The next day, when Konan came to find Shiba Kiyokawa, he was already hard at work in the Akatsuki's only training field, immersed in intense training.
Over the past few months, the primal instinct to survive had fully awakened Kiyokawa's self-discipline and drive.
Ever since he received his first batch of rewards from the system and officially became a true shinobi, he hadn't relaxed for even a single day.
Whenever he wasn't on a mission, he'd spend the entire day training in the hideout's practice yard.
He didn't have a choice—training might be grueling, but not training could mean death.
And sure enough, his persistence paid off. In just a few months, he had made tremendous progress—not only mastering the basics of Taijutsu and Kenjutsu that the system had granted him, but also learning several Water Style and Lightning Style techniques through sparring and study within the organization.
Watching him now—his stable footwork, the fluidity in his movements, the sharpness of his blade, and the seamless transition between offense and defense—Konan couldn't help but feel a sense of mixed emotion.
"You've improved again, Kiyokawa."
She praised him sincerely.
Someone like him—hardworking, intelligent, capable, and disciplined—why couldn't he just understand their ideals? Konan sighed inwardly.
"You flatter me, Konan-ne. Was there something you needed?"
Kiyokawa figured they were about the same age, but since both were orphans without clear birth records, it was impossible to establish who was older.
Still, he was happy to call her "Konan-ne," and she didn't object.
"Yahiko has reassigned your squad to other duties. For the next few days, I'll be your mission partner."
Kiyokawa smiled immediately.
"So, they're sending you in as Yahiko's spokesperson, huh, Konan-ne?"
"…"
Caught off guard, Konan turned her head with mild embarrassment. One hand instinctively brushed back the paper flower pinned near her temple.
That simple motion—performed by the fourteen-year-old Konan—was unexpectedly delicate and charming, with a subtle elegance all her own.
Kiyokawa paused deliberately to admire her side profile, cheeks tinged faintly red, before speaking again.
"So, what's the mission?"
Konan tilted her head slightly and asked,
"You're not upset, Kiyokawa? Having your squad suddenly reassigned?"
Upset? Why would I be? You're far more valuable than them.
You don't even realize your worth, Konan-ne.
Rather than being angry, Kiyokawa was actually quite satisfied with Yahiko's decision.
Because he knew that if he wanted to reshape or overthrow the Akatsuki, he would eventually have to break the core trio of Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato.
The others were just side characters. According to the original timeline, most of Akatsuki's early members were destined to be wiped out during Hanzo and Danzo's purge.
Only Konan and Nagato had the potential to survive and eventually grow into Kage-level powerhouses.
You think you're here to persuade me, but you've got it backwards, Konan. You are the one I've set my sights on.
I've been planning for a long time… how to show you the truth of this world.
"It's my honor to carry out this mission with you, Konan-ne."
"…No need to flatter me. Just listen to the briefing first."
Konan then explained the mission in detail.
Their objective was to investigate a Land of Rain merchant named Ando, who operated in a town not far from the Akatsuki hideout. Not long ago, the Akatsuki had defended the town from a band of rogue shinobi, but for some reason, this Ando didn't seem grateful.
In fact, he had reportedly sabotaged Akatsuki's supply runs multiple times.
Lately, villagers had even come forward accusing Ando of secretly hiring outside shinobi with questionable motives.
After explaining the mission, Konan sighed and said:
"You know how Yahiko is. He's never been good at handling situations that might alienate the locals. And the villagers who reported this don't have any solid evidence yet… So once again, we're relying on your judgment."
"But please, Kiyokawa—no more extreme solutions this time, alright?"
Kiyokawa smiled faintly.
"I'll take this mission seriously."
He only promised to take it seriously—but gave no guarantee about how he'd solve it.
Konan opened her mouth as if to say something more, but in the end, said nothing.
For all her strength and compassion, verbal persuasion had never been her forte—especially not when facing someone whose mind operated far beyond his years.
And true to his word, Kiyokawa did approach the mission with seriousness.
That very afternoon, he departed for the town alone, interviewing locals, gathering samples, and combing through the details.
By nightfall, he had already formed a basic picture of the situation.
If he were merely looking to complete the mission, he could've wrapped it up right then and there.
But of course, he wanted far more than that.
This mission was a golden opportunity—the perfect chance to open Konan's eyes, to help her finally see the true face of this world.
So he deliberately withheld his findings, and over the next few days, continued dragging Konan around the town on a wild goose chase.
This gave the mission target plenty of time to let his guard down.
To maintain the illusion and distract Konan from suspecting anything, Kiyokawa constantly peppered her with questions about ninjutsu.
"Konan-ne, when you use the Clone Jutsu, how do you manage your chakra distribution? Oh, paper clones? That's fine—I know I can't copy your kekkei genkai, but your technique is worth studying."
"Konan-ne, any special tricks for throwing your paper shuriken? You hide explosive tags inside? That's brilliant! Why shouldn't I try it? Too vicious? No, I think it's beautifully artistic."
"Konan-ne, how do you control airflow while flying?"
And so, three days flew by in the blink of an eye.
Konan never found the opportunity to talk Kiyokawa into embracing Yahiko's ideals—not even once.
Instead, she found herself growing closer to him.
She was becoming accustomed to his presence on missions… accustomed to his diligence… accustomed to his thoughtful questions… and accustomed to the way he analyzed everything with calm precision.
No one could say for sure who was influencing whom, or whose perception had quietly shifted.
Then, on the third day, Kiyokawa received confirmation from one of his personal informants:
The target—Ando—had finally taken the bait and made contact with Iwagakure shinobi.
From a political standpoint, this was already tantamount to treason against the Land of Rain.
The moment Kiyokawa verified this intel, he couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
The time for friendship and sentiment had come to an end.
Now, it was time for the naive Konan-ne…
To experience the true nature of this shinobi world.