Chapter 15: Friendship and Bonds, a Must-Try Experience
Things subsequently developed just as Shiba Kiyokawa had expected.

Kenjiro did not disappoint him and delivered the message to Nagato that night.

Not long after they set out for Kusagakure Village, Nagato quietly followed them.

It’s all going great.

Shiba Kiyokawa stayed alone in the room in the town, humming a little song about life while cooking dinner for himself. He planned to deliberately slow down and catch up after dinner to check.

However, things are not that simple.

Just as he was learning Uncle Ba’s recipes and gracefully preparing various types of beef and pork, suddenly, there was a knock on his door.

His ninja qualities allowed him to quickly detect the identity of the person outside the door.

Is it Sister Xiaonan?

Why did she come here suddenly?

This was not in his plan.

Shiba Qinghe didn’t have time to think about it because Xiaonan pushed the door open.

“Sister Xiaonan, what do you want from me? By the way, have you eaten? Do you want to try my cooking?”

Shiba Kiyokawa greeted warmly, the smile on his face still as impeccable as ever.

He thought his performance was flawless, but the next moment, Xiaonan exposed his disguise with just one sentence.

“Nagato just left. He left quietly, even hiding it from me. This must be another one of your plans, Qinghe?”

The expression on Shiba Qinghe’s face froze slightly.

I was a little careless. I didn’t expect that my companion, Sister Xiaonan, was so perceptive.

Before he could make up a new excuse, Xiaonan spoke again quickly, completely confirming his suspicion.

“Before Nagato set out, I used the paper butterfly to ‘see’ Kenjiro coming to see him.

You probably don’t know that Kenjiro came to Yahiko to complain many times in the past month, saying that you are very good at manipulating people’s hearts and minds, and often use cunning words to coerce others to do things for you, and that you are like a devil who plays with people’s hearts.

Qinghe, you don’t have to lie to me, I’m sure this must be your plan.

I haven’t told Nagato about this yet, I just wanted to come to you to seek an answer.”

At that moment, Shiba Kiyokawa was rarely able to speak.

I was really careless!
Not long ago, he had repeatedly reminded himself in his heart: Xiaonan is not a vase! He must pay attention to and win over Xiaonan!

But he didn’t expect that in the end he still underestimated the leader of the Akatsuki organization who had left a significant mark in the original work.

Perhaps all this stems from the fact that Xiaonan has been behaving too obediently since that day.

She listened to him throughout the battle, was willing to give him unreserved trust, and repeatedly spoke up for him after returning to the Akatsuki base.

At one point, Shiba Kiyokawa thought he had successfully conquered the fourteen-year-old girl.

However, I didn’t expect that the other party would still maintain the precious clarity at the critical moment.

“Sister Xiaonan, what answer do you want to seek from me?”

At this point, there was no point in being clever, and Shiba Qinghe felt that it would be better to be honest.

He no longer denied Sister Xiaonan’s accusation, which was tantamount to implicitly tacitly approving his own plan.

And judging from Konan’s last sentence, “I didn’t tell Nagato about this,” she should also have her own purposes and ideas.

I should still have a chance to defend myself.

Sure enough, the next moment, Konan unfolded her paper escape technique in the room. As the paper butterflies fluttered, she stared at Shiba Kiyokawa and asked in a very serious tone.

“Qinghe, after the mission ended that day, I went back and thought about it for a long time. I must admit that your thinking is indeed more mature than Yahiko, and more mature than all of us.

But I need you to answer me truthfully! In order to achieve your goal, for the so-called true peace you talk about, will you one day betray the Akatsuki organization and abandon the Rain Country? Or even turn around and use Nagato, use Yahiko? Use me?”

At that moment, the paper butterflies dancing around were brewing terrible murderous intentions, but Shiba Qinghe’s heart unexpectedly calmed down. At this time, he was not worried.

Because he finally realized that he understood Sister Xiaonan!
Konan, the girl whose presence has never been high among the original three giants of Akatsuki, is actually the most normal one among the three!

