---
"Hello, Konan!"
A simple greeting, yet it overlapped.
One side appeared in the ears of Konan's paper clone, while the other side appeared in the ears of Konan's true body.
"You..."
Konan's paper clone looked shocked.
Something was wrong!
Her true body had been discovered!
She and Nagato were clearly hiding in the deepest part of Amegakure.
...
In a dark corner of Amegakure.
Konan and Nagato, in their true forms, were staring in shock at the figure that had suddenly appeared.
Uchiha Itsuki!
He had actually found their true bodies.
Nagato sat in his wheelchair, coldly glaring at Itsuki as he strolled toward them. He said icily, "Konan, don't worry. I'm here."
"Mm, Nagato, I believe in you!"
Itsuki nodded as he spoke, "You were just outside, beating up that clone of Itsuki so badly. I could barely watch. Oh my, what if you had killed him?"
Nagato: "..."
This jerk really knows how to irritate people.
"Uchiha, you even know this place!" Konan said coldly. "You know too much."
"Bang!"
Itsuki playfully tapped his temple with his finger.
Then he shrugged and said helplessly, "I do know too much, and it's all your fault, Konan. Why do you have to be so beautiful? It made me keep my eyes on you, and before I knew it, I found out a lot."
Konan and Nagato completely ignored his nonsense.
The two quietly prepared for battle.
This time, even Nagato didn't dare underestimate him in the slightest.
Itsuki chuckled softly, and when he looked up again, his eyes were already in the form of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
He gazed deeply at Konan.
"You probably guessed it, but the Itsuki you fought earlier was just a clone."
Itsuki looked at Nagato and sighed, "You're amazing. No wonder you have the Rinnegan. You were able to fight my clone for so long, nearly killing him. Nagato, I, Uchiha Itsuki, acknowledge you as the strongest... cripple."
Nagato's face was so dark it seemed like ink could drip from it.
Konan suddenly said, "You came here on purpose, and now you've seen the real us. Can you reveal those secrets now?"
"Konan!" Nagato called out in a low voice.
But Konan's beautiful eyes were locked onto Itsuki.
She needed to know those secrets.
One of them even concerned Nagato's life and death.
"Secrets? What secrets?" Itsuki asked in surprise. "Miss Konan, haven't I already told you all the secrets I know?"
Konan coldly stared at Itsuki and said, "If you don't want to talk, then forget it. Just tell us your real purpose."
"Uchiha Itsuki, why have you come here?"
"I want to join the Akatsuki!"
Itsuki smiled as he looked at Nagato and Konan. "You guys in Akatsuki must still need members. What do you think of me? Handsome, strong, and completely devoted to Konan. I think I'm qualified to join you!"
"Impossible!" Nagato immediately refused.
"It's possible!" Konan gave a different answer.
"Konan!" Nagato turned and stared at Konan in disbelief.
He felt that something was off with Konan.
This guy is so dangerous, and yet you want to recruit him?
What are you planning to do? Worship him?
If this guy joins Akatsuki, the whole atmosphere of Akatsuki would change beyond recognition.
"Uchiha Itsuki, with your strength, you are qualified to join us!" Konan said in a cold voice without even glancing at Nagato. "However, if you want to join Akatsuki, you must show sincerity."
Itsuki burst into laughter and said, "I expected that. Here!"
---
In the midst of the conversation, Itsuki took out a piece of paper and handed it to Konan.
Konan accepted it with suspicion, then unfolded it.
On the paper, two large golden characters gleamed brightly: "Sincerity!"
Konan: "..."
Nagato, who had been secretly observing: "..."
Itsuki spoke with a serious tone, "This is my sincerity, with a golden edge."
He added, "It was hard to get. Otherwise, I would have made two pure gold tokens of sincerity, each five meters tall."
Konan stared at Itsuki with a deep gaze, saying nothing.
Itsuki gazed back at her with affection.
Konan was truly beautiful.
The two stood there, staring at each other as if no one else existed.
Nagato, standing nearby, felt his eye twitch.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Konan.
Finally, Konan relented. She lowered her head and coldly said, "Shameless Uchiha."
Itsuki pursed his lips but said nothing.
Watching a beautiful woman for free? He could do this for days without blinking, let alone just a moment.
"Sincerity has been given. Can I join the Akatsuki now?"
"No!" Konan replied coldly. "This sincerity is insufficient."
"How many do you need?"
"I need... Shut up! I don't want these things!" Konan thought for a moment, then coldly said, "I want the Five Great Shinobi Villages in chaos. Can you do that?"
"If I cause chaos, I can join?"
"Yes."
"Alright! I'll prove to you that when it comes to the chaos of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Uchiha Itsuki has the final say."
Itsuki nodded. "But I also want to see your sincerity."
"What do you want?"
"Explosive tags!" Itsuki grinned, "Five million of them!"
Konan frowned, "That many?"
"Many?" Itsuki chuckled. "Miss Konan, as I said before, I know you very well. I really know you extremely well."
He extended his hand and gestured at Konan in various ways, making all sorts of hand signs. "I know you inside out, no matter where..."
"Enough!" Konan shouted angrily, glaring at Itsuki. She gritted her teeth and said, "Shut your mouth! I agree."
Nagato remained silent on the side.
*I'm the leader! Konan, you're just a ninja assistant of sorts.*
*Why are you the one making decisions now?*
*Although... you making decisions is fine, but this Uchiha is really dangerous...*
"Then I'll be off. Expect good news from me." Itsuki waved with a smile.
"Get lost!" Konan commanded coldly.
Itsuki pouted, "Aren't you going to see me off?"
Konan hesitated slightly but eventually took a few steps toward Itsuki.
"Konan!" Nagato couldn't hold it in anymore. He shouted coldly, "Are you going with him?"
Konan turned her head to look at Nagato and spoke in a low voice, "Trust me, I'm not as weak as you think."
She had some things she wanted to confirm with Itsuki.
"But I won't allow it!" Nagato flatly refused.
"Stop talking nonsense." Itsuki snorted. Without hesitation, he sent a clone rushing toward Nagato.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The two instantly clashed.
Itsuki's clone wasn't weak, either. It was holding its own against Nagato's real body.
"Let's go, Miss Konan!" Itsuki said with a smile.
Konan glanced at Nagato with concern. She coldly asked, "You won't hurt him, will you?"
"Absolutely not!" Itsuki promised, "You're Uchiha Konan, and he's your family. How could I harm him?"
Oddly enough, despite Itsuki's usual unserious demeanor, Konan found herself strangely believing him.
She turned and followed Itsuki out.
Behind her, Nagato continued shouting.
"Konan!"
"Konan, you can't leave!"
"Konan, if you go, I..."
None of them noticed that one of Itsuki's Mangekyo Sharingan dimmed slightly.
(End of chapter)