Chapter Text
It’s somehow amusing, she thought, nobody can hold a grudge like a man with wounded pride.
Her sigh came from bracing herself against two men standing guard at the gates of Amegakure. It was raining as usual, which wouldn’t be her concern at that moment, if not for the fact that she were soaking wet. A cold was something that she wanted to avoid at all costs. Although it was no longer freezing outside, the air still smelt of passing winter.
“The most important thing in defending the village is following procedures.” The guard hissed, giving the woman facing him a side-eye over the pass she had handed him. “I expected more from a kunoichi of your reputation.”
His haughty demeanor matched the cool silver gaze he gave her. He wore his long ash-blond hair in a low ponytail, and his uniform was neat. The kunoichi knew that he was obviously playing the big shot with her.
Her sharp eyebrows were drawn down in a glare. “Are you accusing me of something?” She asked, but the man only shrugged, as if he didn't care. So, the woman breathed deeply through her helmet-shaped respirator and her eyes searched for her teammate, who had passed the ID checks before her.
The villagers valued security above all else, and the new authorities were excellent at meeting their demands. Indeed, they even came up with initiatives that strengthened the love of people, including hers. However, it wouldn't be so irritating to wait if she didn't know that the guard was keeping them there on purpose.
“The address and photo are out of date.” He flipped the file over and added, “This is a mess.”
Her face twisted. “Come on, Yosuke… I can't believe my drinking buddy is setting me up like that. Wrong hitai-ate last week and inaccurate papers today. What’s next? Are those pretty eyes going to hold me captive?” She adjusted her bamboo hat by brushing hair from the forehead. “You haven't fallen in love, have you?” She cheered jokingly.
Seeing Yosuke’s eyelid twitched with anger was pure pleasure.
“[Y/N], [Y/N]… It's hella obvious that this bastard here has no life.” The second guard snapped, coming up to them from the other end of the gate.
In comparison, the other man gave her the impression of being a laid-back homie. Beneath his uniform vest, he wore a neon green hoodie, and his auburn hair was parted to the side, revealing sharp curves shaved at the sides.
The smile quickly bladed from the [Y/N]'s face. “Oh, Otter, hey.’
“Dude, don't pitch problems, all right?” He grinned widely as he threw his arm over Yosuke’s shoulder, and since he was so much shorter than his colleague, he had to stand on tiptoe to keep his balance. He evidently wanted to interrupt that little and rather unpleasant chat. “You come off as needy.”
The kunoichi couldn’t help but snort a quiet giggle at the scene.
“Get your bags, Missy, and off the street.” Otter demanded, noticing a mocking amusement painted on her face. “You're done here.”
“Prick.” She whispered under her breath, grabbing the pass from Yosuke's hand. Without looking back, she then scurried through the passage in the gate and then winced at the insult that flew her way.
She deserved it, that's for sure. The law of streets, eye for an eye. She started with the insults. It was what destroyed the world, it was the engine that fueled the conflicts, and it was the breeding ground for hatred. It was the principle of life for life.
“That guy needs to be watched out for. He simply wants to take the pants off of you.” Her teammate's expression dulled.
He was still watching the main gate over the woman's shoulder as she approached him in search for a piece of dry pavement under the roof.
[Y/N] glanced behind and waved to Otter. “He can look, but he can't touch anything.”
Geez, that guy has no virtuous principles, she mulled over the thought.
Each war that the great countries waged on their home territory made the moral compass of the inhabitants back again and again towards the darkness. However, two years ago, the situation began to change, and she smiled at the thought that upon the arrival of the new power, the warm rays of the bright sun slowly were breaking through over Amegakure.
“If you finally learned that some people don't deserve attention, your life would be easier.” Gou said in his usual grim tone. He didn’t take his eyes off the man at the gate, who at that moment was leaning against the metal pole and with his arms crossed on his chest, studying his comrade. “Just choose your friends carefully.” He added.
