsuo sensei! Even though he betrayed her she still cared about him. She couldn’t believe her village was gone!
No. She couldn’t be upset about this. It wasn’t her home anymore. No matter how many memories it held she couldn’t let herself remain sad about it.
