The Most Beautiful Flower

After the rain, the sky cleared.

If not for the angel's descent, the Land of Rain might not see six hours of sunlight in a year. This was one of those six hours.

The village bustled with activity. The world-renowned Heavenly Flying Immortal Uchiha Jiang Feng was about to leave. Except for those who truly couldn't spare the time, everyone gathered to bid farewell to a friend they had just come to know.

It was precisely because of parting that people treasured reunion more, and looked forward to the next gathering all the more. So wasn't parting itself a kind of joy?

But Konan was not joyful.

A cherry blossom petal drifted down from the tree, soft as a lover's lips.

Konan stood in the spring breeze, holding a paper flower in her hand, staring blankly at the cherry blossom tree in the yard. She seemed lost in thought, or perhaps she was confiding the sorrow of parting and a maiden's tender feelings to the wind.

Nagato leaned against the courtyard wall, arms crossed, watching his companion, his family, in the spring breeze.

Her brows were like distant mountains, and her spirited eyes were painted with eyeshadow the same color as her hair. From the second day after Jiang Feng arrived in the village, Konan had started wearing eyeshadow. Before that, she had never deliberately dressed up.

Nagato finally couldn't hold back and spoke: "He's leaving soon. Aren't you going to see him off?"

Konan shook her head.

She couldn't understand why Yahiko and the others were so happy when their friend was about to leave. Wasn't parting supposed to be a sad thing?

The thought of not knowing when she'd next reunite with her friend made Konan so sorrowful that she didn't even want to see him one last time.

"I want to give him a flower. You can pass it to him for me." Konan looked up again, counting the blossoms on the tree, hesitating.

Nagato saw through his companion's thoughts at once: "You're definitely planning to let him take the most beautiful flower in the Land of Rain back to Konoha."

Konan nodded.

The twenty-three cherry blossoms on the tree—each one was precious to the Land of Rain and to the Akatsuki Organization. But no matter how precious a flower was, it could never compare to a sincere friendship.

So if Konan wanted to give Jiang Feng the most beautiful flower, no one would say a word. Even if she dug up the whole tree and made Jiang Feng carry it away, everyone would still clap and cheer.

The problem was, all twenty-three blossoms were beautiful—so beautiful that Konan couldn't pick the prettiest one.

Nagato suddenly sighed. He understood: "You called me over because you wanted me to help you choose the most beautiful one."

Konan nodded.

Nagato continued: "All twenty-three blossoms on the tree are beautiful—breathtakingly so. But the cherry blossoms we treasure so much mean nothing in Konoha.

Not to mention, once a flower is picked, it wilts. By the time he returns to Konoha, the flower you gave him will be even less able to compare with Konoha's cherry blossoms."

Konan bit her lip and instinctively looked down at the paper flower in her hand. She had folded it last night after much effort, believing it to be the most beautiful paper flower she could make.

Nagato added: "Compared to that, the paper flower in your hand is more beautiful and shows more of your heart. Even compared to all the flowers in Konoha, it wouldn't pale in comparison."

So, should she still give the paper flower?

Just as Konan was about to hand the paper flower to Nagato for him to pass along, Nagato, who had been speaking in fits and starts, suddenly pivoted again.

"But!

Even the paper flower in your hand isn't the most beautiful flower in the Land of Rain. I know of a flower that is millions of times more beautiful than the one in your hand.

Even if it went to Konoha, it could overshadow every flower there."

"Where is that flower?"

Konan pressed, wanting to give her friend the best.

"That flower is right in the village. Yahiko and I have already prepared it for you. I guarantee Jiang Feng will leave with the most beautiful flower in the Land of Rain and return to Konoha happy and in high spirits."

Nagato thumped his chest in assurance.

Konan was skeptical, not entirely trusting her two companions' and family's taste.

"You don't believe me?"

"I just want to see it for myself."

"Then you'll have to come with me. If I've timed it right, that flower should be handed to Jiang Feng by Yahiko any moment now. I wonder if he'll like it."

Still doubtful, Konan followed Nagato to the village entrance.

She knew that no matter what flower Yahiko gave, Jiang Feng would like it—because they were friends. But she still wanted to see for herself whether that flower was truly beautiful—because they were friends.

The Akatsuki Organization's extras crowded around in a dark mass. At the edge of the crowd, Jiang Feng was making his final farewells to the spirited Yahiko.

The two analyzed the situation in the Ninja World, discussing heaven and earth. Tsunade stood quietly to the side, not interrupting.

Yahiko said he planned to first settle the Akatsuki Organization, then head north to the Land of Lightning to persuade the Raikage to abandon his attack on Konoha, or to resolve their disputes with Konoha in a more restrained, less impactful way.

Jiang Feng said that would be difficult. Kumogakure was famously a militant faction, always advocating expansion through force. And they did have reason for it—their strength was not much weaker than Konoha's today, yet the resources they possessed were worlds apart.

Yahiko said that human effort could achieve anything, and they had to try.

Even if they couldn't make the Land of Lightning completely abandon its expansionist ideas, if they could get them to resolve their differences with Konoha through negotiation or duels between experts rather than all-out war, that would still be a great achievement.

Jiang Feng nodded, affirming Yahiko's idea. Achieving that step wasn't entirely impossible.

Duels and arranged fights were still common. During the Warring States Period, the Senju and Uchiha, mortal enemies, had resolved their differences in a way very close to duels between experts.

The Second Tsuchikage, Mu, and the Second Mizukage, Little Mustache, had also once arranged a fight.

Konan stood at the edge of the crowd, quietly watching the two spirited youths discuss great matters. Though her heart raced with excitement, she also felt a trace of confusion.

"Weren't we supposed to give Jiang Feng flowers? Why are we still discussing such important matters?"

"Konan!"

Yahiko suddenly waved at Konan, calling the slightly startled girl over to stand before Jiang Feng.

"I thought you weren't in the village."

Jiang Feng looked at the girl with delighted surprise; he had been wondering all along why Konan wasn't around.

"I had something to take care of." The girl's cheeks flushed faintly, more delicate than cherry blossoms.

"Haha, if we want to mediate the war between Kumogakure and Konoha, effort on Kumogakure's side alone won't be enough. We also have to consider Konoha's stance and the Hokage's thoughts. Only through thorough communication and exchange can this matter possibly succeed."

Konan felt Yahiko was a bit oblivious to the mood, but perhaps that was just who he was—his mind always filled with grand affairs of the world.

Yahiko suddenly pulled a letter from his bosom and handed it to Konan: "So, regarding Konoha's side, I'll trouble you, Konan. I hope you can go to Konoha with Jiang Feng and deliver this letter to Jiraiya-sensei. It would be best if you could also introduce our ideals to the Hokage."

Konan was suddenly stunned.

Tsunade frowned: "Jiraiya might not be in Konoha."

With Kumogakure making such a big move, Konoha couldn't possibly remain unresponsive. Jiraiya had likely been summoned to the front lines by the old man, and no one knew when he'd return.

Yahiko smiled: "Then I'll trouble Jiang Feng to take care of Konan, to look after her until she meets Jiraiya-sensei. I doubt he'd refuse a friend's request."