"Since you're already here, there's no need to rush away, is there… Konan?"
The moment Namikaze Kirito spoke her name, a chill ran down Konan's spine.
How did he know?
Jiraiya was currently in Konoha, yes—but she, Nagato, and Yahiko had long vanished from the sight of the shinobi world. Their existence had become nothing more than rumors.
Jiraiya couldn't have mentioned them.
And yet… the moment they met, Namikaze Kirito recognized her.
There was no doubt about it now. Her identity had already been exposed.
"You…" Konan's eyes sharpened with vigilance. "How do you know my name?"
Facing her guarded stare, Namikaze Kirito showed no tension at all. His expression remained calm, even gentle.
"The Angel of the Akatsuki," he said lightly. "I hadn't planned on looking for you yet—but instead, you walked straight into my path. And that man in your organization who calls himself 'Madara'… he's been on my mind for quite a while."
—Exposed!
The instant that thought crossed her mind, Konan stopped listening.
Her body twisted sharply as she turned away, and in the next heartbeat, two wings of folded paper bloomed from her back.
She shot into the sky without hesitation, choosing immediate retreat.
Konan was not reckless. She knew very well that she stood no chance against Namikaze Kirito in a direct confrontation.
Every piece of intelligence pointed to the same conclusion—this man now stood at the peak of the shinobi world's combat power. Even within the Akatsuki, where Kage-level fighters were common, only Pain himself might be able to oppose him head-on.
Konan was not afraid of death.
But what mattered now was delivering the exposed information back to Rain Village as quickly as possible.
"Where do you think you're going?"
A voice suddenly sounded above her.
Konan's pupils shrank as she looked up.
At some point, Namikaze Kirito was already standing in midair—directly above her.
Impossible…!
He was standing on air itself.
This was Geppo, a technique from the Pirate world's combat system. With enough understanding of its principles—and sufficient physical control—it could be replicated even outside that world.
Land, sea, and sky.
At this moment, Namikaze Kirito truly moved freely through all three.
"Paper Rain!"
Konan halted abruptly, her wings beating hard as countless sheets of paper scattered outward. In an instant, they hardened into razor-sharp spikes, surging toward him like a storm.
"Air Shock."
Boom—!
Kirito's fist drove forward.
The air itself cracked.
Invisible fractures rippled outward like shattered glass, and with a deafening impact, every sheet of paper lost its momentum, fluttering weakly down from the sky.
Konan was hurled backward by the shockwave, her body violently thrown through the air.
She barely managed to stabilize herself before hitting the ground—otherwise, that fall alone could have left her gravely injured.
"Namikaze Kirito—!!"
Konan's voice rang out in fury.
A trace of anger finally surfaced on her cold, beautiful face as she formed hand seals at once.
"Paper Spear!"
Sheets of paper converged rapidly, assembling into a massive spear before her. Her eyes narrowed, and with a sharp motion, she launched it forward.
"Well done."
There was genuine admiration in Kirito's eyes.
This time, he didn't rely on any special ability. His right arm darkened as Armament Haki wrapped around it, and he met the spear head-on with a punch.
Crack!
The sound was like steel colliding with steel.
The spear's tip shattered instantly, and the force of the blow generated a circular shockwave that flattened the surrounding trees.
Seeing her ninjutsu broken so effortlessly, Konan bit her lower lip. Conflict flickered in her eyes.
…Should she use it?
She still had one final trump card.
The Divine Paper Technique—the forbidden technique she had prepared specifically for Obito.
By disguising countless sheets of paper and embedding explosive tags within them, she could detonate six hundred billion tags simultaneously.
That technique was meant for one man.
She had never trusted the one who claimed to be Uchiha Madara. She feared Nagato would be deceived—and so she prepared that final safeguard.
If she used it here…
What would she have left to face him later?
As if sensing her hesitation, Namikaze Kirito stopped advancing.
He walked toward her calmly instead.
"I'm very interested in Nagato," he said evenly. "We are of the same clan."
Konan's breath caught.
"I'll let you go. Tell him this—Namikaze Kirito will come to Rain Village soon. I hope he's ready."
"…You're letting me go?"
Disbelief surfaced in her eyes.
"Yes."
As he spoke, Kirito reached out and lightly brushed her lower lip, touching the metal stud there with casual curiosity—as if confirming something he had wondered about for a long time.
"—!"
Konan instantly stepped back, her expression freezing over.
A shinobi may be killed—but never humiliated.
She would not accept this.
Kirito only smiled faintly, unbothered.
"If I don't let you return with the message," he said, turning away, "then this whole thing would be far too dull. Although my strength alone is sufficient, there is still something I need his help with."
With that, he vanished into the forest.
Konan remained where she was, emotions churning.
Why had he let her go?
And more importantly—he had spoken Nagato's name.
Even within the Akatsuki, only she and that masked man knew Pain's true identity.
How had Namikaze Kirito learned it?
These were questions beyond her authority.
After a long moment, her paper wings spread once more, carrying her swiftly toward Amegakure.
Kirito returned to the forest, dismissed his team, and headed back to Konoha alone.
Soon after, he arrived at the Hokage's office.
The moment he opened the door, towering stacks of documents greeted him.
…As expected.
Being Hokage wasn't exactly a job suited for someone who wanted an easy life.
Just looking at all that paperwork was exhausting.
"Kirito, you're here."
Minato's face lit up when he saw his son. With how early he left and how late he returned every day, it had been a while since they'd spoken properly.
"I didn't expect you to come find me yourself."
"Father," Kirito said respectfully. "I'll be leaving the village for a while. I came to inform you."
Minato's expression tightened immediately.
"Where are you going?"
Kirito could see his concern and shook his head lightly.
"Don't worry. I'm heading to Rain Village."
His eyes sharpened.
"There's something from many years ago… that needs to be settled."
For Minato, that past still felt painfully recent.
"What about the masked man?" Minato asked quietly. "Is he there?"
"Yes," Kirito replied calmly. "That's their base."
"This time, I'm going to end it."
Minato fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"…Then tell me. What is the true identity of that masked man?"
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