The woman gave him a sheepish smile, as if she knew what he was pointing at. Whether those two guards were assholes or not, they were still her former classmates, and her nostalgic nature couldn't give up. So few of her colleagues lived to adulthood after graduating from the Ninja Academy.
And Yosuke, he had his own reasons not to like her. What she believed was saving his life during their first chūnin exam turned out to be a deliverance that he never asked for. Since then, he blamed her for failing the test. For her, it was still difficult to comprehend.
“Come on, Gou, leave it.” [Y/N] rolled her eyes and patted the man's shoulder. She felt that it was no longer necessary to stand in the rain, or listen to her older friend's arguments.
Gou wasn't usually a chatty individual, but there were times when he could talk her out with his fatherly sermons. It wasn't the first time he tried to teach her his ways. Perhaps he still considered [Y/N] to be the little kunoichi who was the last of his former genin team to overcome the fear of diving. To his disbelief, his aide was already an adult, shaped by the waters she feared then. The woman was already 25 years old, and it was her turn to lead three energetic but mischievous kids, with his niece among them.
“Hey, don't just stand there. The report won't file itself.” She grunted and hurried forward. “Lady Angel should still be in the office for an hour or so.”
Gou turned on his feet and followed his friend without hesitation. He was much taller than her, so he was able to keep up with her determined marching because of his longer legs.
Out of the corner of her eye, [Y/N] glanced at him. He might have been considered handsome if not for the grim expression on his face that matched the scars on his cheek perfectly. He had dark, cropped hair and thick stubble that made him look more like a thug than a shinobi. Furthermore, he rarely smiled, especially not at people he didn't know. The woman never asked him about his age, but she could tell that he was approaching his forties. It was rare to find shinobi his age in Amegakure. Retired ninjas were all the less common. Well, Gou was good at his job.
[Y/N] knew the Ame-nin for most of her life, both as her team's teacher in the past and then as her partner on higher-ranking missions. With sincerity, she could say that he partially filled the gap left in her heart by her big brother. Although, it was no coincidence that she came through together for the past two years. Lady Konan has ensured that the shinobi work in teams they can trust.
The Rain Village changed a lot since the Civil War, but some difficult memories still seem rooted deep inside its citizens. On the thought, the kunoichi strained her eyes at the people they passed in an attempt to avoid unwanted memories. It was not in her plans for that day to contemplate the bloody events of the slaughter of the former ruler's henchmen. But… Could it really be Pain's will that shift the world around you all? She clenched her fists and quickened pace. [Y/N] didn't have all the answers yet. But for her, Amegakure was a prime example of the power of change. Her city wasn't built on empty foundations. No. The Village Hidden in the Rain was founded on the dreams of people who gave their lives so that them all wouldn't have to fight for survival. It was now [Y/N]'s turn to cherish peace.
Her partner cleared his throat, and she was able to get out of her thoughts. Just then, it stopped raining.
They were standing on the balcony of the village main office. Gou touched the magnetic lock with his pass. A soft click rang out in front of them, inviting inside.
It wasn’t the first time she came there. Since the power coup, she had been directly reporting to Lady Konan. During the first year, Konan visited [Y/N] and her pupils personally from time to time to assess the progress of the new generation of shinobi, but also to demonstrate her commitment to the development of the village. Even though she and Lord Pain had duties to Akatsuki, they took care of the proper functioning of Amegakure. It was only occasionally that [Y/N] had the impression that they welcomed her more willingly when she came to them alone. Yet, it didn't surprise her. After all, they knew their former comrade's sister since she was a child.
[Y/N]'s older brother used to take her to the Akatsuki headquarters from time to time, so she eventually met Konan and Nagato. During dinner with him and other shinobi, she was enjoying the stories about missions and dreams about rainless Amegakure. Their ideas captured her childish mind, and the desire to become a kunoichi grew in her with subsequent visits. There was something magical about the idea of a world without wars, a world in which people dealt with suffering together, and a world where their children could just be children. At that point, her child-self decided that she didn't want to end her life with wasted potential. And then, as an adult, the woman still longed to feel the warmth of the sun every day, just like her brother wanted her to.
