"Quite sturdy, huh."
Kimimaro was surprised when his kick only made the bull kneel instead of creating any visible wounds.
It seems its large size wasn't just for show.
But that was all.
If Kimimaro couldn't easily deal with a summoned beast now, he would consider himself a failure.
One kick wasn't enough? Then let's go for another one!
*Thud!*
This time, the bull's roar was much weaker, and there was even a hint of fear.
The third kick followed swiftly.
Now, the roar was filled with nothing but terror and pleading.
"Looks like that should do it."
Satisfied, Kimimaro withdrew his right foot and turned to Konan.
"Konan-senpai, this should be enough, right?"
Konan: "..."
Finishing off a summoned beast just one tier below Gamabunta with only three kicks shocked Konan.
It seemed she had underestimated Kimimaro's strength.
"Fast and powerful... It seems Nagato underestimated him."
Konan concluded in her mind.
Just with that speed and power alone, he could contend with Kage-level opponents.
Not to mention, Kimimaro had several strange techniques up his sleeve.
"That's enough, I'll take care of the rest."
Sheets of white paper flew out from Konan's body, attaching themselves to the bull.
In no time, the bull was completely covered in white paper.
Kimimaro lightly tapped the ground with his toes, landing next to Konan.
Black symbols appeared on the paper, and soon both the paper and the bull disappeared without a trace.
"Konan-senpai's technique is really convenient," Kimimaro commented.
"Your strength is also quite impressive. I saw your medical ninjutsu before and thought you specialized in that field, but I didn't expect you to be so fast and strong as well.
With your abilities, it seems like you wouldn't need to fear Orochimaru. So why join the Akatsuki? What are you after?"
Konan's gaze turned cold as she scrutinized Kimimaro.
These were things Tobi had already noticed, but she wasn't aware of them until now.
After all, the information flow between their groups wasn't shared.
Both sides had always been wary of each other.
Nagato didn't trust Tobi much, and Tobi only saw Nagato as a tool.
Both wanted to use each other, maintaining a delicate balance.
"You're very sharp, Konan-senpai. I didn't expect you to see through me so quickly."
Kimimaro didn't seem flustered about being exposed. Instead, he smiled faintly.
Sheets of paper flew from Konan's body, swirling in a spiral around both her and Kimimaro.
Even Konan's body turned to paper, ready to disassemble at any moment.
**Dance of the Shikigami**—Konan's signature technique that allowed her to evade most physical attacks.
"What are you planning?"
"Konan-senpai, there's no need to be so cautious. I have no ill intentions towards the Akatsuki. At most, I'm just interested."
"You think I'd believe such nonsense? If you don't explain yourself properly, don't blame me for using force."
The paper started flying faster, signaling Konan's readiness to strike.
If Kimimaro didn't clarify his intentions, she wouldn't hesitate to defeat him and present him to Nagato for interrogation with the Human Path.
Seeing Konan's readiness for a fight, Kimimaro spread his hands, looking slightly helpless.
He wasn't afraid of Konan, but he preferred to avoid meaningless conflict.
"Alright, simply put, I want to cooperate with the Akatsuki."
"Cooperate?"
Konan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, cooperate."
"The Akatsuki has no need to cooperate with someone with ulterior motives. Our current strength is more than enough to achieve our goals."
Konan was testing him.
She knew Nagato didn't trust Kimimaro, and this was a good opportunity to probe his true intentions.
If they could find out what he really wanted, they could plan accordingly.
If the opportunity arose, they might even be able to have him heal Nagato's legs.
"Of course, with the Akatsuki's current power, no village would dare underestimate you. Capturing the nine-tailed beasts isn't out of the question.
But my goal isn't related to your plan to capture the Tailed Beasts. I want to deal with that masked man who calls himself Uchiha Madara."
"Are you talking about Madara?"
Hearing Kimimaro mention Uchiha Madara made Konan tense up.
If there was anyone Nagato feared despite calling himself a god, it was that masked man, Uchiha Madara.
He was too mysterious. Though they hadn't fought, his mastery of a strange space-time ninjutsu made him untouchable.
That alone made him seem invincible.
Because of this, both Nagato and Konan were wary of him.
At least until they could figure out his space-time ninjutsu, they wouldn't confront him directly.
Moreover, for now, they shared the same goal—capturing the nine-tailed beasts.
"Yes, a man who's still alive after a hundred years. It's fascinating. I want to uncover his secret."
Kimimaro's tone was reminiscent of Orochimaru's, making Konan feel like she was talking to Orochimaru himself.
She even suspected that Kimimaro might actually be Orochimaru in disguise, having used his Living Corpse Reincarnation.
But instead of voicing this, she asked, "How do you know about Madara? Who told you?"
"It was Uchiha Itachi. You should know, Itachi's brother, Uchiha Sasuke, is currently with Orochimaru. Sasuke is still useful to him. I used Sasuke as leverage, and Itachi told me many things, including about Madara."
Kimimaro had already prepared this explanation. No matter how Konan questioned him, he had a response ready.
Even if she went to ask Uchiha Itachi, he wasn't worried.
After all, he had indeed discussed this with Itachi.
"What's your plan to deal with him?"
"I want him alive."
"And what makes you think Pain will agree to cooperate with you against Madara?"
"Because Madara is also a threat to your leader. You don't have anyone you can trust to deal with him, but I can be that person. Even Orochimaru could help you.
You may not care about Orochimaru's strength, but his research is among the best in the ninja world. He can do a lot for you."
Kimimaro offered another incentive—Orochimaru's research.
Few in the ninja world were unaware of how valuable Orochimaru's research was.
Konan fell silent, deep in thought.
But just then, a figure appeared before them.
---
(End of chapter)