EXCERPT FROM CLASSIFIED ECLIPSE FILES:
'Eclipse is the elite of Ame. There is no higher honour than to join the very organisation that may only be commanded by the Elite Commander and someone of gold ranking status.
Founded the very year our Leader won the brief civil war, our priority has never changed. To serve the Leader of Rain, and to be the instrument of their will. The number one concern of Eclipse will always be to protect the Leader of Ame, to ensure their survival at cost to our own - our unwavering loyalty to the ruling figure of Ame will prove the dedication we have to further the nation of Ame.
Loyalty. Dedication. Strength. Discretion. These are the signature attributes of an Eclipse agent.
The Eclipse are responsible for dealing with most of the threats to our nation, both from within and abroad. S rank missions are the normal type of mission a pair or team of agents will undertake, with SS ranked missions only being undertaken by the Eclipse. To date, very few such ranked missions have occurred - only [redacted]. Solo missions are not undertaken by the Eclipse, given the dangerous nature of the missions and the experimental technology our branch utilises to help us achieve our goals. Such ranked missions are left to the expertise of the hunter nin corps.
Let there be no mistake. Eclipse is the hardest military branch to enter, senior even to the ANBU corps. Agents require a proven record of military experience of distinguishing ability to consider being material for the Eclipse branch. From there, all recruits are overseen by the Elite Commander on whether they can join, which means that the entire branch is made up of just a few hundred agents; unlike the ANBU corps in Konoha which number 20,000 or our own which number [redacted]. This, of course, means the quality of the ninja within the battalions is much higher, than even the ANBU.
The best of which become Spectres.
Remember, agent. We are not the darkness. We are the Eclipse which causes the darkness.
- Elite Commander, [redacted].'
SIXTEEN YEARS AFTER THE THIRD NINJA WORLD WAR.
AME, PAIN'S TOWER. COMMANDERS QUARTERS.
The jonin commander sat down on the sofa with a sigh, having been exhausted by the day's work he'd pulled. Since Lord Pain had only just arrived back in Ame a couple of hours ago, the jonin commander had since been relieved of the absurd amounts of responsibilities he'd been put under. Troop movements, border security, the current purge and all sorts of other complicated matters that also included the logistics of feeding a nation that was in a state of emergency.
It had been a solid week already.
The previous purge had lasted six days, and the civil war had still been raging at the time - coming to a close with Hanzo dead, but nonetheless still in a state of war. The fact that this second, and larger, purge had lasted longer despite all that had happened was an attempted kidnapping, spoke volumes of his leader's anger.
It had been determined in the end that the kidnapping was what the emergency situation had boiled down to - it had originally been thought of a coup d'état, but it was much too badly planned for such a scenario. There were too few forces to oppose the incoming might of two entire divisions to surround the city, with not a single one of their targets having been taken. It had all been a distraction, and with a main focus of their forces upon the kidnapping attempt, it was not obvious in the aftermath that the kidnapping was their main purpose all along. But few people, of rank, knew of the VIPs, let alone that Ame had their own tailed beast. The only plausible explanation was a traitor.
Given the nature of the elite organisation, the Eclipse forces that Pain had founded had already been declared secure, free of traitors - making them the immediate investigators of rounding up the traitor. It was unfortunate that they did not have techniques such as the mind reading of the Yamanaka clan in the Leaf to end the investigation quickly - or better yet, quickly prove the innocence of the jonin commander. It was becoming a pain to have all of the top secret information withheld to Pain's inner circle and the Eclipse organisation, he would eventually need his permission codes back to command the armies properly.
A thunderous knock at the door interrupted the man's musings, making him look sharply to the door and pause rifling through the sheets of paper on the coffee table. Standing up and answering the door, the jonin commander put on a shocked face as he saw just who was before him - the Eclipse Commander, leader of Pain's answer to the ANBU corps around the elemental nations.
Their identity was a mystery, which was saying something due to the notorious nature of the elite organisation. The figure was decked out in the typical stance and uniform of the Spectre branch of Eclipse, the best of the best, which was a complete black armoured suit. It was much like the armoured bodyguards that followed Pain around from time to time, which was of no surprise - the Leader would naturally have the best protecting him. Thus, as he stared into the outright dark plastic screen which covered the face of the elite commander, he merely awaited what the ambiguous figure wanted.
