Chapter 515: Nagato and Konan's Current Situation
Just as the Third Hokage knocked on the door, Nagato and Konan happened to turn the corner of the street carrying a shopping basket.
Nagato was still dressed in simple, dark casual clothes, his red hair looking a bit dry under the sunlight. He walked silently behind her, carrying a cloth bag filled with vegetables and fresh meat.
The Rinnegan he had been using before was still being researched by Orochimaru, so he had currently swapped them for a pair of ordinary red eyes.
He looked rather like a somewhat sickly, ordinary person.
Konan walked ahead, her light blue-purple hair bun styled meticulously, with a white paper flower tucked into her hair. Seeing the Third Hokage standing at the door, she was slightly startled before offering a polite smile.
"Lord Third, have you come to see Miharu again?"
Konan quickly stepped forward to open the door, her tone gentle.
The Third Hokage nodded with a smile, gently placing a bag of baby supplies he was carrying onto the shoe cabinet in the entryway, and then bent down to change his shoes.
"Yes, this child is much more sensible than Konohamaru was when he was little. So quiet and lovely."
"Konohamaru is also a very sensible child," Konan shook her head, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "He's just a bit lively."
No matter how mischievous Konohamaru was, he was still Hiruzen Sarutobi's biological grandson.
And no matter how well-behaved Miharu was, he was only a disciple's child.
These subtle feelings of distance were things she had long since learned to perceive during her days living in Hidden Leaf Village.
Nagato did not speak from beginning to end.
He nodded to the Third Hokage as a greeting, and then walked straight into the kitchen carrying the shopping basket.
To minimize contact with the villagers of Hidden Leaf Village and to ease the burden on Konan, he had specially learned how to cook from Karin not long ago.
Karin's cooking skills were learned from Naruto and Kushina. Whenever he spent time with Karin, Nagato would always feel a long-lost sense of closeness.
Although their blood relation might be very distant, Nagato still regarded her as his own niece in his heart.
If it weren't for the fact that Hikari, who had returned to Hidden Leaf Village, wasn't very good at cooking, Karin would probably have brought Simba over here to eat.
Soon, the rhythmic sound of chopping vegetables came from the kitchen.
Konan, meanwhile, brought Miharu out from the inner room.
The child had just woken up, his little face flushed pink, staring at the Third Hokage with a pair of clear, curious eyes.
The Third Hokage took Miharu and gently tickled his chin with his finger, making the child grin and giggle.
After playing with the child for a while, the Third Hokage handed Miharu back to Konan. Leaning back in his chair seemingly casually, he took a sip of the tea Konan had just brewed.
Although he had run over here to avoid the matters concerning Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, he had already thought of a topic to discuss here while buying things on the way.
As a Grandmaster, it was only normal to show concern for his grand-disciple!
"I heard Jiraiya mention before, you are both in your thirties this year, right?"
Konan was looking down, adjusting Miharu's swaddling clothes, when her movements paused at his words.
"Yes, I am already thirty-two, and Nagato will be thirty-two in two months."
The three members of Jiraiya's Frog Team were born in the same year. Konan and Yahiko were both born on February 20th, while Nagato was born on September 19th, which meant Nagato was the youngest of the three.
In the past, Yahiko would also take good care of the two of them.
"You're not young anymore."
The Third Hokage set down his teacup, his tone gentle but carrying the concern of an elder.
"Have you ever thought about getting married?"
"Cough, cough, cough..."
A few suppressed coughs came from the kitchen, and the sound of chopping vegetables abruptly stopped.
Konan's cheeks flushed red at a visible speed, all the way to her ears.
She opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. "We... we're not in a hurry... not in a hurry..."
As if not noticing her embarrassment, the Third Hokage sighed to himself and looked out the window, as if reminiscing about the distant past.
"Ah, this Old man was born in the Sengoku period. Back then, it was normal to have grandchildren in one's thirties or before forty.
You two aren't married yet, so it is indeed a bit late!"
Konoha Village was established when the Third Hokage was only seven or eight years old, and by now, Three Shinobi World Wars had already been fully fought, with records to prove it.
"..."
Konan's fingers unconsciously gripped the edge of Miharu's swaddling clothes, her eyes drifting toward the kitchen before quickly darting back.
She was truly not good at dealing with this kind of topic.
The Third Hokage suddenly lowered his voice and leaned forward, his expression becoming somewhat serious. "Oh, could it be that Nagato's body hasn't fully recovered yet?"
"Ah?"
Konan was stunned for a moment, unable to keep up with this leap in logic.
"I've heard all about it."
The Third Hokage shook his head, a deep furrow appearing between his brows.
"You and Nagato went to the Medical Department for a checkup a few days ago, and Nagato's weight was only eighty jin.
With his height, how can he be so light?