Gou entered the building first after pushing open the steel door. Once inside, [Y/N] removed her hat and, shaking off the excess water, followed the man. Then, she stopped outside the study entrance to leave the wet coat behind and take off the mask. The warmth of the air felt good to her cold body, and she was dreaming of changing into something dry as soon as possible. Unfortunately, new clothes were a convenience that she hadn't earned yet. For a time being, she had to accept the strong rush of blood caused by the sudden change in temperature.
While the woman was cleaning up, Gou headed to the door at the end of the long corridor and knocked politely.
“Impatient much.” His friend snapped, then ran over to him so that she could follow the man inside before he would unfazed shut the door behind him.
The unexpected semi-darkness of the room disturbed their visual perception.
“Gou, [Y/N].” Pain greeted them. “You have a half-day delay.”
The Deva Path was not something they were supposed to see there. Some residents wondered if their god and savior really existed because Pain didn’t show himself to others often.
But that time, the leader of the Akatsuki was right before them, sitting behind a desk in the middle of the room and looking into some piece of paper in his hand. The blank face was the same as always.
So, his appearance explained the sudden absence of rain.
“It's good to see you.” Konan announced, walking slowly to the desk and stopping aside the Deva Path. “I believe that the issues you encountered weren’t demanding.”
She had a pale smile, but it was filled with warmth. If anyone weren’t familiar with her, they would think she wasn't happy to see you. But in fact, it was the opposite. That small gesture on her part said more than words. Her smile was a relief that her followers were okay. It signified a sincere concern for the city and its inhabitants.
[Y/N] responded with the same gesture, while Gou pulled a scroll from the pouch hanging on his hip and handed the message from the Land of Rice to Pain. Gou then began reporting on the pursuit that followed them both the day before as they crossed the border of the Land of Fire.
Once more, [Y/N] tried to adjust her eyes to the minimal amount of light that surrounded the room. The Ame-nin gave Gou a free hand because she knew he could provide more information than her. Moreover, it wasn't the end of the duties. She sighed resignedly. They were still required to write a description of the mission, in which the ninjas needed to present the entire course of events as detailed as possible. The night was approaching rapidly, she noticed when looking out the window behind Pain.
To restrain the sigh of tiredness and, at the same time, to relieve her body from the rush of heat, she simply brushed unruly wet strands of hair from her neck. Her muscles refused to let go of those past stressful days, so she gently rubbed her palm over the damp skin.
Then, as the woman felt the presence of extra chakra in the area, her eyes immediately moved to the left side of the room. The energy was negligible, but she managed to capture it.
[Y/N] paused for a moment, and her arm felt to her side. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw red flashing towards her and Gou.
Sharingan, she was surprised, huh?
The look was something the woman knew, even though she encountered it only a few times in her life. Although she was well aware that the piece belonged to a man who was working with Akatsuki for years.
At that moment, he was sitting in a wide leather armchair by the tea table, leaning forward, resting elbows on his knees. He watched the people in the room closely from behind his orange mask.
And then he saw [Y/N] studying him.
The Ame-nin shivered uneasily when she noticed that he wasn’t wearing the typical overcoat of the organization, which made her even more suspicious. Who was he? [Y/N] never exchanged a word with the man, but his piercing gaze made her want nothing to do with him. An unpleasant feeling of hostility evoking inside her at that instant was inevitable.
She wondered what purpose did he come for. Usually, Lady Konan and Lord Pain were the only Akatsuki members to enjoy Amegakure's hospitality. Soon after, a rather disturbing grimace appeared on her face. Why did they allow an outsider to listen to the village's secret affairs?
Right then she answered him with the same, if not a more sharp, look than his own. Yet, to the surprise of [Y/N], the man looked away first, obviously bored with her attempt to start a fight over antipathetic stares.
It was only then that she realized that the conversation was heading her way.
“The Daimyō of the Land of Rice received the letter directly from [Y/N]. He's protected by numerous shinobi, but he doesn't seem to be their leader. Um, more like an ally.” Gou crossed his arms over his chest and pondered for a minute. “Pain-sama… I believe there is no indication that the Daimyō knows of Hanzō's death.”
