Eight years later…

O N E

GHOSTS

..

"YAHIKO'S not going to be happy about this…"

Nagato heard the murmur arise from the general direction of their intelligence group, the five members of which were clustered around two small wooden tables by the only window with a view. Outside, rain was falling heavily and the temperature had dropped; several members were cradling cups of steaming coffee or tea.

Nagato hesitated. They were probably on their lunch break and, in all honesty, there were lots of things Yahiko might not have been happy about – most of which were fairly benign. The last grievance to irk their fiery haired young leader had been the influx of stray animals – 'we already have THREE cats and TWO puppies!' he'd bellowed in a team meeting last week, glaring at everyone. 'And you all want to adopt another cat off the street? Are we an organisation determined to secure peace for the Land of Rain or Noah's fucking Ark?' ('Well, we certainly have the weather for the Ark,' had had been Nagato's response. It had roused chuckles from his fellow members and earned him a long-suffering sigh from Yahiko). Suffice to say, they now had four cats, their newest feline member dubbed Yahiko Jr over their leader's exasperated protests.

"But do you think he'll still be willing to do it?" Taki, one of the newest intel members, asked his colleagues. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and sipped his drink.

"Well, it'd be bad news for you or me, but if anyone could, it would be him… And it'll bring us all one step closer to our goal. I think he will do it."

"Probably, but…" Mae, the head of intel, chimed in, shaking her head slightly, "It doesn't sit right with me. Besides, Yahiko's reaction isn't the only one warranting worrying about. I don't even want to think of what'll happen when he finally tells – ahhh, Nagato!" She caught sight of the red-haired boy and broke off, offering him a small smile. It didn't escape Nagato's notice that her cheerfulness appeared forced. "I thought you were rostered out as a field agent today."

"Clearly."

She chuckled. It was a nervous sound. "Off to meet Yahiko or to catalogue the latest information from our messengers then?"

"Both. But it's Yahiko first – and I'm already five minutes late," Nagato confided, walking towards the table and taking a cheeky sip of Mae's coffee. She swatted him aside immediately, scowling at his impetuousness. Mae, at a feisty fifty years of age, was easily the oldest member of their organisation, and certainly not much of a fighter, but sharp as a tac. She reminded him of a younger version of his grandmother (and Yahiko too, he suspected).

Mae raised her eyebrows, her forehead wrinkles frowning along with her mouth. "Tardiness is not becoming, young man."

"Except when there's a good reason for it," Nagato countered. "And it sounds like you might just have one."

Mae sighed. "You're getting smarter by the day. It's annoying." She tapped her fingers on the table, considering.

"You know something I don't," Nagato realised, the thought startling. "Something important." He looked around the table; he was met with furtive eyes and guilty grins. "You all do…"

Mae looked sympathetic. "Yahiko has an idea he wants to run past you."

"Bullshit," Nagato said. "He would've talked with me first, if that were the case. He's not planning on running anything past me." Nagato couldn't believe he'd missed it – Yahiko's urgent request to meet with him suddenly made a lot more sense. "He's planning on doing something reckless again, isn't he?"

Mae just sipped her coffee. "You know how he is." Her tone was non-committal. "There's been a slight change in plans, however. I was planning on updating Yahiko myself, but I must admit, it'd free up my time if you could pass the message along."

"Oh no," Nagato shook his head, his tone unusually serious. "I'm not the type to pull rank, but I am second in command. You've got to tell me what's going on right now." He let his grip on the Rinnegan's power loosen – just a fraction – and allowed his chakra to punctuate just how serious he was. No one in this room knew of his special skill, but even a novice ninja could sense a powerful chakra when it hit him or her. There were two people whose safety he'd never take any chances with – and Yahiko was goddamn one of them.

Mae exchanged a look with the people around her. "Well, Yahiko really wanted to be the one to explain things to you… But I don't think he'll mind if I give you a general idea," she conceded. "Nagato, there's an offer that has been proposed to the Akatsuki. From the government."

"Lightning or Water?"

Mae's frowns deepened. "Oh, no, this isn't simple contract work. This is a formal offer. From the military government. Our military leaders." She looked at Nagato meaningfully.

His mouth dropped open. "Amegakure? H-Hanzo's deigned to negotiate?"

"Somewhat. He's asking for our assistance. He's prepared to offer us a deal in return. He passed this offer to our field agents, who relayed it to Yahiko." She hesitated, then added. "And Yahiko has agreed."

...

Nagato took the stairs up to floor three, mulling over Mae's words.

Please, Nagato. Try convincing Yahiko to back out. Maybe he'll actually listen if it's coming from you.

Nagato blew out a breath. Fat chance. He knew exactly how stubborn Yahiko could be. Still, he wasn't planning on letting Yahiko do anything without giving him his own two cents – and Nagato was always more convincing when he was pissed off.

And boy, was he pissed off.