"Jonin commander." Came the monotone voice of the figure before him, obviously scrambled and synthesised by seals integrated into their armoured suit. "I have a query that needs answering at once."
It was clearly not a request, but a demand. Despite them both being of the same rank, with two bars of dark blue on both the jonin commander's flak jacket and the black armour of the elite commander, the man knew he was in no position to question the figure's authority. Not when they had been personally commissioned by Pain to investigate.
"What with, commander?" The commander responded to his fellow colleague.
"I need the whereabouts of the chunin commander immediately." The elite commander stated without delay. "They are not home."
The jonin commander frowned, but didn't question it. "I'm afraid I don't know." He responded. "I know they left their room at some time around 4p.m, and that they clearly left the tower as I didn't see them at work after that, but aside from that I don't know."
Whilst it wasn't a definitive response, it was clearly something of substantial meaning to the elite commander as they pointed to their left and barked out an order. "They must've fled after hearing of the failure of the renegade forces. Inform Lord Pain immediately, he will be able to track them. They can't have left Ame yet with the heightened security."
The crack of a usage of the body flicker technique sounded out in the corridor, making the eyes of the jonin commander widen - he had never even sensed the presence of other ninja in the corridor. He didn't dwell on it as his fellow commander turned back to him.
"Your cooperation in this matter is noted, commander." The elite figure stated in an apathetic tone that carried a trace of absolute authority. "Your innocence has thus been proven, and your classified privileges will be reinstated shortly. Thank you."
The air around the elite commander seemed to distort before they disappeared by walking back into the corridor wall - which became covered in a rippling wall of energy, night-black in its entirety as the figure vanished into it, the jonin commander staring at them the entire time. Whilst the Jonin Commander was strong, it was reaffirmed in his mind that sometimes an A-rank status meant absolutely nothing to some people.
As he closed the door, he thought of the shocking revelation. The chunin commander was clearly the traitor they sought, trying to flee the city - something the jonin commander knew would be impossible. Although the elite commander clearly knew how Pain did it, he did not - but somehow, his leader managed to keep a constant eye on everyone in the Hidden Rain village. Fleeing without being tracked down was impossible for a B-rank ninja, and the jonin commander knew it would take an S-rank espionage expert, like Jiraiya of the Sannin, to remain more unseen.
What was the most disturbing, however, was the implications it held. Power and authority in the country of Rain was heavily centralised - with absolute dictatorship and authority being held firmly within Pain's inner circle. An order from the Angel of Ame was as good an order from Pain himself - and the step below that were the three major commanders - elite, jonin and chunin. They in turn held absolute authority over the relevant elite units, jonin and chunin, and others - such as in the case of the jonin commander, he could call for the deployment of entire armies. As such, to have a traitor in such a centralised and high-up position, was alarming.
What he did know for sure, was that the most primal example of the current purge would involve the chunin commander once they were found.
AME, PAIN'S TOWER - MEDICAL WARD.
The nine tails jinchuuriki still lay in the hospital bed, as quiet as the corpse stood motionless by the side of the bed. Monitoring devices were still attached to the red-haired boy, the heart rate in particular rising and falling on one screen - muted so as not to disturb the two men also in the room.
Pain stood idly by the side of the bed, hands behind his back as the Deva Path watched the medical professional take a preliminary check on his nephew's vitals. Naruto had already been declared completely medically fit three days prior - he had just been kept under a medically induced sleep so as to properly allow his body to rest from both the poison and harsh procedure of the nine tails burning out the poison. He had made a full recovery, and the doctor had declared him fit to be roused.
Nagato may be able to trust the Fox would behave, but he didn't trust it that much. It had reminded him how much power the nine tails was able to wield with an open seal, especially over his Nephew, but he couldn't resolve that particular issue. Not at the start, when the Fox could've gone supernova, and not now that the nine tails played such a role in Naruto's life.
His solution was to keep a closer eye on them both, instead.
