The Akatsuki's uniform is quite stylish.
Perhaps because Uehara Naraku's acting was over the top, it directly led to Konan being unwilling to let him get tainted by the darkness of the Akatsuki, wanting him to have a bright future.
Uehara Naraku didn't get new clothes, so he could only watch Uchiha Itachi don that red cloud black robe with a hint of envy in his eyes.
Konan glanced at the envious boy and reached out to mess up his hair, "Naraku, your future will be very bright."
"Actually, it's fine like this."
Uehara pouted and muttered casually.
However, when he saw Konan handing two bottles of purple nail polish to Uchiha Itachi, he couldn't help but twitch his facial muscles.
Does the Akatsuki's makeup have to be this thick?
Do men also have to apply nail polish?
Konan watched Uchiha Itachi calmly take the nail polish and suddenly said to him, "Uchiha Itachi... from now on, stay a little farther from Uehara. If I see anyone trying to hurt him, I won't hold back."
"..."
Uchiha Itachi lowered his head to glance at Uehara Naraku standing beside Konan, nodding slightly.
"Konan-senpai, reasonable combat can also help kids grow faster!"
The masked man standing next to Uchiha Itachi looked at Uehara with interest and said, "It feels like this kid's card throwing is quite similar to Konan-senpai's Paper Release Secret Technique. Could he be Konan-senpai's brother or something?"
"..."
The woman with light blue hair frowned slightly, neither answering nor denying, and she shooed them away, "If you have nothing else, you can leave now."
"Fine, fine! I'm leaving. I'm going to buy dango!"
The masked man hugged his head, whistling as he left.
As for Uchiha Itachi, having just joined the organization, he would stay for the time being at the organization's secret base, waiting for Pain to assign him to a combat team.
Because of what the masked man said earlier, Konan suddenly showed some interest in Uehara Naraku's abilities.
She also wanted to know Uehara's current strength, given that he could reach a draw in a spare-no-effort spar against a well-trained Konoha Traitor.
When Konan saw the card in Uehara Naraku's hand, she took it and looked down at the design on it.
It was a King of Hearts.
"Is this a card used in casinos?"
Konan's expression slightly cooled, and she looked at Uehara with a gradually discontented gaze, speaking coldly, "You... got involved in gambling?"
"...No."
The boy spread his hands, explaining, "Because my family couldn't afford shuriken when I was young, I had to practice shuriken throws with cheap playing cards. Now I'm used to it and have developed a jutsu that can borrow cards for combat."
Aside from saying that, it's hard to explain!
After all, the card master's throwing technique is quite practical. Not to mention, the explosion effect of the card itself is equivalent to the explosive power of a paper bomb.
"I see. Naraku, from now on, you'll be my disciple!"
Konan opened her palm, and sheets of origami floated out, transforming into paper butterflies, fluttering around them.
Konan manipulated a paper butterfly to land on her fingertip, saying softly, "My Paper Release Secret Technique and your cards are similar in nature. I can teach you many ways to fight with paper."
It wasn't just to guide his growth but also to pass on the will of Dawn.
"..."
Uehara Naraku was a bit dazed. Was there a misunderstanding here? With his strength, does he really need a teacher?
However, if he wanted to continue staying in the Akatsuki, it seemed inappropriate to refuse Konan.
"Well then, please take care of me, Konan-sama!"
A strange and quirky side mission just flashed through Uehara Naraku's mind upon completion, which he hadn't thoroughly checked through.
Task completed: Become Konan's student (1/1), Gold Coins +150.
Is that all the money? Do they take me for a beggar?
According to Uehara Naraku's understanding of the system's side missions, he barely understood the system's operating mechanism: the more widely accepted the mission, the richer the rewards upon completion.
Konan crouched in front of Uehara Naraku, arranging his clothes, her voice becoming slightly soft, "Naraku, from now on... call me teacher."
"...Yes, Teacher Konan."
Uehara Naraku blinked his eyes, going along with the flow.
Actually, Konan didn't have much talent for being a teacher. This woman thought on and on, unsure of what to teach Uehara in the first class, finally deciding to rely on the teaching method of her former teacher to conduct a combat test.
Though Konan's teacher was a Konoha Ninja, she hadn't experienced any bell-snatching test but instead fought alongside her teammates to defeat the teacher's Shadow Clone.
Obviously, she planned to do the same.
Konan brushed back the hair on her forehead, explaining softly, "In a few days, I will test you by having my paper clone fight you, deciding which ninjutsu to teach you and assessing if you can join our next mission..."
"Mission?"
"Yes."
Konan nodded, putting her hand on Uehara's shoulder, saying softly, "Our mission for revenge for former members of the Akatsuki, for your father... I don't want you to live in hatred, but I believe you need to know about these things because some things shouldn't be buried in time."
"..."
Uehara Naraku nodded nervously.
Actually, he knew all about those things, even more, deeper, and farther than Konan and Nagato did.
So, is it another test of acting skills?
Konan's expression gradually darkened, her demeanor becoming somewhat cold as she spoke word by word, "Twelve years ago... the ones who killed other members of the Akatsuki were Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of The Hidden Rain Village, and Shimura Danzo, the high-up of Konoha Village."
"What?"
Uehara Naraku managed to show a timely hint of surprise on his face, "So... are we attacking Konoha or The Hidden Rain?"
Pain, who had heard this, walked over to stand beside them, saying in a low voice, "Konan, just tell him the mission! Uehara Naraku must participate in this mission; this is his destiny."
"No, participating might be dangerous for Naraku due to his strength..."
For the first time, Konan confronted Pain head-on, saying, "I must test him first to ensure he can survive the mission."
"If he dies in this mission, it's because his strength is too weak and unworthy of surviving in this world!"
"Pain!"
Konan sharply raised her head, bravely meeting his gaze before eventually lowering her head, speaking softly, "I still remember Jiraiya-sensei's teaching that young children are the seeds of the future... Besides, Naraku is the only one."
Since Yahiko's death, this was the first time she had defied Pain's will, something that hadn't happened for a long, long time.
This boy's emergence was like a light, illuminating their past.
It made Konan realize she still carried a responsibility, to let Uehara Naraku inherit the will of Dawn that once sought to illuminate the Ninja World.
"..."
The orange-haired man remained silent for a moment, then turned and left, leaving only a phrase in the rain: "Do as you please! Whether this kid participates in our twelve years of preparations for this war or not doesn't affect the outcome."