**Chapter 34: Konan**  

A few days later, Itachi returned to the Akatsuki. 

Throughout the journey, he found himself lost in thought. The absence of Jūzō's presence still felt unfamiliar. 

Originally, Itachi had planned to return to Konoha, but his current condition wasn't ideal. He decided to wait… 

Wait until Orochimaru's experiments bore fruit, then decide what to do next. 

The idea of losing his sight completely—now that would be ironic. 

---

"You're back. Where's Jūzō?" 

At the Akatsuki base in Amegakure, Pain sat at his desk, his expression curious as he looked at the young man before him. 

"He sacrificed himself. This is his ring." 

Itachi, without so much as a blink, responded softly. 

He took a few steps forward, reached into his cloak, and pulled out a ring, placing it on Pain's desk. 

Pain stared silently at Itachi, making no move to take the ring or continue the conversation. 

The office fell into an eerie silence. 

"How did the mission go?" 

After a pause, Pain finally spoke in a low tone. 

"The mission is essentially complete. I captured the Three-Tails. Do you want it?" 

Itachi's words brought another silence from Pain. 

He couldn't decipher what Itachi was thinking. 

He knew Jūzō wasn't dead. Both Zetsu and Madara had confirmed it—they had seen everything firsthand, including Itachi sealing the Three-Tails into himself. 

Now that the ring was back and the secrets of the Akatsuki had not been leaked to the Land of Water, Pain decided not to pursue the matter for now. 

His question had only been a test, to see how Itachi would respond. 

But what surprised him was that Itachi, rather than covet the power of the Three-Tails, had chosen to protect Jūzō. 

"The Three-Tails isn't needed at the moment. Your chakra reserves are low—keep it for now." 

After a moment of thought, Pain replied. 

"Understood." 

Itachi nodded lightly, acknowledging Pain's words. 

"Rest for now and wait for further instructions. I'll assign you a new partner." 

Pain waved his hand dismissively, signaling Itachi to leave. 

---

Without a word, Itachi turned and walked away. 

As Pain watched Itachi's retreating figure, he remained deep in thought. 

Before long, a masked man entered the room, interrupting Pain's musings. 

"What did he say?" 

Obito asked softly. 

"Jūzō defected. After you both left, Jūzō didn't return for unknown reasons. Itachi claimed he sacrificed himself. As for the Three-Tails, Itachi didn't hide anything." 

Pain's response was equally soft, addressing the man before him. 

"Did you get the ring back?" Obito's interest in Jūzō was minimal; his concern was solely on the ring. 

The importance of the ring was self-evident. 

"Yes." Pain picked up the ring from the desk and tossed it to Obito. 

Silence settled between them once more. 

"Your Uchiha successors are enigmas." 

Pain suddenly broke the quiet, his voice tinged with curiosity. 

Itachi's cold demeanor contrasted sharply with his relentless efforts during missions and his decision to shield Jūzō. In a world so devoid of compassion, Itachi's actions felt peculiar—almost foolishly unique. 

"Not quite an enigma," Obito refuted. 

"Oh? Have you figured him out?" Pain asked with mild interest. 

"Focus on your work. Don't waste time pondering irrelevant matters." 

Obito initially considered boasting, but realizing how childish it sounded, he chose to drop the subject. 

As the masked man left, Pain stared blankly for a moment, his mind wandering to thoughts of Itachi. 

Itachi's actions marked him as a valuable ally with immense potential. 

---

Pain's thoughts shifted inward. His body was growing weaker by the day. Once his plan was complete and Yahiko resurrected, it would mark the end of Nagato's life in this world. 

But even with his resolve, there were things he couldn't let go of. 

One was Konan. The other was the hope that Yahiko, after resurrection, would remain the same as he had been in the past… 

If he could, Pain wished for a chance to start over. Their past selves may have been weaker, but they had been genuinely happy. 

---

"Pain, did you need me for something?" 

A woman entered the office. Her hair was a light bluish-purple, styled into a bun adorned with a pale blue paper flower. She had light orange eyes and a delicate face accented by lavender eyeshadow. A piercing graced her lower lip. 

She wore a black cloak embroidered with red clouds and white trim. Beneath it, a zipped, backless top and pale purple tights complemented her outfit. A navel piercing and the Rain Village headband tied to her waist completed her look. 

Konan gazed at Pain with a gentle expression as she spoke. 

With a tinge of sadness in his tone and a trace of melancholy in his gaze, Pain was lost in thought when Konan's voice brought him back to reality. 

"Hmm, keep a close eye on Uchiha Itachi. If he needs anything, try to help him as much as possible," Pain said softly, regaining his focus. 

His words left Konan slightly stunned. She was curious why Nagato would choose to communicate with her in such a manner. 

"Understood, Leader…" 

Although she didn't understand the reasoning, Konan nodded in response. 

"Go ahead. He's a promising young man and worth bringing closer to us," Pain added as he waved his hand, signaling that she could leave. 

He didn't delve too deeply into the matter, choosing to stop at just the right moment. Saying too much would make it seem deliberate. 

… 

After leaving Pain's office, Konan returned to her room. She was puzzled, unsure of what Nagato was thinking. 

Pondering for a moment, she organized a batch of freshly crafted paper bombs and stored them in a secure spot. Then, she took the black cloak adorned with red clouds from the Akatsuki off the wall, donned it, and adjusted her outfit in front of the mirror. 

After ensuring everything was in order, she left her room. 

She intended to meet this young man—someone Nagato believed was worth recruiting. 

**Knock, knock, knock.** 

Itachi, who had just undressed and was preparing to sleep, heard the knocks at his door. 

He paused for a moment, frowning slightly. 

"Who is it?" 

Getting out of bed, Itachi slipped on his shoes, grabbed a random pair of pants, and threw on a zip-up long-sleeve shirt without much thought. 

… 

When Itachi opened the door, he was momentarily taken aback. Standing before him was a woman who was a head taller than him, with strikingly unique hair color, hairstyle, and an unmistakable face. 

Konan, hearing his question earlier, chose not to respond and simply waited quietly. 

Now, with the door slowly opening, a handsome young man appeared before her. 

His deep-set eyes, the faint creases that hinted at a maturity beyond his years, his pale collarbones, and the sharp definition of his chest muscles— 

Itachi's shirt zipper was only pulled halfway up when he opened the door. 

… 

"And you are?" 

Although he already had a hunch, Itachi feigned ignorance. 

Despite having been in the Akatsuki for some time, this was their first face-to-face encounter. Konan had never appeared to him using the hologram projection technique through the rings. 

"Hello, my name is Konan," she introduced herself, quickly averting her gaze as a faint blush graced her cheeks, softening her usually stoic demeanor. 

"Ah, are you my new teammate? I'm Uchiha Itachi," he replied, extending his hand instinctively for a handshake. 

Konan hesitated for a moment but understood his gesture. From beneath her cloak, her delicate hand extended forward, meeting Itachi's. 

Her hand was fair and soft to the touch. 

As their hands briefly met, countless thoughts raced through Itachi's mind… 

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