A seal had been placed five centimetres below where the doctor had stated Naruto's heart was - the very location in the ribcage where both the doctor and an elite ninja who happened to be a sensor had informed him was the location of the chakra core. The very bundle of pathways and openings that controlled the distribution of chakra around a human being.
The doctor merely tapped the six centimetre long piece of the chakra rod against the seal, before looking up to Pain. "I've conducted all the necessary tests and measurements, sir, and it will most certainly go in without issue. It'll fit inside, and biologically, physically speaking the boy will be fine. It's the effects of this unknown material on his chakra and inserting a six centimetre shard of metal into the distributing core that concerns me, leader." The doctor finalised up, merely awaiting Pain's response.
Which came in the form of complete apathy, like Pain could care less about the potential consequences - or was confident in the outcome. "I am not concerned, doctor. As long as you perform the surgery right, all will be fine."
The doctor just met his leader's gaze for a second before dropping back to the boy. He couldn't question such a man about his concerns, it would be bad for his own health. "As you wish, then sir." The doctor responded. "We can start at any time."
The rinnegan in the dead man's eyes seem to gleam a bit. "Then do so, straight away." Deva ordered simply, still in a neutral tone.
"Of course, sir." The doctor hastily responded, before calling for a medical team out of the door. Three orderlies quickly emerged into the room and unhooked all of the machinery, and started to move the hospital bed with haste. The VIP was still asleep, and given how the Deva Path was following them through the door, they would have to ensure that it remained that peaceful.
NORTHERN AME WATERWAY.
There were four main waterways that entered and exited the city of Rain. To the South of the city lay a very short, but wide, channel of water which connected the Hidden Village to its main drinking water supply - a vast reservoir of water, that had been natural before being manually widened to accommodate for the demand of millions. Current construction work was undergoing to make it bigger still, in order to make a ring around the entire city. Officially labelled as work to make a basin to collect, store and then pipe water for the entire country, most people knew better just from looking at the plans - it would form a great natural defence.
The Northern waterway was the only one that actually had water flowing out of the city, kept at a regular level by the huge pipe infrastructure of Ame feeding wastewater into the stream. Flotillas of small, wooden boats lay docked or flitted about the small, metal dock at the edge of the city which could be taken to access more remote areas in the rocky North of the country.
One of the boats that the Chunin commander was currently trying to escape on. Though a call had already been put out for her arrest, the average citizen on the edge of the city did not know any better - and so a mere wave of military documents was enough to secure a boat.
"Where to, ma'am?" The boat helmsman questioned as they settled themselves at the back of the ship, ready to steer the ship at the behest of such a military figure.
The woman who had previously led the largest force of soldiers, Chunin, in the country looked round at the environment once more before answering. "Just keep going North."
The boat helmsman seemed confused. "But Ma'am, we can't, the waterway runs right the way up to the Land of Earth. That's almost like enemy territory-"
The woman turned round to fix the man with a glare. "Just do it." She snapped out.
The man shrugged. "As you wish-"
"Not so fast." Came a heavy masculine tone, the boat helmsman actually having to strain his head to look round - and gasp. There, stood on the water, was a ginger-haired man, metal piercings covering a face with glowing purple eyes, dressed in a black cloak with red clouds that fluttered in the miserable weather. The figure was instantly recognisable to both people in the boat as the leader of their nation - but at the same, the differences were pronounced. For one thing, the man seemed taller, the metal piercings differently placed - and the voice was certainly not the one that addressed the nation.
"Lord Pain!" The helmsman spoke aloud in shock anyway, but the figure took no notice as their eyes were locked solidly on the woman in the boat. The ex-commander had taken up a tense, defensive stance, the trembling in their hands belying their inner emotion as they prepared to make a fight to get away. They knew they could never beat the man who defeated Hanzo.
That would've been at least partially feasible to do when thinking in the mind, but that was completely ruined when four other figures touched down on the water, emerging from the blur of speed that had catapulted them there. A man and two other women, all three of them also having ginger hair that was now obviously dyed complete with the same cloaks, surrounded the boat on its front and left. The right side was covered by the last figure, a hulking behemoth which created a loud bang as it crashed down onto the water, standing up as if it was a solid surface. A seven foot tall monstrosity, the figure that was obviously once a man didn't look completely human anymore, unlike the other Paths.
