The Land of Rain. The Akatsuki's cave base was perpetually damp, a charming feature of setting up shop in a country where it never stopped raining. Droplets of water clung to the cave walls like sad, glistening tears.
Shirou ran a hand over the wet stone as he stepped into the depths of the base.
"Apologies, we haven't found a more... suitable location yet," Deva Path Pain explained, following behind him like a diligent tour guide. "The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is stored further inside."
Nagato trailed behind them, his steps still a bit shaky. He insisted on walking with Konan, playing the part of a mere rank-and-file member. He was adamant that Pain, his puppet, should be the one to escort their esteemed guest as the organization's "leader."
After Shirou's treatment, Nagato was a new man. He was still thin, but no longer the horrifyingly emaciated figure that made Konan's heart ache.
A peculiar mark had appeared on his forehead, and he now looked like the red-haired teenager he'd once been. He was still getting used to walking again but savored the feeling of freedom. He could feel his chakra and life force gradually returning, just enough to support his Rinnegan.
"Nagato!" Konan cried out as he nearly stumbled, instinctively reaching out to steady him.
"Konan, let me walk," he said gently, refusing her help. "Lord Emiya said I need to get reacquainted with my legs."
"Nagato," Zetsu's form emerged from a nearby wall. "If you need, I can prepare a clone to assist you," White Zetsu offered.
"I will be able to move freely soon," Nagato flatly refused.
"What a pity," Black Zetsu's voice oozed with false regret.
"Recover as soon as possible," Shirou's voice echoed from ahead. "Once your legs are working properly, you can go on missions with your teammates, Konan and Pain."
"Yes," a genuine smile finally touched Nagato's lips. That was exactly what he wanted. He could finally stand openly beside Konan and Pain, just like they had stood by Yahiko's side.
With Shirou here, he didn't have to hide in the shadows anymore. He could just carry out Shirou's will for peace and be with his friends. Besides, Nagato never felt he was a qualified leader. Controlling Pain was just a coping mechanism, a way to pretend Yahiko was still leading them.
"Right now, Akatsuki's membership is... limited," Deva Path Pain reported, ever the conscientious leader. "There are only four teams: myself and Konan; Zetsu and the man calling himself Madara; Orochimaru and Sasori of the Red Sand; and Kakuzu and..."
He paused, turning to Konan. "Konan, what was Kakuzu's current partner's name again?"
"He doesn't have one," she replied, a deep melancholy in her voice. "The last one had a bounty of 1.5 million ryo. Kakuzu 'accidentally' killed him during a mission and turned in the body for cash."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
"That fellow Kakuzu," even White Zetsu sighed. "When will he stop treating his teammates like mission targets?"
He then looked at Konan and Nagato. "By the way, why did you two insist on recruiting that walking disaster in the first place?"
"Because Senior Kakuzu's strength is sufficient," Nagato replied, his mentality returning to that of his more earnest youth. He was surprisingly respectful of Kakuzu's status.
"Kakuzu," Shirou mused, the name a distant echo from the past.
"Senior Kakuzu has also always been very supportive of your will, Lord Emiya," Nagato added. "Did you two have dealings in the past? I heard he was active before the First Great Ninja War."
"You could say we're old acquaintances," Shirou's voice faded into the dimness of the cave.
"They should be back soon," Konan said, calculating the time.
In the deepest part of the base stood a grotesque, humanoid statue with nine eyes and skin like withered bark: the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, the husk of the Ten-Tails.
The Akatsuki members knew the plan was to collect the Tailed Beasts and revive it, but most of them thought the plan was a pipe dream. The organization's strength was laughably small compared to the armies of the great nations. For now, Akatsuki was just a convenient shelter for S-rank criminals.
For Kakuzu, it was a pretty good deal. The organization provided him with high-value commissions and a steady supply of teammates who, being great villains themselves, could be... exchanged for a tidy sum.
As for Orochimaru, he and his partner, Sasori, usually kept to themselves, one researching jutsu, the other puppets, occasionally trading insults.
But today was an exception. Konan had summoned them to welcome a new member.
"A new member?" Kakuzu couldn't have cared less, unless, of course, the new guy had a high enough bounty.
"Is this one my new teammate?" he asked Konan directly. "Can you find me one with a decent price on his head this time?"
Konan's face contorted in a pained grimace. "Your Akatsuki comrades are not for you to exchange for money!"
"But their strength is pathetic. They die carelessly. Can't let a valuable corpse go to waste,"
Kakuzu retorted, completely unfazed. "I don't consider them comrades. Just mission partners." He didn't need comrades. His last set of "comrades" in Takigakure had tried to kill him. Akatsuki's teammates were even less reliable.
"Hmph. Wasting my time," Sasori muttered, clearly uninterested.
"Perhaps it will be someone... interesting," a sly smile played on Orochimaru's lips.
He loved encountering new, interesting abilities. If the new member's abilities were interesting enough to take, even better. But even if not, he wasn't leaving. He still wanted the leader's Rinnegan, the very reason he'd sacrificed his last crystal coffin to revive Emiya Shirou in the first place.
Speaking of which, that great figure is really becoming a nuisance, Orochimaru thought.
Kabuto had sent word that Shirou was planning to leave the base, wanting to "change the world" again.
Still so naive.
The current ninja world was a cesspool of greed and betrayal. It was long past saving. He'd have to find time to slip away and persuade Shirou to give up his foolish crusade.
Konan's eyes narrowed as she looked at Orochimaru. She'd wanted to kill him when he first returned, suspecting he was a spy for Danzo. But she couldn't be sure, and Pain wasn't confident they could take him.
"Oh, it will interest you," she said, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "This time, the new member is very strong. And someone you used to know."
That piqued everyone's curiosity.
"I've wasted your time," Deva Path Pain's voice boomed from atop the statue. "Let me introduce our first new member. His name is Nagato. From now on, he will be my and Konan's partner."
A red-haired teenager walked out. Sasori was unmoved, but Kakuzu and Orochimaru couldn't hide their surprise. They'd seen this guy before, a long time ago.
How did he look like he hadn't aged a day? And he had a pair of Rinnegan!
"This brat, isn't he one of your two former companions?" Kakuzu frowned, remembering the stories.
He'd always found it strange that Pain looked so much like a younger Yahiko. And now Nagato looked just as young.
"Senior Kakuzu," Nagato bowed politely, just as he had as a boy.
"Nagato was sick," Konan explained. "His body has just recently recovered."
"Oh," Kakuzu immediately lost interest. The three brats were reunited. Not surprising.
Is this it? This is the new member?
Only Orochimaru's serpentine eyes flashed. He looked from Nagato's Rinnegan to Pain's.
Two pairs of Rinnegan...
And something else was strange. He'd seen Nagato's current state before. "This... this brat has learned the Yin Seal. He's using it to maintain his peak state. I remember Tsunade invented that jutsu. She must have been the one to heal him."
During the war, he'd seen them with Tsunade. They were Jiraiya's disciples. It made sense.
"Next," Pain's voice became serious, "an important matter regarding the future of Akatsuki. Everything about this organization comes from the will of a truly great person. Perhaps you have heard his name. And perhaps some of you have even seen him..."