That night, after finishing his meditation practice, Aoki Tsuki began tempering his hair.
After years of uninterrupted effort, he had washed most of his hair with Chakra.
That didn't mean he could sit back and reap the benefits from then on. Chakra gradually dissipated over time, so he needed to wash his hair again every so often.
His hair's toughness and hardness would also gradually increase until it was comparable to steel wire.
The key was that he could extend and retract it at will, using it for both offense and defense. It was extremely useful.
When he reached the pull-up portion of his routine, Konan flew in through the window.
Ever since Nagato developed the Rain Tiger at Will Technique, few things in the village could escape her notice.
After entering, she didn't rush to speak, but waited quietly to the side.
This wasn't her first time observing Aoki Tsuki, so she was somewhat familiar with his physical training routine.
Judging by the wear on the equipment in the room, he had made physical training part of his daily life, a required practice every day.
A guy with a lot of perseverance. That was Aoki Tsuki's immediate impression on Konan.
Especially after the two of them worked together against Kakuzu, Konan had gained some understanding-or rather, recognition-of Aoki Tsuki's strength.
"Phew..."
After finishing the last set, Aoki Tsuki let out a long breath.
As his physical condition gradually improved, the effects of his training were diminishing, even though he kept increasing the workload.
His next step was to try physical activation. He needed to study Medical Ninjutsu, learn basic medical knowledge, and use Lightning Release Chakra for stimulation to strengthen his body in its normal state.
"That Chakra in the rain is your companion's technique, right? Is that also an ability of the Rinnegan?"
Konan was startled. He actually noticed that technique.
"How did you find out...?"
"My swordsmanship needs a special breathing method to reach its full power. No one understands the rain in this village better than I do."
"I see. Your perception is very sharp."
"Thanks for the compliment. Guess who I met on this trip to Konoha?" Aoki Tsuki knew Konan had come to ask for information, so he brought up the subject himself.
"You went to see Danzo, didn't you?"
"Correct, haha..."
Aoki Tsuki chuckled. Everyone knew he couldn't really have gone just to attend the ceremony.
"Danzo is very interested in the Rinnegan. He specifically asked about you. Oh, and someone else asked too."
"Who...?"
"Jiraiya!"
"Jiraiya..." A complicated expression appeared on Konan's face, only to be concealed by coldness again.
"Don't worry, I fobbed them all off. The Akatsuki has disappeared without a trace in the Land of Rain-that's the consensus. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, advocates peaceful development.
"His ideals are in line with those of Konoha's previous Hokage, and he doesn't quite get along with Danzo. In any case, Danzo will behave himself for the time being."
Konan was somewhat relieved to hear that. She then asked, "What other important information did you get in Konoha this time?"
Nagato was about to make plans to take Amegakure, and Aoki Tsuki would inevitably join them and become one of their people when the time came.
So Konan didn't stand on ceremony with him now.
"I really didn't get any. After the Hokage's inauguration ceremony, I was granted an audience as an envoy. We only discussed things like an alliance and weapons trade.
"Konoha isn't like our Amegakure. Their surveillance is strict, and I even got a warning from the Hokage."
Under those circumstances, he couldn't hope to make any secret moves. Otherwise, leaving would have been difficult.
He knew the Yamanaka Clan could extract information from people's heads.
"I see..."
Konan wasn't disappointed. Konoha was the greatest ninja village in the Shinobi World; how could it be so easy to gather intelligence there?
"Um... if I may ask, are you planning to move against Hanzō?" Aoki Tsuki asked quietly.
"Why do you ask?"
"Uh... just a guess... hehe..."
Aoki Tsuki gave a dry laugh. "Konoha is in the middle of a power transition right now, so they don't have time to pay attention to our Amegakure. The timing is perfect."
"And? Which side are you planning to take...?" Konan suddenly asked out of the blue.
It was time to choose a side.
Aoki Tsuki, who already knew the outcome, naturally didn't hesitate in the slightest. Even a second's hesitation would have been irresponsible to himself.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm definitely on our Akatsuki's side."
"Our?"
Konan considered the word carefully. "When did you become a member of the Akatsuki? How come I didn't know?"
Before this, Aoki Tsuki had always used expressions like "your Akatsuki."
His sudden switch to "our" felt awkward to Konan.
"Well... ahem..."
Aoki Tsuki coughed awkwardly and shamelessly asked, "Is it too late to join now?"
Konan rolled her eyes inwardly. One look told her this guy was a fence-sitter who leaned whichever way the wind blew hardest.
He didn't seem reliable.
Aoki Tsuki felt a little uneasy and quickly added:
"Hanzō has completely fallen now. He's lost his ideals and convictions and become a cruel old stubborn fool who craves power.