“Doesn't hurt to assume the worst.” Konan expressed her distress while leaning her back against the frame of a large window.
Lord Pain put aside the papers he had been reviewing to deal with the scroll Gou had given him. “Yes, we can't rule out deception or hostile motives. There are no substantive arguments in their request for economic relations to be expanded.” The orange-haired man looked up at [Y/N] and Gou. The old Yahiko's face, stoic and unfeeling, only known indifference for years. “Where did your reasoning come from?”
Gou took a small step forward, showing that he was ready to speak. “Even when those shinobi were jamming their chakra, we were able to determine the position with [Y/N]'s tracking seal. Our observation area was narrowed down to a radius of 300 m.” Jōnin stated firmly, trying to succinctly convey the important facts of your mission. “Then, we could determine the location of two hideouts that Orochimaru might have been occupying.”
“I admit, he's far more shrewd than I feared.” Pain replied, placing the scroll back on the table. “He may already know that we've been running Amegakure for a long time, hence, the absurd letters.”
“So the proposal can be a provocation to gauge your reaction.” Gou scratched his dark beard and looked at his friend, giving her a sign to take the lead. “We've come to the same conclusions, to be honest.”
They were both aware that as a former member of Akatsuki, Orochimaru was seen as a powerful enemy of the organization and thus also of your country.
The kunoichi nodded to her comrade, then looked back at Lord Pain and said, “Well, I was able to seal chakra from shinobi that was protecting The Daimyō.” After reaching behind her back, she pulled out a small pack of white cards with various seals from the pocket of her cargo pants.
She shuddered unintentionally. The crimson eye again turned towards her, causing unwelcome nervousness. In a subtle way, the energy surrounding the man changed, and she wondered if he finally became interested in the matter.
“My jutsu usually ends when the water is expelled from a body or when it is completely blended, but I had enough time to find out a few facts.” She carefully shuffled the cards and selected two from the pile, which she then held in her hand in front of her. “Unsealing Jutsu! Water Clones!”
Two identical copies of the woman, which she had kept on slips of paper since the mission in the Land of Rice, appeared before the desk.
“So, by studying my opponent's energy, I understood that he had two different chakra signatures.” After explaining her discovery, she put the rest of the cards back into the pocket and took off the gloves from both hands. She then closed her eyes and focused on controlling her chakra, letting it slowly flow through the fingertips. “That shinobi was trying to defend himself with the last of his strength when the second chakra appeared. Then, I believe he passed out from pain.”
“Did he recognize you?” Konan asked, tearing herself away from the window and came forward to watch your actions closely.
“No, Lady Angel, we were hiding in the drizzle.” Gou calmed her down when his partner approached her clones.
“Please, take off your jackets.”
Both obeyed the woman's request and revealed the outline of their silhouettes. They wore a long-sleeved black mesh tops, just like she did. The garment had a long V-shaped cut on the back and revealed seals imprinted underneath the shoulder blades.
At that time, [Y/N] stepped between her copies and gently placed her hands on the dark engravings. “Lord Pain, please decide if we're right or wrong.” To create a thin channel for the strange chakra to flow out of the water clones, she closed her eyes again and focused on finding a loophole in the paint code. “Unsealing Jutsu: Water Dispersion.” She thought of forming a foreign energy behind the seals into thin threads. Then, after she clenched her hands into fists, she abruptly tugged at the shiny strings, bringing her hands down to the floor.
As she opened your eyes, the black seals' marks moved, making the number of painting elements odd.
The office fell silent. But, despite the sudden heavy atmosphere in the room, [Y/N] immediately realized that her idea was worth the struggle the moment she felt one of the clones starting to emanate the energy she knew. Lady Konan's nervous expression, Lord Pain's focus on one of your clones, and the way the masked man moved in his chair, told her that they also recognized the new chakra.
