Akatsuki Hiden: Evil Flowers in Full Bloom, written by Shin Towada, is the sixth and final novel in the Naruto Hiden series, released in Japan on July 3, 2015. It is set around the same time as Gaara Hiden. During his journey, Sasuke meets a boy. The boy said that his family was killed by the Akatsuki…
Translations are to date hard to come across, but a partial one can be found here.
Additional information can be found at the novel's Naruto Wiki article here.
Tropes present in the novel include:
- Continuity Nod:
- The novel's prologue has Sasuke Wandering the Earth with the intent of atoning for his crimes. When the child mentions his parents having been killed by the Akatsuki, Sasuke remembers having previously worn the cloak, and doesn't feel good about it. He also reminisces over his time in Team 7, and Sakura's love for him.
- In Konan's chapter, it's stated that Yahiko had warned Konan before his death to be wary of Obito. Meanwhile, Obito thinks that as long as Nagato lives, Konan will stay loyal to him. This echoes her eventual betrayal of him after Nagato's death.
- A Day in the Limelight: For the Akatsuki, but especially the less-developed ones, like Hidan, Kakuzu, and Konan.
- Dead All Along: Unbeknownst to Kanyu, Masho had died many years ago, having been murdered by Gosho so the village can move on to create other styles of pottery.
- False Utopia: Shangri-la. Everyone acts cheerful to another, but they never actually know each other, having used a transformation technique to hide their identities because all of them are top-ranked bounties.
- Foregone Conclusion: The Akatsuki members will survive the book's events.
- In Medias Res: The novel opens with Sasuke wandering after the final battle, before segueing into the Akatsuki's exploits in the past.
- Interquel: While most of the story's events are flashbacks to the Akatsuki's exploits before being defeated by the main protagonists, Sasuke's part evidently takes place after the final battle.
- Late-Arrival Spoiler: The last chapter (apart from the epilogue) includes a short conversation between Tobi and Zetsu, wherein Zetsu refers to Tobi as Obito, his true identity, as opposed to the alias Madara.
- Malaproper: When Komitsu sees the sunset, he calls it "akatsuki". Omitsu corrects him and says that it actually means dawn.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: As it turns out, Wood Release isn’t the only Nature Transformation Bloodline to be comprised of Water Release and Earth Release. In Kakuzu and Hidan’s section, it’s revealed that said elements also make up the Mud Release Bloodline. But due to Wood Release being more well known, few have even know of its existence, with Hidan believing its existence to be a lie.
- Pet the Dog:
- Itachi spares Kiiro because he reminds him of Sasuke.
- In a twisted way, Hidan lets Ameyuki kill all inhabitants of Shangri-la to avenge their mistreatment of him before killing him. He later brands him a martyr of Jashin.
- Before bombing the Ceramic Village to oblivion, Deidara and Sasori tell Kanyu to escape so the art of Hanasaki wouldn't be lost with her.
- The Reveal: In the epilogue, Omitsu and Komitsu are revealed to be the younger brothers of Kodaka and Kiiro, the bee brothers from Chapter 1. Kiiro, incidentally, is still alive and married to Kanyu, the ceramic girl from Chapter 3. And, though you can spot this from a mile away, they are currently residing in the Valley of Lies, the place that Hidan, Kakuzu, and Konan visited in Chapter 2 and 4. Kiiro came because the bees are attracted to the white flowers, while Kanyu came because the muddy terrain (caused by the landslide that Ameyuki created) is perfect for pottery.
- Villain Episode: The novel focuses on the Akatsuki, the antagonists of Part II.
- Whole Episode Flashback: Nearly the entire novel is one to the Akatsuki's crimes.
