A Door to the South

"Konan, what's wrong with you? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

One morning in the Fire Country, outside the tent, Nagato stared at the faint dark circles around Konan's eyes and asked with concern.

The last time he had seen dark circles under Konan's eyes was when she had guarded the cave in the Rain Country for ten days and ten nights without sleep.

"Mm... Maybe it's because it's my first time in the Fire Country. I didn't sleep very soundly."

Nagato rubbed his chin thoughtfully. By common sense, simple insomnia shouldn't give someone dark circles unless something was weighing on their mind.

"Konan, do you have something on your mind?"

Konan's expression was complicated. After all, that dream from last night... had been far too shocking.

The contents of the dream had thrown her heart into turmoil.

She had originally made up her mind to ask him about it first thing this morning. If it was a misunderstanding, she wanted to clear it up early... But the harmless-looking face before her made her unable to ask.

Her eyes flickered as she probed indirectly, "Nagato... has the wound on your head felt uncomfortable at all lately?"

"Oh! I'd forgotten about it if you hadn't mentioned it." Nagato took off his forehead protector, revealing the scar whose scab had long since fallen off. Smiling, he said, "It healed completely a long time ago. If you don't believe me, feel it..."

"Uh..." Before, she probably would have reached out to touch it without a second thought. It was only concern between friends, after all. The three of them had long grown used to such things over the course of their journey.

But now, forget reaching out to touch him—even making eye contact made Konan's heart feel numb and itchy. It wasn't disgust, exactly. It was just... an indescribable feeling.

"It healed completely... th-then that's good."

Nagato smiled. "Konan seems a little strange today!"

"No, no... Maybe I just haven't recovered from the past few days of intense traveling."

"Yosh, then tonight, let's stay in a town near Konoha and relax in a hot spring!"

In the blink of an eye... night fell.

After a day of travel, the two arrived at Woodflower Ferry in the southeast of the Fire Country.

Woodflower Ferry was an important town in the Fire Country. A stream ran through it from north to south before joining a river outside the city.

One of that river's tributaries flowed all the way north. When it passed through a certain gorge, it poured down between two statues and became a magnificent waterfall.

That gorge was called the "Valley of the End."

Standing atop the angular head of one statue, one could gaze at the mountain behind the opposite statue. Beyond that mountain lay Konoha Ninja Village.

The link between the civilians of the Fire Country and Konoha Ninja Village was the reason Woodflower Ferry had become such an important town.

From time to time, Konoha ninja who had completed their missions could be seen on the streets, stopping here to rest and reorganize. Occasionally, Hidden Sand Village ninja who had received permission to pass through could also be seen.

The Third Shinobi World War had ended, and the nations had resumed diplomatic relations, but being a rogue ninja was still a sensitive matter.

Before entering the city, Nagato and Konan had carefully disguised themselves. As for the three Pains, they looked suspicious no matter how they disguised themselves, so they waited in the forest outside the city.

After all, if anything happened, they could use the Animal Path to summon one another.

In this atmosphere, Konan temporarily forgot her messy thoughts. Following at Nagato's side, she looked at the prosperity that could never be seen in Amegakure.

Nagato stopped in front of a grilled fish restaurant and smiled. "Konan, it's been a long time since we properly had grilled fish, hasn't it?"

"Yes, I really miss it."

Konan looked at the restaurant's signboard as if she had returned to their old days of study.

Seeing her expression, Lin Feng said, "I'll have the Deva Path come over from outside the city."

Konan gently shook her head. "Don't. We can't always use this method to remember the dead. We have to face the fact that he's already gone."

She understood clearly in her heart... Even if Yahiko's figure still remained behind her, the person who truly depended on her and whom she depended on was Nagato.

"Konan." Nagato looked at her strong back, feeling both gratified and heartbroken.

He had the urge to step forward, hold her, and confess to her.

But he knew he couldn't. As long as she had not completely emerged from the shadow of Yahiko's death, he had to carefully hide those little feelings of his...

"Boss, one large hotpot grilled fish."

This grilled fish restaurant had booming business.

Konan liked quiet places.

So Nagato took her to a secluded spot on the second floor.

The grilled fish arrived... The owner also gave them various snacks, including deep-fried tofu.

Nagato moved the deep-fried tofu in front of himself.

Because Konan did not like deep-fried food.

In the pot, a plump, large grilled fish simmered in bubbling rich broth, adorned with all kinds of Japanese-style ingredients and giving off an aroma that stirred the appetite...

His useless tears were about to fall.

Nagato pressed his hands together piously. "Let's eat~!"

He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, chewing it...

Ah, the flesh was fresh, tender, and delicious. The texture of this unknown fish from the world of Naruto blended perfectly with the delicious broth, creating a flawless match...

Ah... that taste was simply wonderful!

"Is it good... Konan?"

"Mm, it tastes really good." Konan chewed slowly, clearly conquered by the flavor as well...

Her manner of eating was so elegant that Nagato suddenly felt the food tasted even better.

He knew Konan's "body measurements" like the back of his hand: height 169.4 cm, weight 45.3 kg, measurements 88, 58, 85. (Official data)

Everything about her was perfect... Yet this perfect Konan was sitting in front of him, eating heartily like the girl next door.

Nagato's heart was filled with unprecedented satisfaction.

He gazed absentmindedly at Konan with eyes full of peaceful contentment... Unaware of it, Konan picked up her bowl of miso soup to taste it, then subconsciously raised her eyes and glanced over...

Only to meet Nagato's absentminded gaze directly!

"!" Konan's eyes panicked, and her little hand trembled. Soup spilled from the bowl, soaking a large patch of the white kimono dress she had specially made from paper to disguise herself as a civilian...

Seeing the soup on Konan's paper clothing, Nagato composed himself, swiftly took off his outer robe, draped it over her shoulders, then swiftly sat back down and casually continued eating the deep-fried tofu.

After the meal, the two came to a hot spring inn in Woodflower Ferry.

Unfortunately, the place was packed tonight, and they could not reserve it privately. Konan did not seem to like it here.

At that moment, Nagato suggested, "Konan, how about we save the hot spring for another day?"

Konan looked up at the night sky and said wistfully, "That would be nice. The real pleasure of a hot spring is soaking quietly in an open-air place with only one or two people."

"Uh."

The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart.

Nagato became a little flustered.

Actually, on the night they had stayed at a hot spring inn in the Land of Wind, Pain Rin had entered the women's bath together with Konan...