What one man hoarded in war… becomes another man's foundation.
The next morning—
the sky was dim, and rain poured relentlessly.
Konan led Kamizuki Gen out of the Demonic Statue Tower. The two walked side by side through the streets of Amegakure under umbrellas. Dressed in their black cloaks adorned with red clouds, it finally felt like Akatsuki members heading out on a mission.
What surprised Gen was—
no one paid them any special attention.
It was clear the villagers of Amegakure had long grown accustomed to the "Angel's" presence… and the order she maintained.
Gen spotted a breakfast stall. After greeting Konan and confirming she wouldn't eat, he bought himself some rice balls and tamagoyaki.
As he turned, he reached out and grabbed two children who had tripped while chasing each other, stopping them just before they crashed into a boiling oil stove.
Watching the two kids run off—apologizing and thanking him—Gen muttered under his breath, "The entire Amegakure is basically my property. You little brats—if you broke something, could you even afford to pay for it?"
He pulled out a green frog coin purse to pay.
After receiving his change, he paused—
his fingers tightening slightly around the pouch.
That grinning blond kid—with his wide, foolish smile—appeared in his mind.
Naruto.
That night before he left the village, Naruto had secretly slipped this wallet into his pocket. A difficult decision for him—the money he had saved for limited-edition ramen, all given away. Afraid that his broke upperclassman would starve on missions outside the village, but too considerate of his pride to say it outright, so he snuck it in.
Gen had sensed it all.
"…Damn."
He carried his breakfast back toward Konan.
"You could've just handed it to me directly, you know."
Gen wasn't shameless.
But once a man stepped into the real world, he learned two things were useless: his pride—and his "steel rod."
Pride stopped you from making money.
As for the other…
Well—
fortunately, his steel rod was still useful.
He pulled out his cane, tapping it lightly against the ground as he navigated forward, moving through darkness.
As he walked, he thought about how to repay Naruto.
Truly—
a protagonist.
Even interacting with someone like him, Naruto could turn danger into fortune.
"…Wait."
Gen clicked his tongue.
"Isn't my main mission… to capture Naruto and extract the Nine-Tails?"
That made things… complicated.
Naruto—
sorry, kid.
When I come back to the village, I'm probably coming for you.
If I catch you…
Heh.
After some thought, Gen arrived at a bold conclusion.
"Why not recruit Naruto into Akatsuki?"
"Becoming Hokage and being an Akatsuki member… doesn't necessarily conflict, right?"
As for the Nine-Tails—
Orochimaru could probably figure out a way to extract it safely.
Gen sighed.
"Naruto… the waters around the Nine-Tails run deep. You can't handle it."
"In the future—let your senior bear that burden for you."
"…What are you smiling about?"
Konan's voice cut in flatly.
She watched as Gen walked straight toward her.
"If you keep going, you're going to walk right into me."
Was he doing it on purpose?
Or not?
Gen froze, then smiled awkwardly and stopped.
"Sorry."
Konan studied him.
"Aren't you able to sense your surroundings?"
Gen shook his head.
"No need to waste chakra for daily movement. Outside of combat, I avoid using it."
Konan nodded.
Just like she wouldn't maintain paper form during normal life—
there was no need.
Then—
her gaze shifted.
She noticed the green frog purse in his hand.
At the same time, she felt his sensory chakra lightly brush over her—
like being observed from every angle.
If there were laws for this sort of thing—
she might've reported him on the spot.
"…."
Her brows furrowed—
but then softened.
The frog purse pulled her thoughts back—
to a small wooden house by a lake.
To the days when she, Nagato, and Yahiko trained under Jiraiya.
The happiest—
most peaceful time of her life.
Cold nights—
wearing green frog pajamas.
Waiting together.
Even the walls had frog decorations.
Then—
she remembered Gen saving those children.
Her expression gradually softened.
Looking at him, his black-haired figure overlapped—
with that orange-haired boy.
Yahiko.
He would've done the same.
"I want a rice ball."
The words slipped out unconsciously as she raised her hand.
For a brief moment—
she overlapped with her younger self.
But as soon as she spoke, she froze.
Realizing it was inappropriate now, she began to withdraw her hand.
Too late.
A rice ball was already placed in her palm.
"Knew you were hungry."
Konan blinked—
then accepted it anyway.
"…Why were you watching—sensing me?"
Gen tucked the frog purse away.
"You're accusing me? You were the one staring at my wallet."
"I thought you were after my money."
"???"
Konan didn't even know how to respond.
This man's logic—
was something else.
…
Ten minutes later—
they arrived at Amegakure's former political center.
A towering steel structure.
It still functioned as the village's administrative hub, with Rain ninja stationed throughout.
As Konan approached—
they all bowed.
"Lady Angel."
The two climbed the steps, passed through dim corridors.
Unlike the empty, cold Demonic Statue Tower—
this place was alive with activity.
Konan led Gen to a wooden structure inside the tower.
"Lady Angel!"
Two ANBU guards bowed and opened the door.
Gen extended his perception inward.
As his chakra spread, the interior took shape in his mind—section after section, towering shelves, scrolls upon scrolls—
like a vast library.
"Besides jutsu scrolls, there are also many books stored here," Konan explained.
Some were inherited from past leaders of Amegakure.
But most—
were spoils collected by Hanzō during his wars.
In truth—
this entire tower—
was Hanzō's legacy.
Gen nodded slowly.
"Perfect."
"This is exactly what I was looking for."
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