Konan looked at Nagato, tears streaming down her face, and asked in disbelief, "Nagato, have you really recovered? Have you really recovered from the aftereffects of summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path?"
Nagato nodded. "Yes, I've completely recovered, and I'm much stronger than before. It's just..."
Konan was overjoyed to hear his words. She could hardly believe Nagato had truly recovered. For the first time since Yahiko's death, she finally smiled again. Seeing her happy smile, Nagato swallowed the rest of his words. Her happiness warmed his heart, and before he knew it, he was smiling too. It felt just as happy as the days when he, Yahiko, and Konan had been together.
Forget it, Nagato thought. Telling her would only make her worry even more. Her spirits have only just begun to recover, and she'd feel guilty all over again. I'll leave it at that.
In truth, Nagato had not finished what he wanted to say. Though his body had recovered, the lifespan he had expended when he summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path without enough chakra could not be restored. But he could not bear to worry Konan again, so he kept silent. In this ninja world, how much did the length of one's life matter anyway? Besides, he was a member of the Uzumaki Clan. Even after losing half his lifespan, he could still live for a long time, so he stopped dwelling on it.
After a while, once Konan had calmed down, she looked at the cave and asked Nagato, "Are we going in now?"
"Of course," Nagato replied. "I came here hoping to obtain the person or object that released that chakra just now. How could I not go in?"
"But they've been inside for a long time," Konan replied. "Even