This time, they rested for quite a while. Ming Jing even took a short nap. When he woke up, his stomach was growling loudly.
"How long have we been here?" Ming Jing stood up and twisted his slightly sore neck as he asked.
"Two days," Konan said calmly.
Ming Jing froze, then asked curiously, "How did you know?"
"When I was young, I lived in a similar environment for three years." Konan's tone remained calm, as though she were talking about someone else. Ming Jing sighed. A saying came to mind: When the nation prospered, the people suffered. When it perished, the people still suffered.
For some reason, Konan suddenly looked at Ming Jing and said, "I don't know whether the path you chose is right, but I hope you truly can bring peace and happiness to everyone."
Ming Jing had not expected Konan to say something like that. When he had spoken with Itachi before, he had had no real concept of so-called peace. No matter how nicely he put it, it had merely been an excuse for leaving Konoha. But hearing the same sentiment from Konan gave him a completely different feeling.
When young Itachi spoke grandly about peace, Ming Jing had found it amusing. A young master of the Uchiha Clan who had never lacked food or clothing talking about peace? Wasn't that a little too melodramatic?
But Konan was different. She was a war orphan. Since childhood, she had searched for food among piles of corpses, often going hungry one meal and eating the next, liable to be killed at any moment. If Jiraiya had not later taken pity on her, even her corpse might not have remained.
For the first time, Ming Jing felt just how heavy the burden on his shoulders was. At this moment, Konan was not some divine messenger. She was merely an ordinary girl weary of war.
"Mm. I'll do everything I can!" Ming Jing nodded. He seemed to have found his goal for his future career as an official.
"Let's go!" Konan walked over, took Ming Jing's hand, and headed in a chosen direction. Neither of them had any other thoughts, yet each felt warmth from the other's palm.
Perhaps their bad luck had finally run out. This time, they found an exit without trouble. When they saw the outside scenery again, even Konan quietly let out a breath of relief.
"This isn't the cave entrance we came in through." Ming Jing looked around, sounding troubled. He had no idea where he was.
"This is the Land of Rain." Konan looked at the rain outside and said, "Muchuan County is a day's journey from here."
"I didn't expect us to stumble into the Land of Rain." Ming Jing smiled. Seeing fish occasionally surface in the nearby river to blow bubbles, he said happily, "What luck. There are fish in this river. No time like the present—today, I'll let Konan try my cooking!"
"Sure!" Konan nodded. She sounded quite pleased.
Ming Jing immediately kicked off his shoes, picked up a branch, and ran into the river. Using the branch in place of a sword, he speared six palm-sized fish, then spent a long time trying to identify them with his pitiful knowledge of biology, only to fail completely.
"They're crucian carp... Do you really know how to grill fish?" Konan finally could not stand it any longer and asked.
"Ahem... They'll be more or less the same once they're grilled!" Ming Jing coughed awkwardly. He swiftly scraped the scales off the crucian carp by the river, then made two cuts along their backs. Seeing this, Konan felt somewhat reassured.
After preparing the fish, Ming Jing fetched some honey from the nearby woods and dug up several pieces of ginger along the riverbank. But there was no salt, leaving him helpless. It was his first time cooking without salt, and it just happened to be for Konan... What a sad story...
In that case, he could only rely on his own ingenuity!
As a member of the great sacred empire of foodies, he absolutely could not bring shame upon his homeland and people!
Ming Jing carefully spread honey evenly over the crucian carp. Then, forming a sword with two fingers, he sliced the ginger into thin pieces and stuffed them into the fish's bellies. Finally, he started a fire and skewered the fish on branches over the flames.
"Sorry, the conditions are rough, so this is all I can manage. Next time we go to Muchuan County, I'll make you a whole fish feast." Ming Jing sighed after finishing.
"It's already wonderful." Konan pulled her gaze away from the grilled fish, a smile appearing on her face.
Ming Jing kept turning the fish to cook them more evenly. After around twenty minutes, the fragrance of fish mixed with the scent of honey drifted through the air. Konan closed her eyes and took a sniff, saying delightedly, "It smells so good."
"You can have this one first. Mine will be ready soon." Ming Jing handed Konan a golden-brown grilled fish.
Konan accepted it and impatiently took a bite, immediately huffing from the heat. After a while, she took another small bite. She chewed it carefully, then looked at Ming Jing and said, "It's delicious! The fish is tender and fresh without being fishy, with a hint of honey sweetness and a little spice. It feels quite warm going down."
"You're praising it too much. Maybe you're just too hungry, so everything tastes good." The second fish was done as well. Ming Jing tore off a piece and tasted it, feeling that it was nowhere near as good as Konan had described.
"You really are a young master who has never suffered..." Konan glanced at the refined way Ming Jing ate and said with some envy. Ming Jing had no response. Given Konan's experiences, neither Akira Kurama nor Ming Jing could be said to have endured hardship.
At that moment, a figure approached from afar, arriving before them from the horizon in the blink of an eye. Ming Jing stepped in front of Konan and watched the newcomer with a grave expression. What terrifying presence! Wait, this guy looks familiar! Orange hair, a black cloak with red clouds, and those ripple-patterned eyes!
"Don't be nervous. He's my companion." Konan's voice came from behind Ming Jing, and he naturally stepped aside.
"Looks like you're fine." Pain looked down at Konan and spoke expressionlessly.
"Sorry for making you worry." Konan looked at Pain after finishing one fish.
Pain descended from the sky and walked up to Ming Jing. His Rinnegan fixed on Ming Jing as he asked in a deep voice, "A new friend? Or a subordinate?"
"A friend." Konan picked up another grilled fish and continued eating. Once Pain had arrived, she completely relaxed.
"Oh?" Deva Path Pain could not help but scrutinize Ming Jing seriously.
"Hello, I'm Akira Kurama." Ming Jing took the initiative to greet him.
"Akira Kurama..." Deva Path Pain narrowed his eyes. "The Prime Minister of the Land of Fire, and a ninja of Konoha."
"And Konan's friend," Ming Jing added with a smile.
Deva Path Pain looked at Ming Jing coldly. "Then tell me your purpose in approaching Konan. No matter what, I cannot believe the words of a Konoha ninja."
"Your purpose in approaching Konan?" Ming Jing paused, then looked at Deva Path Pain and asked, "Does Konan have some identity that would make me deliberately approach her?" Deva Path Pain fell silent. Dawn's ideals could not possibly be known to outsiders at present. In that case, there truly seemed to be no reason for Ming Jing to deliberately approach Konan.
"Pain, there are things inside that need you to deal with." Konan had finally finished another grilled fish. She walked between them, separating the two men as the atmosphere grew tense.
"What is it?" Deva Path Pain shifted his gaze away from Ming Jing, who immediately felt the air flow much more freely.
"Inside this mountain, there's a plant and a spring. Both are very dangerous." Konan pointed at the cave, her expression grave.
"Hm? What happened to your Chakra?" However, the moment Konan came closer, Deva Path Pain noticed something unusual about her and questioned her at once.
"We'll talk when we get back." Konan had never intended to hide it from Deva Path Pain, but she did not know how to explain it for the moment.
Deva Path Pain thought Konan did not trust him because Ming Jing was present, so he did not press further. He looked at the mountain, told Konan, "Wait here," then flew into the cave entrance.
"He just went in like that. Will he be alright?" Ming Jing asked worriedly.
"Don't worry. There isn't an enemy in this world he can't handle. Are you still eating?"
"Uh... You eat."
"Mm."
Before you continue