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Chapter 45 — Infiltrating Kirigakure
...
Inside the pavilion, Kameda left, clutching the passbook with a delighted grin as he went to relay the new orders. With such a vast sum, he no longer needed to worry. He could renovate the Sky Fortress lavishly—make it truly worthy of Lady Konan. A magnificent aerial garden had to suit her stature.
Konan leaned on the railing, studying the clouds within reach. Uzumaki Honoka sat opposite, staring at the sinking sun.
Konan spoke suddenly, "Honoka, which sealing techniques do you know?"
The Uzumaki bloodline was famed for huge chakra reserves, strong vitality, and exceptional sealing aptitude. Alex naturally wanted to learn such wondrous arts.
"Uh…" Honoka flushed and hesitated, "I… I don't know many sealing arts. I only know the Adamantine Sealing Chains."
"Hmm?" Konan raised an eyebrow and fixed her gaze. "You're Uzumaki and don't know basic seals?"
"Lady Konan, I was taken by the Land of the Sea when I was five—I never learned sealing techniques."
"Do you still remember your origins?"
Honoka fell into thought, eyes distant. "I don't remember much—only that the place I once lived was full of mist."
"Do you recall your family?"
"I remember my mother." Honoka's voice trembled. "If I hadn't been foolish and wandered off in that mist when I was little, I wouldn't have been captured by their shinobi…"
Konan sighed softly—another pitiable child. So many lives had been displaced by shinobi ambitions and state greed; families torn apart was a common tragedy in the shinobi world. Bringing peace had once been Akatsuki's founding ideal. Now Konan's resolve was to shape the world under her will, to redirect the restless energy of shinobi into building instead of endless slaughter—make them build roads and bridges instead of fueling hatred.
She stood and stroked Honoka's head. "Don't worry. If your mother is still alive, there will be a chance to meet again."
"Yeah!" Honoka nodded hard. "That belief is what's kept me going."
Alex settled on Konan's right shoulder, pondering. Learning sealing arts from Honoka had failed for now. The Uzumaki sealing arts were extremely powerful—most of the full set had vanished decades ago when the Uzumaki were destroyed, and only Konoha still kept complete Uzumaki techniques. It seemed a trip to Konoha would be necessary sooner or later.
The Sky Fortress banked and began to move, heading deeper toward the Land of Water. Thick mists rolled in, slamming against them; Alex's paper body slapped and rustled in the wind. The fortress flew inside the cloud sea to hide its enormous silhouette before nightfall—no one should spot the floating giant. This made travel inconvenient: a clear sky would expose them all at once. Alex had planned to cloak the fortress with an invisibility barrier after mastering sealing techniques from Honoka, but that plan was postponed.
...
The next morning, Konan woke as usual. A soft silk comforter covered her lower body; a single sheet of paper lay precisely along her torso's midline, tight enough to feel secure—only by grasping something could she sleep soundly. Her fingertips traced the paper's surface gently. After a moment, the paper trembled and Alex woke up, stretching inside.
A deep breath filled the air—Konan's scent surrounded him, clearing his head and giving him a burst of energy. Last night Alex had given Konan a full-body massage; she had returned the favor, working his paper limbs until he felt utterly relaxed.
[Good morning, Konan—another wonderful day.] Alex greeted, reluctant to detach.
"It's not early anymore." Konan checked the sky—dawn had come. "We stayed up too late last night."
She rose and stretched; the sheets slid away, leaving her bare for a moment. Ever since Alex had appeared, she'd been used to these intimate mornings—his mischief often left her clothes in tatters. Alex fluttered and shook himself, drawing paper threads to dress Konan one by one.
[The Sky Fortress hasn't moved. It looks like we're already above the Land of Water.]
Outside the window, the scenery remained unchanged; no faint tremors suggested motion. The fortress hovered in place. Konan washed and dressed, then stepped out. Kameda waited in the corridor and hurried to meet her.
"Lady Konan, breakfast is ready. Do you want to eat in the pavilion or have it brought to your room?" he asked.
"In the pavilion." Konan walked ahead with Kameda a respectful distance behind.
"Have we reached the Land of Water?" Konan asked.
"We flew here before dawn. Right now we're over the outskirts of Kirigakure—sparse, uninhabited mountains below," Kameda reported. "My men scouted; they didn't enter the village because our strength is limited. We're wary of Kirigakure's Anbu."
Konan nodded with approval. "Well done." Kameda's face lit up—praise from the leader meant his efforts had not been wasted.
"Is Honoka awake?" Konan asked, noting Honoka's door was shut.
"She left early and has been training in the practice hall," Kameda replied.
Konan climbed a level and heard activity from the training room. Inside, Honoka was drenched in sweat, attempting water jutsu again and again. She formed seals and spat out a translucent water dragon—but it exploded before forming properly, drenching her.
"Failed again…" Honoka panted, chakra nearly spent.
Konan stepped in and pointed out, "Your hand seals were slightly off. Your water-nature chakra was a beat behind."
"Lady Konan!" Honoka blushed like a scolded student.
"Don't be discouraged. Learning ninjutsu isn't smooth at first—practice." Konan had given Honoka three water jutsu scrolls the day before and explained them; Honoka had stayed up to study and was training at dawn to improve.
"You're trying too hard. Go wash up and eat." Konan advised kindly. Honoka nodded and headed to the wash area.
...
On the deck, Konan stood at the edge with Kameda and Honoka behind her.
"Lady Konan, I—" Honoka began, but Konan raised a hand to stop her. "No need. You're not ready yet; I'll go alone."
Kirigakure was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Though Honoka wanted to help, her strength wasn't enough for a covert infiltration.
"Stay hidden and wait. I'll return."
With that, Konan stepped forward and fell—heading down toward the mist-shrouded village below.