"I'm an Amegakure ninja first and Hanzō's guard second. I have to think about the village's future.
"I have more faith in you. That's the truth!"
"You mean you have faith in the power of the Rinnegan."
Konan exposed Aoki Tsuki's lie on the spot, without giving him any face.
If he had so much faith in them, why hadn't he acted earlier? Wasn't it because he had seen Nagato's Rinnegan and knew this was a sure thing?
Just as I thought... the ninja world only believes in power.
The reason Aoki Tsuki was approaching them of his own accord now, lowering himself so much, was also the Rinnegan.
She only regretted not realizing it sooner and choosing to put it aside. Otherwise, perhaps Yahiko wouldn't have had to die.
"You're right. I won't deny that's part of it."
Aoki Tsuki admitted it readily. Then he pulled open a drawer, took out a thick stack of documents, and pressed it into Konan's hands.
"This is a token of my sincerity. Actually, I've been looking forward to the village getting a new leader for a long time, and I've been preparing for this day all along. When the time comes, my subordinates and I will be at your disposal."
Konan ignored Aoki Tsuki's declarations of loyalty and began looking through the documents in her hands.
They contained key intelligence on all the personnel in important positions throughout the village, as well as deployment maps, including the locations of some concealed sentry posts.
These were exactly what she urgently needed right now.
As the saying went, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. With this intelligence, they would have a better chance of success when they made their move.
They could complete the coup without a sound.
Seeing the satisfied look on Konan's face, Aoki Tsuki hurried to strike while the iron was hot. "Lady Konan, about me joining our Akatsuki..."
A true man knew when to bend and when to stand tall!
"The Akatsuki isn't what it used to be. Our standards for selecting talent are very strict. Not just anyone can join."
"I see..." Disappointment immediately appeared on Aoki Tsuki's face.
"However..."
"However what?"
"However, your strength is acceptable, and we've worked together a few times. You've also provided important intelligence this time, so we can let you become a trainee first."
"A trainee?"
Aoki Tsuki wasn't discouraged. As a remnant of the previous regime, it was normal for him not to be trusted. He asked instead, "How long is the probation period? What do I have to do to become a full member?"
"That depends on how you perform from here on. Don't say I didn't warn you-you only get one chance," Konan cautioned him solemnly.
She thought Aoki Tsuki was quite useful and would make a good helper.
But if he made the wrong choice, there would be nothing she could do.
Aoki Tsuki assured her repeatedly, "I understand, I understand. I like to prove myself through action, so you can rest completely assured."
"That had better be the case. This village... this country... needs a new order!"
With that, Konan turned and disappeared into the night.
"Phew... that's finally settled." Aoki Tsuki let out a long breath.
Leaving aside the fact that his strength couldn't compare to a freak like Nagato, his home was also here. He had to keep things stable; it didn't matter who became village leader.
Being a ninja was just a way to make a living. Villages, countries, peace, and all that.
Meanwhile, after Konan returned to the tower in the western district, she told Nagato what had happened. He nodded slightly, seemingly unsurprised by the outcome.
"Then that settles it. We'll move the day after tomorrow."
The next day, Aoki Tsuki led his squad on duty as usual, bragging to everyone he met about the important people he had seen in Konoha.
There was no sign whatsoever that he was about to take part in a coup.
It happened to be the day for shift changes. Ryōta, Shinichi, and Shioame were switched to the night shift, while Kurokawa, Umatsu, and Takuno Jin were switched to the day shift.
Ryōta and Shinichi had been his subordinates when they were Genin, and Shioame was a smart man, so those three were easier to move around.
Kurokawa and Umatsu had been his coworkers before and were hard to order around. Takuno Jin looked honest and good-natured, but Aoki Tsuki couldn't get a clear read on him. Putting them on the day shift would keep them out of this operation.
After finishing the day's work, the squad changed clothes in the locker room.
Aoki Tsuki said casually, "There may be some temporary assignments at night over the next few days. When the time comes, just follow my instructions."
"Understood, Captain."
The squad members didn't think much of it. That was simply how guard duty worked; unexpected incidents were normal.
In any case, they couldn't go wrong following the captain's orders.
Konan hadn't given him a specific time for the operation. Aoki Tsuki was only preparing in advance; he guessed that, to ensure success, they wouldn't tell anyone beforehand.
With a weapon of mass destruction like the Rinnegan, there was no need for a very detailed plan. One person could sweep through everything without any concerns.
Perhaps the next second, she would suddenly appear before him and calmly tell him they could begin.
That was highly likely.
If he couldn't immediately deal with the ensuing trouble, they might think his abilities were limited and he wasn't worth much.
Then they would resolve the trouble in their own way, and he would be of no further use.