In hindsight, she should have been suspicious about the uneasy quiet that day. Konan cursed her insistence on going alone for patrol.

As soon as Hanzo's men had cuffed her, she'd felt all chakra drain at once. She swore she felt her limbs shrivelling. Crumpled paper fell from her arms and legs, that she'd been maintaining with small amounts of chakra. The drizzling rain soaked them before they even hit the ground.

She was blindfolded, and when Hanzo himself tore off her blindfold, Konan realized she probably wasn't in the city anymore.

"You brats have worked against the better of me and the better of the village long enough. I tolerated you at first, but you go too far. You're a threat to the peace you claim to uphold." Hanzo's glare was evident, and a man standing behind him chuckled. Konan glanced around the room, fear spiking when she realized that Hanzo and Ame nin weren't the only ones present.

"You can't escape. This entire place is surrounded by Anbu." Anbu? She was totally fucked. The man behind Hanzo leered, and several masked nin were at his side. They seemed inhuman as they seemed to study Konan. Two of them were especially short as well, children maybe?

She knew Hanzo hadn't sent children to war. Not even Hanzo would go that far. But she'd seen some genin who were only 6 years old, the age many other countries enrolled their children. Amegakure had no major clans, and its industry was mostly independent and self policing. The steel companies had long since collapsed, leaving the network of spindly towers she and so many had called home as a monument to the past.

Konan was brought back to the present as Hanzo cupped her chin with a gloved hand. The sour smell she knew was his toxic breath invaded her nose. She could hear his wheezing through the rebreather.

"What a shame too. You have such unique skills. A technique that could have given our village an edge above the others. But instead you will die an outcast, with no one to carry on your path." His voice was full of bitter amusement as he shoved her to the floor.

"I could have given you a teaching position at the Academy. You could have given us an edge in this war, perhaps even ended it. But your selfish Akatsuki thinks nothing of such things. Your crusade is meaningless when faced with the greater scheme of this world."

She was silent. Yahiko would find her, and Nagato too. They wouldn't leave her. She strained against the cuffs, anxiety rippling through her as she realized how helpless she was. She was pulled off the floor and blindfolded again.

"Sorry. It's easier if you can't see anything, so you won't find an escape. You're currently being guarded too you know."

The voice of her current supervision sounded even younger than her. Konan said nothing, her mind racing with all of the information gained from the meeting with Hanzo. He hadn't even told her what he would do with her.

But that man, and the Konoha Anbu. That man had to be from Konoha. She knew Konoha nin weren't all that fond of them, and that Amegakure wasn't fond of Konoha either. So it made no sense-

Konan felt someone moving her after she'd lost track of the hours. She went along with it.

"We're going to jump soon." The same voice from before sounded. "Don't try to wiggle out, or I will drop you."

"I won't." She breathed. Just where were they?

There were rocks under her sandals, and she could feel the rain when they hit the outside. It soaked the outer layer of her cloak, but she wasn't unused to the feeling.

There were others around them, and she heard Hanzo's voice distantly. Then, they stopped.

"Hand her to me." Hanzo's voice was right beside her. The blindfold was ripped off, and Konan blinked as light flooded her vision. "Has she been blindfolded the entire time?"

"Yes. I thought it a necessary security precaution. She was blindfolded on the way in, she should be blindfolded on the way out."

"Smart kid you got there Danzo."

Konan looked, and realized the voice who had brought her here was barely any taller than she was. A mask obscured the face of the boy. (She was pretty sure it was boy)

Hanzo unclipped the cuffs next, because he knew she wouldn't try to escape. Not surrounded by Konoha ANBU, not surrounded by Hanzo's own shinobi, shinobi she knew. Konan felt chakra rush back into her, and she breathed a little deeper. They were on some kind of cliff, and Hanzo grabbed the back of her cloak, pushing her to the ground in front of him.

Below them stood two figures, and Konan's heart sank when she recognized the distinct hair colors.

Yahiko was staring up at her, and she saw every emotion in his face as Hanzo spoke, offering her as a trade for one of their lives, or she would die.

Shock, anger, determination, and one final emotion ran across Yahiko's face as the single kunai was thrown at their feet. Konan frowned, then froze as she realized. Acceptance. But it was too late, Yahiko was already turning to Nagato, who'd picked up the knife.

"Don't do it Nagato! Just let me die!" Yahiko was the leader, it was only right he survive. And Nagato was powerful, more powerful than the two of them. His death was out of the question. That left, her. Konan struggled against Hanzo's grip unconsciously. "Save yourselves and let me die!"

But it was too late. Yahiko ran forward, then was leaning on Nagato, but it was wrong. The pure horror distorting Nagato's features told her everything.

