"Alright, Konan, let's just call it even! Give him one of Nagato's eyes and send this guy packing. Seriously, I'm starting to miss those chickpea cakes with cheese tomato sauce back in the village!"
Sakumo, still gripping the black rod, nodded in agreement and pointed at Rinjin. "Whoa, you mean the Three Highs pastry shop? Those chickpea cakes are legendary. But honestly, I'm partial to their lightly charred cream bread."
"Please, Dog-bro. Only old guys like you would go for that burnt cream bread! Way too much sugar."
"Hey, watch it! What do you mean 'old guy'? Loose teeth aren't my fault! Comments like that'll get you dunked in a pig cage!"
"Heh, you've got gum problems because you eat too many sweets and never brush. You should try some black toothpaste!"
"..."
Konan and Obito stared at the two like they'd lost their minds. What were they doing? Did they even care about the battle anymore?
Before Obito could grumble, a black-and-white, leaf-faced figure popped out of the ground nearby.
"Madara, we found Nagato's body!"
Obito snapped back to focus, yanking his hand free from Sakumo's grip and retreating fast. Across the way, Konan's brows knit tight as she bolted toward the tower at the village center.
She'd hidden Nagato and Yahiko's bodies in a secret chamber beneath the tower—one no one else knew about. Now, it was clear the secret was out.
Her body fluttered into a storm of paper butterflies as she rushed underground.
Inside, the paper wrapping the bodies had been shredded. Dried blood streaked Nagato's skeletal face, and his empty eye sockets were hollow.
Konan's face darkened instantly. She didn't care about the so-called Rinnegan. What enraged her was the desecration of Nagato's corpse.
She burst out of the chamber, wings forming as she prepared to chase them down—only to be stopped by Rinjin.
"Don't bother. You won't catch them. And even if you did, do you really think you could beat Madara with the Rinnegan?"
Konan spun on them, fury burning in her eyes. "Who the hell are you two, really?!"
She'd always known Kakuzu and Hidan were outsiders in Akatsuki, never crossing any lines, so she'd ignored their backgrounds. But now, this "Hidan" was stopping her from revenge. That was too much.
Rinjin and Sakumo exchanged a glance, then dropped their transformation jutsu in perfect sync. With two balloon-popping sounds, their true forms emerged.
Konan's amber eyes widened. As an Akatsuki founder, she'd seen more intel than most—there was no way she didn't recognize these two. Still, she never imagined the guy calling her "Sister Nan" was actually the Land of Rain's daimyo, Sakukata Rinjin. And the one earnestly debating writing techniques? The legendary Konoha White Fang himself.
Seriously—were these two old men just bored and teaming up to mess with her?
She thought back to her own attitude with them, and a wave of embarrassment and anger washed over her, cheeks flushing. But Konan wasn't the naïve girl she used to be. After a brief blush, she steeled herself.
"So, the legendary Land of Rain daimyo and the infamous renegade Konoha White Fang. My apologies."
Rinjin shook his head, stone-faced. "I'm not the daimyo anymore. These days, I'm the boss of Shueisha—and the number one patron! So here's the deal, kiddo. Two choices:
One: Come back to the Hidden Rain Village with me. You'll never have to worry about food or money again—just focus on writing.
Two: I drag you back, lock you in a dark room, and you crank out a hundred thousand words a day. No sleep until you hit quota!"
He said it with all the menace he could muster.
Sakumo quickly stepped in, pulling Rinjin behind him and piling on the apologies. "Konan, don't blame Rinjin—it's my fault! I don't have many hobbies, but I love books. I've collected your whole 'Me and My Three Men' series. I'm also a proud member of your fan club. Please, don't take Rinjin seriously. We just can't stand seeing someone as talented as you dying for nothing in a pointless war."
He fumbled through his words, then tried to drag Rinjin away.
Konan stood there, silent for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh. Who knew what she was thinking? Maybe it was the unexpected concern from strangers. Or maybe the warmth of knowing she had readers who cared.
After a long silence, a gentle smile crept onto her lips.
She'd once researched Hidden Rain Village in depth. It was called the ninja world's paradise, a place blessed by peace. If not for Akatsuki, maybe she would have taken Nagato and Yahiko there to live out their days in peace.
But her hands were already stained with blood. She didn't feel worthy of that gentle, peaceful place she'd dreamed of.
She smiled, shook her head, and refused Sakumo's offer.
"Thank you for the invitation, Number Two Patron. Maybe, someday, I'll settle in Hidden Rain. But right now, I have to see to Nagato and Yahiko's funerals. So—goodbye."
Sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating Konan's face, her smile radiant.
...
Beneath the waterfall outside the village, Rinjin watched Sakumo sulk and rolled his eyes. "Dog-bro, you really are hopeless."
Sakumo bristled, stubborn as ever. "The books say if you want to convince someone, you have to be gentle!"
"Bullshit!" Rinjin rolled his eyes again. "Only being tough gets you happiness. Look at Tsunade—she camped at my place, wouldn't leave, forced me to pay her debts. Did she get what she wanted? Look at you—always bending over backward for Konoha, and they still ditched you.
If you ask me, we should've teamed up and just dragged her off. You handle the update reminders, I sell explosive tags—perfect!"
"Hmph! I refuse to be associated with the likes of you!"
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