The future—where to go, what to do—was a true conundrum for Nagato. Originally, Akatsuki's goal had been to gather the tailed beasts to summon the Ten-Tails, so that the nations, wary of such power, would never dare wage war recklessly. But with the tailed beasts exiled, that objective had been completely shattered.
After witnessing that rift with her own eyes, Nagato thought: Perhaps it's better not to dwell on pain. Experiencing suffering again and again, only to summon the Otsutsuki, would be far too costly.
But then… what next?
This question had haunted Nagato for two days. On the third day, when no solution came, Konan—who had also secluded herself for two days—pushed the door open.
Nagato was about to greet her, but before she could speak, a sharp slap landed on her face.
"You… why did you hit me?" Nagato held her face. Judging by the force, it hadn't been light at all.
Hitting you once is already considered light…
Konan rubbed her hand, still aching from the strike, and sat on the sofa. She said casually, "Sorry, hand cramped."
Konan poured herself some tea and turned off the TV, which had been playing in the background. Nagato pondered the future of Akatsuki, now without the tailed beasts, while Konan had taken a moment of free time to think—but she wasn't here to discuss that.
"I need to ask you something. About borrowing Zaraki Kita."
"…What?"
Nagato didn't react at first. Konan shrugged, indifferent to repeating herself.
"I want to borrow Zaraki Kita."
Uh…
"Konan, Sister Kita isn't suited for village missions." Nagato decided to reason with her, trying a different approach. She's too strong. Sending her on village missions would be overkill.
"Akatsuki didn't even give her tasks, so what's wrong with me borrowing her? Why are you so protective of her?"
Her tone was sharp, carrying some resentment. Nagato hurriedly explained, "No, I'm not protecting her. I have no improper feelings toward her. Believe me, Konan."
"Then just let me borrow her."
Normally, if Konan asked Sister Kita to do work, Nagato wouldn't care. But this situation was different. Sister Kita's body couldn't hold out much longer; her remaining time was essentially counted down. Nagato wanted her to spend it in peace, not running around. Ethically, letting Konan borrow her was acceptable—but something still felt off.
"Uh… what do you need her for?"
"You keep saying you don't have feelings for her… You've never asked me before why I borrow people." Konan's smile carried a strange teasing edge. Nagato's hair stood on end as he recalled the fear of being dominated by her in the past, shivering as he raised his hands in surrender.
"No, no, no! Really, absolutely not!"
"Then what's wrong with borrowing her? I'm not going to hurt her!" Konan said, lightly hitting Nagato's arm. After a brief struggle, he finally laid down a condition: "You can borrow her… but don't send her on missions outside the village. It's better for her to stay here."
"Got it," Konan said, standing up from the sofa. As she turned to leave, she remembered something else.
"By the way… what are you going to do about Akatsuki?"
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"The tailed beasts are gone… how do you plan to make the world feel pain?"
"Even if Akatsuki gathers, we won't match the tailed beasts."
Nagato muttered.
Konan smiled, without a trace of mockery.
"Nagato, that wound wasn't just caused by the tailed beasts—it was war. Even if we've returned to the starting point, it doesn't mean all these years were wasted. At least we proved this was a wrong path."
Nagato blinked and nodded sheepishly.
Konan waved her hand and continued walking, saying, "Study it carefully. Call me if you need me."
"Alright."
=======
What is it like to fill out a ninja registry after twenty years?
To be honest, Zaraki Kita was utterly confused. Even more puzzling was seeing "jonin" written under the rank column. Though technically a non-Akatsuki member, she was still a Genin. When did I ever take the Chunin exam? When did I get promoted to jonin?
Zaraki Kita had over a hundred questions buzzing in her head as she pushed open the doors to the village administrative center.
Hmm… Konan wasn't here.
The office was simple: bookshelf, desk, sofa, coffee table, water cooler, a large potted plant—all orderly and clean. Floor-to-ceiling windows made the space feel bright, and from upstream, one could almost see the entire village. The bookshelf held scrolls and books neatly arranged. The desk, however, had only a few documents, a fountain pen, an ink bottle, and a small, cute succulent—carefully tended.
A knock echoed. Shigure entered, immediately speaking:
"Konan, regarding this quarter's review—"
Her words stopped abruptly. There was no Konan-sama present, and she noticed someone who shouldn't be there.
For a moment, both Shigure and Zaraki Kita froze. But Zaraki Kita reacted first, waving with a soft smile, saying politely, "L…long time no see, Sh…Shigure."
Her stutter brought Shigure fully back to his senses.
"You can talk now?" He relaxed slightly, continuing, "Right… my subordinates said you returned a few days ago." His tone suggested a friend reunited after many years, though honestly, Zaraki Kita's bond with Shigure wasn't quite that close.
"You're alive… I'm really glad," Shigure said sincerely. Zaraki Kita could hear it in his voice. Of course, she was puzzled at first, but he quickly explained.
"I heard you died a few years ago. Seriously, you worry people so much," he said, partly complaining about her fake-death rumor. Zaraki Kita smiled apologetically, scratching her head. She didn't know what to say, so she asked the purpose of his visit.
"Uh… Konan-sama, where is your—?"
Shigure paused, noticing the empty desk. His face stiffened.
"Seriously… disappeared again?"
Half an hour later, Shigure returned with the absent Konan-sama, who had skipped work to grab breakfast. Bringing a portion of yokan, he had woken late and was hungry before noon. Shigure had to fetch him back. Zaraki Kita was sent outside during Shigure's reprimand. Even if she could hear the conversation inside, she instinctively kept her distance; village secrets were not for a Genin to know.
"Konan-sama, I know you're happy with the one you lost and found again, but you shouldn't be so openly skipping work. Isn't the ANBU supposed to run errands for you? If an emergency happens, no one would know where to find you!"
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