"Yahiko!"

If they had survived, witnesses wouldn't have described the sound as merely a scream or yell. They would have described it as a pure howl of agony. A howl of agony ripped from Konan's throat as she was released, and launched forward off the cliff.

Nagato was frozen as Yahiko fell next to him. Konan landed hard before darting to the orange haired boys side with a speed she didn't know she possessed.

She never cried anymore. She thought she'd cried her last tears when she left her parents house for the last time, as the last living soul vacating the property.

But her tears landed on Yahiko's face, and he cracked his eyes open to look at her.

"Konan, follow Nagato. Keep him safe. He will lead us to peace." He was smiling, even as his voice grew more hoarse with each passing second. Konan wanted to howl again. Her heart was being torn in half, and Yahiko had the audacity to smile at her, struggling weakly in her lap.

She pulled him as close as she dared. If only- she could try to stop the bleeding, apply pressure, anything. The Akatsuki had a few medic nins among their ranks, surely they could help him.

She went to apply pressure to the wound, only for Yahiko to grip her arm weakly.

"No. Protect Nagato."

Nagato was next to her, and Konan looked up in time to throw an arm over her face to shield from the blasts. When the smoke cleared, Nagato had no skin left on his legs, only red, raw flesh.

And an anger in his eyes only ever described to her by Yahiko.

"Nagato no! Don't do it!" She shrieked, reaching out an arm in vain. But Nagato's palms slammed into the dirt below him, and he yelled something she couldn't make out.

A Gedo statue erupted behind them, and Konan shielded Yahiko as best she could.

Nagato was radiating with killing intent. Konan knew Yahiko was barely holding on in her lap. Dammit, she couldn't split herself in two-

Nagato screamed when the rods pierced him.

Then it was over. Nothing except the three of them, and the rain. Dozens of bodies were left on the cliff above them, both Anbu and Hanzo's shinobi.

Hanzo himself was gone. They would find him later, Konan knew, her hand clenching.

"Yahiko-" She nudged her teammate. "Yahiko, come on."

He didn't move. His eyes were closed, and a hand on his chest revealed he wasn't breathing.

"Konan." Nagato rasped, and she extracted herself from Yahiko, approaching him. His cloak was in shreds from the rods, and all Konan could see were the harsh outlines of his bones beneath his skin. She didn't know anything about Rinnegan powers, but knew enough to recognize that was his price to pay for the power of summoning the statue.

"Nagato-" She cupped his cheek. "We need to get you out of here. You- you did everything you could. Yahiko entrusted you with the Akatsuki."

"Bring his body." The redhead didn't move. Konan nodded, and Yahiko's body was wrapped in paper. Her chakra had been steadily returning, but not enough to fly all three of them back to the tower. That night, the forehead protectors they'd donned as a sign of respect to Hanzo were slashed through. Konan retied hers to her forehead, pushing strands of blue hair back.

She would personally kill Hanzo for this. He would die for forcing Yahiko's death. It was only fair.

A man who called himself Madara Uchiha approached them the first night, offering to help them form a new Akatsuki.

Konan did not trust him. But he showed Nagato a way to be functional, even if she did not completely understand. Yahiko's body was not buried, instead Konan found herself alongside Tobi, the nickname they were supposed to use for Madara, embedding black receivers in her dead teammates skin.

She didn't question. Her heart hurt for Yahiko, but she was only following his orders. Protect and assist Nagato. He would lead them to peace.

"It's called the Six Paths of Pain technique." Tobi informed them. "Obviously you're not at six yet, but more bodies can always be acquired."

Nagato had only nodded from his position above them. The receivers couldn't be removed, and so he stayed locked at the top of their tower in a contraption of Tobi's design. With the paths, he could move around as needed. If the paths ate or drank, it would sustain Nagato.

Konan supposed it was fitting that Yahiko be made into the first path.

He didn't even look like Yahiko anymore, not after Konan pushed 4 piercings through the bridge of his nose, even more down his ears, and snakebite piercings under his lip. Several more were attached down his body, all via Konan.

When he opened his eyes, she knew with all certainty that Yahiko was gone. Lilac ringed eyes bored into hers, before examining the rest of the reanimated body.

"One down, five more to go!" Tobi's voice was way too cheerful for what had just transpired.

The Deva Path, as she learned it was called, followed her around for the first night, watching her prepare food.

"I'll make some for you too." She said quietly. The path, or Nagato she supposed, sat quietly, lilac eyes following her every move.

"I miss him too." It spoke, but in a voice that was not Yahiko's.

"I know." Was all she said.

"Did Hanzo hurt you?"

"No. His cuffs were chakra sucking though, otherwise-"

"No." The voice echoed, and she froze. "Do not blame yourself for what happened. Hanzo played dirty."

