On a deserted stretch of coast in the Land of Fire.
Konan descended from the sky with Nagato, her enormous wings beating.
A faint sheen of sweat covered her forehead. Carrying Nagato across the strait had clearly been no easy feat.
The Naraka Path had already repaired Yahiko's body.
Nagato had sealed the Deva Path and the other five Paths into a storage scroll to make them easier to transport.
"Thanks for the effort, Konan," Nagato said apologetically.
If they had been going anywhere else, Konan would not have needed to fly him there.
But across the strait, the sky was the safer route.
Konan shook her head to show she was fine. "It'll take us another two days to reach Amegakure."
"What are you planning to do?"
Nagato closed his eyes for a moment. "Once we're back in Amegakure, don't announce anything yet."
"Akatsuki has lost Twin Eyes and Twin Blades, and Kakuzu's whereabouts are unknown for now. We need time to reassess our people and decide what to do next."
Konan was about to speak when a white paper crane flew in from the distant horizon. It landed on her shoulder and unfolded into a sheet of paper.
She had left it in Amegakure for emergency contact.
If anything important happened in the Black Market or the Shinobi World, the villagers used it to reach her.
Konan picked up the paper and glanced at it. Her expression darkened.
"What is it?" Nagato opened his eyes.
"Kumogakure posted a public notice in the Black Market."
Konan's grip tightened slightly on the paper. "They've laid out everything about Akatsuki's infighting during the battle and the defections of Twin Blades and Twin Eyes."
"The notice names Akatsuki for betraying its employers under cover of a mercenary contract. It says anyone who