Friendship and Bonds, Not to Be Missed

The subsequent events indeed unfolded exactly as Shiba Seika had anticipated.

Kenjiro did not disappoint him—that very night, he went and delivered the message to Nagato.

Shortly after they set out for Kusagakure, Nagato quietly followed behind, just as expected.

Everything was proceeding smoothly.

Shiba Seika remained alone in the room at the inn, humming a little tune as he cooked his own dinner, deliberately planning to lag behind and head out to observe only after he had eaten.

But things were not so simple.

Just as he was gracefully handling various cuts of beef and pork while following Hannibal's recipe, his door was suddenly knocked upon.

His ninja instincts quickly identified the visitor.

Sister Nan?

Why would she suddenly come here?

This was not part of his plan.

Shiba Seika had no time to think further, because Konan had already pushed the door open.

"Sister Nan, what brings you here? By the way, have you eaten? Want to try my cooking?"

Shiba Seika greeted her warmly, his smile as flawless as ever.

He believed his performance was without a single crack, yet the next moment, Konan pierced through his disguise with a single sentence.

"Nagato just left. He slipped away quietly, even keeping it from me. This is your doing again, isn't it, Seika?"

The expression on Shiba Seika's face stiffened slightly.

He had been careless—he hadn't expected Sister Nan, who was traveling with them, to be this sharp.

Before he could quickly fabricate a new excuse, Konan spoke again, sealing his guilt completely.

"Before Nagato left, I 'saw' Kenjiro come to him with my Paper Butterflies.

You probably don't know this, but over the past month, Kenjiro came to Yahiko many times to complain, saying you're very skilled at manipulating people, that you often use cunning words to coerce others into doing your bidding, calling you a demon who plays with people's hearts.

Seika, don't bother lying to me. I'm certain this is your scheme.

I haven't told Nagato about this yet. I just came to seek an answer from you."

At that moment, Shiba Seika found himself unusually at a loss for words.

He had truly been careless!

Just a short while ago, he had repeatedly reminded himself in his mind: Konan is no decoration! He needed to value and win her over!

But in the end, he had still underestimated the woman who had left such a bold mark in the original story as the leading lady of the Akatsuki Organization.

Perhaps it all stemmed from the fact that, since that day, Konan had been acting far too docile.

She had followed his lead throughout the mission, given him unreserved trust, and repeatedly spoken up for him after returning to the Akatsuki base.

For a time, Shiba Seika thought he had successfully won over this fourteen-year-old girl.

Yet he never expected that, at a critical moment, she still retained her precious clarity.

"Sister Nan, what answer are you looking for from me?"

At this point, playing clever tricks was pointless. Shiba Seika felt it was better to be straightforward.

He no longer denied Sister Nan's accusation, effectively tacitly admitting to his scheme.

Moreover, judging by her last line—"I haven't told Nagato about this"—she likely had her own motives and thoughts.

He should still have a chance to explain.

Sure enough, the next moment, Konan spread her Paper Style throughout the room. As paper butterflies fluttered around, she stared intently at Shiba Seika and asked in an extremely serious tone.

"Seika, after that mission ended, I went back and thought for a long time. I have to admit, your ideas are indeed more mature than Yahiko's, more mature than all of ours.

But I need you to answer me honestly! To achieve your goals, for the so-called true peace you speak of, will you one day betray the Akatsuki Organization, abandon the Land of Rain? Or even turn around and use Nagato, use Yahiko? Use me?"

At that moment, the dancing paper butterflies around them brewed a terrifying killing intent, yet Shiba Seika's heart was unexpectedly calm.

At this point, he was no longer worried.

Because he finally realized he had understood Sister Nan!

Konan—this girl who had never stood out much among the original three founders of the Akatsuki—was actually the most normal one of the three!

Her obsession with ideals was not as deep as Yahiko's or Nagato's. What she truly cared about were the people around her, her friends, her companions, and the place she called home.

In the future, when Nagato resolved to make the world feel pain, she supported him unconditionally.

But when Nagato was defeated by Naruto and persuaded by his talk-no-jutsu to give up his life, she did not choose to take up his ideals or carry on the Akatsuki's cause. Instead, she went all out, recklessly trying to take down Obito, who had been using Nagato all along.

At the end of the day, Konan had never cared that much about the Akatsuki's ideals.

What she cared about were her comrades, the few friends she had by her side.

This was what a normal person was like!!

It was just that, against the backdrop of the Akatsuki's first-generation saint, second-generation madman, and the subsequent lineup of psychopaths, paranoids, and deranged scientists, she—the only normal one—ended up looking out of place.

She often felt out of place because she wasn't twisted enough.jpg

Reading between these lines, Shiba Seika immediately understood how to break the deadlock.

"You can rest assured, Sister Nan, I've never thought of betraying the Akatsuki Organization.

And Sister Nan, aren't we comrades? Why do you see me this way?"

He wasn't lying—after all, how could a coup be called betrayal?

The Akatsuki Organization had to have a leader, so why couldn't it be him?

As for the follow-up line, "Aren't we comrades?" it perfectly struck Sister Nan's sensitive and lonely heart. A faint mix of sorrow and confusion flickered across her face, and for a moment, it even stirred a trace of guilt in Konan.

Then Shiba Seika pressed his advantage, closing in step by step, unleashing the performance of a lifetime in that narrow space!

"Sister Nan, while I truly disagree with Yahiko and often find his ideas too naive, I've never once forgotten: it was you who saved me, who reached out so I wouldn't freeze to death in that starving, rain-soaked famine.

I've always seen everyone in the Akatsuki as comrades, especially you, Sister Nan!

Everything I've done is just to prevent the Akatsuki from being destroyed by Yahiko's wishful innocence.

Sister Nan, I won't abandon you—never! Don't you believe me?"

As they say—if you're obsessed with ideals, we'll talk revolution and peace;

if you're lonely and starved for love, we'll talk bonds and friendship!

In the world of Naruto, there's always something that fits!

This relentless assault finally broke through Konan's defenses. She stepped back, withdrawing most of her Paper Butterflies, and the killing intent in the room vanished without a trace.

"I'm sorry, Seika, I didn't mean that. I believe you're our comrade!

I was just scared!

Your ideas surpass us by too much, and you're so opposed to Yahiko—I feared that one day you might use Nagato, or someone else..."

Shiba Seika let out a soft laugh.

Konan was sharp; in a way, her judgment was right. Shiba Seika did intend to use Nagato.

But compared to the tragic ending in the original story, who could say that using wasn't another form of salvation?

So the next moment, he boldly stepped forward, reaching out to touch Konan's cheek.

The sensation was warm—Konan had retracted her Paper Style, so the feel against Shiba Seika's palm was soft, tender, and a little springy.

Just seconds ago, when Konan first entered the room, he'd been startled, but now Shiba Seika suddenly felt like today's gamble hadn't been a loss after all.

Whether from guilt or a desire to compensate, Konan didn't dodge his hand; she let him gently stroke her cheek.

"Trust me, Sister Nan. This ninja world is dangerous, and our situation isn't as optimistic as you think. Everything I do is to save everyone, to save the Akatsuki!

Because we're all each other's most important partners!"

Friendship and bonds—you can't skip them, because this is the ninja world!

With those words, the crisis in the room was completely resolved!

Konan lowered her head, as if to hide her flushed face. After a long moment, she looked up and asked in a very soft voice, "Then do you still need to go to Nagato? I can fly you there."

"Alright."

Shiba Seika nodded decisively, exhaling a breath of relief in his heart.

He knew he'd finally made it through for good.