The next day, when Konan went to find Shinra, she discovered him training diligently at the Akatsuki's only practice ground.
Over the past few months, his survival instinct had pushed his discipline and work ethic to the extreme.
Ever since receiving the System's first reward and stepping onto the path of a true shinobi, Shinra hadn't let himself relax for a single day.
When no missions awaited him, he would often spend the entire day at the training field.
There was no other choice. To him, training might be bitter, but neglecting it meant true death.
And hard work always bore fruit. In just a few short months, his progress had been astonishing. Not only had he mastered and smoothly integrated the System's rewards—basic taijutsu and kenjutsu—but through sparring and exchanges within the Akatsuki, he had also picked up several Water Release and Lightning Release techniques.
Watching him now, his stance steady, his blade strikes sharp and efficient, his retreats and evasions increasingly fluid, Konan felt a pang of conflicted emotion.
"You've improved again, Shinra," she said sincerely.
Why couldn't someone this hardworking, ambitious, intelligent, and capable understand their ideals? She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"You flatter me, Konan. But I suppose you didn't come just to watch me train?"
Shinra guessed they were about the same age, but since both were orphans with no birthdays to mark, there was no real way to know.
Because he had once called her "sister," Konan had accepted it without protest.
"Shinra, Yahiko has reassigned your teammates elsewhere. For the next few days, I'll be your partner on missions."
Shinra smiled knowingly.
"So, you've come to play persuader, haven't you, Konan?"
"..."
Her intentions seen through at a glance, Konan turned her head aside, embarrassed. Almost instinctively, her fingers brushed the paper flower tucked at her temple.
On the fourteen-year-old Konan, the gesture carried a delicate charm—a quiet grace both lovely and captivating.
Shinra deliberately paused, admiring her faintly flushed profile, before continuing.
"Alright then. What mission are you planning to hand me this time?"
Konan tilted her head, her expression faintly worried.
"Are you not upset, Shinra? Your squad was reassigned so suddenly."
Upset? What is there to be upset about?
To him, she was worth infinitely more than those teammates.
Konan, you don't understand your own importance.
Not only was Shinra far from angry—he was satisfied with Yahiko's decision.
Because he knew, whether his future plan was to change the Akatsuki or one day seize control of it, breaking the iron triangle of Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato was an essential first step.
The others were nothing but side characters. If fate played out as it once had, every early Akatsuki member would eventually perish during the joint purge carried out by Hanzō and Danzō.
Only Konan and Nagato held true potential—enough to survive, endure, and grow into shinobi of Kage-level power.
You think you're here to persuade me. But in truth… you are my prey. Konan, I've long been planning how to show you the real world.
"It's my honor to go on a mission with you, Konan," Shinra said warmly.
"…No need to flatter me. Let's discuss the mission first."
After Konan's explanation, Shinra understood their assignment.
Their objective was to investigate a merchant from the Land of Rain named Ando.
Ando ran his business in a small town not far from the Akatsuki's base. Not long ago, when rogue shinobi had attacked the town, the Akatsuki repelled them and protected the people.
But strangely, instead of being grateful, Ando seemed almost resentful. On several occasions since, he had secretly caused trouble whenever the Akatsuki procured supplies.
Recently, some townsfolk had even reported that Ando was secretly hiring outside shinobi, plotting something suspicious.
After explaining the mission, Konan let out a quiet sigh.
"Shinra, you know Yahiko has always struggled with situations that could create rifts with our neighbors. The residents who reported this don't have any solid proof, so… once again, we'll have to rely on your judgment.
But promise me this—please don't use extreme methods to resolve it this time, alright?"
Shinra smiled.
"I'll take this mission seriously."
He only promised to treat the mission seriously. He gave no guarantees beyond that.
Konan parted her lips as if to press further, but in the end, she said nothing.
Gentle as she was, Konan had never been skilled in the art of persuasion.
And standing across from Shinra—whose mind was already sharper and far more mature than his young age suggested—she had little chance of swaying him with words alone.
Later that day, Shinra did indeed treat the mission with all due seriousness.
By afternoon, he had already reached the town, combing through markets, alleys, and taverns—collecting samples, listening for whispers, quietly piecing together the details.
By evening, he had already formed a basic conclusion about the entire situation.
If all he wanted was to finish the mission, he could have acted decisively then and there.
But Shinra's ambitions reached further.
This was the perfect opportunity to make Konan open her eyes—to truly witness the reality of the shinobi world.
So he deliberately concealed his findings. For several more days, he led Konan on a false trail, pretending to continue searching.
He gave Ando the freedom to act openly, to walk right into his trap.
And to distract Konan, to prevent her from growing suspicious of the delays, Shinra seized every chance to ask her about ninjutsu.
"Konan, how do you distribute chakra when you use Clone Jutsu? You use paper clones, right? Even if I can't copy your bloodline technique, I can still learn from the way you shape your chakra."
"Konan, when you throw paper shuriken, do you layer them with explosive tags? Hiding them like that is clever. What? You think it's too sinister? No, I think it's brilliant—it's practically art."
"Konan, when you fly, how do you adjust the airflow around your paper? Do you anchor yourself with chakra flow or ride the currents?"
And so, three days slipped by.
Konan never once found an opportunity to persuade Shinra to embrace Yahiko's dream. Not a single time.
Instead, she realized something else—she was growing more and more accustomed to working alongside him.
She had grown used to Shinra's diligence. Used to his endless questions. Used to his methodical approach during missions. Used to the calm, unwavering logic behind his every move.
And slowly, without either of them noticing, her impression of him was shifting.
No one could say for certain who was influencing whom.
Until the day came when Shinra confirmed, through his own secret channels, that Ando had finally taken the bait.
The restless merchant had succeeded in making contact with an Iwagakure shinobi.
By any measure, this act was already treason against the Land of Rain.
The moment Shinra confirmed the news, the corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile.
The time for talk of dreams and bonds was over.
Now, it was time for Konan to face the reality of the shinobi world.