Chapter 80: Being Followed – Konan
In the afternoon, Ling Yu took the two girls and left the hotel, heading toward the more distant streets.
Compared to the other areas, this district clearly belonged to the wealthy.
The shops here mostly sold clothes, jewelry, and weapons. Quite a few nobles from the Land of Rain could be seen walking around.
"The clothes here are so pretty!"
As soon as they stepped onto the street, Kushina grabbed Mikoto's hand and started wandering around, exclaiming in admiration every now and then.
Ling Yu followed behind the two girls. He wasn't particularly interested in buying clothes, so he spent his time observing the nobles on the street.
Almost every noble here had a Rain ninja following behind them—likely bodyguards. Their strength was generally around chūnin level, and some even reached jōnin.
Seeing such a wasteful display, Ling Yu secretly shook his head.
Hanzō, the leader of the Land of Rain, was desperately fighting against the other great nations, while the nobles of the Hidden Rain Village were living in luxury and monopolizing the village's elite ninja.
No wonder in the future, Nagato and the others would rebel, forming "Akatsuki" to overthrow Hanzō's rule. The Hidden Rain Village was riddled with too many parasites.
"Ling Yu, what are you looking at?"
Just as Ling Yu was contemplating the future of the Land of Rain, Mikoto's gentle voice brought him back.
"Nothing. Why are you alone? Where's Kushina?"
Ling Yu snapped out of it. Seeing only Mikoto in front of him and no sign of Kushina, he couldn't help asking.
"There—she's inside changing."
Mikoto pointed toward the fitting room, then suddenly thought of something and asked Ling Yu:
"By the way, Ling Yu—do you know what kind of clothes Big Sis Tsunade likes? I want to buy her a few as a gift."
"Tsunade? She can probably wear anything except skirts, I think."
Recalling Tsunade's usual fashion sense, Ling Yu answered.
He really didn't know exactly what style Tsunade preferred, but she almost never wore skirts—so anything should be fine.
"I see. Then I'll go look around over there."
With that, Mikoto turned and left to pick out clothes for Tsunade.
A few hours later, after exploring all the nearby clothing stores, the three returned to the hotel with their arms full of purchases.
At that moment, Ling Yu suddenly sensed a small tail behind them—they were being followed.
Activating Observation Haki, Ling Yu extended his perception toward the person tailing them.
A little girl? She had no chakra and almost no experience in following people.
Turning around, Ling Yu saw a small girl hiding behind a building, peeking out with half her head.
The moment he saw her, an involuntary smile appeared on Ling Yu's face.
It was actually her!
"You two wait here. I have something to take care of."
Saying that to the girls, Ling Yu vanished from his spot.
The little girl tailing them realized she had been discovered when Ling Yu turned around. She quickly pulled her head back, pressed herself against the wall, and breathed nervously.
Please don't find me… please don't find me!
Despite her silent prayers, she was still found.
"What's wrong? Is there something you want from me?"
The next instant, Ling Yu appeared right in front of the little girl, smiling gently as he spoke.
"Ah! S-sorry! P-please… don't hit me!"
Seeing Ling Yu appear out of nowhere, the little girl was startled. She immediately crouched down, hugged her head, and cried out timidly.
"Don't be afraid. What's your name? Can you tell me?"
Squatting down, Ling Yu placed his hand gently on the little girl's head and spoke softly.
The girl in front of him was only about six years old, with short blue-purple hair and orange eyes. Her thin, tattered clothes hung on her frail, malnourished frame.
"B-Big brother… M-my name is Konan."
There was no pain as she had feared. Feeling the warmth on her head and sensing that Ling Yu meant no harm, the little girl slowly lifted her head. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she answered timidly.
"Ling Yu! What are you doing?! How could you bully a little girl like that?"
At that moment, Kushina ran over with Mikoto.
Seeing Konan's pitiful appearance, Kushina immediately scooped her into her arms and pouted angrily at Ling Yu.
"I didn't bully her. I was just asking her a few questions. Konan—were you following us earlier?"
Stroking Konan's head while she was in Kushina's arms, Ling Yu first explained to the girls, then turned to ask Konan.
"F-following?"
Hearing Ling Yu's words, Kushina frowned and carefully examined the little girl in her arms.
"S-sorry, big brother… A ninja told me to follow you. He said if I followed you and found out where you were staying and told him, he wouldn't kill me next time he saw me…"
Leaving Kushina's embrace, Konan lowered her head. Her small body trembled slightly as a look of guilt appeared on her face.
"It's okay. With me here, you won't get hurt anymore. But Konan—can you tell me where that person is?"
Picking Konan up, Ling Yu comforted her gently before asking.
Sending a child to tail them meant the ninja who ordered Konan knew his strength and was only using her to test him.
Gurgle~
Before Konan could answer, her stomach let out a loud growl. Her little face instantly turned bright red, and she buried her head in Ling Yu's chest without speaking.
"Alright, Konan—you're hungry, right? Big brother will take you to eat something delicious first. Once you're full, you can tell me."
Noticing Konan's embarrassment, Ling Yu nodded to Mikoto and Kushina. Then he activated Space Power and instantly teleported the group to a nearby restaurant.
"Here—eat as much as you want. All of this is for you."
Ordering a huge table full of food, Ling Yu smiled at the bewildered Konan sitting beside him.
"Is this… really all for me?"
Swallowing hard, Konan's face lit up with a hint of joy, but she still looked hesitant and uneasy.
Ever since she became a refugee, Konan had rarely eaten her fill. Every day was a struggle in the slums—where food could be snatched away at any moment.
To survive, she had learned at a very young age to stay constantly on guard. Even when someone offered her kindness, she remained cautious.
"Of course it's all for you. I've decided—you're my little sister from now on. I'll take you away from here. From now on, you'll eat your fill every day. You won't have to struggle alone anymore."
Gently stroking Konan's hair, Ling Yu looked straight into her pure blue eyes and spoke softly.
Konan—this kind-hearted angel—since he had met her, Ling Yu would never let her suffer again.
Thinking of the tragic fate that awaited her in the original story, Ling Yu's heart ached.
Even though she, Nagato, and Yahiko would later form an organization, the three of them would end up working for free under Uchiha Madara's manipulation—only realizing the truth when it was too late, and all meeting tragic ends.
"Ling Yu… is this really okay?"
Kushina looked a little worried. She still remembered that Konan had been sent to tail them—perhaps with some ulterior motive.
"It's fine. I trust Konan. She's definitely a kind person, right?"
Holding Konan's small hand tightly, Ling Yu smiled confidently at her.
"Mmm… Thank you, big brother!"
Receiving Ling Yu's affirmation, tears of happiness flowed from Konan's eyes.
How long had it been since her parents died? She hadn't felt cared for in so long. Now that Ling Yu was willing to take her in, she already felt completely content.
"Alright—let's eat!"
"Mm!"
Nodding, Konan began devouring the food on the table with incredible speed.
Seeing her wolfing everything down, both Mikoto and Kushina looked at her with heartache. They stopped questioning Ling Yu's decision and focused on passing her water and wiping her mouth.
After Konan finished eating, Ling Yu took her back to their hotel room. He helped her change clothes and take a bath. Finally, exhausted, Konan fell into a deep sleep.
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