What kind of miserable life did you two lead in the Land of Rain before?"
As he said this, there was genuine pity in his tone.
A man who once possessed the Rinnegan, actually controlled the Hidden Rain Village, and was strong enough to be ranked among the Kage-level, was nearly 1.8 meters tall but weighed less than a hundred jin.
This was practically a skeleton wrapped in skin.
Nagato was even lighter than the slender-looking Konan beside him, which was no longer something that could be explained by normal circumstances.
If he didn't know for sure that the two were not yet married, the Third Hokage would have suspected whether Konan was too fierce at night, running Nagato ragged like this.
The kitchen fell completely silent.
Nagato stood before the cutting board holding the kitchen knife, the blade hovering in mid-air, not coming down for a long time.
Originally, Nagato's body had almost recovered. The reason his body became like this now was actually related to Obito. This was a backup plan Obito had left in him; when transplanting the Hashirama cells into him, the other party had also left some tricks behind.
If Orochimaru hadn't treated him in time, he would probably be dead by now.
Even with the powerful Physique brought by his Uzumaki Bloodline, Nagato's body still needed a long time to recover.
A breeze blew outside the window, making the leaves in the courtyard rustle, accentuating the subtle silence inside the house.
Konan's face turned even redder, but this time it was mixed with a bit of embarrassment and heartache.
She opened her mouth, but in the end, she just lowered her head, gently stroking Miharu's soft hair, unable to say anything.
Seeing Konan like this, the Third Hokage decided to quit while he was ahead, offer a few token words of advice to Nagato, and then leave.
These two children weren't Orochimaru. Although teasing them brought him joy, it lacked the feeling he got when teasing Orochimaru.
You know, seeing that wicked disciple—who had failed in his attempt to carry out the Konoha Crush Plan and was captured—with an expression of wanting to kill you but having to grit his teeth and ask his guests to leave; for the Third Hokage, he could never get tired of seeing that.
On the other hand, when facing Nagato and Konan, with whom he wasn't very familiar, joking too much would make him seem like an undignified elder.
So he cleared his throat and stood up.
"I'll have a quick word with Nagato," he said, his tone as natural as if it were just ordinary small talk.
Konan looked up, a slight trace of nervousness flashing in her eyes.
The Third Hokage waved his hand, signaling her not to follow, and then strolled slowly into the kitchen with his hands behind his back.
The kitchen was brightly lit, and on the windowsill sat two potted plants raised by Konan, brimming with vitality.
Nagato had already neatly chopped the vegetables and arranged them on a white porcelain plate, and the sliced meat was also evenly spread on another plate.
With his eyes cast down, he was wiping the kitchen knife. Hearing the Third Hokage's footsteps, he didn't stop his movements but merely stepped aside to make some space.
The Third Hokage leaned in close to him. Instead of looking at the work in his hands, he gazed at the lush green trees outside the window, lowering his voice to a level only the two of them could hear, and spoke slowly:
"You, child, are an honest kid."
"Don't blame this Old man for meddling."
Nagato's action of wiping the blade paused slightly, his fingertips tightening on the cotton cloth.
"You two have depended on each other for many years."
The Third Hokage's voice grew even softer.
"Without that marriage certificate, it indeed won't affect the feelings between you two.
Having lived to this age, I understand this truth clearly."
He turned his head, his gaze falling on Nagato's thin but straight profile. Those protruding shoulder blades and overly slender wrists made him sigh again in his heart.
"However, Nagato."
There was a bit more persuasion in the Third Hokage's voice.
"Konan has accompanied you through thick and thin for so many years, and even now, she doesn't have an official status.
As a man, you should take the initiative to express yourself.
The feelings are real, but the peace of mind and commitment that should be given must also be provided.
You have to give her an explanation, a secure home to return to, don't you?"
Nagato's Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly. He remained silent, but the knuckles of his hand holding the knife hilt turned slightly white.
The Third Hokage patted his thin shoulder very lightly, as if afraid of breaking this skeleton.
"These days, the world has changed, and girls' thoughts are no longer the same as they were during the Sengoku period.
Back then, once someone set their heart on someone, they would wait a lifetime if they had to.
But now times are good, and there are many choices."
He didn't finish his words, but left plenty of room for deep thought.
"You must also eat well, nurse your body back to health, and be healthy to support a sky for her, right?"
After saying this, the Third Hokage spoke no more, turning and slowly walking out of the kitchen.
Leaving Nagato standing alone in front of the counter. Outside, the leaves rustled, and the sunlight filtering through the glass cast a bright yet silent patch of light at his feet.
A cold gleam flashed across the blade, reflecting his downcast red hair.
The voices of the Third Hokage and Konan talking could be heard from outside the kitchen.
"Then I'll head out first. Once Konohamaru is on break, I'll bring him over to see Miharu again."
"Take care."
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