It took Uchiha Hikaru about a week to leave Konoha and reach the borders of the Land of Wind.
Because he wasn't just rushing to his destination.
During that time, he stopped by several towns within the Land of Fire.
He deliberately took time to observe the daily lives of the local villagers and inquire about various bits of regional information.
Along the way, he encountered quite a few merchants from the Land of Fire, driving horse-drawn carriages loaded with goods, all headed toward Konoha.
After chatting with them, one kind-hearted old man even mistook Uchiha Hikaru for a wandering ninja and tried to hire him as a bodyguard for their caravan to Konoha, hoping to cash in on the business boom.
But Uchiha Hikaru politely turned them all down.
He was only interested in one thing—determining whether the trade agreement between Konoha and Kirigakure would genuinely stimulate the economies of both nations.
It seemed that among the common folk, there were still many sharp minds. Though it had only been half a month since the contract was announced, some savvy merchants had already sniffed out the business opportunity.
Konoha's official plan was to delay opening the trade routes to outsiders for the first two weeks—giving itself time to monopolize Kirigakure's markets.
But clearly, the people didn't wait.
These experienced grassroots merchants had already taken action.
Uchiha Hikaru couldn't help but sigh with admiration.
No matter the world, working people had their own kind of wisdom…
This was the first time Uchiha Hikaru had ever personally investigated the life of civilians in the shinobi world.
Though life in the Land of Fire was relatively harsh, most households still had enough to eat and managed to get by.
But as he journeyed farther, the sky grew darker. Ominous clouds began to gather and swell, until they completely engulfed the heavens above.
Uchiha Hikaru looked up at the gloomy sky. Rain started to fall, pattering against his cloak.
"Looks like I've entered the Land of Rain…"
The Mangekyō Sharingan swirled to life in his eyes as he scanned the falling raindrops.
Each droplet shimmered faintly with traces of chakra.
The chakra was incredibly subtle—so weak that even a fully matured Sharingan might miss it.
"Word Spirit: Conceal."
He immediately activated his Word Spirit ability, masking his chakra presence completely.
Far away, inside Amegakure, within the towering iron spire at its center, an array of steel pipes extended from the back wall into a massive chakra conduit.
Inside the device sat Nagato. His eyes suddenly snapped open.
Konan, standing behind him, immediately sensed the change. She looked at Nagato's withered body and pale face, a flicker of concern in her eyes.
"Nagato, what's wrong?"
Nagato slowly withdrew his right hand from the interface, a look of hesitation in his eyes.
"Just now, while using my Rain Tiger at Will Technique… I thought I sensed a powerful chakra signature on the western border of the Land of Rain."
"That's my weakest area of perception. I'm not certain."
"I'll increase my chakra output and check again."
He formed a seal with one hand, and his chakra surged through the machine beneath him, channeling upward through the connected iron tubes.
It shot into the storm clouds above.
At that moment, Uchiha Hikaru noticed a sudden, drastic change in the weather—the dark clouds thickened, and the rain intensified instantly.
"Oh? Looks like his Rinnegan picked up something after all."
"If it were truly Uchiha Madara himself, he might be able to pierce through my concealment…"
"But you… you're just a puppet, and you think you can peek at me?"
"…Ridiculous."
Uchiha Hikaru scoffed under his breath, then turned and continued deeper into the Rain Country, ignoring the shifting sky.
Back in Amegakure, Nagato panted heavily, his face scrunched in frustration after executing the massive-scale technique.
"No… I can't sense anything."
"I can't be wrong. I know I felt something…"
"How can someone evade the perception of my Rinnegan…?"
Konan's expression changed the moment she heard that last part.
Evaded perception…?
A long-sealed memory stirred within her—a buried truth she'd tried to forget.
The door to that memory creaked open once more, dust falling away.
Her instincts screamed at her.
It might be him.
"Let me go check it out," Konan said quietly.
Countless paper cranes fluttered to life behind her, folding into two wide paper wings.
Without waiting, she launched herself into the sky.
"Konan, I don't have enough chakra to deploy the Six Paths of Pain right now!" Nagato called out. "Be careful!"
Konan turned back briefly, offering a soft smile.
That fleeting smile made Nagato pause in a daze.
"It's alright," she said calmly. "Even if I run into someone strong…"
"No one can keep me here."
The paper wings snapped once, and she vanished into the rain.
Nagato stared blankly after her.
"…I've never seen Konan smile like that before."
Then he lowered his gaze, looked at his trembling hands, and gave a bitter chuckle.
"Of course. She's stuck with someone like me, trapped in this dark tower all day long…"
"It's only natural she'd want to get a little fresh air."
But even as he said it, he knew he was only lying to himself.
…
Soaring across the skies, Konan's thoughts turned to a shadow from her past.
She had never seen his face. Not truly.
And yet—she had never forgotten.
The memory that resurfaced now was the one she had always treasured most.
"Don't eat food given by others without checking it first. Use a silver needle to test for poison."
"When you're alone, no matter who you meet, learn to hide your heart."
"You have to be on guard with everyone—even me~"
"No matter what happens… always remember: escape and stealth are your most important tools. You only have one life…"
The voice echoed in her mind.
Konan flew faster.
"Faster…"
"Faster…"
"Is it you… masked onii-san…"
"Please… don't leave me behind again…"
But Uchiha Hikaru was long gone.
By the time she reached the area, the rain had washed away all traces.
She landed softly, surrounded by nothing but wet earth and quiet mist.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings—empty.
She didn't know why… but her heart suddenly felt hollow.
More than two decades of waiting, of buried pain and longing, surged to the surface all at once.
Konan collapsed to her knees in the rain, tears mixing with the downpour.
The figure wearing the half-fox mask… still hadn't appeared…
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