Kakuzu raised his hand and smacked Hidan on the back of the head.
"Smack!"
"Ouch! Kakuzu, what was that for?" Hidan yelped.
"Idiot, use your brain before you speak. Itachi is a man. He can't have children."
Hidan, rubbing his head, retorted, "But this baby looks exactly like Itachi! Just look at his smile!"
Somehow, the baby had stopped crying, perhaps calmed by the lively atmosphere, and had started smiling without even opening his eyes.
If anyone felt aggrieved, it was Uchiha Itachi. A colleague who had come to help with the birth was now suspected of being the father of the child!
It was a difficult situation to explain…
But Itachi chose not to argue.
Silence was always his way, his last stand.
Facing the stares of the other members, Itachi steadied his emotions and responded calmly, "This child is not mine. That's all I have to say."
Just as Deidara was about to mutter something else, Konan suddenly shouted:
"Enough! What are you all trying to imply?"
Konan, with her inherent pride, would not allow anyone to question her integrity, especially not her best friend Nagato.
"Are you accusing me of having an affair with Itachi? Huh?"
"Pain, do you think so too? You should know me better than anyone!"
Itachi: "?"
Pain: "Konan, that's not what I meant..."
Konan: "Let me make it clear: I haven't been involved with anyone! This child is a miracle, a gift from the heavens to Akatsuki! The heavens want us to change this twisted world, and this child… is the hope! The direct evidence!"
Konan's firm stance instantly quieted the room.
After a long silence, Pain raised his hand and motioned for everyone to leave.
Once the members had all exited, Pain sat quietly by Konan's bed, speaking softly, "Konan, I apologize. I shouldn't have doubted you..."
"You're right. This child is a gift from the heavens, affirming Akatsuki's mission. Yahiko, could it be that you pleaded in the Pure Land for this reincarnation because you couldn't bear to leave Konan and me?"
Hearing Yahiko's name brought a flash of sadness to Konan's eyes, but it quickly passed. She changed the subject, "Nagato, let's give the baby a name..."
Pain thought for a moment, "For some reason, I feel he is Yahiko reborn. Why don't we call him Yahiko?"
Konan shook her head, "Yahiko was our best friend. It would be strange to call my son by that name."
Pain nodded, "You're right. Then, how about 'Akatsuki'? Yahiko came up with that name."
"Akatsuki?" Konan smiled, "Good. From today, he is not just my son, but the son of the entire Akatsuki. I don't hope for him to become the strongest. I just want him to live peacefully in the new world we create."
Konan cradled the baby gently, her voice filled with boundless tenderness, "Isn't that right, Akatsuki? Do you like your name?"
"Wah... Wah wah..."
...
Meanwhile, outside the bedroom.
All the members, except for Itachi and Kakuzu, were crowded close to the door, trying to hear what was happening inside.
Deidara muttered, "Strange, I can't hear anything. Sasori, can you make out what the Leader and Konan are saying? Yeah?"
Sasori snapped, "Deidara, shut up! Their voices are already low. If you keep talking, we won't hear anything!"
Hidan grumbled, "Kakuzu, you bastard, I owe you a slap. I just said the baby looks like Itachi. What's wrong with that?"
Kisame leaned over to Itachi and whispered, "Itachi, if the Leader really tries to get rough, I'll back you up… It was my fault for talking too much earlier."
"It's fine..." Itachi smiled slightly and shook his head, "Kisame, don't worry about it. The Leader won't do anything to me."
Kakuzu, annoyed by the whispering, taunted Kisame, "When did you become so close to Itachi? You weren't like this when you first joined. Where's your arrogance? Your pride?"
Kisame's eyes narrowed, "Itachi is a man worthy of respect. I admire him."
Kakuzu's face darkened, "So you don't respect me?"
"Hmph..." Kisame gave no quarter, "Compared to Itachi, you still fall short."
"You're looking for a fight!" Kakuzu, unable to tolerate the insult, let his black threads fly, attacking Kisame.
Kisame was no pushover. He swung his Samehada, cutting through most of the threads.
Deidara, munching on a small pumpkin, was stunned by the sudden fight, "What's going on? Why are they fighting out of nowhere? Yeah?"
Sasori, unfazed, replied, "Deidara, this is how our organization works. You'll get used to it..."
Seeing his comrades fighting, Hidan's bloodlust surged, "Hahaha, how can you fight without me? The blood isn't thick enough. Itachi, let's have a go too!"
Itachi sighed, "I'm not interested..."
Hidan swung his scythe at Itachi, "You don't have a choice! Your arrogant face has annoyed me for too long!"
Deidara chimed in, "Can't argue with that."
Sasori nodded, "I agree."
"Clang! Boom!"
In the Akatsuki base's hall, the sounds of battle echoed loudly.
Inside the bedroom, Konan heard the commotion and looked at Pain with concern, "Every time they get together, they end up fighting. Pain, I'm fine now. You don't need to stay with me. Go manage them..."
Pain shrugged, "Let them be. They're all strong-willed. A little fighting won't hurt."
Konan sighed deeply, "I know. It's one of their flaws. I've been meaning to suggest that we abolish the two-man team system and unite all our members' strength. Facing the five great nations together wouldn't be hard. But… they're too individualistic. Cooperation is impossible."
Pain shook his head confidently, "It will happen. I have a plan… As Akatsuki grows, when he comes of age, he will unite our organization's strength."
"I'll make each member his teacher..."
"My Rinnegan will belong to him. By then... he will be the embodiment of Akatsuki's power!"
...