Once on the third floor, Nagato took the eastern corridor. He passed by some windows, but didn't bother looking out.

Their entire building was only four floors high, so even on the rooftop the view wasn't that great. Also, the roof itself was constantly leaking – due to a combination of a lack of maintenance and accumulated damage from bombings; two years ago, the Land of Wind had laid Ran'un under siege. One of the Rain Land's most prospering villages, it had been a heavy blow. Five months later, Ran'un had been recovered and Rain control had been regained – but the village had been left nothing short of a ghost town.

Yet because Ran'un had been one of the largest civilian villages, once one of the many jewels of their land, government officials had tried their best to help the people recuperate, with varying results. Ran'un had since become a patchwork quilt, consisting of pockets of clean, respectable suburbs intermixed with those that were still clearly dilapidated (and often avoided). Unsurprisingly, this building was in the latter area – but for a group like them, that came with invaluable benefits; the cheap rent and inconspicuousness more than made up for the fourth floor always being flooded.

After all, when running an organisation like the Akatsuki, whose goals were so at odds with those of all the other villages – even their own – one could never take too many precautions. The building also had a cellar and basement, which was nice insurance against future air strikes, not to mention a comfortable, dry home for their ever-growing number of animal friends.

Nagato faltered as he approached the door to Yahiko's office, his anger wavering. His hand hovered above the door-handle. He had to admit, for all the problems they still had left to tackle, the Akatsuki come a long way. And none of it would've been possible without the young man behind that door – it wasn't just Yahiko's skill, it was his personality. No matter how hard things got, as long as Yahiko was around, Nagato felt they could get through anything. Maybe it was cheesy, but it made perfect sense given the two of them had grown up together. What had pleasantly surprised Nagato was how many other Akatsuki members also shared this feeling…

"Nagato," he heard Yahiko drawl lazily. "Are you planning to enter anytime soon or will you just continue to stand out there, contemplating my magnificence?"

Just like that, his anger returned. "Fuck you," Nagato said by way of greeting, barging into Yahiko's office area. It was mainly used to plan their military strikes and contract work, filled with maps, tactic books, ninjutsu scrolls and even a blackboard. Whenever Yahiko was planning a new operation, he ended up sleeping at his desk, so his belongings often accumulated in the room as well.

Yahiko wasn't seated at his desk right now, but packing said belongings (spare clothes, weapons, scrolls) into a simple black duffel bag. Nagato had expected as much, but the sight still infuriated him.

Yahiko paused, scroll in hand, and offered Nagato a sheepish grin. "Now what kind of greeting was that?"

"Oh I'm sorry, was that a bit rude? Let me try again." Nagato folded his arms and cleared his throat. "Were you even planning on telling me about your trip before you actually left, you conniving bastard?"

Yahiko blinked. "Better," he conceded, and continued packing his scroll away. "I strive for conniving every day." He looked up, his eyes catching Nagato's. "I take it you heard the news then?"

Nagato didn't dignify that with a response, just walked past him and his desk strewn with documents outlining Konoha's security and Yahiko Jr, who was curled up and sound asleep on his chair, and stood in front of the window, glaring at their crying land outside.

"Why?" Nagato said, and because Yahiko was Yahiko, he understood what his friend was really asking.

"Caught me off guard too, at first," Yahiko grunted. "Hanzo is a pretty paranoid fellow. But it seems we've recently been bumped down on his 'they're-a-giant-pain-in-my-ass-and-need-to-be-destroyed' list." Yahiko gave a laboured sigh. "Which, if you ask me, is the real tragedy. I quite enjoyed being number one. Took a lot of work to get there."

"We'll probably be there again," Nagato pointed out darkly. Yahiko enjoyed being a constant thorn in Hanzo's side – a consistent reminder to their current military leader that there was a steadily growing faction of people who wanted an end to the meaningless conflict. Nagato, for his part, suspected that Hanzo wouldn't take lightly to any challenge to his power, perceived or otherwise. "Who beat us?"

"Konoha."

"Of course." That explained the papers on the desk. "What does Hanzo want?"

Yahiko finally stopped stashing his weapons away and gave Nagato an appraising look. "Apparently, there are rumours that Leaf has the Rinnegan."

Well that… wasn't what he'd expected to hear.

Yahiko held his gaze, a question buzzing in his honey coloured eyes. Nagato shook his head. No one but Yahiko, Konan and Jariyah knew of his own Rinnegan and that hadn't changed.

Yahiko shoulders relaxed. "Thank god," he breathed a sigh of relief, moving to stand beside Nagato. They both knew Nagato would become a massive target if word of his skill ever leaked.

When he had been younger, Nagato hadn't been able to control the Rinnegan very well, even having to wear his hair long to hide his precious eyes. He'd come a long way since then. His normal irises were now a dark indigo that Yahiko joked looked more terrifying than the Rinnegan (but everyone else always complimented).

