Konan's Action

Hyuga Kiyonari said: "The most prominent feature of Amegakure is the rain that almost never stops, and the massive pipeline system that makes up the entire old village."

"These pipes are not just part of the architectural structure of Amegakure; they are also a vast hydraulic system. It collects the abundant rainwater and drives turbines through the elevation difference to generate electricity, maintaining the operation of the village."

"Land of Snow... Kazahana Koyuki... geothermal generator..."

"Drilling... extracting heat through a geothermal generator to boil water... driving steam turbines... powering generators..."

Konan's fingertips gently traced the pages, her brows furrowed.

If it were ninjutsu, she could speak eloquently, with every principle at her fingertips. But these terms involving science and technology made her feel incredibly unfamiliar.

Living in Amegakure for over a decade, it was only after reading this log that Konan discovered another side of the village she had never known. Those metal pipes flowing with rain all day were, in fact, more than just drainage facilities.

These things were completely beyond her cognitive scope; the feeling was just like when she first learned about chakra and ninjutsu.

It was as if it were a new world.

"Hyuga Kiyonari..."

Konan whispered the name, and at this moment, she finally understood why the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, always spoke of Konoha with such complex, indescribable emotions.

To have such a good person—a capable, good person—appear among a group of ninjas who only knew how to kill; what a rare probability that must be.

Yet, such people always seemed to appear in Konoha.

She sat down at her desk, spread out a sheet of white paper, and her pen tip drew fluid lines, weaving the scattered intelligence into a clear thread.

The Land of Snow mentioned in the log was a small country located at the northernmost tip of the continent. Far from the Five Great Nations and ninjas, it displayed surprising technological potential.

The Daimyo of the Land of Snow, Kazahana Sōsetsu, was dedicated to researching "geothermal generators," attempting to change the harsh environment of the Land of Snow. But just as the finished product was being produced, his younger brother, Kazahana Dōtō, launched a coup and usurped the throne.

Kazahana Sōsetsu entrusted the key to the geothermal generator to his daughter, Kazahana Koyuki, and then commissioned a Konoha ninja (Kakashi Hatake) to escort her, successfully escaping the Land of Snow.

Kazahana Dōtō mistakenly believed the "geothermal generator" was some kind of powerful weapon, and for this, he pursued them relentlessly, constantly searching for Kazahana Koyuki's whereabouts. But by then, she had taken the stage name Fujikaze Yukie and was living in the Land of Fire as an actress.

It wasn't until Hyuga Kiyonari, then a genin, accepted the mission that, with his assistance, Kazahana Koyuki was able to return to her homeland, overthrow Kazahana Dōtō's rule, and complete the restoration of her country.

"That is the whole process."

Konan stopped her pen and fell into deep thought.

In the log, Hyuga Kiyonari did not mention specific dates when telling the story. Therefore, she did not know if the Land of Snow had already developed the geothermal generator at this point in time, or if Kazahana Dōtō's coup had already occurred.

If the time was still early, then two choices lay before her: first, notify Kazahana Sōsetsu in advance to help him guard against the coup. Second, wait for the coup to happen and then help Kazahana Koyuki restore her country.

If one were to consider the interests of Akatsuki and Amegakure, the latter was undoubtedly the best choice.

Although Kazahana Sōsetsu led the research on the geothermal generator, he was not a researcher himself. As for Kazahana Koyuki, her hatred was undoubtedly the easiest pawn to control; Akatsuki could easily obtain everything in the Land of Snow, or even secretly control the country.

However...

Konan's gaze drifted involuntarily toward the notebook; "Hyuga Kiyonari" seemed to be watching her through the pages.

"I still need to find a way to confirm the current situation first."

Who should she send to investigate the Land of Snow?

Zetsu? Amegakure ninjas?

These answers were dismissed the moment they surfaced. No matter who she sent to investigate the Land of Snow, she could not explain the source of her intelligence.

She was unwilling to take any risk that might expose the log.

Moreover, the geothermal generator was developed by the Land of Snow; it might not necessarily be suitable for the environment of Amegakure. Just like using Water Style in the deserts of the Land of Wind—while it could be used, it certainly wouldn't be effective.

Therefore, in addition to gathering intelligence on the Land of Snow, she also needed to recruit those researchers. As for others, they probably wouldn't be able to realize the value of these "ordinary people" at all.

Looking at it this way, it seemed that only...

"I will go myself."

The next day.

Konan stood before Pain: "Pain, I need to leave for a while."

"Leave?"

Pain's voice, which usually lacked any fluctuation, carried a hint of tension. There was no doubt that Nagato was resisting the idea Konan had proposed.

"I'm just a bit tired lately and want to be alone for a while."

She softened her tone, as if soothing a cat about to hiss.

"Where are you going?" he asked again.

"The capital of the Land of Fire," Konan replied. The Land of Snow was too far, and a round trip would consume too much time. Besides... the key was still in Kazahana Koyuki's hands; she only needed to confirm whether the name "Fujikaze Yukie" existed.

That place was far from the conflicts between ninjas, and she wouldn't encounter any powerful shinobi. With Konan's abilities, she was more than capable of handling it.

Pain's heart relaxed slightly, but he still hesitated: "How long do you plan to be gone?"

"Not too long, I will be back in half a month at most."

Pain fell into a long silence, the cold rain continuing to beat against the high tower. It wasn't until the sound of the rain grew denser that he nodded slightly.

"But you must promise me," he emphasized, "you must be careful."

"I know."

Before leaving, she still needed to make some preparations.

Although the Akatsuki organization had not yet been exposed to the eyes of the ninja world, appearing in the capital of the Land of Fire dressed like this would inevitably attract some unnecessary attention; to avoid trouble, she had to change her clothes.

Returning to her room and opening the wardrobe, she saw only the few pieces of clothing she owned hanging inside. Aside from several Akatsuki cloaks with red clouds on a black background, there was only a plain black robe that had faded from many washes.

This was the clothing their organization wore when Yahiko was still around, before the name "Akatsuki" had even been born.

Konan held the robe against her body to measure it, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the cuff, where a tear once made by a kunai now remained only as fine, dense stitches.

"It still fits, surprisingly."

As the black robe wrapped around her frame, Konan suddenly performed a girlish gesture.

She stood on her tiptoes and spun around, the hem of the robe lifting to reveal the purple bodysuit underneath; the figure in the mirror seemed to split in two for a fleeting moment, the current her gazing across time at the girl who used to follow behind Yahiko.