253Xiao Nan, I'm your fan.AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 253: Konan, I'm Your Fan
Hoshigakure.
Sasuke kicked the charging Chiseki away once again.
He frowned slightly.
He was simply too weak.
Because of Naruto's words, after entering the village, he had found Chiseki's trio, intending to challenge them.
Upon hearing this, Chiseki burst into wild laughter, thinking Sasuke was seeking his own death.
Although Sasuke wasn't clear on his original personality, such an arrogant demeanor did indeed match his impression of a strong person's posture.
So, he activated Susanoo as a sign of respect.
And then... there wasn't much of a 'then'.
Chiseki's Peacock Mystical Method couldn't even compare to Natsuhi's; how could it possibly defeat Susanoo?
The animals that transformed several times charged out fiercely, only to be reduced to ashes under the Goddess of Circles' magic staff.
If Naruto hadn't said to spare his life, Chiseki might not have lasted three minutes.
As for the other two, Sasuke showed no mercy.
"Damn it!"
Chiseki roared in impotent rage, "If the Star hadn't been stolen, how could you be allowed to run rampant in my Hoshigakure?!"
Sasuke curled his lip almost imperceptibly.
Seeing Chiseki's performance had already infinitely lowered his expectations for that meteorite.
No matter how powerful it was, it couldn't turn a worm into a dragon.
The nearby Star Ninjas watched the two combatants in fear.
They had never seen such a powerful individual.
It felt as if their worldview was shattering.
Sasuke scanned the area, feeling somewhat puzzled.
From what he could see, they were almost all teenagers.
Older Ninjas were very rare.
A moment later, Sasuke turned his head to look at the sky.
Naruto went without saying.
The woman beside him was covered from head to toe in a light pink special Chakra, which extended out into the shape of wings.
"She's also a Star Ninja, but she feels much stronger than Chiseki."
Sasuke made a judgment in his heart.
"It really is you!"
Chiseki clutched his waist as he climbed up; his Chakra had been completely exhausted in the high-intensity battle.
Naruto was ignored.
He looked at Natsuhi and said urgently, "Quickly, give the Star to me! I know you don't want us to continue training, but now that a great enemy is before us, without the Star, our Hoshigakure is in imminent danger!"
If it hadn't been for Naruto's words, perhaps Natsuhi really would have given it to him.
She hadn't defected from Hoshigakure because she was a true traitor, but to better monitor the village; if an ambitious person like Chisekiappeared, she would show up to stop them.
But with Hoshigakure facing a crisis, she would certainly set aside internal grudges to fight the enemy together.
Natsuhi ignored him and looked at the group of Ninjas not far away.
Her son, Sumaru, was among them.
But when she left, Sumaru had only just become sensible, so he didn't immediately recognize his mother.
Natsuhi couldn't help but feel a bit of bitterness in her heart.
It wasn't because Sumaru didn't react, but because she hadn't seen her son for so long that it caused this awkward situation.
"What are you still hesitating for?!"
Chiseki screamed frantically.
Because of his defeat, his emotions were extremely unstable.
He completely failed to realize how abnormal the situation was.
"You want the Star?"
Naruto took out the meteorite and smiled, "You're looking for the wrong person."
"Who are you?"
Only then did Chiseki notice the boy. "Why is the Star in your hands?"
After speaking, he glanced at Natsuhi again.
But she remained silent, offering no explanation.
According to Natsuhi's personality, she would never allow the Star to be given to an outsider.
Could it be...?
"Since you want it so much, here you go."
Naruto threw the meteorite out.
Chiseki froze for a moment, then subconsciously caught it.
What was going on?
Natsuhi was also surprised by his action.
She hadn't expected it at all.
She wanted to speak up, but thinking of the boy's strength, she chose to remain silent.
Having unexpectedly obtained it, Chiseki couldn't help but laugh wildly.
He gripped the meteorite in his hand, pressed it directly against his chest, and roared, "You all must die!"
Endless power surged out.
The meteorite replaced his heart, and tentacles formed of Chakra shuttled through his body.
His dark purple hair turned grayish-white.
