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Chapter 85: Alex: What's Making Me Feel So Full?
"Lady Konan!" Honoka cried out joyfully.
Kameda froze, then quickly turned around. In a flash, Konan was flying beside him. He immediately asked with concern, "Lady Konan, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Konan looked at the three of them. "Is everything normal? Has the Ankoru Vantian been discovered?" Now that the White Zetsu had the ability to fly, with their numbers and intelligence-gathering capabilities, the sky was no longer as absolutely safe and hidden as it once was.
Kameda immediately replied: "Lady Konan, I followed your orders and parked the Ankoru Vantian here. We did not attract the attention of those flying white monsters on the way, and we have not spotted any trace of them in the surrounding airspace."
Konan nodded. "They are called White Zetsu. There are many of them, and they are very good at gathering information. From now on, you must always be on the lookout for them. Do not let them discover the Ankoru Vantian."
"Yes. I will make the arrangements, set up aerial observation posts, and not let them get near the fortress."
Honoka, seeing Konan's expression was normal and she had no visible injuries, finally relaxed. She opened her mouth, looking as if she wanted to say something but was hesitating. Seeing this, Konan knew what she wanted to ask. "Don't worry, your kinsman, Karin, is fine. She retreated with those people." She shook her head. "It's just that Karin doesn't seem to care much about your kinship. She only has eyes for that man, Sasuke Uchiha."
Honoka's spirits fell. "Lady Konan, I know. Karin seems to hold a lot of resentment towards the Uzumaki clan, and toward kinsmen like me. After all, what she and her mother went through in the Land of Grass was just..." She sighed heavily and didn't continue.
Ryūzetsu, standing to the side, remained silent. She had been unable to change the village's orders and could only offer the mother and daughter a little help on the side.
"Alright, no need to be disheartened. You'll get your wish eventually." Konan wasn't concerned about a single Karin. When her future goals were achieved, Honoka's status would rise with the tide. A mere Karin would be easily handled.
Seeing that they were mostly done talking, Kameda bowed. "You've worked hard in this battle, Lady Konan. I have already prepared lunch and drinks for you to enjoy at your leisure."
He was still so meticulous. Even while anxiously awaiting the outcome of the battle, he hadn't forgotten to prepare for daily logistical matters.
"The fortress deck has also been fully renovated. Would Lady Konan like to dine in the deck pavilion?"
Konan glanced at the sky. Noon had already passed. The battle had taken more than half a day.
"The pavilion is fine."
After speaking, she was the first to pass through the mist, landing on the Ankoru Vantian's deck.
Now that the renovation was complete, the previous rough and dilapidated appearance was gone. It was covered in fresh green grass. A stream ran through the centerline of the deck, flowing to the end and then splitting to both sides, circulating around the entire edge of the deck. Konan wasn't sure how Kameda had done it. She saw no water-pressure device, yet the crystal-clear water flowed slowly in a clockwise direction. Colorful koi swam in the water. Rockeries, small groves of trees, and fresh flowers... every placement and selection had been carefully designed. With its babbling brook, faint floral fragrance, and shady greenery, it was truly worthy of being called a sky garden.
Konan entered the pavilion, with Ryūzetsu and Honoka following closely behind. They were both very satisfied and pleased with the deck's new look. Now that Lady Konan had returned safely, they could finally enjoy the comfort of the sky garden. Kameda quickly served the dishes, all of which were cooked with high-grade ingredients. They were fragrant and delicious.
...
After the meal, Konan sipped her tea and asked Kameda, "How is the person we captured earlier?"
"Lady Konan, that guy is still restless, even in the water prison. To prevent any accidents, I have already moved him to the brig and locked him up tightly with refined iron. He won't have any chance to escape." A fortress as large as the Ankoru Vantian naturally had a brig. It was even specially designed to prevent prisoners from escaping and causing damage during flight. All the cages were cast from high-quality steel. Combined with refined iron chains, it was enough to make any ninja locked inside behave.
Konan set down her tea cup. "What were the results of the interrogation?"
A flash of embarrassment crossed Kameda's round, chubby face. "Lady Konan, my deepest apologies. I was inefficient and have not yet managed to torture his origins out of him."
Konan was not particularly disappointed. For a ninja with a strong will, mere physical pain was not enough to make them talk. Kameda was not a professional interrogator, after all. He knew neither genjutsu nor memory-reading jutsu. It was normal that he couldn't obtain any information. In the past, Konan might have had a headache over how to make Jūgo talk. But things were different now. As long as she fused with the Uchiha bloodline and obtained the Sharingan, a simple genjutsu would easily get her the information she wanted.
Konan gazed at the sea of clouds to her right, her mind elsewhere. I'll wait until Alex wakes up to decide...
Kameda stood by, not daring to breathe loudly. He had thought he would be punished by Lady Konan for his incompetence. But he hadn't expected her to let it go so easily, as if she didn't care at all. For such a magnanimous leader, he had to do something to repay her. It seemed he had been a bit lax before... This definitely couldn't continue! A fire suddenly lit in Kameda's eyes. When he went back later, he absolutely had to strengthen their ideological education. Those brats under his command had to memorize the "Sun" theory. He would carve the word "Loyalty" into their very bones!
...
Late at night. In her room, Konan sat by the window, quietly watching the silver moon high in the sky. This room had the best view in the entire Ankoru Vantian. She was dressed in silky, light purple pajamas that outlined the extremely tempting curves of her waist and hips. Her milk-white skin glowed under the silver light. Her whole person exuded a tranquil and elegant aura. Konan hadn't slept, quietly waiting for Alex to wake up. As long as he was asleep, her heart was heavy with worry, and she couldn't sleep peacefully.
'Hm? Why does it feel so tight... and full...'
From her chest, Alex woke up in a daze. He felt an outward, swelling sensation in the center of his body. He opened his "eyes" and looked.
Whoa...
All he could see was a field of snow. As for the tight, swelling feeling... it turned out that after a sleep, the hole in his body had healed inward a significant amount. It was already not big enough to completely frame the base. He reckoned Konan must also be feeling a tight, constricting sensation.
Alex secretly estimated. At this rate of recovery, the hole in his center would probably be only a finger-width thick by tomorrow. That would be just right to wear on...
Sensing the movement, Konan's amber eyes instantly lit up. She said urgently, "Alex, you're awake? How is your body?"