After Hanzō's voice faded, the scene fell deathly silent.
After hearing those words, Nagato's pupils contracted sharply, and he looked as though he had been struck by lightning.
Nagato valued loyalty and affection deeply, and he shared a profound friendship with both Yahiko and Konan and relied on them.
Now Hanzō actually wanted him to kill Konan with his own hands to save Yahiko!
One was the leader of the Akatsuki, his good brother Yahiko; the other was Konan, who had helped him when he was at his lowest.
He stood rooted to the spot, his hands and feet ice-cold, completely at a loss.
Seeing Nagato standing there in a daze, Yahiko shouted at him, "Nagato, don't listen to him! Take Konan and get out of here! Don't worry about me!"
The reason Yahiko had not asked Yūto for help was that Hanzō was too close.
He believed that at this distance, no matter how powerful Yūto was, he would not be able to save him in time.
So he would rather sacrifice himself to give Nagato and Konan a chance to escape.
As Konan listened to Yahiko's shouts nearby, her expression changed in an instant. Her usual gentleness was gone, replaced by a poignant smile.
She stepped forward and said to Nagato in a trembling voice, "Nagato, kill me. Please save Yahiko!"
Konan had not said this on impulse.
Within the Akatsuki, Yahiko was not just her close partner, but also her lover.
From their days of wandering without a home to the present, when they had established a base, her love for Yahiko was beyond words. She had long since given him her heart.
Konan would rather die herself than see Yahiko lose his life for nothing because of her. The choice hurt like a knife cutting into