In the end, Konan left the office.
She had initially been worried that her identity might cause trouble for others. Even with a pass, she was still an outsider.
But now, with the higher-level pass Kaho had given her, she believed it shouldn't be a problem.
In a higher room, Kaho and Kakuzu watched as Konan left Naruto's office, their expressions mixed.
"Is it really okay to let her wander around the Land of Waves like this?"
Kaho's voice carried a hint of concern.
Although she had acted as if she and Konan had hit it off, it was mainly to gauge Konan's attitude.
While Konan's emotions and demeanor didn't seem fake, there was still a chance it was an act. After all, she had come with explosive tags. For the safety of the Land of Waves, it was better to be cautious.
Kakuzu shook his head and said helplessly: "This is the leader's order. He said something about 'weathering the storm' and 'carousels.' I didn't really understand, but it seems the leader has intentions of recruiting Konan."
"Recruit her? I feel that the probability of success may not be high."
Kaho thought about their earlier conversation and continued, "Although we only spoke briefly, from what I observed, Konan seems genuinely interested in the life here in the Land of Waves. But she doesn't strike me as someone who makes major decisions on her own. It seems like the injured Uzumaki Clan's member is the one who calls the shots."
"Speaking of which, Uncle Kakuzu, weren't you also part of the Akatsuki? Why haven't I heard you mention that there's a Uzumaki Clan's member in the Akatsuki?"
Kaho looked at Kakuzu with a puzzled expression.
After learning Kakuzu's true age, many people were too shocked to speak. After all, he was a living piece of Ninja World's history.
So now, many people simply called him 'Uncle Kakuzu', though he really actually from their grandfather generation.
Even Kakuzu seemed a bit confused. He genuinely hadn't heard of any Uzumaki Clan's members in the Akatsuki.
"I've never seen any Uzumaki Clan's members in the Akatsuki. The only red-haired member I know of is a missing-nin from Sunagakure. That guy's a real piece of work."
"The leader of the Akatsuki is someone with the Rinnegan. His name is Pain, but now it seems like Pain might just be a puppet."
In Kakuzu's memory, Pain had always been cold and corpse-like.
"Perhaps the real leader of the Akatsuki is someone else?"
Kaho speculated.
"Alright, the leader will be back soon. Let him handle this. I've got a lot of work to do. Orochimaru's been asking for more funding and experimental materials again."
With that, Kakuzu turned to leave. He needed to check if Orochimaru's research was worth the high funding.
"Sigh--"
Kaho sighed as she watched Konan's retreating figure from above. With Naruto away, she had become the one with the most free time.
---
Konan wasn't wandering aimlessly.
Her destination was the Land of Waves' school. After seeing the homework assigned by the school, she had become very curious about it.
Along the way, Konan experienced the local culture and customs of Land of Waves while asking for directions to the school.
Although many residents were puzzled by her questions, they warmly pointed her in the right direction when they realized she was a visitor.
On her way to the school, she first saw the nearly completed and already operational Land of Waves Hospital.
This surprised her a bit. 'It seemed the Land of Waves' medical capabilities weren't weak. Their hospital was massive, with several buildings, far larger than anything in the Land of Rain.'
However, while touring the hospital, Konan ran into someone slightly familiar.
Yakushi Kabuto.
Since he was Orochimaru's subordinate, she had met him once when she went to see Orochimaru.
This time, Konan didn't react too strongly. After all, if Kakuzu was here, Orochimaru must be here too.
Kabuto was surprised for a moment. He also remembered Konan, the Vice Leader of the Akatsuki. But after seeing the special pass she wore, he didn't react further.
After exchanging a glance and a nod, they went their separate ways.
Seeing Kabuto, Konan decided to leave. After all, it was still a bit awkward.
This time, Konan didn't go anywhere else and headed straight for the school.
The school wasn't far from the hospital, just facing a different direction, with one facing east and the other facing west. The walk took about half an hour.
Since she was wearing a special pass, the guard only asked Konan to register her personal information before letting her in.
Before even entering the school, Konan could hear the distinct sound of children's voices reciting their lessons. Now, inside the school, the sound became even clearer and louder.
The orderly, high-pitched voices didn't feel noisy. Instead, they were pleasant, like the first rays of morning sunlight… warm and bright, refreshing and comforting. Just from the sound, one could feel the unique vitality and energy of children.
As she quietly listened to the delightful recitations, Konan noticed that there were also many children active on the playground not far away.
Curious, she walked toward the playground.
Perhaps because the school playground faced east, the morning sunlight was particularly bright.
Under such sunlight, many students were exercising under the guidance of their teachers. Some were running, some were learning gymnastics, and others were playing games like dodgeball.
The warm winter sun shone on the children's faces. Their smiles were as pure as morning dew, their eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement. Their dark, lively eyes seemed to speak.
From the innocent faces of these students, Konan could feel their purity and beauty. It made her want to protect that innocence, to preserve that moment of beauty.
But for some reason, the way these children ran was different from what she was used to.
'They swung their arms as they ran. Did that make them faster?'
Konan observed the students' running posture and noticed that this method seemed to save energy and help them control their pace better.
She then turned her attention to the students practicing gymnastics. A loudspeaker nearby played rhythmic instructions.
She didn't understand the purpose of this exercise, so she watched intently, trying to figure it out.
After some time, a playful voice suddenly sounded beside her.
"Konan-san, if you keep staring like that, people might think you're a creep who likes children..."