Once Shiba Kiyokawa confirmed that their target, Ando, had truly committed treason, the surface-level investigation advanced rapidly.
That same afternoon, he led Konan through the dense forests surrounding the town, tracking Ando to a hidden supply depot deep in the mountains.
The hideout was well concealed, tucked into a thick patch of woods and guarded by a patrol of rogue shinobi. Their formation and watchfulness were surprisingly organized—at least on the surface.
But none of it posed any challenge to the two Akatsuki elites who had come to investigate.
As soon as they settled into position, Konan quickly reached out and grabbed Kiyokawa's arm, whispering urgently with a lowered voice:
"Kiyokawa, these men are all local rogue ninja from the Land of Rain. Please—don't act rashly. You promised me, remember? No extreme methods this time!"
She hadn't even bothered to assess the threat level first. Her first worry had been about him.
Kiyokawa could only offer a helpless smile.
He wasn't sure whether to be touched by Konan's trust in his strength, or to mourn how far his reputation had fallen that this was her default reaction.
As for how she had instantly recognized the scouts as local rogue ninja? That was easy—they were poor in a very Land of Rain kind of way.
Not a single one of them wore a standard-issue shinobi vest. Instead, they had mismatched cold-toned clothing to blend into the forest. Half didn't even have ninja pouches—just cheap swords slung over their backs, straw rain hats on their heads, and grass stalks clenched between their teeth.
Carefree and impoverished. The local aesthetic, in a nutshell.
Kiyokawa didn't argue with Konan over something so minor.
"Alright, Konan-ne. We'll avoid them and sneak in quietly."
Konan looked genuinely surprised. She hadn't expected him to agree so easily.
But Kiyokawa offered no explanation.
Because the real show wasn't out here.
The two bypassed the patrol and infiltrated Ando's hideout.
Inside, they were both stunned by what they found—a warehouse stuffed to the brim with goods.
Konan inspected the contents, then turned to him in disbelief.
"Most of it's medicine and food supplies… some meat, too."
"God… how does he have this much? The nearby villages have been starving because of the war—how could he hoard so much and not help anyone?!"
Kiyokawa didn't answer.
He was shocked too, but for a different reason.
He hadn't expected the stash to be this massive. As for the fact that Ando was hoarding? He'd suspected that from the beginning.
"We need to find Ando—now," Konan said urgently. "If he's had this stockpile all along, why hasn't he shared it with the nearby villages?"
"With just these supplies, Akatsuki, Yahiko, all of us wouldn't have to work so hard to keep the people fed…"
But just as she turned to storm off, Kiyokawa grabbed her wrist.
"Don't rush in, Konan-ne. Calm down."
"Are you really going to just barge in without a plan? And then what? If he doesn't cooperate, what will you do? You were the one who asked me not to handle things too extremely."
Konan froze mid-step.
She looked back at Kiyokawa, eyes filled with complicated emotion—surprise, gratitude, and a deep respect.
"You're right, Kiyokawa. Thank you… I got carried away."
"You're always so calm… like nothing ever rattles you."
Because this is the "gift" I've carefully prepared for you.
"Konan-ne, I understand how you feel. But… maybe it's time to wake up from that beautiful dream."
"What do you mean, Kiyokawa?"
"I don't know if people can truly understand one another… but I think, at the very least, you should see the reality of this world."
Konan blinked. She hadn't expected him to bring up their ideals—not now, not like this.
But Kiyokawa didn't go deeper. He simply planted the seed, then gently took her hand.
"Come. If Ando's stockpile is this large, he probably hired more than just those amateurs outside. We need to stay alert."
It was the first time Konan had ever felt Kiyokawa hold her hand.
But in that brief, stunned moment… she didn't pull away.
Hand in hand, they continued their stealth approach until they reached a concealed room at the back of the warehouse.
The two pressed themselves flat against the ceiling beams, peeking through a crack in the wooden slats.
Finally—they found their target: Ando, the hoarding merchant.
And he wasn't alone. Several Iwagakure shinobi stood beside him.
Even now, deep inside the Land of Rain, these shinobi wore their forehead protectors brazenly, without any attempt to hide their identity. It was pure arrogance—typical of a Great Ninja Village.
When she saw this, Konan—who had just calmed down—erupted with fury again.
So this was the truth.
This man hadn't just ignored the war refugees around him—he was colluding with Iwagakure.
Fortunately, Kiyokawa was still holding her hand. He gave her soft palm a reassuring squeeze, reminding her to stay composed.
Inside the room, Ando sat in a chair, puffing on a long-stemmed pipe and ranting furiously.
"So do you understand now?! My request is simple: wipe out that damned group called Akatsuki."
"Kill all of them if you can—or at least drive them away from my town! Let them go peddle their garbage ideals somewhere else!"
The Iwa ninja in charge frowned.
As shinobi, they typically didn't question a client's motives. But this mission was so odd, he felt compelled to confirm the details.
"Our intel says that your town was recently saved by this Akatsuki. So why do you want to drive away your saviors?"
Even he—an outsider—was stunned by how low Ando had sunk. For a moment, he even suspected that this might be a trap, that Ando was secretly colluding with Akatsuki.
But Ando? He wasn't thinking that far ahead. He genuinely hated Akatsuki.
"Who the hell asked them to save me?! I already had my own hired ninja—I'd have been fine without them!"
"I never begged them for help!"
"And those starry-eyed fools don't just go around playing heroes—they actually tried to interfere with my pricing! What a joke!"
"If I don't jack up prices during wartime, when else am I supposed to make a fortune?"
"Those worthless peasants—why should I care if they live or die?! Even Hanzo doesn't care!"
"And those Akatsuki clowns? Pretending to be saints, acting all noble? Please. Disgusting."
"If the Land of Rain actually ends up ruled by their kind… how the hell am I supposed to get rich anymore?!"
As Ando finished his rant, Konan began to tremble.
Despite the warmth of the season, her hands and feet had turned cold.
Only the hand Kiyokawa was still holding retained any heat.
She had never imagined, not in her worst nightmares, that someone like this could exist within their own country.
Her eyes drifted back to Kiyokawa—now filled with conflicted emotions swirling beneath the surface.
Is this... what you meant by "the reality of this world"?