On top of that, Uzumaki Naruto's fights were always top-tier matches, entirely against the Ōtsutsuki clan or cyborgs modified by the Ōtsutsuki clan's Shinjutsu.
The Nine-Tails' power couldn't be fully utilized at all. This time, he should be able to catch a glimpse of Kushina's true splendor.
Naruto was only able to unlock his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode thanks to the Kongō Fūsa released by Kushina's remaining chakra. Now that she was doing it herself, she should easily be able to seize the Nine-Tails' chakra. Because Kushina's sealing jutsu was growing stronger, and a long time had passed since her last rampage.
"What will Kushina look like under the influence of the Nine-Tails' chakra?" Shimizu Uchiha's eyes flickered. Would a person actually glow? That was a question worth exploring.
Night fell. Shimizu instructed Rin Nohara to set up his tent, while Hatake Kakashi gathered with him around an iron pot. Ingredients were stewing inside, releasing the fresh aroma of food.
In the camp, there was no need to over-defend against cooking. A large-scale gathering like this wasn't something that could be hidden simply by refraining from lighting a fire to cook. They could only rely on erected barriers for concealment, doing their best to prevent enemy forces from scouting them out.
"Coming to the battlefield right after getting married—are you adjusting well, groom?" Shimizu ladled a spoonful of soup into his bowl.
"No wonder many shinobi become dull after starting a family," Kakashi said, speaking from experience. He had begun to truly accept Taiko Hatake. That was his first time, and it was also Taiko Hatake's first time.
Although Taiko Hatake's appearance was quite ordinary and couldn't be called beautiful, Kakashi liked it that way. It always reminded him of his mother, bringing a faint sense of warmth, as if he had returned to the days when his family of three was reunited.
A moment later, Kakashi thought of the Konohagakure higher-ups' orders, and his brow furrowed involuntarily. Always these kinds of missions. Surveillance, surveillance. Kakashi knew that Shimizu was still monitoring the Uchiha clan, and he wondered what Shimizu felt in his heart.
"Don't think too much," Shimizu said, taking a sip of soup. He could see the lingering heaviness in the depths of Kakashi's eyes.
Taiko Hatake was from Kirigakure. Even though the two villages had entered into a political marriage, surveillance was still an indispensable part of the process. Monitoring an outsider was one thing, but having to monitor his own wife was an immense psychological burden for Kakashi.
"Kakashi, is something troubling you?" Minato Namikaze and Kushina walked over. Even from a distance, Minato could see Kakashi's long face, noticeable even behind his black mask.
"Yeah, acting like this right after getting married—do you have some dissatisfaction with your bride?" Kushina seemed to want to defend Taiko.
"No, it's not that," Kakashi shook his head.
"Then hurry up and tell us, how does married life feel?" Kushina sat across from the iron pot, and Minato Namikaze sat down beside her.
Kakashi slowly spoke about his feelings. It wasn't earth-shattering like the events in Icha Icha Paradise, but that plain, leisurely sense of peace greatly attracted him.
Kushina listened intently, her red hair falling over her shoulders, her fair hands propping up her cheeks. From time to time, she glanced at Minato Namikaze, her eyes full of anticipation for the future. Minato began using the ladle to stir the ingredients inside, making the soup more flavorful.
Shimizu lowered his head and drank the rest of his soup in one gulp. Time passed quietly, the firewood crackling. It wasn't until the fire died down that everyone prepared to return to their respective tents.
A few days later, Kushina's expectations of the outside world were shattered. Wounded people were everywhere, and people died every day. The conflicts over the past few days hadn't required Kushina to use the Nine-Tails' power yet, so she could only wander around the outpost with nothing to do.
"Minato!" Kushina saw Minato Namikaze returning from afar and quickly waved. "Your... blood?" Kushina pointed to the bloodstains on Minato.
"It's the enemy's blood, don't worry." Minato Namikaze flashed a slightly weary smile.
Perhaps because Kumogakure was wary of the Nine-Tails, the frequency with which they deployed their Tailed Beasts had dropped significantly. However, at this stage, it was basically a struggle for the final spoils. The winner of this battle would secure greater benefits. The Third Raikage of Kumogakure had already died in this war, making the remaining forces even more frenzied, unwilling to give up their interests.
"Kushina, I'm going back to rest for a bit." After exchanging a few words with Kushina, Minato walked into his tent.
"Alright," Kushina lowered her head. She had hoped to alleviate her boredom once Minato returned. At this outpost, there was absolutely nothing to pass the time. She wasn't assigned any chores either; she was merely kept there as a deterrent against Kumogakure, only to be deployed as a last resort.
"Shimizu!" Kushina wandered around the outpost for a few laps before finding Shimizu.
Shimizu lifted his gaze to look at Kushina. At this moment, he had just finished treating a patient.
"Do you have time to give me a massage?" Seeing that it was already late, Kushina figured most of the patients for the day had been treated.
"Of course I have time," Shimizu nodded. It just so happened that his skills in this area had improved a bit.
