Konan's door shut right in front of Uchiha Tsukiko with a hard bang that shook the frame.
Tsukiko stood there in the hallway, hugging her pillow to her chest like a rejected child. Then she pressed her whole body against the closed door and scratched at it with dramatic little motions, as if she were a drenched puppy abandoned in the rain.
"Sister Konan, listen to me! I can explain!" she cried. "My hand really slipped! I did not mean to unbutton that on purpose!"
From the other side of the door came Konan's embarrassed, annoyed voice. "Go back to your own room and sleep!"
A second later, Tsukiko heard the sound of the lock turning.
Then another.
Then the faint rustle of paper.
Her expression changed at once.
She leaned closer and felt the familiar chakra signature of several paper tags being placed behind the door.
Tsukiko clicked her tongue. "Wow. Reinforced locks and exploding tags. That's harsh."
She dropped the pitiful act immediately, straightened up, and tossed the pillow over one shoulder.
"Fine," she muttered. "No need to rush. There's still plenty of time."
Humming a silly frog-themed tune completely out of key, she padded back to her own room in her slippers.
The moment she stepped inside, she threw the pillow onto the bed and sat cross-legged on the carpet. Her face lost its playful look for a moment, replaced by the calm focus she only showed when she was about to do something important.
She formed a summoning seal with both hands.
"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu."
A puff of white smoke burst into the room.
When it cleared, a familiar little white snake appeared on the floor. It looked half asleep, its tongue flicking lazily as it curled into a loose circle.
Tsukiko looked down at it. "Wake up, little guy. You have a delivery to make."
She pulled out one of the new rings, the one engraved with Void, along with a neatly folded black robe patterned with red clouds. She bundled them together carefully. Then, after a moment of thought, she added two packets of instant mushroom soup powder from the Land of Rain.
"Employee benefits," she said with satisfaction.
She tied the bundle around the little snake's neck.
The white snake looked deeply offended by the weight.
Tsukiko poked its head lightly. "Take this to Orochimaru. And tell him it's a gift from his favorite junior."
The snake clearly wanted to object. But under Tsukiko's flat stare, it gave up and obediently slipped toward the window. In a blink, it vanished into the rainy night.
Tsukiko stretched and climbed onto her bed.
A few minutes later, she was lying on her stomach with her legs kicking lazily in the air, flipping through a novel with a deeply suspicious title that Jiraiya would probably have called "research material."
She had barely reached one of the more interesting pages when a cold, familiar voice suddenly sounded inside her mind.
[Heh... this thing is more interesting than I expected. Using chakra frequency for long-distance mental communication... you really were not just wandering around in the mud.]
Tsukiko rolled onto her back and lifted her hand, looking at the Vermilion Ring on her thumb.
A smug smile spread across her face.
[Yo, Uncle Snake. You're already using it? What do you think? Great quality, perfect fit, excellent style. Much better than your creepy lab, right?]
Orochimaru's voice carried his usual dry disdain.
[Flashy. Wasteful. Unnecessary.]
Then, after the briefest pause, he added:
[But the robe's defensive properties are acceptable. It should withstand a few exploding tags.]
Tsukiko laughed. [So you like it. Good. I knew your taste would improve under my guidance.]
[Do not put words in my mouth.]
[Then why are you calling? To thank me? To tell me you miss me?]
There was a faint sound of glass clinking on Orochimaru's end, followed by a silence that told her she had hit the mark.
Then he cleared his throat and deliberately changed the subject.
[I wanted to ask whether the experimental notes you took last time were incomplete. The file on the Hashirama Cell rejection neutralizer seems to be missing a page. Also... that flash device formula you wrote down. The chemical balance in it is extremely elegant.]
Tsukiko pressed a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh.
As expected.
He had wanted an excuse to talk.
[No pages are missing. You just did not check properly. The notes continue on the back of the final sheet. And as for the formula...]
She dragged the words out on purpose.
[If you admit that you miss me, I might come back and explain it to you personally.]
Silence.
Long silence.
So long that Tsukiko thought Orochimaru had simply ended the call in shame.
Then, finally, a very soft whisper reached her through the ring.
[...Come back soon. The lab is too quiet.]
And the connection snapped shut immediately.
Tsukiko stared at the ring for a moment.
Then she buried her face in the pillow and laughed into it.
"Such a stubborn man," she mumbled. "Completely hopeless."
She had only just settled down again when the mental line crackled once more.
Tsukiko groaned and covered her face with the book. "Please don't tell me you suddenly want to discuss microscopic chakra structure in the middle of the night."
But the sounds coming through the connection were different now. She could hear bubbling liquid, shifting metal tools, and the faint echo of glass being set aside. Orochimaru sounded distracted, as though he were speaking while moving around the lab.
[I remembered something.]
Tsukiko lowered the book slightly.
[About what?]
[Did you not ask me to keep an eye out for a certain violent woman?]
Tsukiko froze.
Then she sat bolt upright so quickly that the book fell off the bed.
