Konan, Nagato

The Shin'nosuke Sarutobi incident was not publicized, as it would only affect Konoha's morale. However, it did worsen the relationship between Konoha and Kumogakure.

The Land of Whirlpools.

"They're gone."

As the sea breeze blew, Uchiha Yoruro with a carefree smile on a merchant ship, waving goodbye to Uchiha Shisui and Hatake Kakashi's group who had come to see them off.

"Brother Yoru, take care."

On the merchant ship, Uchiha Itachi, with his youthful face, followed behind his teacher. This time, he would accompany his teacher back to the village.

As the merchant ship sailed on, until the Land of Whirlpools became a black dot in sight, Uchiha Yoru sighed with a touch of melancholy, while Uchiha Itachi beside him looked on with a puzzled expression.

"Teacher Yoru, are we going back this time?"

The meticulous Uchiha Itachi showed a suspicious look. Uchiha Yoru glanced at the calm Itachi, whose youthful face revealed a mature and calm expression, yet it felt natural, as if he was born that way.

Finally Uchiha Yoru raised his head and watched a cold wind blow by. He squinted his eyes, enjoying the temporary tranquility, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"This is a task for when you return to the village. Remember to burn it after you've read it."

He slowly took a scroll out of his robes and handed it to Uchiha Itachi, who was standing to the side.

As the dark green scroll slowly unfurled, the seal on it was broken. This was a mission personally issued by the Third Hokage, classified as S-rank.

S-Rank Missions refer to tasks of national importance, involving state secrets. The work may include participating in wars at the invitation of other countries, assassinating important figures, or moving classified documents. The reward is over one million taels of silver.

After quickly reading the mission scroll, a look of shock appeared in Uchiha Itachi's youthful eyes. Then, the scroll in his hand burst into Kakkō and burned to ashes in the wind.

The two remained silent for a long while before Uchiha Yoru spoke softly, "Itachi, do you have any questions about this mission?"

Although Uchiha Itachi was young, his calm mind was second to none, and he directly stated his thoughts in a low voice.

"Teacher Yoru, the radical faction under the Daimyo of the Land of Fire is becoming increasingly powerful, especially the Fire Temple, which is one of the most relied-upon forces by the Daimyo outside of Konoha. The emergence of radical voices within the Fire Temple will affect the interests of the village."

This S-Rank Mission is simple: assassinate a Jiku from the Fire Temple. Intelligence indicates that he has been invited and is preparing to depart for the Daimyo's Mansion in half a month.

Seeing Itachi's understanding, Uchiha Yoru smiled and shook his head, saying, "Itachi, what's the deeper meaning behind this? Can you see it?"

Uchiha Itachi remained silent for a moment, but then he spoke his conjecture in a low voice.

"Teacher Yoru, this is a trap set by the village for the Uchiha Clan. Once the Uchiha are involved, the Uchiha Clan will be wary of them. The village wants to isolate and leave the Uchiha clan helpless."

Listening to Uchiha Itachi's analysis, Uchiha Yoru chuckled and nodded, "Not bad, your prediction is quite good."

"The village has freed up its resources, which is why they have plans to strengthen defenses and even weaken the Uchiha Clan. Once the Uchiha involved in this matter, they will have no external support."

Within the Land of Fire, the Uchiha Clan was almost completely isolated within their village. If they wanted to find outside help, the only option was the Daimyo's Land of Fire Daimyo's Mansion.

The Third Hokage's methods were undeniably ruthless, capable of killing with a single blow.

He, Uchiha, eliminated a radical Jiku of the Fire Temple, the monk Chiku. To Konoha, he was a radical, but to the Daimyo, he was a loyal follower.

In particular, the identity of the monk Jiku is not simple; he is of a very high seniority in the Fire Temple, at the level of an elder.

If the Uchiha does this, won't the Uchiha hate them to death?

The young Uchiha Itachi had experienced too much and had seen through the darkness and corruption of the village. The fact that the border was not yet stable and the village's corrupt leaders had already begun to fight among themselves filled him with anger and sorrow.

"Straighten your clothes. From now on, we are both Rogue Ninjas. We must complete the village's mission, but we can't let the Uchiha tarnish the Daimyo's reputation."

A confident smile spread across Uchiha Yoru's face, and even Uchiha Itachi, standing beside him, was captivated by her charm.