The Chakra became almost physical, condensing around him.
Natsuhi's expression changed slightly.
She had anticipated this situation and quickly flashed in front of Sumaru, shouting loudly, "Everyone, fall back!"
Feeling the thick pressure in the air, Sasuke was somewhat excited as he activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
However, he immediately shook his head and said, "He won't live for long."
"The meteorite is devouring his life force."
Naruto could tell without even needing to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan.
After all, hair turning white usually meant a rapid decay of lifespan.
Under normal training, it would take a long time for the side effects to erupt.
But Chiseki was now like someone having seventy rounds in one night, releasing all the pleasure at once.
And the result was death.
"So now he's in what you called his strongest form?"
Chakra began to surface on Sasuke's body.
"Indeed."
Naruto nodded, "But you..."
Before he could finish, he was forced to step back.
The Goddess of Circles appeared once again.
She drew her bow and notched an arrow, the brilliant light illuminating the night sky.
Chiseki, intoxicated by power, was suddenly startled.
He felt a long-lost sense of crisis.
But he was extremely confident at this moment; he formed hand seals, and a massive current of Chakra soared into the sky, transforming into a giant purple dragon.
This level of power had already exceeded ordinary S-rank Ninjutsu.
Sasuke was delighted by the challenge.
But his expression didn't change.
The Goddess of Circles released her hand, and a translucent arrow feather flew out, spinning.
Upon hitting the giant dragon, it pierced through instantly, with almost no delay, striking the meteorite in Chiseki's heart dead center.
Boom!
The excessive Chakra caused a spectacular explosion.
The ground tore apart, and countless clouds of dust flew up.
Naruto felt a bit speechless.
Starting with an ultimate move like that, who could possibly withstand it?
Sasuke's Goddess of Circles had two means of attack: one was her bow and arrow, and the other was her magic staff.
The bow and arrow were pure Ninjutsu attacks, while the magic staff involved Laws; although powerful, the consumption was too great, so it wasn't used often.
After the explosion, Chiseki had disappeared, leaving only the quiet meteorite on the ground.
There was no doubt he had been instantly killed.
Sasuke turned around and looked at Naruto, hesitating to speak.
He had really believed his nonsense, thinking Chiseki was a match for him.
Now it seemed Naruto was clearly using him as a hired thug.
"..."
Naruto could only maintain a smile.
He wondered if this guy had realized his intentions.
To be honest, he just wanted to find something to do for this over-energetic Sasuke and take the Land of Bears for himself while he was at it.
Well, calling him a tool wouldn't be an exaggeration.
In the distance, Natsuhi's mouth was wide open, as if she could swallow two eggs; her face was the picture of having seen a ghost.
She understood deeply how powerful and peerless the power of the Star was.
But why did it shatter at the first touch?
Just what kind of terrifying existence was the Tianming Organization!
Naruto stepped forward and picked up the meteorite; after seeing how Chiseki used it, he suddenly had an idea.
Perhaps this thing could be used as a reactor.
It would be best to make a suit of armor too.
A Ninja World iron man?
Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit excited thinking about this.
What man wouldn't want a suit of iron man armor?
"Alright, it's over."
Naruto put away the meteorite and clapped his hands.
"..."
Sasuke wasn't quite satisfied, but it wasn't easy to say anything.
Natsuhi walked forward, took a deep breath, and asked, "I wonder what you two need me to do?"
Her attitude was now extremely humble compared to before.
There was no choice; facing powerhouses who could wipe out Hoshigakure at any time, she could only act this way.
"Join the Tianming Organization," Naruto said.
"Why?"
Natsuhi was silent for a moment before asking.
If she hadn't known Naruto and Sasuke's true strength, she could still understand being asked to join.
After all, she was considered the strongest in Hoshigakure, no less than a Jonin from the Five Great Villages.
But now, where did she have such confidence?
"With your strength and status—you've just joined, so you don't quite understand our organization's tenets and goals, but it's certain that you are qualified."
Naruto smiled and said, "After joining, Hoshigakurewill receive unprecedented assistance; in the future, it might even surpass the Five Great Villages."
