Red Clouds: A Naruto Story

Induction

     "Is that...is that a baby?"

     "Yes," Pain sighed. "Yes, this is a baby." Pain hefted the child, rolling his eyes. 

      There was a bang as Deidara kicked open the door. "Hey, what's all this noise?! I'm trying to slee-...is that a baby?" 

     "Yes, Deidara, this is a baby. Sasori, would you please gather our other members?" 

     "Understood." Sasori proceeded to slink off into one of the various hallways connected to the main chamber of their Akatsuki hideout.

     "So...uh...Pain? Why do you have a baby?" Deidara inquired. 

    "I-" Pain sighed again, facepalming. "Just...just shut up Deidara. Wait until everyone gets here." Deidara made a face and crossed his arms, plopping down grumpily into one of the chairs scattered around the chamber. Pain walked over to the large circular table in the middle of the room, placing baby Naruto in the middle. Pain placed a blanket over the sleeping baby, staring it down. 'Why...why would Madara give the Akatsuki a baby? Since when did Madara grow a conscience? And why give him to us of all people? Damn you Madara, what's your game here?' Pain thought quietly to himself.

     "We're here. Why have you assembled us?" Pain looked up from the child to see the rest of the Akastuki standing in front of him (save for Deidara who was still sulking). 

     "All of you. This is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. And from now on, he is our responsibility. Are we clear?" Pain announced. He looked over his fellow Akatsuki members: Kisame was licking his lips (no Kisame), Sasori was fiddling with a puppet finger, Deidara had joined the rest of the group and was staring quizzically at the baby, Konan was half smiling(...?), Tobi was scratching his head, Kakuzu was just standing there, Zetsu cocked his head, Itachi was blankly staring at Naruto, and Hidan was grinning his weird, psycho grin. "Naruto is the son of Kushina Uzumaki and the Fourth Hokage, Minato. He is now the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, as I have killed his parents who sealed the Nine-Tails within him with their dying breaths. We will mold him into a fine shinobi, and a useful subordinate of the Akatsuki."

     "So...the Fourth Hokage is dead and you stole his child." Itachi transfixed his piercing eyes on Pain. Pain's cold, rinnegan eyes stared back. "What were you doing in the Leaf in the first place, Pain?"

    "That is none of your business, Itachi. The point is now, we possess a potentially incredible asset to the Akatsuki. As you all know, our goal is to capture and extract the tailed beasts. However, eight, without Naruto's nine, should be sufficient enough. Utilizing Naruto as an asset rather than a power source will be much more beneficial in the long run. So, we will raise Naruto as a child of the Akatsuki. None of you are good people. We are murderers, thieves, cult leaders, terrorists. But for the sake of the Akatsuki, we will raise Naruto. That means no eating, Kisame. No sacrifices, Hidan. No baby jinchuriki puppets, Sasori. We will all share the responsibility of Naruto. If any of you try to use him for your own gain, I will personally drop a planet on you. Is that understood? We will train him in weaponry, sabatoge, ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, and the way of the Akatsuki. Naruto is now, officially, the child of the Akatsuki."

     And at that moment, Naruto opened his eyes...and began crying. "God-fucking-dammit." Kakuzu swore. Deidara and Hidan just started laughing hysterically, as Pain sighed and facepalmed. Again. As if it were pure instinct, Itachi immediately swept up the crying child and began rocking it. He smiled sweetly at it, slowly quelling its cries. The baby began laughing, playing and softly pulling at Itachi's long hair. 

    "Itachi, I didn't know you had such a soft spot..." Konan teased, causing Itachi to look up and blush slightly.

     "Wait! Itachi! Using Mangekyo is cheating, you fuck!" Hidan cried out, causing everyone else to start laughing along with Naruto. 'Hmm. Maybe this will be ok...' Pain thought, smiling to himself.