The decision had not been made.
Even so, that night, none of the three could act as if everything were normal.
Since returning to the village, something had been pressing against the atmosphere — not like an open threat, but like the unsettling certainty that they were being observed by something that did not follow the rules of the ninja world.
Rain fell endlessly over Amegakure, but Nagato could not sleep.
His eyes opened suddenly, his heart racing for no clear reason.
— He's here — he said quietly.
Konan moved almost instantly, already on her feet. Yahiko took a second longer, but the chill running down his spine told him this was not paranoia.
— Where? — Yahiko asked.
Nagato closed his eyes for a brief moment.
— I can't explain how I know — he said, taking a slow breath. — But he didn't enter the village. He's waiting… as if he already knew we would come.
Konan walked to the window.
The shadows between the buildings seemed longer that night.
— Then this isn't a threat — she said. — And it's not another warning.
She turned toward them.
— It's an invitation.
They found him at the outskirts of the village, where rain ran freely down rusted metal structures and the sound of water drowned out any unwanted attention.
Kuro Senji was already there.
Motionless.
Hands in his pockets. His posture far too relaxed for someone standing in hostile territory. The shadows around him were quiet — not aggressive, but present, like soldiers waiting for an order that had not yet been given.
— You came — he said, without turning around.
Yahiko exchanged a quick glance with the others before stepping forward.
— We don't usually trust strangers.
— I know — Kuro replied. — That's why I didn't ask for trust.
He turned slowly.
His eyes held no expectation.No impatience.
Only patience.
— You thought about it — he continued. — That's enough.
Nagato narrowed his eyes.
— If you called us here… — he said — then prove it.
The wind passed between them, mixing with the rain.
Kuro nodded once.
— Fair.
He raised one hand.
There were no hand seals.No visible focus.
The shadow cast by a nearby building moved.
It peeled itself off the ground like liquid, taking form before them. Humanoid. Silent. It knelt before Kuro without making a single sound.
Konan felt her heart tighten.
— That's not summoning.
— No — Kuro confirmed. — And it's not ninjutsu.
Yahiko clenched his fist.
— Then what is it?
— Order — Kuro answered. — Something the shinobi world has forgotten how to use.
He made a short gesture.
The shadow lunged forward.
Too fast.
Yahiko barely managed to react before the pressure passed beside his face. The impact struck the wall behind him, tearing a crater into the metal structure.
Nagato stepped forward on instinct, chakra surging.
Before he could act, another shadow rose — not to attack, but to block. It intercepted the strike with absurd precision, dispersing it effortlessly.
Everything happened within seconds.
Kuro raised his hand again.
— Enough.
The shadows retreated immediately, sinking back into the ground as if they had never existed.
Silence followed.
Yahiko's breathing was heavy. Not from fear — but from understanding.
— If you wanted us dead… — he said — we'd already be dead.
— Yes — Kuro replied bluntly.
Konan pressed her lips together.
— Then why didn't you do it?
Kuro looked at her.
— Because you haven't decided yet.
Nagato stepped forward.
— And if we decide to walk beside you?
Kuro did not answer right away.
He studied the three of them. Not as tools. But as variables.
— Then Akatsuki will stop being a fragile ideal — he said at last. — And become a structure the world will be forced to acknowledge.
Yahiko took a deep breath.
— And you? — he asked. — What do you gain from this?
Kuro turned his gaze to the rain.
— Order — he said. — Control. — He paused. — And a future that doesn't rely on meaningless sacrifices.
None of them spoke for several seconds.
The choice was not simple.But now… it was real.
— We won't give you an answer tonight — Yahiko said finally.
Kuro nodded.
— I know.
He stepped back, shadows gathering around his feet.
— When you're ready — he added — you'll know where to find me.
And then he vanished.
This time, he did not leave behind only doubt.
He left behind possibilities.
That night, Akatsuki made no vows.
But something unseen had already been set in motion.
And the shinobi world…had no idea what was about to change.