The Land of Rain at Four in the Morning
A soft cough broke the stillness of the air.
Koki forced Nagato into a corner, Konan felt a pang of helplessness. Her soft voice not only eased the tense atmosphere but also brought Konan's interrogation of Nagato to a temporary halt.
Taking advantage of the moment, Koki quietly handed a piece of candy to Nagato. A hint of surprise flashed in Nagato's eyes, then she carefully took the candy and put it in her mouth.
In an instant, a sweet taste spread across her tongue, and Nagato closed her eyes in pleasure, exclaiming in her heart: How sweet!
Koki's gaze shifted from Nagato to Konan. "How's the Explosive Tag you were developing a few days ago progressing?"
As a ninja skilled in using Paper Release to fight enemies, Konan is unique in her creation of Explosive Tag.
She was able to cut costs at all costs to provide powerful firepower support for the Akatsuki.
However, Chakra is not inexhaustible, and making talismans is not an easy task for Konan. It requires substantial financial support, and this support came from Koki's generous donation.
In an era of war, weapons and ninja tools became hot commodities in the market. Koki decided to abandon the system's support and boldly plunge into the business world, relying on her keen business insight and decisive decision-making ability.
In this chaotic world, wealth has become the key to acquiring more resources and opportunities.
But for Koki, making a profit is not the top priority; the more critical issue is the threat posed by Hanzo of the Salamander.
Koki didn't know how much longer he could stay in the Land of Rain; all he could do was to guide and protect the members of Akatsuki.
With the Explosive Tag, at least their safety can be guaranteed.
However, at this moment, Hanzo of the Salamander had no time to spare.
Danzo's disappearance and Chiyo's attack have already overwhelmed him and left him exhausted.
Koki thought this, a sly, triumphant smile appeared on her lips.
A few days ago, he quietly spread the word on the black market about a bounty on Hanzo of the Salamander.
Kakuzu hasn't come back for the past couple of days, I guess it's because...
Thinking of this, Koki felt happy and laughed out loud.
When the conversation turned to business, Konan instantly dropped his joking tone, his gaze becoming serious and focused. He nodded vigorously, his tone firm. "I've been working tirelessly on making Explosive Tag, and I've accumulated tens of thousands so far."
Creating tens of thousands of Explosive Tag in the blink of an eye is no easy feat.
"A mere tens of thousands?" Koki shook her head dramatically. "That's far too few. Konan, are you perhaps short of funds? I'll lend you a hand and make sure to produce a few more to meet any unforeseen needs."
"A mere tens of thousands?" Konan was taken aback, her bright eyes filled with confusion. Did Koki know that tens of thousands of Explosive Tag were equivalent to the combined total of several ninja villages?
In this war-torn and perilous land, Explosive Tag are a powerful weapon, but their production requires a great deal of time and resources.
Tens of thousands of Explosive Tag are already an astonishing number, yet Koki still seems to feel it's not enough.
Tens of thousands of copies aren't enough?
How much does Koki want to use?
Hundreds of thousands?
Millions?
These astonishing numbers churned in Konan's mind; she couldn't fathom Koki's calculations.
Could it be 100 million?
The thought flashed through Konan's mind, and even she found it absurd.
What ninja would be crazy enough to use hundreds of millions of Explosive Tag?
Even if Koki is rich, he can't afford to waste money like this. An ordinary ninja would be heartbroken if he used dozens of cards at once. Konan thinks Koki's request is simply a pipe dream.
Koki shook her head. "Sigh! How can you sleep? How can someone your age sleep?"
"..." Konan glanced at Koki, chuckled, and thought to herself: It seems we belong to the same generation.
Koki stood motionless, a deep sense of nostalgia in his eyes. He raised his head slightly, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. His voice, tinged with the vicissitudes of time, seemed to whisper the winds of history in his ear, "Konan ~"
Hearing the voice, Konan immediately turned around, her eyes full of confusion. "What is it?"
Koki's gaze seemed to pierce through a time tunnel, as she asked with a touch of inexplicable mystery, "Have you ever witnessed the Land of Rain at four in the morning?"
"Of course!" Konan answered without hesitation, yet her answer was tinged with deep confusion.
Deep in her memory, those years of wandering, the Land of Rain at four in the morning was a familiar sight. Back then, they were busy making a living, searching for a ray of light in the darkness.
Koki was silent for a moment, seemingly somewhat surprised by Konan's reply.
"What's wrong?" Konan looked at Koki with confusion, asking him what he meant.
"During the days when I wandered with Nagato and Yahiko, we saw each other almost every day, and sometimes we couldn't sleep for several nights in a row." A trace of nostalgia flashed in Konan's eyes.
"That's true." Nagato nodded, his thoughts drifting back to the past.
The days of wandering have become an integral part of his life, and even though his life has undergone tremendous changes, he still prefers to reduce his sleep.
To this day, he still gets very little sleep, while Koki often doesn't get up until late in the morning.
"... Yes, that's where the difference lies." Koki sighed, her tone slow and deliberate. "Even surrounded by abundance and leisure, we must not forget the diligence we put in during our past struggles. That's my message: no matter how life changes, we should always remember the years we fought for a better life."
Konan nodded slightly, her eyes flashing with determination. "Koki, I think you're absolutely right. We can't forget the past; we must forge ahead and strive tirelessly for the future of the Land of Rain and for our dreams."
At this point, Koki at the pensive Nagato and the radiant Konan, suddenly felt worried, fearing that his words had been too impassioned and had placed a heavy burden on them. So he quickly changed the subject.
Where did Yahiko go? Why can't we find him?
Konan's face immediately lit up with a bright smile, her voice brimming with excitement. "He and the others went to clear mountain paths and dig tunnels, and he's been especially happy these past few days!"
"The Ninjutsu you taught, the Hole-Digging Jutsu, is indeed extraordinary. It can be used to dig holes with ease and is incredibly efficient. Moreover, it can be controlled remotely, greatly reducing our workload. However, this Ninjutsu is too difficult. If its power could be slightly reduced, it would be even more perfect."
At this point, Konan sighed again, "Sigh, Koki, didn't you tell us that during the Sage of Six Paths era, you used Ninjutsu to reshape the world? I don't know why... now you've become this kind of killing machine."
She couldn't understand why Ninjutsu, once used to create beauty, had now become a tool that brought death and destruction.