Akuma slowly opened his eyes, the white ceiling of the hospital room coming into view. The air smelled faintly of medicine and antiseptic. As his vision cleared, the first thing he saw was Might Guy sitting beside him, his brows furrowed with worry.
The moment their eyes met, Guy's expression lit up.
"Finally! You're awake, Akuma!" he said, grinning from ear to ear.
Before Akuma could respond, a blur of green leapt forward.
"My little brother is awake!" Rock Lee cried, tears streaming down his face as he threw his arms around Akuma. "I was afraid you'd never open your eyes again!"
"L-Lee, ease up!" Guy stepped forward, placing a hand on Lee's shoulder. "He's still recovering!"
Lee immediately let go, wiping his tears with the back of his sleeve. "S-Sorry, Akuma! I was just… so relieved."
Akuma, though sore and exhausted, managed a faint smile. He didn't mind their reaction. In fact, a small part of him found comfort in it.
"…Guy-sensei, how long have I been here?" he asked, his voice rough and dry.
Guy gave a firm nod, still smiling with relief. "Six days. The med-nin said your recovery was remarkable. Most of your injuries healed in just three days… but you wouldn't wake up. They feared you had fallen into a coma. We were all worried."
Akuma went quiet, absorbing the information. He was alive. That much was certain. But a single question still burned in his mind.
"…What about Itachi?" he asked, voice dropping to a near whisper. "What happened to him?"
Guy's expression immediately darkened. The joy left his eyes as his jaw tensed.
"He escaped," he said, fists clenching. "Even after our shinobi managed to blow away half of his body… someone from the Akatsuki showed up and pulled him out. Investigators say they were caught in a genjutsu—just for a few seconds. But it was enough. It gave the Akatsuki time to retrieve him."
Akuma's eyes narrowed. His heart pounded—not from fear, but from rage.
He escaped?He had done everything—shattered Itachi's body, drained his chakra, fractured his mind. He had dug into the man's soul, pulled at the strings of his emotions… and yet they still let him get away?
The fury inside him stirred like a storm. He could feel it creeping in—the dark, violent whisper of the Satsui no Hado. It called to him, begged to be unleashed.
But Akuma exhaled slowly, eyes closing as he forced the storm back.
No. Not yet.
At least he had done damage. He'd taken one of Itachi's arms, hastened his illness, and most importantly… planted a seed in his mind. A seed of guilt. Of self-loathing. Akuma knew men like Itachi—silent, thoughtful, burdened by love. The kind of man who carried guilt like chains, blaming himself every day for sins both real and imagined.
And that guilt… would rot him from the inside.
Even if Itachi realized it was all part of a plan, it wouldn't matter. He was the type who couldn't stop the spiral. Day after day, Akuma's words would echo in his mind—feeding the fire, twisting the knife. It was only a matter of time before Itachi broke completely.
Especially… if Sasuke died.
A cold glint flickered in Akuma's eyes as the thought settled in his mind.
If Sasuke were to die…
Then Itachi would shatter.
There would be no need for a second battle. No final confrontation. Itachi would crumble under the weight of his own guilt.
A quiet, sinister satisfaction washed over Akuma—but he kept his expression blank. He simply stared at the ceiling once more.
Now… it was time to begin planning Sasuke Uchiha's death.
Might Guy and Rock Lee exchanged surprised glances as they watched the change in Akuma's expression. Just moments ago, he had been filled with anger—and now he sat in deep, unsettling thought. His face unreadable, his presence unusually quiet.
Guy leaned forward, concern flashing in his eyes.
"Akuma, are you alright?" he asked, his tone serious.
The voice snapped Akuma out of his thoughts. He blinked and looked up at Guy as if just realizing he wasn't alone.
"Oh—yes, Guy-sensei," he said quickly.
Both Guy and Lee watched him carefully, unsure of what had just passed through Akuma's mind. Guy especially was unsettled—he had seen many emotions in his years of teaching, but the silence that had just come from Akuma was heavy… and dangerous.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Might Guy straightened up.
"I should inform Lord Third that you're awake," he said. "Lee, stay here with Akuma while I go report to the Hokage."
With that, he gave a quick thumbs-up and left the room.
Once the door shut, Rock Lee scratched the back of his head, trying to lighten the mood.
"Sooo… while we wait… did you know they served miso ramen yesterday? It smelled amazing! But they didn't let me bring any here. Something about hospital policy…"
He kept rambling about random village things until something caught his eye. Lee pointed at Akuma's hand.
"Oh! That ring—who gave it to you?" he asked curiously.
Akuma glanced down at his hand, noticing the black metallic ring securely around his finger—his Absolute Dimension Lock Ring. He quickly came up with a simple explanation.
"Oh… I won it as a prize," Akuma replied casually, hiding the truth beneath a half-smile.
Lee nodded, seemingly satisfied… for a moment.
"Oh! I almost forgot—there was a girl who came by while you were unconscious," he said, rummaging through his pocket. "She asked me to give this to you when you woke up."
He handed Akuma a folded piece of paper.
Akuma took it and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the message. In simple handwriting, it read:
"If you recover, come to my house. —Hanabi Hyūga"
Akuma sighed internally.
Before he could say anything, Lee leaned in with a cheeky grin. "Does it say I love you?"
Akuma shot him a look and replied flatly, "No. It says do your homework."
Lee shook his head dramatically. "Ah, little brother… you still don't understand the heart of girls. If you'd like—I can teach you!"
Akuma stared at him, completely deadpan. The idea that Rock Lee—the guy who had never even held a girl's hand—was offering love advice… it was almost too much. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or be shocked. Clearly, Lee was just trying to show off.
But Akuma knew better.
So he said nothing, simply letting the comment pass like the wind. Instead, his attention shifted.
He could hear footsteps approaching from the hallway—measured and deliberate.
They're coming.Now begins the real interrogation.
Akuma sat up straighter, mentally preparing himself for the questioning that was about to begin.