Phones being hooked up in Amegakure was a fairly new development: at least outside the main center of the city. Communication channels tended to be the first thing rogue nin or outside sources went for - so during the civil wars and prior wars they were almost constantly down. And when they weren’t down, they were being tapped by possible enemies. Not a safe channel of communication. Mostly used by civilians who didn’t know better.
Still, she was desperate.
Fingers shaking, she could barely drag herself over to where the table had been knocked over in the skirmish: the phone lying off the hook and the dial tone ringing through the empty space only filled with her harsh breathing. Rolling onto her back she held the clunky receiver to her ear and tapped in the number for the building Nagato should be in. She doubted he would even answer it. None of them tended to if it rang in one of the disused shop spaces they used for meetings, or stores of food and equipment, or hiding spaces - dotted throughout the city.
The drugged senbon was making her too sluggish. She couldn’t even focus her chakra enough to make a paper butterfly to send to him. And they weren’t due to check in with each other til morning. Her eyes flicked to one of the still warm corpses dribbling blood near her.
She wasn’t in safe territory. These people had friends who would come looking for them soon, and she was in no state to fight them off.
Maybe it was the drugs creeping through her system but she felt a few hot tears trickle out of her eyes and down her cheeks, taking eyeshadow tracks with them. The phone kept ringing.
And then it went silent. Either someone had picked up or the line had been cut. Her heart leapt and she struggled to murmur his name,”N-Nagato -”
It was rare for communications to be used this way, but he didn’t question it too much when the phone rang and he was near it. He simply answered it and didn’t think much of it.
What was on the other end, he couldn’t ever have prepared for. Violet hues widened as he heard who it was and what was happening. “ Konan!? Are you okay? Just hang on, I’m on my way right now! ”
He was never one to be calm in situations like this, she was his closest friend in the world and she sounded so weak. He didn’t even wait for a response before leaving the phone instantly and running as fast as he could to where she was.
It was his job as a leader to know where everyone was at all times, even so, his Rinnegan also granted him sensor abilities so it wasn’t like he didn’t know where he was going. He ran as fast as possible, far faster than any of the Akatsuki had ever seen him move before.
He crashed through the doors in a panic, his violet eyes wide and his face showing all signs of worry. He hurried to her, kneeling with her and trying to collect his thoughts enough to speak.
“ Konan, are you okay!? ”
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as his scarlet hair dripped the rain on to her weak body. His breath was heavy and his face red, none of it leaving with his heightened panic.