"Yes." She said softly.

"Madara tells me of a way to establish world peace. The jinchuuriki of each village, when combined will yield us a power transcending the power of the villages. As a god, it is only fit I use this power for peace."

"We'll capture jinchuuriki?" The food was finished, and she set it on the table for both of them. Konan didn't even want to ask where the god idea had come from.

"Madara says we need more members. S-rank members."

"That can take on a jinchuuriki and win." She finished. "Where are we supposed to get these members?"

The Deva Path pulled out a book, tossing it to her.

"A bingo book?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Modified to only include S-rank. Zetsu will keep an eye on potentials and report back to us. Zetsu will also be providing me with more bodies. I've already picked out the targets."

"A sound plan." She nodded, flipping absently through the bound pages.

"In the meantime, I will continue to pursue Hanzo until we have complete control of Amegakure. And I will need your help in doing so."

Konan closed the book.

"Nothing would please me more Nagato-sama."

The last of Hanzo's men would not be hard to find, just hard to corner and kill. She accepted the task as a solo mission, and flew through the night on paper wings. A technique she'd been toying with, but had been able to flesh out with ease. The rain made it difficult to travel very long with them, and she absorbed them back into her cloak as she landed on a spire. She'd found two of the Ame nin hiding out in a bar, and watched one sprint across the roof in front of her. A paper clone was chasing him, and she'd been following from above. But the chase was up.

The clone cornered him to the top of a tower, and the man was disposed of with ease. But the clone dissipated before she could catch the body and it fell to the concrete with a sickening crunch.

Swearing, Konan darted after it. Light from a window illuminated part of her way down, and she stopped, staring into it.

Two children stared back in open mouthed horror. She knew she was far enough back to conceal her face, and pressed a single finger to her lips before hopping the rest of the way down.

The body was easily disposed of, and Konan walked around the side of the building at the base of the tower only to find a sign saying "Academy" above the front door.

She'd heard about Amegakures Academy. Her comrades had jokingly called it the "Hanzo's child soldier factory". The tower above was used to house children from the outer villages until they could become full fledged shinobi.

Hanzo's words about her technique rang in Konan's mind as she darted past the tower she knew had up to a dozen children housed in them.

She had promised Yahiko to protect Nagato, but anyone she taught her techniques to would also have to swear to defend him as well. Then he wouldn't be defenseless if she were captured or killed.

With the paths Nagato would not be defenseless. But from Zetsu and Tobi?

She made a mental note of all the pros and cons of taking on a student, and filed them away.

Zetsu returned a week later with another body. Nagato's second path would be called the Asura Path, and the body procured was from Suna. A lone puppeteer. The infant style puppet that fell out of his cloak as they stripped the body creeped Konan out more than she let on. The puppet was knocked to the side.

Tobi assisted her this time in embedding receivers. The second corpse sat up, and the Rinnegan bored into Konan.

That night while she hunted, she turned over several topics.

First was Tobi, or "Madara". Whatever name he really had, she needed a contingency plan. Her purpose was to stay by Nagato's side, not Tobi's. Konan didn't even know if Zetsu counted as a person, so she filed him under "deal with later".

But Tobi, she needed to know his range of attacks so she could beat him if the need arose. Konan resolved to keep an eye on him in the coming months.

Amegakure. If Nagato became the village leader, they would need some semblance of a system to keep producing shinobi and kunoichi. Hanzo had been taken down in secret, aside from the man from the Leaf.

They still had shinobi on the borders. The war between countries was far from over, and Konan felt a twinge of regret for starting another one. Those who survived fighting for their leader would have a nasty surprise waiting when they returned to the city.

No. Hanzo had brought this upon himself. They could have worked together to make Ame strong, but it was his fault the city was crippled. Konan supposed they would have to eliminate every trace of them. Nagato could do it, at a much larger scale than she could.

Then was the issue of her. Not so much an issue, she supposed, but she needed an escape plan if anyone tried to Hanzo her again.

She kept her paper on her arms and legs as an armor, or to bolster her taijutsu. But if she could just- no. It was crazy.

If she'd been able to get out of the cuffs, or just fall apart and reformed elsewhere. Like a paper clone, but with her own body. Paper could slip through cracks, underneath doors, and fold itself into birds and butterflies to travel.

If she could perfect this hypothetical escape technique, then she would be impossible to kidnap.

Turning her entire body into paper, defeating a man who could warp space and time, and keeping her city together.

A normal workload for any kunoichi, Konan supposed.

A/N: This is based off of my theory that Konan converted herself to paper to make sure she could never be used as leverage against Nagato again, not even by Tobi or Zetsu