Altamira

So, I finally managed to draw FeralAU!Pim. I tried to make a somewhat adequate reference, but this is what I got. I'm not tying Pim to any specific amphibian species. It's a sort of compilation. Here are a couple of interesting facts:

- He's an insectivore, so the joke about worms instead of peanuts is no longer a joke.

- Like an axolotl, he has enhanced regeneration.

- As an amphibian, he's a good swimmer, despite his clumsy appearance. He's much more graceful in the water.

Part 0. Prologue

Everything started going downhill from this point.

❈ ═══════❖═══════ ❈

Part 5. Vivisection

A storm was slowly but surely beginning to build in the world. Tsunade was firing off letters to the Kazekage, asking for assistance in the investigation. Naruto was in the hospital undergoing rehabilitation, unwilling to see anyone. Only the fox kept nagging at him. ANBU were combing the surrounding areas in search of clues…

Pain wasn’t sitting idle either. Rather, he delegated responsibility efficiently. After gathering the Akatsuki in Amegakure, he assigned everyone a task — Sasori included. For some reason, Pain decided he would be perfect for the role of a pathologist. Sasori didn’t know what was going through Pain’s mind, but he accepted it. Besides, the work actually suited him. No fuss and no eternally noisy partner…

***

The Second Incident fell on his shoulders. Repeat offender and opposition member Kime Ryoka left Amegakure at night and was found brutally torn apart in a forest strip. The key piece of evidence was her hand: clumps of already-hardened black liquid had accumulated under her fingernails. The analysis conducted by Sasori showed that the substance found in the Kajima family’s bodies and the substance under her nails were identical.

It was someone’s blood. Blood that wasn’t human. Human blood doesn’t look like congealed darkness.

The longer Sasori worked, the worse he felt. His puppet body hadn’t experienced such fatigue in a long time. To make matters worse, his head started aching again, and his Chakra Circulation System malfunctioned from prolonged contact with the substance.

❈ ═══════❖═══════ ❈

Part 4. The Zero Incident

Here is the reason for Pain’s concern.

Kojima Soma. The academy teachers had little to say about this boy. Quiet, non-confrontational. The only notable traits were excessive melancholy and restlessness. He didn’t befriend anyone and always left classes like a silent shadow. His family seemed respectable. But behind closed doors…

Soma was their disgrace. What was it like to have a son who didn’t want to be a shinobi?

The family was found dead on January 14. The father and mother lay on the kitchen table. They had been hastily opened up and filled to the brim with a black substance. Their son was buried in a small grave in the backyard. He looked almost serene and happy.

Pain could endure many things, and he often looked upon horrors without disgust — but that day, his nerves finally gave out.

❈ ═══════❖═══════ ❈

Part 3. The Verdict

The ANBU report stolen from Konoha ended up in the hands of the Akatsuki. Why? That’s still unclear. None of this is happening without reason.

Pain decided to suspend Akatsuki’s activities and called for a general assembly in Amegakure. There was a good reason for it. Not everyone was pleased with this decision.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Part 2. The Night Visitor

When it comes to work, Tsunade is extremely responsible. After receiving a letter from Jiraiya, she immediately dispatched ANBU to the crime scene. She received their report later that same evening. The puzzle in her head didn’t come together — there were too many oddities in the case. This was especially true for the youngest victims: they looked almost blissful. There were no signs of a struggle. And the procedure performed on them had clearly been done carefully — at least far more carefully than on the adults. What intrigued the Fifth Hokage even more was the composition of the black liquid found in the bodies.

The trouble was only beginning. An unknown intruder broke into the archives and stole the report. Who could bypass security so professionally and avoid being detected by the sensors? Of course — Zetsu.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°