As the sun set, its afterglow shone on Uchiha Yoru, as if he were draped in a cloak of rosy light, a sight that left Uchiha Itachi stunned.

In the Land of Whirlpools, Hatake Kakashi, the commander of Konoha, was on the Front Line Commander, with Uchiha Shisui as his deputy. This was a show of respect for the Uchiha Clan.

As for Uchiha Yoru, he was ordered to return to the village to recuperate, and was given ample respect in return.

Under the snowstorm, the world returned to tranquility. Only some small towns still exuded a sense of prosperity, while the villagers in the rest of the villages huddled indoors, relying on their stored food to get through the winter.

Tanzaku City.

It is a bustling town within the Land of Fire, located at a transportation hub where merchants and travelers frequently come and go, and countless goods flow and are transported through it.

This location also contributed to the prosperity of the town. Even under the snow, the town exudes a bustling atmosphere, with merchants' carriages frequently traveling back and forth on the streets.

"Itachi, your body limits your Chakra reserves, but at this age, your Chakra is already far stronger than that of your peers. Once we return to the village, I will teach you a powerful Ninjutsu. But for now, you should continue practicing your Chakra control."

Two figures, one tall and one short, walked down the street. Facing his teacher's earnest instruction, Uchiha Itachi respectfully nodded and said, "I understand, teacher."

For Uchiha Itachi, he was the clan's genius. He shouldered the clan's responsibilities from birth. Some praised him, but few cared about him.

His teacher's concern for his physical well-being warmed his heart.

Uchiha Itachi truly lived up to his reputation as a genius; his ability to grasp concepts instantly went beyond mere comprehension—he could practically apply what he learned to other situations.

Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but marvel at Itachi's talent, truly deserving of the title of genius who joined the Anbu at the age of eleven and awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan at thirteen.

Teaching geniuses is definitely the easiest thing to do.

"Teacher, according to the intelligence, the target should pass through here at the end of the month, that is, before the end of the year."

The two of them crunched on the snow as they walked Uchiha Yoru, upon hearing this, squinted and nodded, saying, "Itachi, you don't need to worry about that. What we're doing now is waiting here for our target and then intercepting him. But what if something happens to the target before that?"

As he said this, under Uchiha Itachi's gaze, his teacher gave him a meaningful smile, and the intelligent boy instantly realized something.

Uchiha Yoru, however, smiled and nodded, saying, "That has nothing to do with us; the problem lies with the village's intelligence."

"Let's go. Now we're both Rogue Ninjas planted by the Anbu, and Rogue Ninjas who also possess Medical Ninjutsu. Until our target arrives, we naturally need to continue doing what this identity requires."

The two figures, one tall and one short, arrived in front of an inn and then stepped inside.

"Mr. Ye, you've arrived."

Inside an ordinary room, Uchiha Yoru and Itachi entered. A person approached them and spoke softly, clearly indicating that this was not their first visit.

She has short, light blue-purple hair styled in a bun, with a pale blue paper flower on the right side of her head. Her eyes are light orange-yellow, and she has delicate features with light purple eyeshadow. She also has a lip piercing at the bottom of her lips.

A tall, aloof young woman, standing at least 1.7 meters, walked slowly over and spoke to the two of them.

Although it wasn't the first time they had met, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It was truly a wonderful coincidence that he hadn't encountered the fat sheep Tsunade in Tanzaku City, but had instead run into this person.

"Konan, you're too kind. It's just a fair transaction to receive payment for treating the injured."

Faced with the girl before him, Uchiha Yoru remained unmoved, instead calmly and silently feigning the nature of a seasoned, Rogue Ninja.

Indeed, the so-called girl in front of us is none other than Konan White Tiger Angel Konan the Akatsuki. No one expected to encounter her here.

Just then, a cough came from inside the room. Upon hearing Uchiha Yoru calmly instructed his follower Itachi, "Itachi, stay outside and keep watch."

"Yes, teacher."

Uchiha Itachi calmly surveyed the house. Although it wasn't his first time there, he remained cautious. Only after confirming there were no traps did he leave and hide in a concealed position, remaining on guard.

This scene did not escape Konan's eyes, but all of this was normal caution for her. After all, if a careless Rogue Ninja were out there, he would have already been lying on the cold ground.