Shimizu flashed an intriguing smile and created a Kage Bunshin to watch over the medical tent in case of an emergency. "Follow me."
Memories always happen in the rain. Outside, a torrential downpour was falling, and Konan walked to the window as if summoned by the sound of the rain. Outside the window, all that could be seen were towering structures piercing the sky and the rivers whose water levels had risen after the rain.
An unchanging scenery, a world lacking color—this was Amegakure. Surrounded by three countries with immense military power—the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Wind—it had been dragged into numerous conflicts, as those great nations used this land as their battlefield. Unreasonable violence caused countless lives to be trampled.
Konan was also a victim of war. Her parents had passed away, her home was gone, and she lived a hand-to-mouth existence. Back then, the only thing awaiting her was her own death. In such a moment of despair, someone saved Konan.
"...Here, eat." His manner was rough, yet it naturally exuded a certain warmth. Seeing Konan's surprised gaze, Yahiko flashed a smile at her. Faced with a Konan who had lost everything, Yahiko gave her something precious.
"Konan."
Suddenly, a voice called out, interrupting Konan's memories. Konan turned around to find a man standing behind her. The man had piercings in his ears, his eyes were the Rinnegan, and his expression showed absolutely no trace of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.
The Deva Path Pain—this was a puppet created by Nagato, a puppet that looked exactly like Yahiko.
"Madara is here. Yahiko hasn't returned yet, so we will go meet him first."
Konan nodded and replied, "Understood." She then turned around to cast a glance at the rain outside the window.
The conflict between Nagato and Yahiko was growing larger and larger. Yahiko was always outside preaching his philosophy of peace. She wanted to go with him, but Yahiko insisted on keeping her here with Nagato. The reason was that Yahiko believed it was safer here. Yahiko believed that Nagato would become the bridge to peace and had simply strayed off course for now. Therefore, he usually told Konan to always prioritize Nagato.
Whenever she thought of this, Konan felt a wave of mixed emotions in her heart. Yet, within moments, she would always think of another man. The man who forced her to engage in those shameless acts—Shimizu Uchiha. Konan knew this matter had nothing to do with Shimizu, but she felt that ever since Shimizu arrived, everything had begun to change.
"Kumogakure is prepared to fund and hire the Akatsuki. This is an opportunity for us to make a name for ourselves in the shinobi world," Uchiha Obito said indifferently. This way, their commissions would increase.
The scale of the Akatsuki was vast; it didn't just consist of combatants, but mostly ordinary people and weaker shinobi responsible for logistical work. The current number of White Zetsu wasn't large, and creating more would require consuming the chakra within the Gedō Mazō. Every little bit saved helped. Of course, the most important thing was to deepen their cooperation with the great nations. When those nations began to rely on the Akatsuki, that would be the moment the Akatsuki betrayed them.
"Your opponent this time is very likely to be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Although Kumogakure has the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails, Konohagakure still possesses the 'Twin Flashes of Konoha'—the Yellow Flash and Body Flicker Shimizu."
"Can we start collecting them beginning with the Nine-Tails?"
"No, it must be done in the proper order." Obito glanced at the lifeless puppet.
"This is an assessment of the Tailed Beasts' strength," the half-black, half-white Zetsu spoke. At this moment, the white portion on the left side was speaking.
The Deva Path Pain listened quietly. Konan stood to the side without saying a word, watching the conversation among them.
"Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki are top-secret matters of the villages, and information on them is not easily obtained. In other words, we must seek out the few pieces of intelligence that have leaked to the outside world," Nagato spoke through the puppet.
"This is also to achieve our goal," Obito replied.
The Deva Path Pain let out an "Mm" in agreement with his statement.
Obito nodded in satisfaction and continued, "I want you to set off for the battlefield immediately..." Obito's gaze suddenly landed on Konan. "Konan, you should go this time as well. I heard you are acquainted with Body Flicker Shimizu."
Konan, who had been standing silently in place, couldn't help but stiffen. "What did you say...? I cannot leave this place."
She had to act as a buffer between Pain and Nagato to prevent their conflict from escalating, handle the intelligence of Amegakure, and Nagato's true body could not do without her protection.
"This is an order." Obito left no room for Konan to refuse. Taking Zetsu with him, he used Kamui and vanished from the spot.
After a long while, Konan said, "What about Yahiko?"
"This mission is not suitable for him. I will have the Six Paths of Pain go together." The Deva Path Pain turned and walked into the darkness. This time would also be the best opportunity to see Konohagakure's true strength.
Once everyone had left, Konan looked out at the rain alone. If possible, she did not want to see Shimizu Uchiha's face ever again. It would make her feel as though she were letting Yahiko down.
Konan pulled out a piece of handmade thick washi paper tucked against her chest. Gently unfolding the creased paper, a shattered pressed flower appeared. The edges of the petals had already turned brown, and the color of the flower had yellowed.
Konan sighed softly and tucked the pressed flower back against her chest.
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