"What is this?"
Konan immediately became alert, thinking she might have fallen under a genjutsu. However, after trying various methods to dispel the genjutsu, she realized that the scene in front of her hadn't changed at all. The metallic, transparent border still remained within her line of sight.
[First Level Reward: Triple Chakra Capacity]
She turned her gaze back to Asahi, reassessing the content within the frame.
[First Level Reward Unlock Condition: First Kiss]
"Can you see this?" she suddenly asked.
Asahi looked puzzled. "See what?"
Konan furrowed her brows slightly and asked again, "Did you hear any sound?"
Asahi gently shook his head.
Konan's doubts grew deeper. Her eyes remained fixed on the words that seemed to be visible only to her.
[Exclusive Binding: Asahi]
Could it be related to him?
First Kiss…
At that moment, Asahi asked, "Why did you just arrive, Konan?"
Konan pondered for a moment, then replied, "I'm about to patrol the seventh district, so I won't be attending the banquet. I just came to inform Yahiko."
"Thank you for your hard work, Konan"
Asahi gave a slight bow.
Konan hesitated for a moment, and the frames in her vision slowly began to shrink and move to the edges of her sight. But whenever she focused on them, they would expand back to their original state.
Is it… an illusion?
"Hey, Konan!"
Yahiko in the room noticed her and waved at her enthusiastically, calling her over. Konan had no choice but to suppress her thoughts for the moment, brushing past Asahi as she walked toward the people inside the room.
Asahi glanced at her back, his thoughts even more disordered. Konan's reaction earlier made him realize what was happening.
Because in front of him now appeared a series of metallic, transparent frames, densely packed with textual descriptions.
[Tier 1 Authority]
[Tier 2 Authority Bound: Konan]
[When Tier 2 Authority Rewards Unlocked, Tier 1 Authority Holder May Receive Different Rewards]
[First Level Reward: Locked]
[Before Unlocking the First Level Reward, If There Is No Interaction Between Tier 1 And Tier 2 Authority Holders Within a Month, The Tier 1 Authority System Will be Revoked]
[If Tier 2 Authority Holder Dies, The Tier 1 Authority System Will Be Revoked.]
[Before Unlocking the Third Level Reward, No Other Targets Can Be Bound]
In addition, there were rewards related to the Secondary Level Authority holder, all of which were labelled clearly.
Asahi calmed down, his mind racing.
This seemed to be a relationship between the main system and a sub-system, but the functions were too simple. As a Tier 1 Authority holder, he found himself completely passive. If Tier 2 Authority holder didn't take initiative, would he never be able to obtain rewards?
The key point right now was that he had already decided to leave Akatsuki and the Land of Rain.
He knew exactly what would happen tomorrow: Yahiko would be killed by a joint plot from Hanzo and Danzo, and all Akatsuki members, except for Nagato and Konan, would be wiped out by Obito.
If he wanted to escape, tonight was the only chance.
However, looking at the system's limitations, if he left, it meant giving up the system.
No matter the rewards or power, one needed to be alive to enjoy them.
But right now, he was just a chunin, and without the system, his future in this world might remain mundane and unremarkable.
Leaving here, heading to Konoha, and living an ordinary life, just a spectator in this world, didn't seem like such a bad choice…
The rain was cold, and Asahi looked back at the room that was lit up. Yahiko seemed to be speaking to Konan in a flustered tone, while Konan smiled softly and quietly, and the others around them were laughing and joking.
Was there a third option...?
The wind carried rain, and it hit his robe, the coolness brushing against his cheek.
"Yahiko ,what exactly do you want to say to me?" Konan asked, looking at the nervous orange-haired boy in front of her, her voice tinged with amusement.
Yahiko scratched his head nonstop, his eyes darting around as if all the attention of everyone in the room was focused on him. Nagato gave him an encouraging look.
"Uh… what I said to you a couple of days ago, I didn't think it through at the time. Don't take it too seriously... that's all."
A chorus of mocking sounds echoed around him.
Yahiko felt embarrassed and a little frustrated.
Konan, however, smiled gently, "What did you say a couple of days ago? I don't remember. Why don't you think it through and get ready first, then come talk to me."
"Konan, I..." Yahiko was now even more confused and at a loss for words.
Sitting nearby, Kyūsuke couldn't stand it any longer and stood up, unable to hold back, "Konan, Yahiko wants to tell you that he's always--"
Before he could finish, Yahiko quickly covered his mouth, grabbing a nearby bottle of alcohol and forcing it toward Kyūsuke's mouth. Kyūsuke struggled, his face turning red as if he were about to choke to death.
Konan looked at the scene with amusement and decided to change the subject, "Alright, go on drinking. Just don't let it interfere with tomorrow's business. I need to go inspect the seventh district later."
"Ah, thank you for your hard work, Konan," Yahiko quickly regained his serious expression.
Konan simply nodded, glancing intentionally or unintentionally at a certain spot, before turning and leaving.
"Big brother, the atmosphere is already like this, and you still haven't said it!"
"I think Konan already has some idea about it."
"Brother Yahiko is so hopeless!"
Yahiko, unable to bear the teasing, pretended to be angry and shouted, "This is so annoying!"
After a violent coughing fit, Kyūsuke noticed the person who had been sitting beside him had returned, and casually remarked, "Asahi, you're back."
"Mm." Asahi's expression was calm.
Kyūsuke's face flushed, glancing between Asahi and Yahiko.
"Why aren't you drinking?"
"Won't Konan be okay inspecting the seventh district by herself?" Asahi asked instead.