"Mr. Ye, my elder brother has recovered considerably thanks to your care recently."

Konan, disguised as a wounded Rogue Ninja from a small country, was secretly relieved to have finally found a ninja with decent Medical Ninjutsu after all these years. At least Nagato's health was starting to improve.

Upon entering the house, a Nagato with red hair slowly raised his head. His red hair obscured his eyes, making them difficult to see clearly, but when he saw the person who had entered, a rare hint of relief appeared on his usually cold and ruthless face.

"Mr. Ye."

Uchiha Yoru's true identity is that of a Rogue Ninja who possesses considerable Medical Ninjutsu. Similarly Konan and Nagato are also Rogue Ninja, both hiding their true identities. It just so happens that one needs treatment and the other happens to know Medical Ninjutsu.

"It's best if you don't move around right now."

Uchiha Yoru quickly got into character, while Nagato and Konan exchanged subtle glances, and the Six Paths of Pain of Pain were already hidden in various blind spots, undetected by Uchiha Itachi at the moment.

"This is the payment for this transaction."

Upon meeting, Konan slowly took out a generous reward. Seeing this Uchiha Yoruro relaxed, and a rare smile appeared on Konan's usually aloof face.

In Konan's eyes, the other party had never had any bad intentions after treating her so many times, and was greedy for money. She had completely gained their trust, but that trust was limited to their identity. They had not been lacking in any of the necessary precautions.

After receiving the payment, Uchiha Yoru sat directly on the edge of the bed, his hands glowing with pale green medical Chakra as he began to examine Nagato.

"The burns on your legs are quite severe, clearly caused by the Explosive Tags, and it's been there for quite some time. You must have also used Ninjutsu with extremely severe side effects for a long period, which has led to this current situation."

Although it wasn't the first time they'd heard it, every time Uchiha Yoru mentioned the cause of his injuries, Nagato and Konan couldn't help but sigh, "He really has two knives."

Uchiha Yoru squinted as he examined Nagato's body, then shook his head and said, "Your body is so weak, yet I can sense a strong life force within you. I must say, if you hadn't been injured, you would probably be a renowned and powerful ninja."

Nagato remained unmoved by Uchiha Yoru's sentiments, after all, Yoru wouldn't know that he was already a renowned Akatsuki figure who roamed the Shinobi World.

Neither of them knew the other's identity; they only knew that the other's name was Night.

"The same as before, I will use Medical Ninjutsu to accelerate your cell repair, but only to activate the cells—your legs!"

At this point, Uchiha Yoru shook his head, prompting Konan to ask, "Is there really no other way?"

"Konan." Nagato had long since resigned himself to his fate regarding his legs, but Konan had never given up over the years.

Looking into Nagato's eyes, Konan felt a pang of sadness.

This scene made Uchiha Yoru ponder deeply. In the original story, although Nagato's legs were crippled, it was impossible that the other party had simply ignored them beforehand; they must have given up because the condition was incurable.

It was clear that Nagato's mastery of the Rinnegan had made Obito wary, so Obito remained indifferent, causing Nagato to miss the best opportunity for treatment.

The original work mentions that Nagato was Hanzo during the Third Shinobi War, which should be at the end of the Third Shinobi War.

Looking at Nagato and Konan, Uchiha Yoruro hesitated for a moment. This didn't escape their notice, and Konan couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Yoru, is there something wrong with Nagato's legs?"

Looking at Konan, who is now in the prime of her life, Uchiha Yoru shook his head and said, "It's not a problem, but rather that too much time has passed, and there's simply no chance of a cure."

Although Uchiha Yoru said that, Konan was quite clever, immediately realized something from the hesitation in his eyes and revealed a determined look.

In her heart, as long as there is hope, she will not give up, after all, Nagato is now her only companion.

"Mr. Night, Nagato is my comrade. As long as there is hope, I will not give up."

Konan looked solemnly at Uchiha Yoru and said in a deep voice, "I am willing to offer a generous reward that will definitely satisfy you, sir."

Having said all that, Uchiha Yoru looked at Konan's promise, and even Nagato, who had long since given up on the bed, couldn't help but let a flicker of emotion cross his eyes.

After all, no one ever doesn't want to stand up again, especially those who once had it; they cherish it even more after losing it.

Regular updates will resume today. Barring unforeseen circumstances, there will be two updates daily.