Nagato drove fast and soon arrived in Konoha.
Looking at the unfamiliar village before her, Mei Terumi swallowed.
"What, you've never been to Konoha before?" Nagato asked, looking a little amused by her reaction.
"No. I've been to the other villages, but never Konoha. There are hardly any gigs here, and I've never gotten one, so I've never come. I have heard about it online, though," Mei Terumi said, shaking her head.
"Oh? What kind of impression did you get online?" Nagato asked with a hint of pride.
"Dumbass Black-Faced Buckle Ghost, give me back my hard-earned money."
"...Where did you see that?" The smile vanished from Nagato's face. He froze for a moment before asking.
"You don't even have to look for it. It's always number one in the trending news notifications. It's already passed a hundred million in popularity. 'Dumbass Black-Faced Buckle Ghost, give me back my hard-earned money.' Who is this Black-Faced Buckle Ghost, anyway? People online don't seem to have a very good opinion of him," Mei Terumi asked in confusion.
"...Ahem. Don't worry about that. You don't need to read that stuff anymore," Nagato said, coughing awkwardly twice.
"Oh, okay. Let's go in."
Mei Terumi followed Nagato to Konoha's main gate.
"Yo, Nagato, you're back! What do you say, want to get together tonight?" The two Uchiha clansmen guarding the gate had once been Nagato's classmates. They chuckled as they greeted him.
"No, no. I've got plans tonight, and I'm heading back tomorrow. I don't have time," Nagato said with a smile, shaking his head.
"All right. What a shame. And who's this? Not bad, Nagato. Not bad at all!" Uchiha gate guard number one spotted Mei Terumi standing beside Nagato and immediately teased him with a suggestive wink.
"No, you guys..." Nagato started to