"Surrender." Came the same monotone, masculine voice from behind the woman, who felt her heart lurch as she snapped her head round from watching the metal monstrosity. The first Path to land there was now on the boat itself, wrenching out a chakra rod it had used to impale right through the heart of the helmsman. "There will be no escape for you. There is only this one chance."
A spat out fireball directly at the Path was the ex-commander's answer, prepared to die fighting rather than face whatever torture awaited her at a vengeful Leader's hands. The purge would look like nothing compared to what Pain would do to her - at least the majority of deaths were quick.
"Foolish." The Path intoned as it didn't move at all - the very space and air in front of it seeming to warp instead, the very essence and energy of the fireball being snuffed out as it collided with the spinning vortex. The energy was instead absorbed by the Path, only to be transmitted back to the puppet master upstairs.
It hadn't bought a single second of time for the female ninja as she tried to leap away out of the encirclement, but was instead met with the combination move of two of the Paths instead. Being ultimately lighter, reinforced with chakra every second they wore mobile and converted for the role of combat, they could outperform such move to flee like the woman was doing - as she found out.
The Animal Path cracked down upon the woman's skull as she had leapt up, being the lightest Path which then stomped the ex-commander back down to earth in an uncontrolled descent; before another harsh kick from the airborne Naraka Path booted her down to the right. Right into the arms of the Asura Path, which caught her with the stabbing of a chakra rod to her ribcage. Letting loose a scream, it was quickly cut into a gargling exhalation as the metallic head of the Path crashed down into the woman's skull with a brutal blow - disorienting her to the extreme as the Paths all disappeared in puffs of smoke.
PAIN'S TOWER - THE ATTIC.
The five Paths burst into existence before the chair in which Nagato sat in, the very base of a powerful transmitter that would allow the rinnegan bearer to utilise his Paths a lot further beyond the city. The amalgamated small crowd of rinnegan users and cloaks tightened the space further as the Asura Path threw forward the woman, making her collapse painfully onto the floor.
A simple, swift kick by the Naraka Path to the chakra rod already embedded within the side of the ex-commander withdrew an abiding scream of pain from the female ninja as the metal instrument penetrated further through her vital organs. Chakra ran through the rod as the transition of chakra was received, the impaled metal reaching a hot temperature which drew out her agonised screams - as a vivid image of the rinnegan opened in her mind with a shrill blast in her ears.
The pain only reached tolerable levels when the chakra rod was wrenched out by one of the paths, making the ex-commander tremble like a leaf, sobbing as the pain was still very much with her.
"Pathetic." Nagato sneered as he looked down upon the shaking woman with a harsh gaze. "And you're supposed to be one of my military commanders? Two children handled their pain better than you."
The woman was given no time to even try to speak in her state as the restraints keeping Nagato fastened and connected to the transmitter withdrew, allowing the supreme leader of Ame to stand. Merely taking a second to look down with a derisive sneer, he scoffed.
"You will know pain." Nagato stated simply, glaring down at the woman through narrowed, rinnegan eyes - before he stalked forth to the woman who was scrabbling backwards among the pile of corpses that once surrounded her. Clenching a hand tightly around the top of her skull, the ex-commander gave a scream before Pain started ripping out her memories.
THE NEXT DAY, THE LIVING ROOM.
Gaara and Shino were waiting in the living room space, a room in which Shino had spent a lot of his life. Researching, reading, playing with his brother and other such activities. It had changed over the years, with all of the child necessities removed and it now resembled a normal living room - with another sofa and a couple of chairs added. The TV had been upgraded, and more photos had been added to the shelves.
None of the photos were still from before ten years ago, Shino idly noticed.
"What are we doing here?" Gaara asked quietly, breaking the peaceful atmosphere and Shino's ruminations as the insect host looked to the red head.
"Nagato called us here." He replied simply. Gaara could only look back into the dark blue eyes of Shino, and recognise the look in the orbs just staring back at him - apathy. A calculating look that judged the world for what it was, and how they perceived it - not by good or bad, but from how the person would interact with it. It was a look he was familiar with, but one that was now in the past - after being shaken up as he was, the source of his nightmares removed and thrust into a whole new life; he'd changed. He clung to his sanity with both hands now that he could so tantalisingly see it after so long, with the sheer feeling of being able to sleep and even breathe without the deluded ravings in his head brought about an indescribable feeling. But he'd had an excuse for that look in the form of a blood-thirsty monster sealed inside of him.
