On the way back, Yahiko finally managed to get the full story out of Konan.
He could only raise a hand to his forehead and sigh.
"That guy, Kiyokawa, never stops stirring up trouble for even a second… How did he manage to provoke Konoha's next Hokage this time?! Ugh!"
But what he didn't expect was that the Konan who used to gently reassure him at moments like this was now hesitating again and again, clearly wanting to say something but holding back—until she finally spoke:
"Yahiko, maybe… maybe you should trust Kiyokawa a bit more. I believe there's deeper meaning behind his actions."
"Right now, his intelligence is critical—not just for us, but for the entire Akatsuki. Just relying on ourselves may never bring true peace."
Yahiko's jaw practically dropped in disbelief.
She had only been away on a mission for three days! How could she have changed so much?
Before she left, hadn't Konan said she was going to persuade Kiyokawa to understand their ideals?
So why was she now speaking in his defense—with a level of trust that felt completely uncharacteristic of her?
In that moment, Yahiko couldn't help but wonder if he had accidentally skipped several months of plot developments.
Just what had happened?
And soon enough, he would realize—Konan wasn't the only one who had changed.
All around them, the Akatsuki members were still in awe over the miracle Kiyokawa had just pulled off.
They were passing around the special declaration written by Minato like it was sacred scripture. And for the first time in ages, they felt like they could finally stand tall again.
"Kiyokawa, that was incredible! You actually made the future Fourth Hokage write a formal statement!"
"So cool! Now we don't have to worry about Konoha's ninja trespassing again!"
"Seriously, that was the Hokage! The leader of the most powerful Hidden Village in the world! And you walked away unscathed and secured a guarantee for the entire Land of Rain! Kiyokawa, you're amazing!"
Ever since the latter stages of the Second Great Shinobi War—when the demigod Hanzo of the Salamander lost his drive—Ame ninja had been unable to lift their heads in front of shinobi from other villages.
Life had always been tough, but at least back then, they could take pride in their village's legendary figure. Even starving genin from the Land of Rain could puff out their chests when Hanzo's name was mentioned.
But in recent years, even that final shred of pride had begun to slip away.
Kiyokawa, however, humbly remarked, "Technically… Minato Namikaze isn't Hokage yet."
Unexpectedly, the Akatsuki members were even more confident than he was.
"He will be, sooner or later!"
They held Minato's scroll like it was the long-lost dignity of their nation restored.
"He will become Hokage! After all, your judgment has never been wrong, Kiyokawa!"
Many of them had previously held reservations about Kiyokawa, thinking he was too ruthless, too radical—someone whose methods clashed with the Akatsuki's ideals.
But now, with this scroll as solid proof of his capabilities, more and more of them were starting to remember Kiyokawa's strengths.
His ability to plan flawlessly.
His uncanny foresight.
They still respected Yahiko, of course. His kindness and ideals had always been the spiritual pillar of the organization. But when it came to evoking pride, Yahiko simply didn't compare to what the future leader of the second-generation Akatsuki—Nagato—could inspire.
Of course, Yahiko hadn't yet sensed these subtle shifts in people's hearts.
All he felt was a growing headache.
He was terrified that this hard-earned, fragile peace around their base would be shattered again, and couldn't help but glance at the troublemaker who had started it all.
But at this moment, Kiyokawa didn't spare him a single look—he was far too focused on the system messages he had missed earlier.
Right when he'd decided to make a move on Kakashi's team, the system had dramatically updated his fate trajectories.
At the time, his probability of dying within the day had skyrocketed to a horrifying 78%, with the cause of death unsurprisingly listed as "Killed by Konoha ninja."
Fortunately, with a mix of caution, intelligence, and a little luck, he had managed to pull off a complete reversal from that desperate situation.
Now, his death forecasts had returned to their original baseline—much like when he had first came into this world. Most of the previously listed "Death by Konoha-related causes" scenarios had seen a drop in likelihood, while the chance of "dying of old age" had miraculously risen to 0.6%.
It was a sign that he was heading in the right direction—even if he hadn't yet touched the core events tied to his ultimate demise.
This boost in survival odds also came with tangible rewards from the system.
It had fished out more energy from the river of fate and hooked him up with some valuable loot:
[You have received]:
[Minor Enhancement to Physical Attributes]
[Minor Increase in Chakra Reserves]
[Kenjutsu Training Notes of Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of the Leaf] (to be delivered via dream sequence)
[Uchiha Clan: Illusion Resistance Training Guide] (to be delivered via dream sequence)
[Konoha Medical Corps: Medical Ninjutsu Training Manual] (to be delivered via dream sequence)
[Uzumaki Clan Constitution (Basic Level)]
Compared to last time's broad, foundational rewards, this batch was clearly more specialized—mostly scavenged from the four-man team led by Minato.
But the reward that caught Kiyokawa's attention most was that last one:
[Uzumaki Clan Constitution (Basic Level)]
He focused on it, and the system helpfully displayed the detailed description:
[Uzumaki Clan Constitution (Basic)]
[Effects include]:
[Passive increase to total chakra reserves]
[Enhanced chakra recovery rate]
[Improved talent for Sealing Jutsu]
[Increased resistance to Genjutsu]
[Greater compatibility with Senjutsu]
[Higher suitability for becoming a Jinchūriki]
The effects were excellent. However, as a basic-level constitution, it came with a catch.
[Note: Due to your chakra reserves exceeding your control threshold, surplus chakra may diffuse beneath the skin. If bitten, this excess chakra is easily absorbed and has mild healing properties.]
Reading this, Shiba Kiyokawa immediately thought of a certain girl from the original story—Sasuke's loyal fangirl, Karin.
It also finally answered a long-standing question he had:
"No wonder only Karin and her mother in the Uzumaki clan had healing abilities, while Nagato, Kushina, and Mito Uzumaki did not. Their constitutions were likely more advanced. Higher-tier Uzumaki traits allow for better chakra control, preventing leakage that could trigger passive healing."
The thought gave him a sense of realization—and motivation.
"I've got to upgrade this constitution as soon as possible!" he vowed inwardly.
He was a guy, after all—the idea of someone biting him for healing was… a bit much to stomach.
Still, this reward had also reminded him of something important.
"At this point in the timeline, Karin probably hasn't been born yet. But her mother should have already fled to the Land of Grass, right?"
The thought gave rise to a new urge to act.
Konan—the first of the original Akatsuki trio—was already starting to waver.
The next one to sway would naturally be… Nagato.
And Nagato just happened to be… an Uzumaki.
Kiyokawa began to think deeply, already drafting a new plan in his mind to bring the red-haired Rinnegan wielder under his sway.