Her obsession with her ideals is not as deep as that of Yahiko and Nagato. What she cares about is always the people around her, her friends, partners and the place where she lives.

In the future, when Nagato decided to make the world feel pain, she supported him unconditionally;

But when Nagato was defeated by Naruto and was persuaded to give up his life, she did not choose to take over Nagato’s ideals and inherit the cause of Akatsuki. Instead, she tried her best and desperately tried to take away Obito who had been using Nagato.

Ultimately, Konan never really cared that much about Akatsuki’s ideals.

All she cares about is her companions and the few friends around her.

This is a normal person!!

However, compared with the first generation of Akatsuki organization, who is a saintly woman, the second generation, who is a madman, and the later group of psychopaths, paranoids and perverted scientists, she, the only normal person, seems so out of place.

She often doesn’t fit in with her surroundings because she’s not perverted enough.jpg
After reading this, Shiba Qinghe immediately understood how to break the impasse.

“You can rest assured, Sister Xiaonan, I have never thought of betraying the Akatsuki organization.

And Sister Xiaonan, aren’t we companions? Why do you look at me like this?”

He did not lie, because how could usurping the throne be called betrayal?
Anyway, Akatsuki must have a leader, so why can’t it be me?
As for the subsequent sentence “Aren’t we companions?” it perfectly hit Xiaonan’s sensitive and lonely heart. A hint of resentment and confusion mixed on her face, which in turn made Xiaonan feel a little guilty for a moment.

Afterwards, Shiba Kiyokawa pursued the victory and pressed forward step by step, using his lifelong acting skills in a very small space!

“Sister Konan, although I do not agree with Yahiko and often think that his ideas are too naive, I have never forgotten for a moment: it was you who saved me and it was your helping hand that prevented me from freezing to death in that heavy rain.

I have always regarded everyone in the Akatsuki organization as my companions, especially you, Sister Konan!
All I did was to prevent Akatsuki from being destroyed by Yahiko’s wishful thinking.

Sister Xiaonan, I will never abandon you, never! Don’t you believe me? “

As the saying goes – if you are drunk and imaginative, we will talk about change and peace;
If you are lonely and lack love, let’s talk about bonds and friendship!

In the world of Naruto, there is always one that suits you!
The continuous attacks really broke Xiaonan’s defense. She took a step back and took back most of the paper butterflies. The murderous intent in the room disappeared in an instant.

“I’m sorry, Qinghe, that’s not what I meant, I believe you are our companion!

I’m just a little scared!
Your ideas are far beyond ours, and you are so against Yahiko, I am afraid that one day you will use Nagato, or someone else…”

Shiba Kiyokawa smiled softly.

Konan is very perceptive, and to some extent her judgment is correct, Shiba Kiyokawa does want to use Nagato.

But compared with the tragic ending in the original book, who can say that exploitation is not another form of salvation?
So the next moment he walked up bravely and touched Xiaonan’s cheek.

The touch was warm, and because Konan had already put away her paper escape technique, the touch fed back to Shiba Qinghe’s palm was soft, tender, and a little chewy.

He was clearly shocked when Xiaonan just walked in a few seconds ago, but at this moment, Shiba Qinghe suddenly felt that he had not lost today.

It was hard to tell whether it was out of guilt or a desire to compensate, but Xiaonan did not avoid his hand, but let him gently stroke her cheek.

“Believe me, Sister Konan, this ninja world is very dangerous, and our situation is not as optimistic as you think. Everything I do is to try to save everyone, to save Akatsuki!

Because we are each other’s most important partners!”

Friendship and bonds are something you must experience, because this is the ninja world!

After these words were spoken, the crisis in the room was completely resolved!

Xiaonan lowered her head, as if to hide her blushing face. After a long while, she raised her head and asked in a low voice: “Do you still want to go to Nagato? I can fly you there.”

“it is good.”

Shiba Qinghe nodded decisively and breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that he had finally passed the test!

(End of this chapter)