“Interesting. A sensor type.” She heard a deep voice behind her and instantly turned to where it came from. The raven-haired man spoke for the first time in her presence. Then he rested his head on his hand and went on, still leaning towards the center of the room. “Plus, you replenish your clones' chakra supply with stolen chakra. How did you work that out?”
The woman, as if absolutely unfazed, took her time to close the seals again, and afterward declared with a bored tone, “Quite simply, water is a great medium.” She recalled her clones to the white card, and slowly arched her brows, facing the man in the orange mask. ”I thought it’s basic knowledge.”
“It's not what I'm asking about.” In his dull tone, he only reprimanded her, then lifted his torso and leaned against the back of the chair.
Buffoon, crossed [Y/N]'s mind as from anticipation, her expression plainly changed to annoyance. She could tell that he simply wanted to know more about the jutsu she used, about her seals. That's why she wasn't going to give in. “Well, I answer only to Lord Pain and Lady Angel.” The woman snorted suddenly.
The stranger said nothing more. For what seemed like an eternity but was actually only a few seconds, he stared into her flustered eyes that showed both victory and suspiciousness.
“[Y/N] is tired after the mission, so please excuse her.” The Deva Path said unsatisfied with his subordinate behavior towards the guest.
She trembled, how disappointing. If Nagato needed to make her insignificant among others, he must have greatly valued the Sharingan wielder. The masked man was an intruder, not raised in Amegakure, unlike the rest of the shinobi in the office. If she were to decide, he wouldn't be involved in village matters.
Gou cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him, and finally, his comrade was able to snap out of distress.
She decided to ignore the ninja in the mask and went about what she originally came there for. “The person who held that chakra went to one of the hideouts with the message we passed on. That's why we think Orochimaru was there two days ago.” [Y/N] rubbed her temples to focus for a moment, as she wanted to make sure she didn't get too carried away by the events of the last week. “Senjutsu chakra… I'm not sure, but the black stigma looked like juinjutsu technique in its essence.” She added, remembering the strange code compressed into the black marking.
“Orochimaru's Cursed Seal.” Again, she heard a deep voice behind her. “Which means that most of his henchmen have those now.”
“So, we can assume he’s still forming a military force of some sort.” Gou stated, facing the unknown man, then turned to The Deva Path once more. “Considering the reports on Otogakure's actions… Pain-sama, is it possible that the proposal may be connected with financing Orochimaru's research?”
The report was thoroughly listened to by the leaders, without unnecessary interruptions. During the next quarter of an hour, they agreed that [Y/N] and Gou would leave again to Otogakure in two days. No further discussion on enigmatic marks was demanded, instead Pain aimed to the topic of protecting the secret of Hanzō the Salamander among the countries neighboring the Rain. Although the matter of the neck marks was exciting to [Y/N], she decided not to force herself into the case. Even though she weren't as good at fūinjutsu as her ancestors, she still was eager to know more about the techniques that her mother's family passed down from generation to generation. Besides, very little was known about juinjutsu in Amegakure. Anyway, leaving the matter in the hands of Pain and Konan was the best choice if it was suspected that the Village Hidden in Sound intended to threaten their home. Rain's new leaders had many chances to show her that peace in your country was their priority.
After completing their duties and receiving a modest A-rank pay, Lord Pain dismissed both of them. Then, they left the office and began collecting soaked clothes from the hanger. [Y/N] heard the Akatsuki members spoke a few sentences from behind the door, but she couldn't make sense out of the mixture of random words.
“You can come over for dinner tomorrow. Bring Mr. Kubo with you.” Gou insisted, smiling warmly.
“I want dumplings. And mark my words, Captain; otherwise, I won't come.” She stuck out her tongue playfully.
He chuckled and shook his head. ”Not a chance in the world. I'll see you tomorrow at four.”
The woman's lips curved in a genuine smile as she followed the man step by step.
Immediately after they were outside again, Gou jumped onto the balustrade of the wide balcony. The man crouched down and held the railing with both hands for balance, then turned his head in his friend's direction. “All right, don't hang around too late.” He demanded, and before she could protest, he was jumping down to the lower level of the building.