If it were anyone else, Natsuhi would suspect he had lost his mind and was talking nonsense.
But even knowing their strength was amazing, such words still sounded quite absurd.
"Don't worry, someone will coordinate with you."
Naruto called Lord of Heavenless over and explained the situation to him.
Matters such as developing Hoshigakure and occupying the Land of Bears were most suitable for him, the White Lotus Sect Leader, to handle.
Moreover, he could contact En Yui at any time.
With the Land of Fire as backup, dealing with a small country like the Land of Bears was a simple task.
After everything was over, only Sasuke was somewhat dissatisfied; upon returning to Konoha, he took the two beautiful girls, Karin and Sakura, on a spontaneous trip and went to perform missions again.
Tsunade, however, was quite happy.
She had a Kage-level Ninja at her beck and call.
To be honest, Sasuke's personality was just like that; he couldn't stay idle.
He would either be a big villain like in the original work or become a mission maniac like he was now.
As for Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke almost never went to see him.
Mainly because he kept remembering what Narutosaid about strengthening the Uchiha clan and such.
He felt it was too embarrassing to look at.
And the existence of Uchiha Haru and Uchiha Kiserved as a reminder that those words weren't wrong.
Naruto didn't bother with Sasuke.
The kid was grown up and didn't need him to worry anymore.
He went to the Langya Pavilion and gave the meteorite to Sasori.
"Interesting."
Sasori said those two words after just one glance.
As a Puppeteer, he had handled countless materials, but this kind of material was a first for him.
"It can activate a Ninja's Chakra, but it places a heavy burden on the body."
Naruto explained.
"It's actually somewhat similar to a Tailed Beast."
Sasori said thoughtfully.
"Tailed Beast?"
Naruto was slightly taken aback.
Suddenly an idea occurred to him: could this meteorite have some connection with the Ōtsutsuki Clan?
As everyone knew, most things in the Ninja Worldthat couldn't be explained involved Kaguya and her sons.
Chakra originally came from the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
And the meteorite could actually affect Chakra and amplify its power.
However, Naruto had no way to verify this.
He took out another drawing and asked, "Can you make a set of armor in this style?"
What was drawn was the Mark III iron man armor.
The classic red and gold.
Once Sasori looked at it, he couldn't take his eyes off it.
Setting aside its beauty, this design was truly unheard of.
"Do you have internal structural diagrams?"
Sasori asked with some urgency.
"No."
Naruto shook his head.
"Why not?"
Sasori suddenly felt it was boring.
It was like seeing a beautiful woman at a convention and getting ready to strike up a conversation, only to watch her walk into the men's restroom.
"That's why I need you to design it," Naruto replied.
Sasori took the blueprints and said, "I can only design an exterior that looks similar."
"That's enough."
"Fine."
Sasori nodded, then remembered something. He picked up a scroll and handed it to him, saying, "Here's what you requested."
Naruto opened it and found lifelike figurines.
Since they were based on Jiraiya's novels, they were all beast-eared girls.
Everything from foxes, cats, and dogs to birds was included.
"This craftsmanship... as expected of you!"
Naruto was very satisfied.
The figurines Sasori crafted weren't like Kankuro's Crow—puppets that were obviously puppets at a glance—but were just like his own main body.
If one didn't touch them, they wouldn't realize they were puppets at all.
They were practically works of art.
Naruto suddenly felt a bit reluctant to sell them, wanting to keep them for his collection instead.
But if Hinata saw them, it would be impossible to explain... Konan took off her mask, temporarily stepping away from her identity as an idol.
From her initial resistance to her current acceptance.
She had actually grown somewhat fond of the idol profession.
No one knew her true identity, and no one placed pressure on her.
On stage, she could forget the Akatsuki Organization and forget the people who had died because of her.
In the past, she wouldn't have been so cold and ruthless.
But now, as long as it was for Nagato's goals, she could send Shiyohana—who admired and trusted her—to her death, eventually becoming one of the candidates for the Six Paths of Pain.
Konan sighed, her face returning to its usual expressionless state.