Shino should not have that look.
He didn't quite know who 'Nagato' was, instead having been told he'd meet someone called Pain by Konan, but he was in no position to question anything. His very instinct spoke to him then, from when his father would forcefully make him listen by overpowering him when he used even the one-tail's chakra. If he could do that, then he didn't dare to question the man who could remove it.
Nagato Uzumaki and Konan entered the room then, the one rinnegan eye not hidden behind a curtain of crimson hair surveying the two boys before motioning for the two of them to sit on the sofa, which they did. Konan stepped to one side and just prepared to take a supportive role in the upcoming conversation, as she had done her whole life for Yahiko and Nagato.
"Gaara Subaku." Nagato voiced out calmly then as he seated himself in the chair opposite the two boys, before beginning the upcoming dialogue in an unusual way. "Tell me, what is your relationship with your father like?"
Gaara seemed a little shocked at first, not speaking for a moment before gathering himself and answering the stranger who was obviously 'Nagato', given how Shino wasn't questioning anything. "Non-existent." Was his simple answer in a muted tone of voice.
Nagato leant forwards slightly, his posture seeming to find the answer fascinating as his face did not - remaining completely calm. "Then you have a choice, Gaara." Nagato intoned, the dropping of the surname almost audible to everyone in the room. "By now, you must have some idea of what we do. Shino himself is working towards being a ninja under my command. Your choice is now this - do you wish to be a ninja under me, or not?"
Konan's amber eyes looked to Gaara as he stared at Nagato, and saw herself and the two others in that decision. They'd become ninjas at such a young age, being trained by one of the great Sannin for three years before both parties went their separate ways - still ending up embroiled in war. And now, here it was happening again, something they'd sworn to stop when they created the Akatsuki.
She stayed silent.
"You are Pain, aren't you?" Gaara asked firstly, his posture not fully meeting the solid gaze that he looked to Nagato with.
Nagato didn't bother asking how he'd figured it out - Pain was obviously senior to Konan, and given how senior Konan was, there wasn't a lot of people left. Combined with the fact that he'd met Pain once and they had the same eyes, it did leave enough room to be figured out. "Indeed." Nagato merely confirmed.
Silence prevailed for a few moments after that, before it was broken. "I will." Gaara eventually responded to the question, his face showing some of the indecision that still struck him, but the semi-firm tone he'd used showed how some part of him did want it.
"Good." Nagato stated simply, before pulling out three folders from the storage seal he had etched on the cloak he was wearing. "Then meet your two brothers, Gaara Uzumaki."
He deliberately flipped open two of the folders, revealing the frowning visage of Shino and the happier photo of Naruto upon the open pages - which were then slid down the table between them to Gaara. Basic details were outlined on their profiles, offering the red-head more insight into the two that would be his comrades - brothers even, according to the man before him.
"You both will spend the next six years training. You will be given an individual teacher from which to learn from, but do pay heed that they will not be present all the time. You will have to self-learn. I will also train you in one skill of your choice." Nagato calmly informed them, receiving no comment from either boy, only getting Shino's lacklustre stare and Gaara's curious glance.
The curious glance was switched to Shino as he finally spoke up. "And who will be teaching us?"
"The elite commander will meet Gaara at the guard station at 12 o'clock tomorrow. Be prompt, and they will introduce themselves then. Do not expect them to remove their helmet." Was all Nagato stated to Gaara, before his purple eyes shifted to Shino. "Your teacher, Shino, will be Sasori of the Red Sands."
An eyebrow was risen at the unusual, but not unfamiliar name. "The criminal puppeteer?"
"The one and only." Nagato responded. "He will not share his puppeteering skills with you, but there is still plenty he can impart on you - poisons, chakra control skills better than most and science. Do not waste such a man's time."
Shino didn't respond, merely taking in that information.
