The Akatsuki hideout is secreted away in one of the cavernous mountains that forms a range separating Ame and Kusa. Courtesy of Jiraiya's information, they manage to identify the right mountain to climb quickly enough. They walk cautiously with one hand on the sheer cliff rising on their right and their eyes on the slippery cliff-side path below their feet. If not for Kakashi's Sharingan, they would have fallen victim to the layers of genjutsu carefully placed over the narrow path and tumbled down the sheer drop on their left.

Halfway up the mountain, a torrent of fluttering paper arrives on the wind, dancing in a flurry of sharp-edged pages until they form a blue-haired, amber-eyed woman. She has a piercing through her bottom lip, a paper rose in her hair that stays mysteriously dry, and the most impassive face Sakumo has ever seen. She stares down unblinkingly at Snake and Kakashi even as sheets of rain tear at her hair and black cloak. "Who are you?"

The frail orphan act slips off their shoulders like a dewdrop might tumble off a leaf. Snake straightens and suddenly seems no less capable of taking on the woman in a fight despite her waifish stature. "Snake, ANBU of Konoha."

Kakashi meets the woman's gaze with an equally bored one of his own. "Hound, ANBU of Konoha. You must be Konan of the Akatsuki."

She inclines her head in silent acknowledgement. "It is courtesy to dispel your Henges," she admonishes even as two more cloak-wearing men appear behind Kakashi and Snake, boxing them in the narrow path. The large paper birds that the men had been riding on disperse into a waterfall of tiny white airplanes which dive off the cliff's edge and glide away.

'What a beautiful jutsu,' Sakumo muses in appreciation. He has never seen something like this before.

"You wouldn't recognise us even if we showed our true forms," Snake retorts calmly. "The codephrase is Jiyuu Honpou*."

A ghosts of a smile quirks Konan's lips at that. "Kiwifruit and gratin**," she replies, which Sakumo supposes is the matching code although the significance eludes him. Rin shoots him a bewildered look and he shrugs, ignoring Hyaku's snickers. "Very well," Konan acquiescences, turning on her heel. "Follow me."

Kakashi and Snake do so, eager to get out of the rain, but a muffled shout startles the ghosts into the defensive.

"Wait!"

Hyaku, Sakumo and Rin all glance around, backs to each other in a defensive position. There is nothing to be seen, but none of the living have heard the voice — a ghost then.

"Bwah!" An orange-haired young man gasps as he stumbles out of the cliff face and onto the path. "I hate walking through solid objects!" Catching his balance, he turns to Sakumo and the rest, his face creased in a broad smile. "I see you've already met our lovely Konan! I'm Yahiko, also of the Akatsuki. You guys must be the back-up Kagami sent."

Hyaku relaxes and steps forward, a friendly grin on her face. "Kagami and Kara send their greetings."

His smile widening, Yahiko takes her hand and shakes it firmly. "Thank you, Hyaku. It's good to see you again." When they exchange introductions, Yahiko gets an odd look on his face when he reaches Sakumo. "Ah, you're the famous White Fang."

Sakumo inclines his head, uncomfortably aware of the grudge that this young man must hold against someone as such as he, who had fought in the Second Shinobi World War. Even though it was only a few short weeks before he had been drafted to another front, he had partaken in the destruction wrought on Ame land. It was his duty to his village, yes, but he felt no pride in carrying out his duty after seeing how the people of Ame suffered for it. "I'm afraid I am. I don't expect any forgiveness, but... I must offer my apologies."

The tension in Yahiko's frame eases and his expression softens. "For you to say something like this, it's only because you've known the pain of war. Jiraiya-sensei had fought in the war too but he understood what we were going through. He was as a father to us." His face darkens momentarily and Sakumo glimpses the frighteningly determined youth that had raised and led an organisation to rival Hanzou's. "Scum like Danzou and Hanzou are different."

"We're here to investigate them both," Rin soothes, reaching forward to pat Yahiko's arm gently. "The ANBU we've sent are the best of the best."

Yahiko expression lightens once more and his cheerful demeanour returns. "That is good news. Come, let me show you a shortcut to where your ANBU will be staying."

* (自由奔放) "Free and uninhibited", Jiraiya's favourite phrase

** Jiraiya's least favourite foods

A/N: I find Akatsuki's "eye for an eye" philosophy really quite frightening. Forgiveness is probably the hardest thing to do, but as Naruto convinced Nagato in the end, the cycle of hatred has to stop and the only way is through non-retaliation and reconciliation. No bashing meant — I like Konan quite a lot myself :)

This isn't a fix-it, so Akatsuki is still spiralling downwards into darkness and Danzou is still screwing everyone over.