Rushing back to Konoha in the middle of the night wasn't officially part of the mission. If anything, it fell under Itachi's personal business, carried out with Pain's approval.
Returning to the village, they happened to encounter Deidara, about to head out for a mission. Itachi's expression when seeing Deidara was… unmistakable.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?! Hm!"
Not just Itachi—Kisame's face also tightened, leaving Deidara puzzled and slightly horrified.
Kisame quickly waved his hand. "Nothing, just… feels like you're getting faster."
Deidara blinked, completely confused. Frowning slightly, he impatiently looked at the still-talking Shunan Team. "How long do you want me to wait?"
Deidara froze. Ignoring them, he quickly responded, "Oh, coming… yeah." As he summoned his clay bird, it grew large. Within a few breaths, he and his companion leapt onto it, vanishing into the rain.
Itachi watched the disappearing pair and the bird, utterly perplexed.
"Deidara flew south yesterday, right? Could he really return in a single day?"
"Probably. This guy has gotten stronger over the years," Kisame said. When Deidara first joined Akatsuki, the whole organization could nearly beat him easily. Now, it was at least fifty-fifty.
"Unbelievable… is this what a genius looks like?" Itachi muttered.
Kisame raised an eyebrow. "And you have the nerve to talk about others?"
Itachi felt he did, actually. But then again, why was he in the Land of Fire at that time… no, why the south?
Speaking his thoughts aloud, Kisame speculated.
"Clay, probably. Something that could make him skip sleep and travel all night must be clay."
"But in that case, shouldn't someone accompany him?" Itachi asked while walking, utterly confused. Kisame scratched his head, frustrated. "You can't be next to him 24/7. Besides… when did you get so interested in Deidara?"
"I… interested? You're the one obsessed with Big Sister Kita. Even after her death, you keep analyzing her fights—"
His words were abruptly cut off by the frost-cold presence of Konan in front of them.
"What are you talking about?" Her voice was icy, expressionless. To call her a walking corpse wouldn't be far off; she displayed no human emotion at all. Kisame wasn't sure if she'd heard Itachi's words or not. He quickly replied, "Nothing, just chatting."
Itachi froze, then hurriedly added, "Just chatting." His voice was quieter than before. Unsure if Konan had caught every word, he felt a pang of guilt. He even added a polite title, "Sister Konan."
Konan remained utterly indifferent, her face as cold as ever. Even a nod seemed sparing. The first greeting had likely been mere politeness. She had no interest in their conversation, nothing to do with the mission—her curiosity was nonexistent.
"Personal matters done?"
In a sense, Itachi's personal matters were also Akatsuki's concern. Konan asked politely; Itachi nodded with thanks. "Yes, thank you." He had returned to warn Konoha's leadership that Uchiha Itachi was still alive. If they wanted to prevent him from leaking Konoha's intelligence to Akatsuki, they mustn't harm Uchiha Sasuke. That was the true purpose of this trip.
"Let's go." Konan ignored Itachi's thanks, stepping forward toward the village exit.
"Mission?" Kisame asked, following. He hadn't even returned home yet before moving out again. Not that there was much to return to—fish in the tank could skip a feeding without dying.
"The location of False Valley has been found. Mission: complete annihilation." Konan's words were curt, and even Itachi, quick-minded as he was, struggled to follow her line of thought. Kisame had it even worse. As Konan sped ahead, both men increased their pace, but the vague briefing made coordinating the upcoming mission difficult.
They exchanged a glance, conveying a silent question:
Do you ask, or do I?
Itachi assumed Konan had overheard him. He wasn't afraid of her; considering his growth over the years, especially mastering Susano'o, Konan wasn't a match for him anymore. Yet this didn't mean he could treat her with casual disregard. Otherwise, Pain would require a "long talk"—likely more by force than words. Thus, he maintained the same cautious attitude he had when first joining Akatsuki.
He signaled Kisame with a tilt of his chin. Kisame, of course, hoped Itachi would take the initiative. Their relationship was fairly familiar. Konan, however, had always maintained a slight distance from him, probably a residual grudge from years ago. Though she never openly disliked him, her demeanor toward him was cold.
Konan's reactions were subtle. When pleased, she made minor allowances; when angry, even small mistakes could trigger retribution in the next mission—like assigning a task he hated most. Only once she felt truly understood would the cycle cease. Kisame knew this well; he never wanted another beetle-catching mission ever again.
A daimyō once spent a fortune to satisfy his only son, demanding the world's most complete beetle collection.
No ninja village would accept such absurd missions. They seemed simple but were impossible. A desperate daimyō turned to Akatsuki. Nagato had hesitated at first but accepted after reading the small print: "Completion grants tenfold reward."
Kisame still felt intimidated by Konan. Though not his direct superior, she controlled the distribution of missions.
For the mission…
"What is False Valley like?" Kisame asked cautiously, silently praying she wouldn't say, "You'll see when you get there." Otherwise, it would be difficult to discuss the mission in detail.
Konan's explanation was clear:
"A village where wanted criminals gather, altering their appearances, living under false peace, pretending the past is gone. This mission is at the joint request of multiple governments."
"Governments too?!" Itachi was genuinely surprised. Most Akatsuki missions came from power-hungry criminals, not official requests.
Konan nodded calmly, unfazed by his reaction. "The opponents are strong. After the mission, authorities must identify each corpse to verify with their wanted lists. Fight freely, but don't damage the faces."
Ah… so difficult, Itachi thought. "How many people?"
"One hundred thirty-eight."
"All wanted criminals?" Kisame couldn't believe it.
Konan nodded.
"A village of criminals—living there requires at least ten deaths for survival," she said coldly. Based on intelligence, some residents gave 'proof of loyalty' with human lives. Such methods were pure banditry.
Akatsuki were also thieves, killers, and arsonists, but they were not quite so vile. That was why Nagato accepted missions without high rewards or bounties.
Even a major village would demand partial bounty for this, let alone 138 enemies.
"But Sister Konan, what about Kakuzu? He seemed interested in the targets' bounties." Kisame asked.
"They has already gone. The enemy is numerous and skilled."
138 people—Akatsuki had to take it seriously. Many were bloodthirsty, some had Kekkei Genkai. Caution was necessary.
So… only half of Akatsuki went. 138 enemies is no small number. Even if they were civilians, it'd take a while. But they're far from harmless.
"Are we really enough?" Kisame asked. Konan didn't look back, coolly replying, "That's why I'm assisting you. Hurry."
Her tone carried displeasure. Kisame, realizing his misstep, stopped talking and leapt faster, leaving deep footprints in the branches. Itachi sensed Kisame's resentment and laughed for some reason.
Konan and Kisame glanced back at the leisurely Itachi. Caught, he muttered quietly:
"S-sorry."
From that point on, no sound disturbed their journey.
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