"Then it just leaves the choice of the one skill you wish to learn from me." Nagato stated in a finalising tone as he leant back into the chair, awaiting answers.
Shino spoke up first, answering the question in a tone that only conveyed his interest. "I'd like to learn the art of the sword." He answered simply.
Nagato gave a small, approving nod. "Good. That would be an asset to have, given the long-range styles the Aburame clan usually deploys." He spoke, before shifting his gaze to Gaara. "And you?"
Despite not having had very long to think about it, Gaara already had an inkling of what he wanted to do. There had been few times in his life that he had ever expressed an interest in something he wanted to carry out, but he remembered that day he'd asked about pain to the only person who'd cared for him in the Sand. Here was a chance to pursue that.
"I'd like to learn how to heal people." Gaara spoke, still in a muted tone.
Nagato didn't question it, merely raising an eyebrow before gesturing to Konan. "Konan here is much better skilled than me in the medical field. She could teach you once or twice a week, if she is willing." Nagato responded, looking to Konan who only nodded in affirmation. "There you go then."
A short bout of silence ensued, before Shino questioned something. "Who will teach Naruto?" He asked, in a simple tone of voice - but one Nagato knew would contain more concern for than if he asked about any other person.
"Me." Nagato stated simply. "And Naruto is currently fine, recovering in the medical ward from an operation."
"Operation?" Konan questioned then, having not heard of that.
"Yes, an operation." Nagato spoke resolutely, inviting no further questioning on the subject at the present time, instead switching the topic. "That is all I came to talk to you about. But there is one thing, Gaara Uzumaki. You will say nothing."
"Nothing?" Gaara questioned, somewhat puzzled.
"You will say nothing about what you see and hear to anyone outside of these walls." Nagato intoned firmly. "Or the teacher assigned to you will issue an order for your arrest."
Standing up, Nagato gave a nod. "That will be all. Did you have any questions?"
Shino knew now was just as good a time as any. "Yes, one I've wanted to know my entire life." He questioned with a determined tone. "Who are my parents?"
Nagato stared to the boy for a moment, before stooping over the table and flipping the folder of Shino's profile to a relevant page. "You've had access to it your entire life." Nagato countered calmly as he looked back to the boy, whose shocked features could not be hidden from his experienced eyes.
Tearing the folder from off the desk and reading the short paragraphs of information on the exposed page, the shock slowly turned to the emotion Nagato had anticipated - anger. The look of betrayal in the eyes of Shino as he read through it had been just what the rinnegan user had expected - he would know. He wrote it for this singular purpose.
What he did not expect was the furious gaze in the boy's eyes to be turned to the next profile along as if an idea had struck his mind whilst he turned over the information within it. Nagato did nothing to stop it however, as he was curious to the reaction that would be garnered as Shino flipped through Naruto's profile. He stopped at the page heavily labelled 'CLASSIFIED'.
It was classified for good reason - wars had been started over mere information being leaked before. And the information that the kidnapped son of the Fourth Hokage was being kept within another nation definitely had such potential.
The papers in Shino's hands from both files were compressed as he balled them into fists, losing his emotional control for the first time in a long while as he let his anger be displayed - before storming out of the room to the bedrooms. Gaara looked alarmed at the development, staring at the boy that appeared disinterested at almost every development in his day suddenly lose his cool, then looking to Nagato with a questioning gaze.
"You are not the only one that was condemned at birth, Gaara." Nagato merely informed him in response. "Shino is currently learning that as we speak. For both of your brothers."
Gaara looked conflicted at that - certainly apprehensive at the news he'd just been told, but also intrigued at the news that there were people just like him. After a second of dithering, he followed Shino out of the room to strike up a conversation. Leaving the two adults alone.
"What did you do, Nagato?" Konan questioned once she was sure the children were gone - making the rinnegan user glance to her questioningly. "You have that posture of thinking, and you shouldn't be letting them go out after such an event. I know you. What have you done?"
Nagato remained silent for a moment before looking back to the doorway. "What's necessary." He simply answered, taking up the posture Konan had mentioned once more. "Will there be anything else, Konan?" He intoned after a few seconds.
"Yes. Just one more." The purple-haired woman asked, a serious expression on her face from what she'd heard already. "Why did you name two non-Uzumaki, Uzumaki?"
