The joys and sorrows of people are not connected.
Uzumaki Nagato's pain was pleasure for Naruto Uzumaki, and excitement for Konan.
Konan didn't understand why Naruto smiled so joyfully while another suffered so deeply.
But there was a wild beast living in her heart, one that thrilled and trembled at the thought of someone being separated from her by only a closet door.
She feared the wardrobe being smashed open. She also hoped it would be.
This feeling was truly wonderful.
Eventually, Konan let go of her pride and, alongside Naruto, treated Nagato's angry pounding as music to heighten the mood.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The furious strikes were not enough to express Uzumaki Nagato's wrath. Blood surged through his veins as he raged.
He wished he could fly straight from the Rain Country to the Snow Country to save Konan.
But he couldn't. He was crippled, a man without mobility, reliant on Pain to move.
Now, five of the Six Paths of Pain had been destroyed. The last one, Yahiko, was sealed in a cabinet. He hated it!
Hearing Konan's desperate cries pushed him into madness. He wanted to tear everything apart—he wanted to rip the world asunder.
But he couldn't. He simply couldn't.
"Konan," Naruto said as he pinched her cheeks, fiddling with her soft lips as though she were a delightful toy.
He picked her up, facing the closet, and declared loudly, "Call me husband."
"Husband~!" Konan obeyed without hesitation, her voice dreamy and trembling.
The sound passed through Yahiko's ears and reached Nagato.
Uzumaki Nagato completely snapped. He screamed with hatred:
"Uzumaki Naruto, I will tear you to pieces! I will destroy everything you care about! I will kill all your friends and family!"
"Super Shinra Tensei!"
He had collapsed. Hearing Konan call Naruto "husband" in humiliation broke the last remnants of control.
He unleashed a ninjutsu far beyond what Yahiko's damaged body could withstand.
In an instant, a massive wave of repulsive force erupted from Yahiko's body.
He wanted to obliterate the cabinet.
Naruto just chuckled outside.
"A mere grain of sand… not even close to me."
"Open your eyes, Konan, and watch how I suppress him with just a touch."
Konan bashfully opened her eyes and watched the wardrobe swell from the pressure inside.
She saw Naruto raise one hand from her waist and press it against the cabinet. A surge of golden chakra poured into it, compressing it inward.
The inside expanded. The outside compressed. The forces clashed.
Though the wardrobe might eventually splinter, for now, it held firm—despite being mere wood.
But Yahiko's body inside was not as resilient.
Already ravaged by Samehada, it now bore excessive chakra, causing even greater damage as the Super Shinra Tensei clashed with Naruto's force.
Yahiko's right leg shattered. His left palm twisted unnaturally. Every black nail fell away.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Yahiko's ruined body howled.
Konan leaned on Naruto's shoulder, panting with arousal.
"Ahh!" Naruto yelled, channeling energy into the opposing forces.
"BOOM!!!"
The wardrobe collapsed, first inward, then into powder. Yahiko's broken body dropped to the floor.
No Rinnegan. No Nagato's control.
At last, Yahiko was just Yahiko. He closed his eyes like a man.
Naruto had won.
"Whew…" Naruto exhaled and gently placed the exhausted Konan on the bed. He formed hand seals and summoned fire to burn Yahiko's remains into ash.
Letting him vanish was a final mercy.
"Rest in peace."
Naruto genuinely admired Yahiko—a true idealist who died for his beliefs and his friends.
Nagato, too, was admirable.
But admiration didn't mean mercy. In battle, Naruto showed none.
Nagato wanted his Nine-Tails chakra. In return, Naruto broke him completely.
"Nagato will be back. He's been humiliated. I need to be ready to crush him again."
Naruto turned to Konan.
She had been wonderful today, obedient and brave. She deserved a reward.
...
A man doesn't cry until he reaches true sorrow.
Back in the Rain Country, Uzumaki Nagato couldn't stop the tears.
Yahiko's body was destroyed. Konan had been degraded.
And he could do nothing.
A normal man might spill blood in anger. Nagato could only rage silently in his tree hole.
"Hahahahaha! Hahahaha!"
"Pfft!"
Another mouthful of blood. He had lost count of how many times he had vomited blood that day.
Anger, grief, and overexertion were killing him.
The sky turned light. A red sun rose in the east.
