The two walked one after the other through an empty corridor, close enough to hear each other's footsteps.
The hallway was cold, lifeless, and oppressive.
On both sides stood pitch-black steel walls, and the only thing pushing back the darkness was the dim lighting hanging overhead.
Konan broke the silence.
"I'll give you a brief overview of how the Akatsuki was founded and how it developed."
"No problem," Gen replied.
A classic onboarding speech, he thought.
Every HR's basic duty.
Even though Gen already saw himself as the "boss"—and arguably knew the Akatsuki better than Konan, its current administrator—he didn't mind spending time alone with her.
They arrived at the middle levels of the tower.
Far above the damp ground, yet still distant from the top.
Inside the steel corridor, the soundproofing was excellent—no trace of the storm outside could be heard.
As they walked, Konan summarized the history of the Akatsuki—its founding by Yahiko, Nagato, and herself—laying out the key points clearly.
Gen nodded along.
At the same time, he quietly extended his chakra perception, scanning the internal layout.
The tower's structure resembled a square loop corridor—like the old-style apartment blocks from his previous life.
Behind each black steel door lining the inner corridor were empty rooms.
Soon, his chakra perception passed through walls and doors—
and located Konan's private quarters.
Unlike the Byakugan's visual penetration, Gen's sensory method worked differently.
He spread chakra like water across an area, letting it "flow" over surfaces and objects, reconstructing a grayscale spatial image in his mind.
If disrupted by another ninja's chakra, the perception would collapse.
Fortunately, Konan and Orochimaru had already witnessed his strength.
They had no intention—or ability—to resist something like this.
Konan's room was on the far left of the southern side.
Stairs lay further left.
To the right—empty rooms.
The layout was simple:
One bedroom, one living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a study.
At the innermost end—a small balcony.
Minimal furnishings.
He identified it easily.
All surrounding rooms were empty—no furniture at all.
"The rooms aren't locked," Konan said, glancing back at him. "I'll have someone bring your daily necessities later."
"Much appreciated, Konan."
Gen nodded, satisfied.
Konan paused, thinking for a moment, then led him to the empty room next to hers and pushed open the iron door.
She couldn't shake the feeling—
this guy was treating her like a personal assistant.
Inside, the layout mirrored her own room exactly.
Completely empty.
But clean—no dust, just slightly stale air.
"Nice," Gen said with a smile. "I like it."
He walked inside, standing in the center of the living area, mapping the space with his senses.
Not bad for a villain organization, he thought.
Join and get a free apartment—with zero rules.
If nothing changed, this would be his new home.
And he'd be neighbors with Konan for quite a while.
After familiarizing himself, Gen walked deeper into the room, reaching the balcony.
Only here could he finally hear the rain outside.
He opened the metal door.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind rushed in, carrying cold, damp air that cleared the stuffiness inside.
Gen stood at the balcony entrance, tilting his head slightly upward and taking a deep breath.
Konan stepped beside him.
Outside, a violent storm raged.
Rain and mist swallowed the village.
Steel towers loomed faintly in the distance like beasts from the end of the world.
They stood side by side.
"Is there anything you want to know?" Konan asked.
"For now, no," Gen said. "If I think of anything later, I'll ask you privately. Hope you won't mind."
Then, more seriously, he added:
"…I'm sorry. About Yahiko. His sacrifice for Amegakure… it's regrettable."
Konan froze slightly.
A flicker of sorrow passed through her amber eyes.
Her head lowered just a little.
"…Alright," she replied softly.
Gen continued, "By the way, don't the other members have places to stay in the village?"
Konan regained her composure.
"They don't need residences."
In truth, she didn't expect Gen to stay long either.
That was why she had placed him next to her—
she hadn't realized he intended to settle here for the long term.
"Tell me more about the organization's core philosophy and ultimate goal," Gen said with interest.
Konan nodded.
"At the beginning, the Akatsuki founded by Yahiko was an anti-war organization."
"It aimed to achieve peace through dialogue and cooperation—so that small nations wouldn't be crushed by the wars of great powers."
She paused briefly before continuing:
"After Yahiko's death, the organization came under Pain's leadership."
"The goal changed."
"To capture the Nine Tailed Beasts, create a supreme weapon, and use it to deter the great nations—forcing them to abandon war."
"You know what Tailed Beasts are, right?"
"Yes," Gen nodded. "They're beings of absolute destructive power."
"Whether it's Yahiko's ideal or the Tailed Beast weapon plan—both are good ideas."
Of course, he knew the truth.
The so-called Tailed Beast weapon plan was just a stepping stone—
a lie fed to Nagato by Black Zetsu and Obito to pave the way for the Eye of the Moon Plan.
If things went smoothly—
once all Nine Tailed Beasts were collected,
Nagato and Konan would likely be discarded.
Fortunately, in the original timeline, Nagato fell to Naruto's Talk no Jutsu before that could happen.
And now—
this world had gained a new variable.
Kamizuki Gen.
Seeing that Gen acknowledged both Yahiko's ideals and Pain's plan, Konan's expression softened further.
After a moment of thought, she said:
"This plan… wasn't created by the leader alone."
"Oh?" Gen feigned curiosity.
Konan turned to face him.
"After Yahiko's death, a mysterious man approached Pain and proposed cooperation."
"You don't need to know who he is for now."
"But he brought resources—and powerful new members."
"He changed the structure of the organization."
"The current ultimate goal… was decided by him and the leader together."
Gen widened his eyes slightly, pretending surprise.
"Powerful new members?"
"You mean… that 'plant man' hiding underground watching my fight with Pain?"
Konan paused.
She didn't know how to respond.
Plant man… surprisingly accurate.
"Yes," she said at last. "He's one of the members brought in by that man."
"That person is as strong as the leader."
"His presence caused internal divisions within the Akatsuki."
She went on to explain the factional splits—
the internal instability—
and the external pressures the organization faced.
Gen listened carefully.
He hadn't expected this—
Konan and Nagato were already wary of Obito.
But it didn't matter.
The Akatsuki was fragmented.
There were no truly loyal allies to stand with them if things fell apart.
Konan's cold demeanor faded.
Her tone softened, almost pleading:
"If you agree with Yahiko's ideals…"
"Then please—join the original Akatsuki."
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