[Tsunade? You found Lady Tsunade?!]
Even in the privacy of her own mind, her excitement came out loud and clear.
She jumped off the bed and started pacing barefoot in a circle.
Tsunade.
The legendary medical ninja.
One of the Sannin.
The only person in the world who might truly help Nagato before the overuse of the Rinnegan drained too much from him.
And, Tsukiko had to admit, one of the most beautiful women in the shinobi world.
Orochimaru sounded faintly irritated by her enthusiasm.
[You are far too excited.]
[Obviously! Where is she?]
[Near Tanzaku Town, close to the border of the Land of Fire. One of my informants spotted her there recently. She is wasting money in casinos again, which means she is probably losing badly enough to remain in the area for a while.]
Tsukiko stopped pacing and focused immediately.
Tanzaku Town.
Not too far.
Just a few days if she moved properly.
That was close enough to act on soon.
[That's perfect.]
[Do not celebrate too early.] Orochimaru's tone turned cooler. [Her blood phobia has worsened. Her temper is unstable. And if you walk up to her carelessly, she may break every bone in your body before hearing a single word.]
Tsukiko snorted.
[Uncle Snake, please. I deal with difficult people all the time. I handle you just fine, don't I?]
A sharp sound came through the ring.
It sounded suspiciously like glass cracking in someone's hand.
[Watch your mouth.]
Tsukiko grinned. [So you're jealous.]
[Of what?]
[That she's prettier than you.]
There was a choking sound.
Then a long, murderous silence.
Tsukiko was almost impressed.
When Orochimaru finally spoke again, his voice was colder than ever.
[I passed the information to you. What you do with it is your problem. But I will warn you about this: Konoha's Anbu have also been active around Tanzaku Town lately. If you go, be careful. Do not get caught in something annoying before you even find her.]
The warning was dry and distant, but Tsukiko could hear the concern beneath it.
Her tone softened a little.
[Alright. I understand. I'll be careful. And when I bring Lady Tsunade back, the three Sannin can finally reunite. You, her, and Jiraiya. Isn't that nice?]
Orochimaru made a disgusted sound.
[Who would want that?]
But he did not disconnect.
Tsukiko smiled to herself and lay back on the bed again, resting her chin on the pillow.
[You miss them too, don't you?]
Silence.
She kept going.
[No matter how far you walk, those years are still part of you. Jiraiya. Tsunade. The old team. That was once your home.]
The connection went completely still.
For a few long seconds, all she could hear was the faint hum of chakra moving through the ring.
Then Orochimaru finally spoke, and for the first time his voice carried a trace of something raw beneath the usual cool edge.
[Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep.]
Then the link cut off for real.
Tsukiko stared at the ceiling for a while.
Outside her window, rain slid down the glass in slow lines, turning the scattered village lights into blurred streaks.
This world was cruel. Broken. Full of people who had lost something important and hidden the wound so deeply that even they could no longer see it clearly.
Orochimaru buried his pain in endless experiments.
Tsunade buried hers in debt, gambling, and wandering.
Konan hid hers behind silence and calm eyes.
And Nagato...
Tsukiko's gaze shifted toward the wall that separated her room from the others.
Nagato carried a future that could easily devour him if no one stopped it.
She hugged the pillow closer.
"After tomorrow," she murmured, "I need to take a trip."
Then, after a pause, she added with complete shamelessness, "And Lady Tsunade probably gives amazing hugs."
A wicked little grin slowly spread across her face.
The next day, the valley north of Amegakure was as bleak as ever.
Sharp winds blew through the stone walls. Rain drifted in fine sheets, cutting across the open ground and turning the valley floor into a patchwork of wet mud and shallow pools.
At the entrance stood four figures.
Akatsuki.
For the first time, they looked like something larger than a desperate group of war orphans clinging to a dream.
Their black robes moved in the wind, the red clouds standing out sharply against the gray world around them.
Yahiko stood at the center, one hand lifting the high collar of his robe against the rain. "I have to admit," he said, "these clothes are incredible."
Nagato stood to his left, quiet and watchful, the shadow of his bangs hiding part of the Rinnegan.
Konan stood on the right, calm as still water. Rain touched her hair and shoulders only to slide off the robe without soaking in.
And beside them stood Tsukiko.
She had made a few changes, naturally.
Her own robe had been adjusted to suit her smaller frame, and she had somehow acquired a pair of black sunglasses, which she wore with absurd seriousness despite the weather.
Arms crossed, expression cool, she looked like a tiny criminal boss.
After a while, she tilted her head impatiently.
"How long are we supposed to stand here dramatically? Is Hanzō trying to make an entrance or did his knees lock up?"
"Tsukiko," Konan said, though there was a trace of laughter in her voice, "behave."
Tsukiko pushed up her sunglasses. "I am behaving."
Then the sound of footsteps echoed through the valley.
A moment later, hidden Rain ninja leaped out from the rocks and high ridges on both sides. There were dozens of them. In an instant, they occupied every useful position, surrounding the four Akatsuki members from above.