She stood up, preparing to leave the Hidden Rain Village to recruit people.
"Sister Nan, have a safe trip."
Uzumaki Menma leaned against the doorway, greeting her with a smile.
Konan nodded slightly.
"That attitude isn't suitable for recruiting people."
Uzumaki Menma suggested, "You should smile more. We need to let people know that our Akatsuki Organization isn't some group of bad guys, but a loving family with a great dream."
"..."
Although Konan had grown somewhat accustomed to his eccentricity, there were still moments when he left her speechless.
Before he could say another word, countless sheets of paper fluttered about.
Her body vanished from the spot.
Uzumaki Menma scratched his head.
A wounded woman is really hard to counsel.
Konan appeared outside the Hidden Rain Village.
She took out a list, glanced at it, and identified her first target.
The Akatsuki Organization never recruited nobodies.
And Zetsu's existence gave them the strongest intelligence agency in the Ninja World.
This list was precisely what Zetsu had given her.
It recorded many powerful individuals.
But most were just rumors.
As for the specifics, she would have to test them herself.
Indeed, her normal method of recruitment was to find the target and have a fight.
Those who survived were generally very strong.
Those who didn't survive were treated as a way to earn extra cash.
Because after excluding the Five Great Ninja Villages, the remaining powerhouses were almost all rogue Ninja.
Konan found her direction and flew directly into the sky.
After ten minutes, she suddenly landed on the ground.
It wasn't that she had reached her destination, but because this valley was precisely where Yahiko had died years ago.
Going back in time, she wasn't yet the White Tiger of Akatsuki then, but merely a Jonin of ordinary strength.
She ended up being captured by Hanzou and used as a hostage to blackmail Nagato and Yahiko.
In a sense, she was the cause of Yahiko's death and the awakening of Nagato's Rinnegan.
Konan fell silent for a moment, then prepared to leave.
She was no longer the weak and powerless girl of the past.
She could perfectly control any amount of emotion.
Konan frowned and looked ahead.
About a kilometer away, she noticed a young girl.
Normally, she wouldn't have cared.
But this special location piqued her curiosity.
Konan walked over slowly.
As she approached, she saw the fresh flowers in front of the girl.
A memorial?
She couldn't help but be taken aback.
How could this be?
The members of the organization who followed the three of them back then had all been settled within the Hidden Rain Village; there shouldn't have been any left behind.
The Akatsuki Organization of that time wasn't the current group of ten powerhouses, but a group of ordinary Ninja with shared ideals.
But most of them had died in Hanzou's ambush.
And this was also one of the reasons Nagato chose the path of an elite organization.
"Who's there?!"
The girl turned around with a look of vigilance.
Konan was able to see her face clearly.
Her first reaction was that she was beautiful.
She had a long white ponytail, snow-white skin, and large eyes that sparkled with intelligence.
She wore a blue-black robe that looked somewhat like a nun's.
And on her chest and waist were blue paper flowers.
Just as Konan was about to speak, she saw the girl pounce on her with a look of joy.
"You're Freljord, right?"
Suddenly hearing the name she used as an idol, Konan was quite startled and embarrassed.
After all, compared to her identity in the Akatsuki Organization, being an idol was undignified.
It was just a means to make money.
But she quickly realized something was wrong.
Logically, besides Uzumaki Menma and Kakuzu, no one knew she was Freljord.
Konan pushed her hands away and said indifferently, "I am not Freljord, you have the wrong person."
"How is that possible?!"
The girl pressed close again.
Before Konan could react, the girl's index and middle fingers were pressed against her lips.
"Even without the mask, I remember this mouth of yours perfectly. There's no way I'm mistaken."
After saying that, she leaned in closer, sniffed with her nose, and said, "This familiar scent... there isn't a second person with it."
Is this person a pervert?
Lip shapes and scents...
What normal person would remember those things?
Konan's body stiffened, and she quickly pushed her away.
"I said, you have the wrong person."
She certainly wasn't going to admit it.
"I have proof!"
The girl still refused to give up, saying, "I have your personal clothing at home. If you don't believe me, you can go and try them on!"