“Tomorrow, old man!”
The jōnin landed on a terrace that was connected to a metal bridge that crossed the main street. The construction linked the building she was in with the skyscraper opposite.
She watched Gou slip through the crowd towards the industrial district, and scowled. Regardless of whether he doubted her intentions, she decided to go to her house straightaway. A hot bath was what she wanted the most.
So, [Y/N] spun on her heel and headed right to the small elevator around the corner.
*
“Madara.” Pain raised his eyebrows and moved his hands away from the desk top, giving Konan more space to sort the papers with her jutsu. “Were you able to find what you wanted?”
“Your subordinates were at least helpful in one thing.” Obito answered with a slight irony in his tone. He was almost certain that the Amegakure shinobi wouldn't provide him with any new intel that he wasn't able to gather before. “Orochimaru has cleverly hid. Even Zetsu had difficulty confirming the locations of his hideouts. Looks like we need to add two more to the list.” He sincerely admitted, rising from the chair and heading closer to the center of the room. “I wouldn't be surprised if Orochimaru often changed his position to deceive people. Even so, it’s possible to assume that the area they have identified is, indeed, his new headquarters.”
“So, what should we do now?” Pain asked.
“Nothing. At least for some time.”
The recent news calmed Obito down as the one unknown about the snake has been eliminated. Although, what bothered Obito at the time wasn’t Orochimaru. Uchiha knew that the missing-nin possessed extensive knowledge of many forbidden techniques. Yet, the fact that a common jōnin from a less significant village picked up the trail of such jutsu didn’t escape Obito's attention.
However, when the man saw the expectant looks of Pain and Konan, he decided to continue on the subject. “Orochimaru has put off getting your Rinnegan or Sharingan from Itachi. At least for as long as Itachi's younger brother is still under his wing.”
“What about the spy that Sasori sent to Orochimaru?” Konan frowned suspiciously. “Apparently, he didn't give us all the hiding places.”
“Perhaps Sasori doesn't want to reveal everything.” Pain informed her.
“Either way, we need to diversify our sources.” Obito proposed, mentally re-examining the Ame-ninjas account of the mission in the Sound Village. “[Y/N], right?”
“[Y/N] [Y/L/N], born and raised in Amegakure, tracker-nin.” The announcement was made by Konan. She wanted to satisfy Madara's curiosity immediately. The feeling that the man was unpredictable still haunted her.
“Assign her the following missions involving Otogakure, Konan. She seems to have an eye for the type of jutsu that Orochimaru is experimenting with.”
“I consider it to be connected to her clan's hidden jutsu.” Pain joined in.
“Is that so?” The surprise that appeared under Obito's mask wasn't conveyed by his tone at all.
To avoid accidentally provoking unwanted subconscious reactions, Uchiha closed his eyes and tried to give the right track to his thoughts. According to what he discovered already, most secrets of juinjutsu had long been buried under the rubble of Uzushiogakure. But could he be wrong?
“If my memory serves me right… In the past, Ayumu [Y/L/N], her brother, also showed an interest in juinjutsu.” The Deva Path continued, deducing from Madara's silence that that was what the shinobi legend demanded of him.
At once, the thought of the former squad of Akatsuki made Konan raise the corners of her mouth. Warm memories of her young adulthood came to mind, so different from the ones she makes these days.
“Unfortunately, Ayumu had no talent or patience for it. The same goes for fūinjutsu… And he was not a sensor, either.” Konan shrugged and smiled, all at the same time. “Of course, it's a bit of an exaggeration.”
“Not at all, one of the things he liked was showing off. Ayumu claimed that their maternal grandparents moved from the Land of Vortexes. It was likely a split within the clan.” As if on cue, Pain brought up the topic Obito was most interested in.
“Any connections with the Uzumaki?”
“I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think so.” Pain considered that possibility for a while. “We may be sharing a distant kinship, though.”
A smirk appeared under Obito's mask. We'll leave this doomed world, he thought, and I will ensure that.