Kunai and senbon flashed in the rain.
The killing intent was unmistakable.
Yahiko stiffened.
Nagato's gaze sharpened.
Konan remained still, but Tsukiko could feel the tension in her body.
Then something massive dropped from above.
It hit the muddy ground ahead with a heavy crash, splashing water and dirt outward.
A giant salamander.
Its skin was covered in ugly growths, and poison seeped from its mouth in a thick haze.
Standing atop its head was Hanzō.
Respirator mask. Kusarigama in hand. Cold authority radiating from him like a living storm.
The Rain ninja waited.
Yahiko swallowed.
This was the moment.
The trap.
The betrayal.
The start of bloodshed.
But Tsukiko stood calmly, one hand still in her sleeve, her hidden Sharingan already tracking every detail.
Hanzō looked down at them.
And then, to everyone's shock, he lowered his weapon.
He even patted the salamander beneath him, calming it as if this were a peaceful visit.
His voice came through the mask, strange and measured.
"So... this is Akatsuki."
Yahiko blinked.
Hanzō looked over the robes first.
His eyes lingered on the red clouds.
Then he gave a slow nod.
"Excellent taste," he said gravely. "I have traveled through the shinobi world for many years and have never seen such a distinguished organizational uniform."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Yahiko stared.
Nagato stared.
Even the Rain ninja on the rocks looked like their souls had left their bodies.
Tsukiko almost choked trying not to laugh.
Hanzō was following the script beautifully.
Yahiko finally whispered, "Nagato... did he just compliment our clothes?"
Nagato looked just as confused. "Yes."
Tsukiko pressed a fist to her mouth and coughed to cover her smile.
Hanzō stepped down from the salamander and walked forward slowly.
His presence still carried the pressure of a legend, but his actions were now impossibly gentle.
He stopped in front of Yahiko and held out his hand.
"Young man," he said, "I have grown old."
Yahiko looked like he no longer understood what world he was living in.
Hanzō continued, voice deep and solemn.
"The Land of Rain has suffered for too long. I have upheld it with force, but force alone cannot build the future. I have heard of your ideals. I have watched your actions. And I believe that true hope for this country may rest with you."
Yahiko's mouth opened.
No sound came out.
Nagato's expression became unreadable.
Konan's eyes narrowed very slightly.
Hanzō raised his voice so the entire valley could hear.
"From today onward, I am willing to support Akatsuki."
The Rain ninja nearly dropped their weapons.
Hanzō continued before anyone could react.
"I will step back from the front line and act as your advisor. Anyone who opposes Akatsuki opposes the future of the Land of Rain."
That did it.
A kunai clattered from someone's numb hand onto the rock.
Yahiko looked as though lightning had struck him.
"This... this is too sudden," he managed.
At last Tsukiko stepped forward.
She removed her sunglasses and smiled in the most innocent, unreadable way possible.
"If Lord Hanzō is truly this sincere," she said sweetly, "then refusing him would be rude."
She reached out and took Hanzō's rough hand in her much smaller one.
"It's a pleasure to work with you... Advisor Hanzō."
There was the slightest pause.
A flicker in Hanzō's eyes.
Then the command settled fully again.
His posture straightened.
"Yes," he said firmly. "Advisor."
He turned sharply toward the surrounding Rain ninja and roared:
"What are you waiting for? Pay your respects to the people who will lead this country into the future!"
The years of fear and obedience carved into those shinobi were stronger than their confusion.
Almost immediately, they dropped to one knee.
Voices rang through the valley.
"Greetings, leaders of Akatsuki!"
The sound echoed between the rocks.
Yahiko stood frozen in the center of it all, eyes wide and shining.
For a moment, he looked like a boy watching a miracle appear out of nowhere.
Peace.
Recognition.
Legitimacy.
Everything he had dreamed of seemed to have arrived in a single impossible morning.
Nagato said nothing, but his eyes moved from the kneeling Rain ninja to Hanzō, then finally to Tsukiko.
Konan remained quiet too.
Her gaze was not on Hanzō.
Not on Yahiko.
Not even on the kneeling forces of Amegakure.
It was fixed entirely on Tsukiko's back.
The girl looked small standing beside the Demigod of the Rain. Yet somehow, in that moment, her presence felt even larger than his.
Tsukiko had entered their lives like chaos wrapped in a smile.
She flirted, joked, stole moments of warmth, and acted like she never took anything seriously.
But Konan could now see the truth more clearly than before.
Behind the teasing, behind the childish playfulness, behind the shameless grin—
Tsukiko had quietly moved the whole board.
Konan's lips curved into a soft, private smile.
"Tsukiko..." she whispered to herself.
This little girl carried far more secrets than anyone had guessed.
And somehow, against all reason, Konan felt safer because of it.
Above them, the rain still fell over the valley.
But now, for the first time, it no longer felt like a curtain closing in.
It felt like the beginning of something new.
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