Shin Uchiha held Konan close for a little longer before remembering his other reason for coming to see her.
At that moment, Shin had an arm gently wrapped around Konan's slender waist, his chin resting on top of her head as they watched the seemingly endless curtain of rain outside.
"Konan."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"There's something else I'd like to ask you to do."
"Go ahead."
Shin Uchiha then selectively explained his plans concerning Uchiha Itachi to Konan.
"Once Uchiha Itachi defects from the Uchiha Clan, I hope the Akatsuki will take him in.
With Itachi in the Akatsuki, he'll not only be able to help you, but also help us root out the mastermind behind all this."
For the Akatsuki, which already had many exceptionally powerful S-rank Rogue Ninjas, taking in Uchiha Itachi, who possessed Kage Level strength, would be no burden at all.
After all, the Akatsuki currently cared nothing about its members' backgrounds or motives, as long as they followed the organization's orders and arrangements.
Suddenly, as though something had occurred to him, Shin said:
"Oh, right, Konan. I heard one of your members is Kisame Hoshigaki, the rogue ninja from Kirigakure who wields the great sword Samehada. If he doesn't have a partner yet, could you put Itachi on his team? According to my sources, he should have some connection to the person behind all this."
Konan's position was effectively that of the Akatsuki's deputy leader, and she knew every member's background very well. Naturally, she knew exactly how Kisame Hoshigaki had joined the Akatsuki. At Shin's words, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
After learning from Shin about the origins of Nagato's Rinnegan earlier, she had already turned her suspicions toward the mysterious man who always wore a mask and called himself Madara