Nagato just gave a chuckle as he still didn't look to his long-time friend. "Why else?" He questioned aloud rhetorically. "But to spite the Uzumaki clan, of course."
Konan didn't respond as she gazed at Nagato, before simply disappearing from the room. There was just a multitude of reasons and explanations that could be discerned from that one answer.
RADIO ROOM.
The radio room was the most common place to find the Jonin Commander, who despite having an office of his own, preferred to be at his assigned desk in the radio hub of Ame where he could be updated at all times. He was one of the busiest men in the nation, having no time for a marriage due to the duty he had been assigned by Pain - to manage the logistics, locations and many other aspects of the two armies in Rain. Despite being the jonin commander, most of the jonin had actually been commanded by the chunin commander as the man was just so busy.
It was especially busy in this erratic time, due to the level five emergency and the corresponding deployments of a lot of units. All of the codes and signal names had been overhauled as well, guard duties and patrols being scrambled around as valued assets either changed locations or had tightened security due to the sheer nature of a traitor being at the very top.
A time that got even more erratic as the bloodied body of the chunin commander was thrown onto his desk, making him jump to his feet. However, it was fortunate he had not started shouting as the culprit of the action became obvious - with Pain stood idly before him with an almost bored expression.
"Jonin Commander." The Deva Path spoke out to silence the man before he could salute him. "The woman before you is a traitor. So, she will meet a traitor's death - on live television across the nation. You will arrange it so." Deva waited for nothing as he turned on his heel and took a step, before stopping as a thought struck him. Looking round somewhat so a singular rinnegan eye glanced to the commander, he spoke his last order. "Just make it painful."
The elite commander emerged from the shadows at their Leader's signal as they walked through the corridor out of the radio room, the Deva Path not even looking to them as he issued his orders.
"I have two details I need seeing to." Pain began. "Firstly, I need the body of Hanzo of the Salamander brought to me. Leave it at the guard station on the top floor." The two ninja rounded the corridor and walked through a door, emerging into a staircase which they began climbing, the elite commander gliding silently behind their Leader's footsteps. Despite the metal armour they wore. "And get me the Kazekage on a secure line to my private office. Tell him that if he aids me in a particular matter, I will solve every problem he has with food and water."
"Pain!" A feminine shout came from behind the pair of commanders. Deva showed how much more he respected the woman behind him as he actually turned to look at her, addressing Konan directly.
"Yes, Konan?" Deva questioned to her as the blue-haired woman formed fully before them, sheets of paper powered by chakra sticking together to form the human body, swathed in an Akatsuki cloak. She gestured to the silent, black armoured figure beside Deva, causing him to finally give them a cursory glance before looking back. "You need not worry, Konan, the elite commander knows of most classified things in this nation. Including of the six Paths of Pain."
"Well that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." Konan responded in an urgent tone as the need for secrecy was found to be unnecessary. "I heard you mobilised them all. What on Earth was the need for that?!"
Deva gave a mirthless chuckle as he just gave an empty upturn of the mouth. "You need not worry, Konan, I merely apprehended the traitor behind all of this." He reassured her.
"Well, that's just it!" Konan almost hissed out then, her tone more urgent. "We both know that some Chunin Commander could never have been behind all of this!"
Deva's face hard-lined almost instantly, as his arm snapped out in a commanding gesture. "Leave us." He snapped out in an assertive tone. He received no reply except the small nod from the elite commander which he didn't even turn around to see, knowing that the black armoured figure was already melding with a black portal in the wall.
Looking firmly to Konan, he nodded his own head. "Indeed." He merely confirmed.
Konan just stared back, concern in her amber eyes. "Well, who is then? You must know." As the second of only two people to have access to everything, she knew Pain could rip out memories from a person's skull with ease.
Deva merely remained motionless for a second, however, before instead outlining a plan of action. "Get Naruto and the nine tails to my office at once. I need the sealing expertise of the tailed beast. Join me in my office with them." He ordered, before turning on his heel to walk off.
Konan knew him too well, however. "And then what?" She questioned.
Deva only began walking off after speaking his last sentence. "Then summon Zetsu to the office."