Chapter 39: Konan Understands Art

"Konan, you shouldn't have done that!" Nagato's voice carried a hint of frustration even after Obito had left.

Konan, however, remained unfazed by Nagato's attitude. After all, they had been through life and death together as comrades.

"Nagato, I'll personally remind Deidara and Sasori. You don't need to worry."

"They'll understand in time," Konan added, her tone calm and measured. She didn't need to say much, because she knew Nagato too well. A few concise words were all it took to strike the core of his concerns.

This time, for example, Nagato was not blind to the fact that Obito had his own hidden agenda in Kirigakure. However, his pride would never allow him to gain benefits by betraying their subordinates.

Seeing Nagato fall silent, Konan didn't linger. Her body began to crack apart, transforming into countless paper sheets that rose into the air and drifted toward the Land of Rivers.

In a secret base within the Land of Rivers, Deidara and Sasori had yet to depart. They had already learned from Nagato that Kisame and Itachi would be joining the mission.

The meeting was set for seven days later in the Land of Waves. The extended preparation time was necessary—after all, they were heading to Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Such a mission couldn't be taken lightly.

While Deidara was confident that the four of them together could potentially level the village, the presence of Kisame and Itachi felt more like a hindrance than an asset. If anything, they might end up clashing with those two or, in the worst-case scenario, face an ambush orchestrated by Obito and Zetsu.

As they mulled over their preparations, the grinding sound of a large boulder being moved filled the cave. Konan, her violet hair tied in a neat bun, strode in with her usual icy demeanor.

"Konan, what brings you here?" Deidara greeted her, his voice slightly muffled as he chewed on a lump of clay. Damn it, he thought, why can't the mouths on my hands talk like a normal one?

"Be cautious of Kisame and Itachi during this mission," Konan said directly, wasting no time on pleasantries.

Sasori's expression turned serious. While he had sensed that something was off, he wasn't privy to the full story. Unlike certain others, he didn't have the advantage of knowing the plot beforehand.

"They're not planning to betray us, are they?" Sasori asked skeptically.

"Kisame was never truly one of us," Konan explained. "As for Itachi, he's a Konoha spy. His relationship with the organization has always been one of mutual exploitation."

"Not one of us?" Sasori frowned, recalling the mysterious man they had encountered off the coast of the Land of Lightning.

"Are you talking about Uchiha Madara?" Sasori ventured.

For the first time, Konan's composed demeanor faltered. Her brows furrowed slightly as she looked at the two men.

"Did he approach you?"

"Yeah," Deidara replied, still chewing on his clay, a bit of drool escaping the corner of his mouth.

"Called himself Uchiha Madara, claimed he co-founded Akatsuki with Leader Pain, and tried to recruit us to his side."

"The Akatsuki was founded by me and Pain. He's just an outsider," Konan said sharply, her displeasure evident.

"This is such a mess. Isn't the Leader going to be honest with us?" Deidara pressed. "If he wants to conquer the world, he needs to trust his subordinates. We're strong, sure, but without unity, such a grand ambition will be out of reach."

Sasori nodded in agreement.

After a moment of thought, Konan said, "I'll talk to Pain. By the time you return from Kirigakure, there should be some progress on this matter."

"By the way, Konan-san," Deidara suddenly interjected, "can I have one of your paper sheets?"

"Paper?" Konan was puzzled but conjured a single sheet of white paper, handing it to him.

Deidara examined it closely. 

Nope, this won't work, he thought. The sheet was clearly a product of her ability and not her own body.

"No, not this," he said. "I meant a piece of paper from your body."

"…From my body?" Konan's expression darkened. Whatever crossed her mind clearly didn't sit well with her.

"Whoa! Konan-san, don't take it the wrong way!" Deidara exclaimed as he jumped onto his clay bird and bolted from the cave. Countless explosive tags trailed behind him, detonating continuously as Konan pursued him with a vengeance.

Sasori, meanwhile, was piloting Hiruko away as fast as he could.

"Deidara!" he shouted in exasperation. "Stop running your mouth, you idiot!"

Deidara glanced back at the endless swarm of paper and explosive tags. "What did I even say wrong? I just wanted one of her body-transformed papers!"

"And Konan-san really understands art!"

The chaos forced the duo to leave early. Three days later, they arrived in the Land of Waves—a small, impoverished country ruled by Gato, a shipping magnate who had even the country's daimyo under his thumb.

"Sasori, let's settle here for now," Deidara suggested as they wandered through a dilapidated town. To call it a "town" was generous—it was more of a large, rundown marketplace. Even the single inn in the area looked like it was on the verge of collapse.

As they stepped inside, the creaky floorboards groaned ominously under their weight. Deidara shot Sasori a wary look—Hiruko was a heavy puppet, and he worried the inn wouldn't hold up.

The innkeeper, an elderly woman, glanced nervously at the odd pair. She clearly wanted to say something about the weight issue but was too scared to speak.

"I'll distribute Hiruko's weight using chakra. It won't damage the floor," Sasori said with a resigned sigh, trying to ease her concerns.

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