The constant rhythm of rain against the tower's metal framework had become as familiar as breathing to Pain over the years. From his position at the apex of Amegakure, he could sense every chakra signature within his domain—each villager going about their mundane lives, each patrol making their scheduled rounds, each drop of water that fell under his divine authority.
Which made the new presence all the more jarring.
Pain's ringed eyes opened slowly, the stillness he'd been maintaining for the past hour dissolving as his attention focused on the anomaly. The man known as the leader of Akatsuki sat motionless in the center of the chamber, his spiky orange hair catching what little light filtered through the tower's windows. Multiple metal piercings adorned his face—through his nose, ears, and lower lip—while the distinctive ripple pattern of the Rinnegan made his pale eyes appear almost otherworldly in the dim atmosphere.
'Someone has entered the village'
"Konan," he said quietly, not bothering to raise his voice.
Paper rustled softly as his partner materialized from the dark behind what had appeared to be scattered documents on a nearby desk. The woman who emerged had striking blue hair that fell past her shoulders in gentle waves, her pale amber eyes immediately alert as she took in Pain's posture.
A white paper flower adorned the left side of her hair, and her dark cloak with red clouds hung loosely over her slender frame. Despite her delicate appearance, there was an unmistakable aura of danger about her—like a blade wrapped in calmness.
"What is it?" she asked, moving to stand beside him at the large window overlooking their domain.
"We have a visitor." Pain's voice carried the same calm tone he used for everything, but Konan knew him well enough to detect the underlying tension "Someone with considerable skill has entered the village"
Konan's pale eyes narrowed as she extended her own sensory abilities, feeling for the disturbance Pain had detected. After a moment, she frowned, noticing the distinct chakra signature in the direction, he was looking.
"I can sense it now. Chakra's signature is... strong" She paused, analyzing what her senses were telling her "But, They're not making any effort to approach the tower directly"
"Indeed" Pain stood from his position, his movements fluid despite the numerous piercings adorning his body.
"Could it be a new member sent by Madara?"
"No" Pain moved closer to the window, his gaze seeming to pierce through the rain and distance to focus on something only he could perceive. "This is someone new. Someone who shouldn't know about our operations here."
The implications hung heavy in the air between them. Very few people were aware that the Akatsuki leadership operated from Amegakure. Those who did know were either members of the organization or had been eliminated to preserve their secrets.
"Shall I eliminate him?" Konan asked, already beginning to shift into her more combat-ready stance.
Pain was quiet for several long moments, his ringed eyes distant as he considered their options. The presence in his village moved with purpose but without urgency—not the behavior of an assassin or a scout gathering intelligence for an immediate attack. More like someone who was... curious.
"Observe for now," he finally spoke, as he glanced at her "Do not engage unless they make a move toward the tower or show hostile intent."
Konan nodded.
Pain's expression grew thoughtful "There's something about this presence... Go personally to maintain closer observation from far, until they approach towards the tower"
"Which area?"
"They're moving through the market district now. Blend in with the civilians."
Konan began to dissolve back into her paper form, but she paused halfway through the transformation.
"What if they have tracked us here?"
The question hung in the air like the ever-present moisture that defined their village. Pain considered it seriously—Konan's instincts were rarely wrong when it came to potential threats.
"Then we deal with them as we have dealt with all threats to our vision," he said simply. "But let's observe first. Perhaps our visitor is simply... exploring."
Neither of them believed that for a moment, but went according to their plans.
( Akira's POV)
The ramen was surprisingly good.
I sat in the small noodle shop, steam rising from my bowl as I watched the rain cascade past the open window. The establishment was typical of what I'd seen throughout the village—functional architecture with just enough character to avoid being completely depressing. A handful of other customers occupied nearby tables, their quiet conversations mixing with the constant sound of falling water.
After an hour of wandering through the village's outer districts, I'd decided that maintaining a low profile meant acting like a normal traveler. And normal travelers got hungry.
The elderly shop owner had barely looked up when I'd entered, simply grunting an acknowledgment before preparing my order. Now he stood behind his counter, occasionally stirring a pot of broth while keeping one eye on the street outside.
