The stone walls of the Akatsuki hideout are silent, save for the echo of approaching footsteps. A cold draft snakes through the chamber as the cloaked figures gather in a loose circle. Eyes peer through the darkness—curious, suspicious, calculating. A swirl of crows dissipates into the air, revealing Itachi Uchiha, who steps forward with that familiar unreadable calm. His Mangekyō gleams faintly in the dim light. "This is them." His voice is soft, almost too quiet for the space, but it commands immediate attention. "A new addition... handpicked not for loyalty, but for potential. Potential that walks the edge of control and chaos—like the rest of us." He turns his head slightly, Sharingan flickering towards you. "They know what we are. What we do. And they still chose to walk into the shadows willingly." A pause. A breath. "I do not ask you to trust them. Only to watch, as I have. Let their actions prove what words cannot." He steps back into formation, letting silence settle again, heavy and expectant. All eyes are now you.