[Hyuga Kiyonari said: "The Land of Rain's most distinctive features are its almost never-ending rain, and the massive pipe system that makes up the entire old Hidden Rain Village.]
["Those pipes aren't just part of the village's architecture—they're also a huge waterworks system. They collect the abundant rainwater and use differences in elevation to drive water turbines to generate electricity, keeping the Hidden Rain Village running."]
[…]
"Land of Snow… Kazahana Koyuki… geothermal generator…"
"Drilling… use a geothermal generator to draw heat, boil water… drive a steam turbine… turn a generator…"
Konan's fingertips lightly traced the page, her brows knitting.
If it were ninjutsu, she could talk about it endlessly—principles rolling off her tongue. But these scientific and technical terms in front of her felt completely unfamiliar.
She'd lived in Amegakure for over ten years, and only after reading this log did Konan realize the village had a side she had never understood. Those metal pipes with rainwater flowing through them day and night… apparently weren't just drainage.
This was entirely outside her realm of knowledge. The feeling was like the first time she learned about chakra and ninjutsu.
Like a new world.
"Hyuga Kiyonari…"
Konan murmured the name softly. Only now did she finally understand why Tsuchikage Ōnoki's tone always carried an indescribably complicated emotion whenever he spoke of Konoha.
For someone like this to appear among ninja who only knew how to kill—a good person, and a capable one—what were the odds?
And yet, people like that always seemed to appear in Konoha.
She sat at her desk, spread out a sheet of blank paper, and began writing. Her pen moved in smooth strokes, weaving scattered intelligence into a clear thread.
The Land of Snow mentioned in the log was a small country at the far northern edge of the continent. Far from the Five Great Nations and shinobi conflicts, it displayed surprising technological potential.
The Snow Daimyō, Kazahana Sōsetsu, devoted himself to researching a "geothermal generator," hoping to change the country's harsh environment. But just as they produced an initial workable model, his younger brother Kazahana Dōtō launched a coup and seized power.
Sōsetsu entrusted the key to the geothermal generator to his daughter, Kazahana Koyuki, and hired Konoha shinobi (Hatake Kakashi) to escort her, successfully helping her escape the Land of Snow.
Dōtō mistakenly believed the geothermal generator was some kind of powerful weapon. He pursued her relentlessly, searching for Koyuki's whereabouts. But by then she had taken the alias Fujikaze Yukie, settled in the Land of Fire, and become an actress.
It wasn't until Hyuga Kiyonari—then still a genin—accepted a mission and assisted that Koyuki was able to return to her homeland, overthrow Dōtō's rule, and restore the country.
"That's the whole story."
Konan set her pen down and fell into thought.
In the log, Hyuga Kiyonari hadn't mentioned specific dates when he told the story. So she didn't know whether, at this point in time, the Land of Snow had already developed the geothermal generator—or whether Kazahana Dōtō's coup had already happened.
If it was still early, two choices lay before her: one was to warn Kazahana Sōsetsu in advance and help him prevent the coup. The other was to wait for the coup to occur, then help Kazahana Koyuki reclaim the throne.
From the standpoint of Akatsuki and the Land of Rain's interests, the latter was obviously the better choice.
Even though Sōsetsu led the research, he wasn't a researcher himself. As for Koyuki, her hatred would be a piece Akatsuki could control easily. They could take everything the Land of Snow had—perhaps even control the country from the shadows.
But…
Konan's gaze drifted unconsciously to the notebook, as if "Hyuga Kiyonari" were watching her through the page.
"I should confirm the current situation first."
Who could she send to investigate the Land of Snow?
Zetsu? Amegakure ninja?
The moment those answers surfaced, Konan rejected them. No matter who she sent, she couldn't explain the source of her intelligence.
She wasn't willing to take any risk that might expose the log.
Besides, the geothermal generator was developed in the Land of Snow. It might not even suit the Land of Rain's environment. Like using Water Style in the desert of the Land of Wind—you could do it, but it wouldn't be ideal.
So beyond gathering intel on the Land of Snow, she would need to recruit researchers. And others likely wouldn't even recognize the value of these "ordinary people."
Which meant…
"I'll have to go myself."
The next day.
Konan stood before Pain. "Pain, I need to leave for a while."
"Leave?"
In that voice with no fluctuation at all, there was a hint of tension—clearly Nagato was resisting the idea.
"I've just been tired lately. I want to be alone for a bit."
She softened her tone, as if soothing a cat that was about to hiss.
"Where are you going?" he asked again.
"The Fire Capital," Konan answered. The Land of Snow was too far; a round trip would waste too much time. Besides… the key was still in Kazahana Koyuki's hands. All she needed to do was confirm whether the name "Fujikaze Yukie" existed.
That place was far from shinobi conflicts, and she wouldn't run into powerful ninja. With Konan's ability, she could handle it.
Pain relaxed slightly, but still hesitated. "How long?"
"Not long. At most, I'll be back within half a month."
Pain fell into a long silence. Cold rain continued drumming against the tower. Only when the rain grew heavier did he finally give a small nod.
"But you must promise me," his tone sharpened, "be careful."
"I know."
Before leaving, she still needed to prepare.
Akatsuki hadn't yet been exposed to the wider shinobi world, but wearing that cloak in the Fire Capital would inevitably draw unnecessary attention. To avoid trouble, she needed to change clothes.
Back in her room, she opened her wardrobe. Inside hung the few clothes she owned: several black cloaks with red clouds… and one pure black robe, faded from repeated washing.
This was what they wore back when Yahiko was still alive—before the name "Akatsuki" even existed.
Konan held the robe against herself, fingers unconsciously rubbing the cuff where a tear from a kunai had once been. Now only tight stitches remained.
"It still fits… more or less."
As the black robe wrapped around her, Konan made a girlish motion without thinking.
She rose onto her toes and spun once. The hem lifted, revealing the purple bodysuit underneath, and the figure in the mirror seemed to split in two—her present self and the girl who once followed behind Yahiko, staring at each other across time.