Kyūsuke laughed in response, "Asahi, you really underestimate Konan."
Asahi gently shook his head. "I just think, while we're all here drinking, it doesn't feel quite right to let Konan go inspect the seventh district alone."
Kyūsuke was taken aback at those words.
"Eh…"
After hesitating for a moment, he leaned in close to Asahi's ear and whispered, "Asahi, Konan really likes Yahiko."
Asahi simply glanced at him, ignoring the remark, and spoke quietly, "Kyūsuke, don't you think what Hanzō promised sounds too good to be true?"
"…"
Kyūsuke glanced around in confusion. The room was loud and bustling with cheer, and the people at the table were drinking and chatting about the future. Yahiko was talking to a few others animatedly.
He swallowed hard. "Asahi, what do you mean?"
"Maybe someone should accompany Konan to inspect the seventh district."
"You want to go?"
Asahi shook his head. "Nagato is the strongest among us. She should go with Konan, it would be the safest."
Kyūsuke tilted his head. "But He's supposed to meet Hanzō with Yahiko tomorrow."
"We can accompany Yahiko."
"But Yahiko said if too many of us go, Hanzō might misunderstand."
"Then let's just go with three people— you, me, and Daibutsu."
Kyūsuke couldn't help but ask, "Why does it have to be this way?"
Konan was simply going to inspect the seventh district, and among their group, Konan was one of the strongest members.
Kyūsuke couldn't understand his friend's thought process, feeling that all this effort seemed pointless.
At this point, Asahi couldn't think of a better plan.
Konan would be captured by Hanzō and Danzo during this inspection and become a pawn to threaten Yahiko the next day.
Meanwhile, Black Zetsu and Uchiha Obito was also closely monitoring Akatsuki's movements. They were eager for Hanzō and Danzo plot to succeed so that Nagato would be forced to side with them.
If Asahi went to rescue Konan with Kyūsuke and the others, there was a high chance they would be killed by Obito, who would view them as obstacles. Asahi couldn't directly reveal Hanzō and Danzo conspiracy either.
If they didn't rescue Konan or interfere, then aside from Nagato and Konan, everyone else in Akatsuki would be wiped out by Obito.
If they only saved Konan, they would still face the enmity of Hanzō and Danzo. Yahiko fate wouldn't be much better, and eventually, Asahi and the others would have to face retribution.
Among Akatsuki, only Nagato could save Konan. Obito, at least for now, wouldn't actively oppose Nagato.
It was only after Konan was rescued by Nagato that Asahi would have a chance to seize that slim opportunity.
After some thought, Asahi quietly said to Kyūsuke, "I'm worried about Konan. You understand, right, Kyūsuke? Also, I want to see Hanzō with my own eyes."
Kyūsuke sighed helplessly upon hearing this. His friend really was devoted.
"Fine, then I'll go talk to Yahiko about it and see if he agrees."
Asahi watched as Kyūsuke got up and pulled Yahiko aside, their voices lost in the surrounding noise.
"Kyūsuke, you've made a good point," Yahiko said, his eyes now clearer. "I was blinded by what's right in front of me. The more we get to this point, the more careful we have to be."
Kyūsuke added that Hanzō's promises might have been too good to be true.
Since Akatsuki's formation, they had never received any clear stance from Hanzō. Now, for the first time, they were in contact with him. How much could Hanzō really know about Akatsuki?
It could only be based on investigation and rumors.
To so easily entrust the task of negotiating peace with the three great countries to them—this was during a time of war, when Konoha and Iwagakure were in delicate peace talks, an extremely sensitive period.
If everything went as planned, that would be the best outcome. But how likely was that?
Yahiko couldn't quite calculate it, but he knew one thing: the fate of Akatsuki rested on his shoulders. He couldn't afford to disappoint the collective hopes of so many people.
It wouldn't hurt to think more carefully and prepare a little more.
He turned to Nagato and said, "Nagato, Konan just left not long ago. You can catch up with her."
Nagato nodded. "I understand. I'll accompany her to inspect the seventh district."
Nagato hadn't drunk much, and after Yahiko instructions, he immediately left the room.
Yahiko then turned to Kyūsuke and said, "Kyūsuke, you really have thought this through."
As someone who had followed him from the beginning, Kyūsuke's strength and character were exceptional in every way, and Yahiko deeply respected and relied on him.
"Tomorrow, You, Daibutsu, and Asahi will accompany me to meet Hanzō."
When Yahiko mentioned the name "Asahi," he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Was it really Asahi who wrote that love letter to Konan? It doesn't seem like something he would do."
Asahi was quiet and introverted within the organization, a person who was easily overlooked by others.
Kyūsuke coughed lightly. "Yahiko, don't worry too much. Konan definitely likes you. If you just speak up, you would have already gotten her."
Yahiko shot him a glare and muttered, "It's not as simple as you think between us."
Kyūsuke was puzzled. "If it's mutual affection, how is it complicated?"
"Just don't ask. And stop egging me on in the future."
Kyūsuke shrugged. "I can control my own mouth, but I can't control others."
"You little rascal!"
Kyūsuke returned to his seat, grinning as he said to Asahi, "It's taken care of."
"Thanks"
"You're too polite, drink up."
Looking at the cup of alcohol handed to him by Kyūsuke, Asahi finally took it and gently sipped.
There was still one more thing.
Akatsuki was currently under close surveillance by Obito, and Asahi couldn't afford to stand out and draw his attention. Some things, he could only entrust others to say on his behalf.
But the ones who spoke for him could very well be placed in dangerous situations.