"I thought you didn't believe in god," Nagato pointed out sourly.

Yahiko rolled his eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that your memory's really annoying?"

Nagato ignored his comment. "I don't think there's another Rinnegan user out there. Jariyah made it clear it was miraculous enough that I had it."

"It seems unlikely," Yahiko agreed. "From what Hanzo has told me, it appears Konoha has been boasting of having the Rinnegan on their side. It's not as if anyone else knows about the Rinnegan like we do – to the elders of the Land of Rain, it's plausible that a user would exist in a time such as this.

"Konoha is using the Rinnegan's existence to pressure the Land of Rain into making certain agreements… So Holier-than-thou Hanzo has extended an informal offer to us. He wants us to send spies to Konoha and check whether it is true – and if, by some chance it is, he wants to know who the bearer is."

"Why us? This sound high stakes, and it's no secret the man doesn't trust us."

Yahiko shrugged. "Konoha has heightened security. They've been dominating the war so far, and they're not going to be easy to crack. Hanzo has discovered that Jariyah taught us for some time… Apparently…" Yahiko paused, his voice turning a little gruffer. A small smile settled on his lips as he continued, "Apparently Jariyah is still quite fond of us – asks about our whereabouts on his travels." His smile fell away as he met Nagato's piercing stare. "Hanzo thinks that's our way in."

"Do you think Jariyah told anyone – "

"No," said Yahiko firmly.

"How can you know that?"

"Because we know him," Yahiko said simply. "Jariyah wouldn't do that."

"We knew him," Nagato corrected. "A lot of time has passed since then." Then he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with thumb and index finger. "But you're right, he wouldn't." He rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand. "Okay, okay. So we have someone else in Konoha with the Rinnegan, possibly. Hanzo's curious, wants us to investigate. If we die in the process, it's a win for him anyway, because he's never been a fan of this organisation. But if we succeed – dispel the rumour or find the bearer, what's in it for us?"

"Hanzo claims this is a test of loyalty. He's ready to acknowledge our ideals, but we've contracted work with multiple lands over the years. If we can prove loyalty to Rain, he says he's willing to incorporate us into Amegakure. Our ideals, with our hidden village's might to back it up."

Nagato considered his words. "At the expense of a Rinnegan bearer."

"I don't believe this bearer exists." Yahiko's gaze hardened, his entire face a promise. "But if he does, I won't turn him in. I swear it."

Nagato waved his words aside. "Save your promises for someone who needs them. It doesn't matter to me. For all we know, the person might be a maniac." He paused. "I've got to admit… It's a good deal."

"I know."

"For Hanzo," Nagato said. "Not us. We won't make it – Jariyah isn't in the village right now."

"The other two Sanin – "

"Orochimaru wanted to kill us when we were defenceless children. The only thing that's changed is we've grown up and now he'll have even less opposition to the notion of our deaths."

"Wait a minute – "

"And Tsunade… Last I heard, she was sent to the outskirts of the Land of Wind – "

"Hang on, I think you've got the wrong idea – "

"And Mae was informed today that Hanzo requested that you depart for this mission a full three days earlier than intended. If that's not a show of mistrust, I don't know what is," Nagato added. "Not to mention – "

"Wait just one minute!" Yahiko interrupted. For a moment, Nagato thought he might've convinced him to reconsider, but then he said, "What do you mean we?" And Nagato had to hold himself back from punching his idealistic friend. "Nagato, you're not coming – "

"Of course I am coming with you," Nagato snapped at Yahiko. After all, he had promises of his own to keep, goddammit!

"Nagato, it's got to be me." Yahiko smiled, and it was a helpless sort of grin, all teeth and charm and absolutely infuriating. "You're right. It is dangerous, I'm not discounting that. But this thing we're doing, it's bigger than me. You're more important," he poked Nagato's chest, "and you care about all this as much as I do. I'm entrusting the Akatsuki to you while I'm gone."

Nagato opened his mouth, and closed it. When he blinked, he thought of all the members of their organisation, all passionate and fired up and in desperate need of someone to lead them.

"You really think you can do this?" Nagato asked quietly.

"I haven't rushed into this. I've thought of a plan that you can help me refine." Nagato sighed – what a tricky bastard Yahiko was. He knew his audience; having a well thought out plan was the only way Nagato would consider getting on board. "And Orochimaru's currently under review. Konoha isn't taking his words too seriously right now. There's really no one to stop me, let alone recognise me." Yahiko winked.

For all his confidence, Nagato felt Yahiko was forgetting one very important detail. "I can think of at least one person," Nagato murmured softly, watching as Yahiko's humour instantly evaporated.

When Yahiko finally looked up at Nagato, he looked tired. "We both know that's not an issue anymore." Lightning flashed outside, and Yahiko's eyes flicked to the window. Nagato noticed his fists were clenched. "Fucking rain," he grumbled in a low voice, before turning to resume his packing.