So there's a four-person group called Esupuri: https://x.com/esupuri_info . They have a debut song posted. It was pointed out that the 4 seiyuus sounded like Esu, Fuyume, Raika and Kanna, which means Ibuki was missing. Then, an AKATSUKI video was posted and deleted on the Esupuri Tiktok: https://x.com/5ozogi21s6f35r2/status/1844238337680474156 What brought it to the limelight today is that it was announced that the whole "we will reveal who's behind the group" is going to be on the same day as the audition results https://x.com/esupuri_info/status/1844211252467208308

That's where the rumors come from, I believe, and they spread like wildfire. From what I remember though, there were similar concerns back when VS AUDIENCE first dropped, mainly because of a cliffhanger about Keito, AKATSUKI and Ibuki.

Throughout the story, Ibuki and Keito are paired together for the tag-team competition. We learn that Ibuki's heard of AKATSUKI "because he's from Okinawa", he can play and rearrange Hyakkaryoran/A Thousand Blossoms, the Night of Crimson Moon for guitar and shamisen. In general, they have a really good team-chemistry, Keito looks forward to performing with him during the round, Ibuki hypes him up like mad.

And then at the end of the tour, Keito says this.

⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹ KEITO: Fufu. I had something to tell the both of you too.

KURO: Lemme guess. It was when the audience was a hundred elementary school kids ♪ The look on yer face when that happened was just too…—

KEITO: No, it’s not that.

SOUMA & KURO: ……?

KEITO: It’s something that concerns the both of you too. It’s about Taki Ibuki, the person I paired up with in the Twin Rooster Pagoda…… ⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹

Back then some people thought Ibuki might join AKATSUKI, but this recent leak poured gasoline on the fire.

As for "clearing things up", we're really not going to know what the truth is with 4piece and Ibuki until audition results. If you're asking what I think about it all, I truly don't believe the conclusion of VS Audience is "AKATSUKI wants to recruit Ibuki/Ibuki wants to join AKATSUKI", but is instead "Keito wants to tell AKATSUKI about their influence in Okinawa & Ibuki in general". I mentioned the song Hyakkaryoran before -- it's kinda the backbone of the Keito/Ibuki storyline. In the epilogue, Ibuki tells Keito a really sincere lie about what the song means to him.

⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹ KEITO: Haha, lay off the joke. That’s what made it a truly fun time pairing up with you. Maybe this is what I wanted to get out of 4piece. How about you, Taki?

IBUKI: Mnn~ All I wanted was to become an idol by following Yoshihide’s… Nassan’s footsteps, but~?

A song that makes you think of Japan, nostalgic— It was unforgettable, even across the ocean. I never dreamed I’d meet the bizarre idol who belongs to the AKATSUKI that sings that song here, in this place~♪ Nyahaha, I’m the one who should be thanking you! Hasumi-san~♪

KEITO: …… Yeah.

IBUKI: (Forgive me, Hasumi-san. I told a lie~?)

(At first, my objective was to follow in Yoshihide's footsteps through these matches and competitions!! But now, what I really want is…)

(... Nyahaha, Life is fun, ‘cuz you never know what’s going to happen~ Dontcha think~♪) ⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹

While WE know it's a lie, Keito does not. Then he goes to AKATSUKI and says "I have to tell you something." THIS IS SPECULATION-- but I think after seeing Ibuki's feelings around their songs, Keito might be wanting to talk to AKATSUKI about their potential impact in Okinawa from SS Submarine: if they touched the heart from someone across the ocean, maybe they should see more about this.

At any rate, we're not gonna know until they tell us. If you asked me to put a probability on Ibuki in AKATSUKI, I’d say 0.0000000000005% : I can LOGICALLY SEE why there MIGHT be a POSSIBILITY, but my instincts just don’t… feel it. He's definitely gonna become someone REALLY IMPORTANT to Akatsuki, but it doesn't mean he'll join it, y'know?