Akatsuki [Modern]x Reader : SECRET | 秘密

CHAPTER I: The Encounter

Section 18 of the Konohagakure Institute Student Handbook:

"No secret societies or underground clubs are permitted within Konohagakure Institute. Any student found participating in such organizations will face disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion." The Student Council is responsible for enforcing this rule without exception.

And yet, The Akatsuki exists anyway.

Officially, they do not exist. No records, no club registration, no faculty advisor. Unofficially? They control the school's underground social structure—wielding influence, bending rules, and navigating the system like legends.

No one dares speak of them.

No one questions their authority.

For years, the Akatsuki have operated under the radar, keeping their club's true nature a closely guarded secret. Until Y/N accidentally finds out.

It started by accident—a wrong turn after their evening shift at the library, a hallway you weren't supposed to be in. As a student assistant at the institute's library, working late never posed a problem to you, until tonight.

At first, you thought you were alone—the school empty except for a few lingering lights. At the furthermost shelves at the library, deep in the archives where books were collectong dust, you were stocking and new books and rearranging shelves. You felt a book that was stuck. Tugging at the book forcefully, it opened a section of the library that was unbeknownst to you. "Could it be a hidden door?" you thought.

Curious, Y/N edged toward the sound, where low voices echoed from within. Carefully, you peered through the crack of the doorway—and froze.

Inside, seven figures stood gathered.

Pain sat at the head of the table, arms crossed. Across from him, Itachi was flipping through papers, calmly analyzing whatever classified information lay before him. Konan remained near the doorway, scanning the room like she expected an interruption at any moment. Tobi chuckled over some inside joke—while Deidara rolled his eyes, mid-argument with Hidan about something ridiculously dramatic.

They weren't normal students. They were the rumored Akatsuki. The organization that wasn't supposed to exist. Y/N swallowed hard. Now, you had just uncovered the biggest secret in the school. And now, every instinct in your body told you, you had to get out. Immediately. Except as soon as you turned to leave—

"You planning to run?" The voice sent a chill down your spine. You whirled around—only to find Itachi standing behind you, unreadable, his red eyes sharp.

You took a slow step back. "I-I... U-uhm,—" you started, fumbling for an excuse, a lie, anything— Then Konan steps forward, making a final assessment—"Quick or clean?" she asks. "Clean? Quick?, A-are they planning to get rid of me?!" You thought as your pulse spike. Sasori tilts his head, ever meticulous. "Clean takes time. Quick leaves a mess." Pain exhales, already preparing the verdict, but before he can give the final order— "That's inefficient." Itachi speaks. Pain looks at him, silent. Itachi folds his arms. "If she disappears, we lose control. At the very least, if she stays we monitor the risk." Pain contemplates over Itachi's suggestion. While you stood still, waiting perhaps at your inevitable punishment.

Then Deidara decides to break the silence. "Come to think of it, who even is she?" He gestures toward Y/N, unimpressed. " I-I'm-"As you were about to introduce yourself, Hidan interrupts you. "Tch. Her name is F/N L/N, she used to sit in front of me in my Advanced History class and as annoying as the syllabus is, she always scores on top of the class." He exhales sharply. Deidara snickers. "Ohhh. So she's one of those quiet top-scoring types." Hidan shoots him a sharp look, eyes narrowing. "She's not like those stuck-up Council idiots." Too quickly defensive. Too specific.