Any ambiguity?
Konan paused for a moment, then understood what Shirozumi meant by "ambiguity."
Still, she shot Shirozumi a mildly reproachful look and said nothing.
The last time Shirozumi had teased her, Konan had suddenly remembered that she was an adult in her thirties. What did she have to be embarrassed about? Even if she'd never eaten pork, hadn't she seen pigs run? Wasn't it perfectly normal to know about these things?
So now, when Shirozumi said things like that, Konan was already somewhat immune.
But this time...
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After giving him a sideways glance, Konan couldn't help automatically imagining a solution.
During a mission in the Land of Waves, Shirozumi, Kisame, and Itachi had encountered Kakashi's Team. Shirozumi had explained to Sasuke how to obtain the Uchiha Clan's ultimate Dojutsu Power.
Some time ago, after Shirozumi returned from Iwagakure, he'd told Konan about what had happened in the Land of Waves, the Land of Water, and the Land of Earth whenever he had some free time.
He'd mentioned that the condition for evolving into the Rinnegan was to combine the power of Asura with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, which contained Indra's power.
Konan remembered that very clearly.
Because, according to Shirozumi, Nagato's Rinnegan couldn't possibly have been something he was born with.
The details of the later conversation between Konan and Shirozumi about Madara Uchiha's schemes were unimportant.
What mattered was that Konan had learned from Shirozumi the method he'd given Sasuke Uchiha for evolving his eyes: once Sasuke had advanced to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he was to drink a cup of milk from Naruto Uzumaki, the reincarnation of Asura, every day.
It was a little perverted, but there was nothing wrong with it.
Besides, Shirozumi had given Sasuke Uchiha another option: the "cell transplant" method, which involved hurting Naruto Uzumaki.
Clearly, this solution for evolving the Rinnegan could also be applied to what Konan wanted now: obtaining Shirozumi's "scent."
This time, she wouldn't be drinking from the same cup of milk. She'd be drinking the milk itself...
"Um, I think I'll just wait for the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tag. Now that I think about it, having you repair Explosive Tags is a bit of a waste of your talents."
Konan suddenly changed her tune, her expression perfectly serious.
"Hmm?"
Shirozumi could see a hint of awkwardness beneath Konan's serious expression.
Before he could say anything, Konan flew off as if making an escape.
Konan didn't want to think about it any further, but her idea had given Shirozumi some inspiration.
A few days later.
The film crew mentioned earlier had finished shooting and was preparing to set out. Keeping his promise, Shirozumi arrived at the rendezvous point: Konoha.
As a visitor from another village, Shirozumi was registering at the gate.
"From Amegakure, huh... Here to escort a film crew? Could it be that crew?"
"Which one?"
"Which one do you think? The one with the big star, Fujikaze Yukie."
"Uh, didn't you say those movies were just for kids?"
Konoha's gate guards, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, chatted as they registered Shirozumi.
"Wait a second! I thought Kakashi had taken this escort mission. He told me this morning."
Kotetsu raised his head, suddenly wary as he looked at Shirozumi. "Sir..."
"Easy, easy, Kotetsu. Don't get worked up."
Kakashi appeared from who knew where, approaching with a squinting smile.
"Kakashi? Good timing. What's going on?" Kotetsu asked, holding the registration book.
"After I accepted the mission, I asked the crew about it. The person who hired me was Fujikaze Yukie's manager, Mr. Sandayu, and the one working with this gentleman is the film's director."
"Just write down the details. I'll take him from here. See you later."
Kakashi led Shirozumi away from the Konoha Gate.
As they walked, Kakashi and Shirozumi chatted. Once Kakashi confirmed that Shirozumi really had come to Konoha only for the film crew and would leave as soon as they set out, he relaxed a little.
"The crew is resting at that spot. You can head there first. I still have to gather my subordinates."
To help them understand the mission target beforehand, Kakashi had arranged for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to watch Princess Gale.
They should be almost done by now...
Just as Kakashi thought this, the three of them came running over in a sorry state.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
"It's all Naruto's fault! He was making a racket in the theater, and we got kicked out!" Sakura immediately complained.
"It wasn't Naruto's fault. Besides him, plenty of seven- and eight-year-old kids got excited and shouted at the ending. Those people were the ones who—"
To everyone's surprise, Sasuke began defending Naruto.
It wasn't all that strange.
Before the Chunin Ninja Exams, Sasuke's attitude had already started to turn around.
During their final battle at the Valley of the End, when they were both on the verge of death, they had opened up to each other.
Naruto had said that whenever he saw Sasuke suffering, his own heart hurt too, so much that he could hardly bear it.
Sasuke had said that he'd paid attention to Naruto, too.
He'd watched as the villagers ostracized both Naruto and him, the surviving Uchiha. Naruto would deliberately do stupid things and get yelled at, just to draw people's attention.
Every time Sasuke saw Naruto, he cared a little more. In the end, he'd thought of his own family and realized Naruto felt like family to him, someone who made him feel safe.
He'd also said that whenever he saw Naruto in pain, he felt pain in his own heart.
Anyway, don't ask. The answer was Konoha friendship strong enough to knock you unconscious.
Sasuke thought Naruto had been thrown out because of his "Demon Fox" identity and was being treated differently.
But Sasuke was mistaken.
Just as Shirozumi had said before, everyone in Konoha was a bully.
They were as aggressive as forum tough guys.
When Shirozumi had registered at the gate just now and said he was from Amegakure, he'd heard the villagers behind him whispering.
It was no different from when he'd entered Konoha during the Boruto era.
Things like, "Someone from Amegakure's come to beg in our Konoha," "Isn't there fighting there every day? Did he run here to take refuge?" "There's not even any sunlight there. Stay away, or you'll catch rheumatism," and "Watch your wallets. Everyone from there is a thief."
If anything, though the future Amegakure was in ruins, at least it was technically part of the Shinobi World's peace agreement.
But now, hostility between villages was only to be expected.
The things people said were even nastier.
"Naruto, want to play a prank?"
Shirozumi asked Naruto with a smile.
"A prank?"
Naruto's eyes lit up. "How do we do it? How? Tell me!"
"Uh..."
Kakashi stood nearby with one hand raised, about to stop them.
Then he suddenly noticed something.
Why did it feel like Shirozumi was the real core of Kakashi's Team?
Sasuke wanted power, and Shirozumi could provide it.
Naruto wanted to play pranks, and Shirozumi could help with that, too.
Even Kakashi wanted to read a novel, and Shirozumi had actually come up with a script and worked with the Princess Gale film crew.
As for Sakura... Shirozumi was handsome, and that was enough for her, too.
"Wait a moment. Let's go to the film crew's location first. I need some props."
Shirozumi pointed toward the location Kakashi had indicated earlier.
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