Yahiko first felt it during the silence between conversations.A pressure. Subtle at first—like walking into a room with no air, yet still breathing.
They had returned from the warehouse confrontation with the Leaf scouts two days ago. Rain continued to fall as always, a constant rhythm drumming against the warped rooftops of their district. And yet the sound felt different.
He noticed it when Nagato stopped speaking halfway through a sentence, eyes distant, voice fading like a dying signal.
"Nagato?" he asked.
No response.
Not fear. Not confusion.
Just... stillness.
The redhead stood still in the same spot, hand still poised over a map, eyes locked on nothing. Sweat slid down his temple, though the room was cold.
"Konan," Yahiko called quietly.
She was there instantly, eyes narrowing as she approached.
"Nagato?" she asked.
His breath hitched.
Then the air changed.
Yahiko didn't see the chakra surge—he felt it. A spike in pressure like being dunked into deep water. His instincts screamed, and before he could react, the entire floor groaned beneath them.
Konan took a half-step back. Her paper fluttered without command.
Nagato's Rinnegan pulsed.
For a moment, Yahiko saw it: not a friend, not a comrade, but something ancient. Something that had slumbered too long and too deep.
"Nagato!" he barked.
The redhead blinked—and collapsed forward.
Yahiko caught him before his face hit the table.
Konan knelt instantly, fingers pressing to his pulse, to his wrist.
"Still breathing. But…"
Yahiko looked down. Nagato's veins shimmered faintly with light—like chakra trying to burst from under his skin.
System Notification:
Entity Detected: High-Level Dojutsu Synchronization Interference.
Status: Unstable.
Rinnegan Output Exceeding Host Chakra Control.
Recommendation: Emergency Stabilization Required.
"System—now's not the time to hold out on me," Yahiko muttered.
Would you like to intervene using System resources?
Cost: 1x Random Pull Ticket + 10% Energy Reserve.
Yahiko didn't hesitate.
Confirming... Stabilization Protocol Initiated.
Integrating External Vector Flow Adjustments.Compensating for overflow.
Please stand by.
A soft blue glow emitted from Yahiko's palm.
He pressed it gently against Nagato's back.
The energy flowed in waves—like static bleeding into a radio. For a brief second, Yahiko felt inside Nagato's chakra network. Not looking at it, not analyzing—feeling.
And what he found there terrified him.
It was like staring into an open void. Limitless chakra, swirling in a storm too vast to control.
A god's power inside a boy who had never wanted to be anything more than enough.
Then the storm calmed.
Nagato exhaled. The shimmer vanished from his veins.
And the pressure faded.
They moved him to a quieter room, reinforced with paper seals and chakra barriers, just in case.
Konan stayed at his side.
Yahiko stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.
The System pulsed softly in the back of his mind, silent now. As if waiting.
System Log Updated:
Subroutine Unlocked: Chakra Field Sync Calibration (Support – Passive)
Description: Host can temporarily stabilize chakra disorders in nearby individuals. Usable once every 48 hours.
Reward Gained:
• 1x Bonus Gacha Ticket (Used)• Passive: Vector Stabilizer (Unlocked)
New Skill Acquired
Vector Lattice – Field Net (Passive/Active)
Allows limited redirection of chakra vectors within a radius of 3 meters. Primarily stabilizes friendly entities, or disperses rogue energy surges. Chakra cost: Moderate.
He exhaled slowly.
He had saved Nagato.
But barely.
And now he understood something else—something he hadn't wanted to think about:
If Yahiko fell, the Akatsuki could endure.
If Nagato lost control, the world might burn.
-----
The next morning, the delegation arrived.
Three elders. Four guards. One Rain jōnin standing far enough back to be uninvolved—yet close enough to report everything.
Konan greeted them at the edge of the compound, eyes cold.
"I thought we were given autonomy," she said plainly.
"You were given space," the eldest among them replied, stooping slightly under a wide-brimmed hat. "Not immunity."
Yahiko appeared behind her, stepping into the courtyard with calm, slow steps.
Konan relaxed only slightly.
"Yahiko," the elder said with forced politeness. "We have concerns."
"About?" he asked, already knowing.
"Your recent encounter with foreign shinobi. You engaged them. You let them live. You interrogated them."
Yahiko tilted his head. "And?"
"You overstepped," another elder said, younger and harsher. "That's Hanzo's domain. You're not a warlord."
Yahiko's voice didn't change. "Hanzo abandoned this district months ago. We've kept the peace. Organized food. Protected civilians."
"You've also amassed weapons. Begun training recruits. Grown loud."
The first elder sighed. "We are not here to provoke. We are here to advise. If the other nations believe Akatsuki is forming an army…"
"They'll act," Konan finished flatly.
Yahiko stepped forward.
He didn't shout.
Didn't posture.
He simply said:
"You think I want to fight the world."
They didn't answer.
"I don't," he continued. "But I will. If forced. If our people are threatened. If silence means submission."
He looked at each one, eyes sharp.
"You call me a rebel. I call myself a guardian."
The first elder's expression softened.
But not by much.
"Then guard wisely, Yahiko. The next step you take might be the one that starts the war."
The rain fell harder, as if the heavens themselves were weeping for what was to come.
Konan watched Yahiko, eyes lost in the silent fury that brewed in his chest. She had seen this look before—back when they were younger, back when everything had seemed simpler. But the more time passed, the more weight the mantle of leadership bore on Yahiko's shoulders.
Her thoughts drifted to the past, as they often did.
It was so much easier back then…
The wind had carried the scent of fresh earth after the first rains of the season. It had been the first time she saw him, that boy with the curious red eyes, who spoke of dreams so grand, they seemed impossible. And yet, in his voice was an assurance that made everything feel possible.
Konan had been young, barely into her teens. But her bond with Yahiko had been instantaneous—he had been a kindred spirit in a broken world, someone who understood.
"I'll change this world," Yahiko had said.
Konan had always believed him.
The older Yahiko had been silent as she spoke, his eyes half-closed, his expression unreadable. But there was something in his gaze, a hardness, a cruelty, that made her feel the weight of those words.
He was no longer the young boy they had once known, the naive idealist who believed in peace above all.
But now, the world had made him someone else. Someone sharper. Someone stronger. Someone unafraid to challenge the world, even if it meant drawing its wrath.
Konan shook her head, pushing the memories to the back of her mind. The time for nostalgia had passed. They had a future to build—a future where they would either stand united or fall apart.
She glanced up at Yahiko, who was still staring down at the elders. His calm facade belied the storm churning within him.
It was time.
"Yahiko," she called softly.
His eyes met hers.
"We will fight if we must," she said quietly, her voice unwavering. "But we'll do it on our terms."
Yahiko smiled faintly.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."