The next morning, Shuo woke to an enticing aroma-not the sweetness of candy, but the charred fragrance of grilled fish, mingled with woodsmoke, drifting into the makeshift shelter.
He opened his eyes. The shelter was empty, Sai was gone, and the crackle of burning wood came from outside.
He slowly sat up. His whole body still hurt, as if he had fallen apart, but he could move a little better than yesterday. At least he could walk on his own now.
He shuffled to the entrance and looked outside. A fire had been built, and Sai crouched beside it, slowly grilling two skewered fish. Flames licked their bodies, making the charred aroma stronger.
Someone else sat beside the fire, with silver-gray hair. He used to always wear an Akatsuki cloak, but now he had changed into an ordinary jōnin vest-it was Pain. No, he should be called Nagato now.
"Awake?" Nagato looked up, his tone as flat as ever.
Shuo stared at him, looking puzzled. "Why are you still here? You didn't leave?"
"No." Nagato nodded. "There's something I wanted to ask you."
Shuo walked over and crouched beside the fire, baring his teeth in pain the moment his backside touched a stone.
Seeing this, Sai quickly handed him a cooked fish. Its skin was a little charred, but it was steaming hot.
He took it and bit off a big mouthful. Not bad. It wasn't burned all the way through, and it was edible, with a little fresh flavor beneath the char.
"Ask, then. Quit dragging it out," he said indistinctly around the fish.
Nagato looked at him, his gaze serious. "Is your light still there?"
Shuo looked down at his palm. It was bare, with nothing there, not even a faint glimmer left. "No."
"Not even a little?"