I lifted another spoonful of noodles, savoring the rich flavor while my enhanced senses monitored the area around me. The water manipulation abilities made every raindrop a potential source of information, creating a three-dimensional map of movement and activity throughout the district.
Someone was watching me.
Not the general surveillance I'd felt since entering the village—this was more sneaky and trained in their skill. I continued eating calmly, giving no indication that I'd noticed anything unusual.
The watcher was good. Their chakra signature was carefully masked, blending with the background energy of the village in a way that would fool most sensors. But the blessing of the Sea Goddess had enhanced my perception beyond normal limits, and the constant rain provided a continuous stream of sensory data.
They were positioned somewhere nearby, but I could pinpoint the exact location. Whoever it was had skills that went beyond the typical village security of Konoha, for sure.
I took another bite of ramen, considering my options. Asking about their leader would confirm that I was up to something suspicious. Confronting them directly would probably lead to exactly the kind of fight I was hoping for, but doing it in a crowded area seemed inconsiderate to the civilians. Better to continue acting like an ordinary traveler and see if they'd make the first move somewhere more appropriate, such as the main Tower.
The shop's door chime rang as someone entered, shaking rain from their cloak. I glanced up casually, noting the Hidden Rain headband and chunin-level chakra signature. Local ninja, probably on patrol.
He ordered tea and settled at a table near the window, close enough to observe me without being obvious about it. Either coincidence or orders from the stalker, given the circumstances, I was betting on the latter.
The ramen shop owner brought the tea without comment, though I caught him glancing between his new customer and me with barely concealed nervousness.
I finished my ramen at a leisurely pace, placed payment on the table, and stood to leave. The chunin made no move to follow, but I could feel his attention tracking my movements.
Outside, the rain had intensified. I pulled my hood up and began walking toward the next district, maintaining the unhurried pace of someone with nowhere particular to be. I could still sense the presence tracking my movements, staying just at the edge of my enhanced perception range.
A test, then. They wanted to see how I'd react to being followed.
I continued through the village streets, occasionally stopping to examine vendor stalls or peer into shop windows like any curious traveler might. All the while, I was mapping the area and cataloging potential fighting spots for our upcoming battle.
Twenty minutes into my walk, the chunin from the ramen shop appeared at the end of the street ahead of me. He was trying to look casual, pretending to check a scroll while positioned to block the most direct route to the village exit.
Another figure emerged from an alley to my left—this one with striking blue hair and pale amber eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light. No attempt at stealth now, just a calm approach that somehow managed to be more intimidating than any aggressive posture. The white paper flower in her hair was the only splash of color against her dark Akatsuki cloak.
I stopped walking and turned to face her, keeping my hands visible and my stance relaxed. A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I took in her ethereal appearance.
Finally. Konan herself.*
The blue-haired woman stopped about ten feet away, close enough to speak without shouting over the rain but far enough to react if I made any sudden movements. When she spoke, her voice was calm but carried an edge of authority.
"You are not from this village"
"No," I replied simply, matching her composed tone. "Just passing through. Nice place you have here and ramen is good too"
The water responded to my presence, droplets shifting slightly in their descent around me. A subtle display, but one that anyone with decent sensory abilities would notice.
Konan's amber eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she observed my reaction. "Travelers do not typically invade our village. How did you enter?"
"Well, I'm full of surprises." I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, still tasting the lingering flavor of the broth. "Speaking of which, you wouldn't happen to know if there are any strong shinobis around here? I've been looking for a decent sparring partner."
Konan went completely still. Behind me, I could sense the chunin's chakra spike with alarm.
"Sparring partner," she repeated slowly, as if she thought I was playing with her.
"Yeah, you know—someone who can actually keep up a good fight. Gets boring when fights end too quickly." I stretched my arms above my head "I don't suppose you'd be interested?"
For several seconds, the only sound was rain hitting the metal rooftops around us. Then Konan's expression shifted slightly—not quite amusement, but something close to curiosity mixed with wariness.
"How amusing. It has been some time since someone made such a request." Her head tilted slightly, those amber eyes studying me with new intensity "Tell me, traveler—do you have any idea who you are speaking to?"
"Someone who's about to give me exactly what I came here for," I said, grinning openly now, as water began to rise in the form of multiple tentacles around me.
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