The rain hadn't stopped.
But this time, it felt different. Heavier. Thicker.
Like the sky itself was watching.
Yahiko stood at the edge of a rooftop, cloak soaked, hair plastered to his forehead. Below, a wide industrial street carved through Amegakure's western district. Long abandoned, flooded in ankle-high water, and perfect for an ambush.
Which is why they'd chosen it.
System Update:
Vector Control – Stage 1 ActiveSynchronization: 36%
New Ability Unlocked: Kinetic Slipstream (Passive)
Description: While in motion, user can adjust self-applied vectors to reduce movement resistance and enhance reflexive redirection. Minor chakra cost.
Yahiko blinked as the information filtered through his mind. It didn't feel like a skill—more like muscle memory waiting to awaken. A twitch behind his knee. A whisper in his spine.
Konan appeared behind him, silent.
"They're late," she said.
"They're here," Yahiko replied.
He pointed without looking—three rooftops down, movement behind a ventilation pipe.
Konan's chakra flared for just a moment, silent paper wings twitching.
"How many?"
"Four. Not Hanzo's men this time."
Konan frowned. "They're wearing standard rain armor."
"Yeah," Yahiko muttered. "But their chakra isn't local."
And it wasn't.
Each presence radiated differently. Measured. Steady.
Disciplined.
Leaf shinobi.
The first kunai came fast, aimed cleanly for Yahiko's throat. He stepped back—but barely.
Two more followed, aimed to limit his escape. Smart.
But he was smarter now.
His fingers twitched.
Vector Shift: Deflection – Active (Minor)
Applied Force Redirection: 18% left deviation.
His shoulder rolled sideways, and both kunai passed within inches of his ribcage. He didn't stop to marvel at it.
Instead, he moved.
His body glided across the rooftop, barely kicking up water. His feet touched down silently as he crossed into another angle of attack.
Konan was already mid-air, her paper wings unfurling like a weaponized halo.
Below them, the Leaf operatives made their move—one dropped a smoke bomb, another leapt for higher ground. But Yahiko saw the flaw instantly.
The third ninja was too far out of formation. Exposed.
He jumped.
And this time—he didn't stop the chakra from flowing.
The sensation of shifting his own momentum was like snapping a wire in his limbs. His jump carried twice as far, his body twisting in midair unnaturally.
Vector Slipstream Engaged
Result: Aerial control stabilized. Inertia compensated.
The enemy's eyes widened.
Yahiko spun, blade flashing in an arc—not to kill, but to cut across the man's flak vest and shoulder, severing tendons. The enemy yelped and fell sideways into the water with a splash.
One down.
Two more closed in.
These weren't assassins. They were scouts—testing strength. Gathering data.
Probably pretending to be Rain-nin, while answering to Konoha's internal black ops.
But the real issue wasn't them.
It was what their presence meant.
Hanzo had leaked intel. Someone outside the Rain was watching. Preparing.
The world was noticing Akatsuki.
Yahiko dropped low, caught a leg sweep, and rolled with the momentum instead of fighting it. His palm slammed into the wet concrete, chakra pulsing outward in a short burst—
Vector Recoil – Proximity Impact
Result: Force pulse localized. Target displacement achieved.
The shinobi who had attacked was knocked clean off his feet, spinning once before crashing into a stairwell door.
Konan's paper spikes pinned the last one against the rusted water tower.
Silence followed.
Only the patter of rain, and the hiss of water dripping from broken eaves.
"You're not killing them?" Konan asked.
Yahiko stood over the nearest downed Leaf-nin, who groaned softly, blood leaking from his mouth.
"No. Not yet."
"You think they'll report back?"
"I'm counting on it."
Konan blinked. "You want them to know?"
He nodded.
"We're not just fighting Hanzo now. We're playing a bigger game."
A faint flicker of light traced across his skin—a shimmer of chakra syncing with the System's strange architecture.
System Note:
Strategic Threat Recognition: Valid
Passive Flag: Diplomatic Pressure
Effect: Enemy factions may escalate observation and political manipulation.
Suggested Action: Choose allies before the war begins.
War.
He hadn't said that word aloud yet. But the moment he saw those Leaf scouts, he knew.
Akatsuki wasn't a rebellion anymore.
It was a symbol.
And symbols drew power—and predators.
Later, as they dragged the unconscious shinobi into holding cells, Yahiko sat alone on the steps of the depot.
The storm above boiled, black and endless.
Nagato approached slowly, eyes distant.
"You knew they weren't Rain-nin," he said. His voice was low, but the words carried—not an accusation, but a confirmation.
Yahiko didn't look up. "Yeah."
"And you let them live."
This time, Yahiko turned. Water sluiced down his face, but his eyes burned. "They weren't here to kill us. They were here to see us."
Nagato's fingers twitched. "So you showed them mercy?"
"No." Yahiko stood, water cascading from his cloak. "I showed them calculation."
Konan materialized from the downpour, her paper wings dissolving into the storm. "They'll report back to Konoha. To the Hokage."
"Good." Yahiko's grin was razor-thin. "Let them."
Lightning split the sky, and for a heartbeat, the three of them were silhouettes against the white-hot glare—Yahiko's outstretched hand, Konan's poised stillness, Nagato's swirling eyes.
Nagato exhaled. "Then what comes next?"
Yahiko stepped forward, boots sinking into the flooded concrete. "Next time, we don't just fight. We speak."
Konan's voice was barely audible over the rain. "And if they don't listen?"
Yahiko's gaze didn't waver.
"Then we make sure the next message isn't delivered with words."
Above them, the storm groaned like a beast stirring awake.