It was late at night at Kurenai's home.
Konan sat by the window, paper and pen spread across her lap. Moonlight streamed through the window and fell on her long blue hair.
Kurenai leaned beside her in a yukata, holding a cup of warmed sake and taking small sips.
"The Shinobi World really is full of hidden talents."
Kurenai's voice was languid, her cheeks faintly flushed from the alcohol.
"Who would have thought Obito Uchiha was behind your Akatsuki, Madara Uchiha was behind Obito, Black Zetsu was behind Madara, Kaguya was behind Black Zetsu, and then an Isshiki would turn up behind Kaguya..."
She counted them off on her fingers, then gave up at the fifth, lowered her hand, and sighed.
"An endless set of nesting dolls."
Konan's pen paused, and her lips curved slightly.
"When we first founded the Akatsuki, we only wanted to bring peace to Amegakure. Yahiko said we had to help everyone understand one another and stop hurting each other."
She lowered her head and continued writing.
"Then Yahiko died, Nagato changed, and I changed along with him. We all forgot what we'd started out for."
Kurenai said nothing. She simply set down her cup and listened quietly.
"Genya said, wasn't peace the Akatsuki's original goal?"
Konan's voice was soft, as though she were talking to herself.
"I actually didn't know how to answer. Because he was right. We'd traveled so far that we'd long since forgotten where we began."
The handwriting on the paper was neat and elegant. It was a letter to Pain, explaining the situation in Konoha: Isshiki, Kaguya, and the Ōtsutsuki.
At the end of the letter, she wrote:
"Nagato, do you still remember Yahiko's dream? If you do, bring the Akatsuki here. We need you, and so does the Shinobi World."