The morning mist faded.
As the sun rose, Nagato's mind cleared slightly. Biting his lip for clarity, he sent out a message.
"Zetsu. Uchiha Madara. Get me new bodies. We're capturing the tailed beasts. Now."
"Gather every available resource. Kill Uzumaki Naruto!"
Nagato's hatred burned brighter than it ever had, even more than when Yahiko died.
"Uzumaki Naruto… you will die!"
...
A few new faces arrived.
Three familiar Konoha shinobi in green flak jackets and forehead protectors: Hyuga Neji and Nara Shikamaru at Naruto's sides, and a heavily bandaged Uchiha Sasuke in the center.
After yesterday's battle, both Neji and Shikamaru had newfound respect for Naruto. The power gap was simply too great.
Only Sasuke still glared angrily at Naruto.
"Naruto, why did you insult me yesterday?"
Sasuke was still upset about being called Naruto's son.
"You must apologize to me!"
Sure, he obeyed Naruto.
Sure, he worked for Naruto.
But insult him?
Didn't Uchiha Sasuke have pride? Dignity?
Naruto's face twitched. He took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to snap.
"Don't get mad… He's just a kid."
"Biological."
If Sasuke weren't his biological son, Naruto might have knocked him out already.
Even Mikoto wouldn't dare ask Naruto for an apology. And Sasuke dared?
"Naruto! I'm talking to you! Apologize!"
Slap.
Naruto struck Sasuke's forehead.
"I saved your life, brat. And you want an apology?"
"Fine. I'll apologize in my way."
Ten minutes later, Sasuke hung from a ceiling beam, chakra sealed, mouth taped shut, grunting angrily.
Neji and Shikamaru panicked.
Naruto really did it.
Afraid of ending up the same way, they explained their mission.
Tsunade had ordered them to bring Naruto back to Konoha.
Neji had a second task from Hiashi: Find Hinata Hyuga if possible.
Hinata, Kurenai Yuhi, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Asuma Sarutobi had gone missing months ago.
Amid the war with Hidden Cloud, the village hadn't noticed until it was too late.
Hiashi nearly held a funeral for Hinata. His wife fell ill with grief.
"Naruto-kun, everyone, time to eat," Konan said as she entered with food.
Thanks to Naruto's overnight treatment, she could walk again, though she still had no memories beyond Naruto.
She saw Sasuke hanging from the beam, startled.
"What happened?"
"Don't worry about him. Come eat," Naruto waved.
Shikamaru and Neji dared not speak of Konan's identity in her presence.
So the room fell silent, except for Sasuke's muffled groaning.
After eating, Naruto released Sasuke, but kept his seals in place.
"Go find a place to stay. I'll join you to search for Hinata."
He shoved the grumpy Sasuke into Shikamaru's arms. The trio left Naruto and Konan's room.
"Naruto."
Naruto looked up with a calm smile.
But Konan sensed something was off.
She'd finally seen a mirror.
Her body was tall, elegant—about thirty years old.
Naruto was under 1.7 meters tall and clearly ten years younger.
Yet he said they were married.
"What's on your mind?" Naruto asked.
Konan lowered her head, lips trembling.
"You lied to me, didn't you, Naruto-kun? You're not my husband."
Naruto smiled, unsurprised.
Their appearances alone were enough proof. It wasn't hard to guess.
Konan looked hurt. "So… the man you fought yesterday… he was my husband, wasn't he?"
Naruto blinked.
"Why would you think that?"
"His voice… it was full of anger."
She wasn't stupid. No ordinary enemy would be so enraged by what happened between them.
She noticed yesterday but didn't want to face it.
"No. Maybe he liked you. But there was no real intimacy."
Naruto's eyes were steady.
"I have no reason to lie. Believe it or not."
Relieved, Konan sighed.
If that man was her husband, she would feel guilt.
But now? It didn't matter.
Alive or dead, it didn't matter.
"Good."
She asked no more.
Now, she needed Naruto. She had no jutsu, no money, and only her beauty—which could get her killed.
She had to rely on him.
Seeing her so wise, Naruto smiled.
No longer hiding, he contacted Haku in front of her.
He had nearly forgotten about Kurenai and Hinata.
It was time to bring them home.
He wondered how they were doing with Haku now.