Konan

A few days later, Itachi returned to Akatsuki.

Along the way, memories stirred whenever he saw familiar sights. Suddenly being without Juzo still felt a little strange.

He had originally planned to return to Konoha, but he was not in very good condition right now, so he decided to wait a little longer...

He would decide after Orochimaru's experiment succeeded.

It would be rather ridiculous if he ended up going blind...

"You're back. Where's Juzo?"

Hidden Rain Village.

Pain sat before his desk, looking at the young man before him with some confusion.

"He died on the mission. This is his ring."

Itachi did not even blink as he spoke softly.

He stepped forward a few paces, took a ring from his robes, and placed it on Pain's desk.

Pain simply watched Itachi in silence, making no move to pick up the ring or respond.

The office fell silent.

"How did the mission go?"

After a moment, Pain spoke quietly.

"You could say it was completed. I captured the Three-Tails. Do you want it?"

Facing Pain's question, Itachi answered calmly.

Itachi's words plunged Pain into silence once again.

He did not know what Itachi was thinking.

Naturally, he knew Juzo was not dead. Zetsu and Obito had both gone there and witnessed it with their own eyes, including Itachi sealing the Three-Tails inside himself.

Now that the ring had been returned and the Land of Water had not exposed Akatsuki's secrets, Pain had no intention of pursuing the matter for the time being.

He had asked deliberately only to see what Itachi would say.

But he had not expected Itachi not to covet the Three-Tails' power and instead cover for Juzo.

"The Three-Tails is of no use to us yet. You're somewhat short on chakra, so keep it for now..."

After a moment of silence, Pain spoke.

"Alright."

Itachi merely nodded softly at Pain's words.

"Go get some rest and wait for news. I'll arrange a new partner for you."

Pain waved a hand lightly, signaling that Itachi could leave.

Itachi said nothing and turned to leave.

Watching Itachi's departing back, Pain remained lost in thought for a long while.

Before long, a masked man entered from outside and interrupted Pain's thoughts.

"What did he say?"

Obito asked quietly.

"Juzo defected. After you left, for some reason, Juzo never returned. Itachi only said he died on the mission. He did not hide the matter of the Three-Tails, though."

Pain answered the masked man's question softly.

"Did he bring back the ring?" Obito did not care about Juzo. He only asked about the ring.

The ring's importance went without saying.

"He brought it back." Pain picked up the ring from the desk and tossed it to Obito.

The room fell quiet.

"That Uchiha junior of yours is quite the mystery."

Pain suddenly spoke.

For someone like Itachi, who usually seemed so indifferent, to fight desperately during missions and protect Juzo... in this emotionally barren world, it seemed truly foolish and unusual...

"He isn't really a mystery."

Obito rejected Pain's assessment.

"Oh? Have you already seen through him?"

Pain was somewhat curious.

"Focus on your own business. Stop thinking about such pointless things."

Obito had originally wanted to boast instinctively, but when he realized his thoughts were too childish, he lost the desire to say more.

Watching the masked man leave, Pain fell into a daze, Itachi's image flashing through his mind.

Itachi's actions undoubtedly made him a good teammate with tremendous potential.

His heart stirred slightly.

His body was growing weaker and weaker. Once he completed the plan and revived Yahiko, it would be the day Nagato left this world...

Yet there were still things in his heart that he could not let go of.

One was Konan, and the other was Yahiko, who would still be the same as before after his revival...

If possible, he truly wanted everything to start over. They had been weak back then, but they had truly been happy.

"Pain, what did you want to see me about?"

A woman appeared in the office. Her hair was a pale bluish-purple, tied in a bun, with a light blue paper flower on the right side of her head. Her eyes were light orange-yellow, her features delicate, pale purple eyeshadow adorning her face and a lip piercing beneath her lower lip. She wore a black coat embroidered with red clouds edged in white, light purple tight-fitting pants, a backless zippered top underneath, a ring through her navel, and a Hidden Rain Village forehead protector tied at the right side of her waist.

Konan looked at Pain and asked gently.

There was a trace of sorrow in her tone, and faint melancholy lingered in her eyes.

Konan's voice brought the pondering Pain back to himself.

"Yes. Keep a closer eye on Itachi Uchiha. If he needs anything, help him as much as you can."

Pain returned to his senses and spoke softly.

Pain's words made Konan pause slightly. She was somewhat curious why Nagato was talking to her this way.

"Alright, Leader..."

Although she did not understand what was happening, Konan still nodded in response.

"Go. He is a child with potential, one worth winning over."

Pain added another sentence to Konan, then waved his hand, signaling that she could leave.

He did not explain too deeply, merely touched on it.

Saying too much would have seemed deliberate.

After leaving Pain's office, Konan returned to her room. She was somewhat puzzled, unsure what Nagato was thinking.

After giving it some thought, she sorted through a batch of newly made Explosive Tags and found somewhere to store them.

Then she took the black Akatsuki robe with red clouds hanging on the wall and put it on. She examined herself in the mirror, adjusted her clothes, and then left the room.

She intended to take a look at this young man.

The person Nagato had asked her to win over...

"Knock, knock, knock."

Just as Itachi had taken off his clothes and was preparing to sleep, he heard a knock at the door.

Lying on the bed, Itachi paused slightly and frowned.

"Who is it?"

Itachi got up and put on his shoes, casually pulled on a pair of pants, then grabbed a zip-up long-sleeved shirt and put it on.

When Itachi opened the door, he paused slightly. A woman a head taller than him came into view.

That distinctive hair color, hairstyle, and face...

After hearing the question from inside, Konan did not answer. She simply waited quietly.

Until the door slowly opened.

A handsome young man appeared before her.

Those deep eyes, the nasolabial lines that gave him an air of early maturity, his fair and sharply defined collarbones, and those angular chest muscles...

Itachi had only pulled his shirt's zipper halfway up before opening the door.

"You are?"

Although he already knew the answer, Itachi knowingly asked.

He had been in Akatsuki for so long, yet this was their first time meeting.

Konan had never appeared through the ring's Holographic Body Technique.

"Hello, my name is Konan."

Upon hearing Itachi's question, Konan hurriedly looked away. A faint flush rose on her face, making her especially captivating.

"Ah, are you my new partner? I'm Itachi Uchiha..."

Itachi extended his hand, unconsciously making a gesture to shake hands...

Konan paused slightly, then understood. Her slender hand emerged from beneath her robe and gently shook Itachi's...

Fair and soft.

Countless thoughts arose in Itachi's heart as he held Konan's delicate hand...