The rain continued to fall.
Pattering onto the iron structures, making a dull sound.
Everything outside the window seemed to have entered an oppressive atmosphere.
The sky and earth were one color.
Like a huge black cage,
Trapping everything.
Gloomy,
So dark it was suffocating.
However, at this moment,
Standing inside the abandoned building, Konan,
No longer felt the usual oppression in her heart, instead... it was as if the haze had been dispelled.
She looked up, gazing at Kyo before her,
For some reason,
As if she had breathed a sigh of relief,
After a moment, a faint smile also appeared on her fair face,
Then she lowered her eyes and said softly:
"Kyo-kun,"
"Thank you... for going to such lengths for them."
"..."
Hearing this, Kyo's heart stirred slightly, then he chuckled:
"You're welcome."
He naturally saw the different emotions in Konan.
This time, even her address for him had changed from the usual calling his name to a slightly more formal form.
And this kind of faint smile rarely appeared on her face.
"..."
Their eyes met, and after a moment of silence,
Konan suddenly paced slowly to the window, then slightly raised her head, looking at the raindrops outside.
After a moment of silence, she spoke softly, with a hint of melancholy in her expression:
"Kyo-kun..."
"Do you want to hear about my past with Akatsuki...?"
At these words,
Kyo was momentarily stunned.
He didn't expect her topic to suddenly turn to this.
Huh?
What's going on?
I didn't even use Talk-no-Jutsu on her...
Is she just going to give me a flashback like this??
However,
Although Kyo was somewhat surprised, he still responded with a gentle smile:
"If you want to confide in me,"
"I'm all ears."
He knew,
At this moment, Konan seemed to trust him more, which was why she was saying these things.
Therefore,
He naturally wouldn't resist.
And at that moment,
Konan began to speak softly, as if murmuring to herself:
"The cruelty of the Shinobi World."
"In fact, a long time ago... I already experienced it deeply."
"Even before the founding of the Akatsuki."
"Even before I apprenticed to Jiraiya-sensei and began learning Ninjutsu."
"Even..."
"Before I met Yahiko and Nagato..."
"...?"
As Konan's words just reached this point,
Kyo's expression shifted slightly.
Huh?
Wait!
What's going on...?
Konan actually mentioned Yahiko and Nagato to me???!
This...
Is she about to directly reveal everything to me...?
Kyo was stunned.
He didn't expect Konan's pace to be so fast...
And at this moment,
Konan seemed to notice the change in his expression.
But she still continued slowly, as if confiding:
"Displacement, constant war."
"Growing up in Amegakure, I deeply understood the darkness and pain of this ninja world."
"But,"
"Not until I learned of Jiraiya-sensei's grand vision from him,"
"Did I gradually begin to understand."
"This dark world... truly needs to change."
"For this,"
"Yahiko, Nagato, and I founded the original Akatsuki."
"At that time, we were committed to peaceful means of dialogue, hoping to build a bridge of hope towards world peace through communication between people."
"However..."
"God did not grant our wishes."
"Greater suffering befell the Akatsuki."
"Our Leader, Yahiko, died."
"Nagato fell into darkness."
"The organization completely dispersed."
Saying this,
A flicker of complicated emotion seemed to pass through Konan's eyes.
But she didn't stop, continuing:
"From then on,"
"Nagato became the new leader of Akatsuki."
"And from that time, Akatsuki's goal... began to change."
"Akatsuki no longer pinned its hopes on false 'love' to build peace."
"Instead,"
"It sought to forcibly bring peace to the Shinobi World... through absolute military deterrence."
"That's right..."
"What I'm talking about is exactly what you heard from Pain's mouth back then - the Tailed Beast Weapon Project."
Having said this, Konan suddenly withdrew her gaze,
Then turned to look at Kyo before her. For some reason, her gaze became serious, and she slowly said:
"Kyo-kun, what I'm about to say next might shock you..."
"But,"
"I still want you to know."
Having said this, Konan paused slightly, then said firmly:
"Pain,"
"In fact... is not the true leader of Akatsuki."
"They are merely puppets made from the dead, and the one truly controlling them is... the person I just mentioned, the leader of Akatsuki, Nagato."
"...!?"
As Konan's words fell,
In an instant,
Even the always calm Kyo couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
Wait a minute...
Whoa! What's going on???
This...
Konan just directly spoiled Nagato for me???!
Huh???
This scene even involuntarily reminded Kyo of a certain famous self-revealing scene from another work.
This is too direct, right?!
Without much foreshadowing... just saying it straight out like that???
After being stunned for a while,
Kyo looked at Konan with a somewhat troubled expression, his gaze flickering slightly as he said:
"Why are you telling me this...?"
Hearing this,
Konan slowly lowered her eyes, and after a moment of silence, slowly said:
"Because I feel,"
"Kyo-kun... you are different from others,"
"In the past few years, I have been observing everything about you."
"And until now, I am even more certain."
"You are someone worthy of trust."
"Even an insignificant promise, you will do your utmost to keep; even a joke-like opening of that scroll, you will come immediately within ten seconds..."
"You did not deceive them because of who they were."
"Just as you trust Akatsuki."
"Therefore,"
"I also decided to trust you."
Konan's tone was calm, her gaze also calm.
But after she spoke these words,
It seemed like the tone of someone making a decision.
Hearing this,
Kyo was slightly stunned.
Not because of Konan's words,
But because of this wonderful shift in her attitude...
He really hadn't expected,
Just because he gave those three Amegakure students this life-saving scroll...
It would touch Konan so deeply...
Could it be,
Because she hadn't seen the light of righteousness?
Kyo didn't know.
However,
Upon reflection,
The people in this world...
Their conceptions did seem to be easily changed...
First there was Hyuga Neji and Gaara.
No matter how painful the past, they couldn't withstand Naruto's Talk-no-Jutsu.
Later there was Nagato and Obito.
No matter how persistent the goal, they couldn't withstand talk-no-Jutsu.
Although they seemed strong-willed,
Deep down,
They were simply seeking a reasonable way to liberate themselves.
And Uzumaki Naruto,
Used his superb Talk-no-Jutsu skills to give them this way out.
"..."
Looking again at Konan before him,
Kyo seemed to understand the reason for her change in attitude.
Thinking this,
Kyo slightly raised an eyebrow,
Then, looking at Konan, he chuckled:
"But,"
"Even if you hadn't told me this, I would still act as a member of Akatsuki."
"I would still complete my missions."
"..."
Hearing this, Konan's heart stirred slightly.
Then,
She lowered her eyes, and after a moment of silence, murmured softly to herself:
"Yes."
"You really would do that..."
"Just like... you have for the past few years..."
However,
Just as these words fell,
Suddenly,
From the darkness beside them, a figure with orange hair unexpectedly walked in!
The moment he entered,
He immediately walked over, and at the same time, subconsciously spoke in an indifferent tone:
"Konan, how is the situation, those three... Huh?"
"...Kyo!?"
Before he could finish his words,
This long-haired Animal Path Pain was instantly frozen!
Because Kyo had been concealing his own aura,
To the point that...
When he just arrived,
He hadn't sensed at all... that besides Konan, there was anyone else!!
And moreover...
It was Kyo, who was supposed to be far away in the Land of Earth?!
Their eyes met.
The air instantly froze!