Amegakure.
A light rain drifted through the sky, and the air held a dampness that never seemed to lift.
A pair of enormous white wings swept across the dim sky toward the tallest spire in Amegakure.
Halfway up the spire was a platform where a man with orange hair and pale violet eyes stood waiting.
"Whoosh, whoosh..."
With a flutter of wings, Konan landed on the platform.
"A lot has happened in Konoha lately."
"Hmm...?" Pain sounded puzzled.
"Shimura Danzō tried to seize the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, sparking a fierce conflict with them."
"And the Uchiha abandoned their previous conciliatory approach and struck back hard..."
Konan went on to recount how Zhengye had begun the counterattack, ending with Shisui and Itachi's defection and their statement on the Black Market.
"The Uchiha cut off Danzo's limbs, and then Uchiha Shisui and Itachi raided the recovery ward. No one knows whether he's alive or dead."
"But the accounts of Shisui and Itachi's feats in Konoha are probably true. They're not to be underestimated."
"The Black Market has just passed along the intelligence. Should we approach them?"
Nine years ago, Danzo and Hanzo had conspired to kill Yahiko. Konan had wanted revenge ever since.
But Danzo never left Konoha, and for the sake of Yahiko's dream, they could not simply attack the village.
Seeing Danzo reduced to this state was deeply satisfying to Konan.
Akatsuki was still recruiting and growing. Naturally, Konan wanted to bring in fighters who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi don't strike me as impulsive men. This looks more like Uchiha Zhengye's scheme."
Pain gazed out at the rain, his Rinnegan betraying nothing.
"Then... we won't recruit them?" Konan thought for a moment before asking cautiously.
What they were doing set them against the Shinobi World.