"???"
Given Konan's personality, question marks couldn't help but appear on her face at this moment.
She didn't even know how to respond.
Seeing this, the girl grabbed her and started running.
By the time Konan snapped out of it, they had reached a nearby small town.
She herself felt it was absurd, so she ultimately ended up at the girl's home.
It was a decent courtyard house.
It was clear the girl's family background wasn't bad.
After Konan entered, she found the walls were covered with her own posters.
So, she really was her fan.
Just a bit of a perverted one.
Though she was cold and ruthless, she was still a pure-hearted idol after all.
But when she reached the girl's room and saw her own personal clothing, her entire body froze.
This was actually really hers?
Konan tried to steady her composure and asked, "How did you get this?"
"I bought it," the girl said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Bought it?"
Konan had an ominous feeling in her heart and asked, "Who sold it to you?"
"Oh, let me think. It was a weirdo wearing a face mask, and his clothes were the same as yours."
The girl recalled, "Oh, he also wore a Ninjaheadband with a symbol like a downward arrow, but with a line struck through it."
Kakuzu!
Konan couldn't help but grit her teeth.
What wouldn't that bastard do for money?!
She didn't even suspect someone was framing him.
Because Kakuzu was truly capable of doing such a thing.
That damn guy!
Even with her temperament, she couldn't help but feel her composure breaking.
It was simply too embarrassing.
Konan took a deep breath and said, "How much did you pay for it? I'll buy it back."
"It's not a matter of money."
The girl shook her head, her face determined. "This is a fan's love for their idol! No amount of money can buy this!"
"..."
Konan really had the urge to just snatch it away.
But in the end, she didn't do something so contrary to her status.
Fine, out of sight, out of mind.
Konan turned to leave.
But she suddenly stopped.
On the girl's counter was a photograph.
The only one that wasn't of her.
It showed a husband and wife.
She recognized them.
Konan walked over, picked it up, and asked, "Who are they?"
"My parents," the girl answered.
"Your parents? You're Mari?" Konan couldn't help but ask.
"Eh? You know me?" The girl looked surprised.
Konan fell silent.
She hadn't expected to meet someone from the past.
Mari's parents had once been members of their organization.
They were quite strong.
They could be considered elites.
But they had died protecting her.
The only thing she remembered was that during a conversation once, they had mentioned having a daughter named Mari who had been sent to live with relatives.
"Wait, you know my parents? Where are they?"
Mari realized and asked, "I grew up at my grand-uncle's house in the Grass Hidden Village. I only know my parents were in the Land of Rain. After successfully promoting to Jonin, I went out to look for them, but I've never found any clues."
Konan sighed.
It was normal that there were no clues.
Because the Akatsuki Organization had suppressed the matter, naturally no one in the Land of Rain dared to talk about it.
This situation left her not knowing what to do.
"You're a Jonin?"
Konan noticed the detail in her words.
Though for the Grass Hidden Village, it made sense.
A Jonin from a small village was sometimes not even as good as a Genin from the Five Great Villages.
She asked this question because she wanted Marito join the Hidden Rain Village.
As for the Akatsuki Organization, she probably wasn't qualified.
"Yeah, I'm really strong."
Mari clenched her fist and said, "My grand-uncle said I'm a rare genius."
Konan couldn't help but smile slightly.
Well, looking at her like this, she was quite cute.
Aside from her hobbies being a bit problematic.
"Let me tell you about your parents' situation," Konan said after a moment of thought.
Mari's story couldn't be fake.
Firstly, because of the photograph.
Secondly, because of her experiences.
No one could have known besides her deceased parents.
"But first, tell me your name, Big Sister. I'm sure Freljord isn't your real name."
Mari blinked, looking very clever.
"Konan."
"Then in exchange, I'll tell you the name I'm using now: Karen."
"Karen?"
Konan didn't ask why she didn't use her original name.
Everyone has their privacy.
Recalling slightly, she began to speak about the matter of Karen's parents.
It must be said, it was a story worth remembering, yet a sad one.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have brought it up of her own accord.