Starting as the mastermind behind Naruto

Chapter 233 This is the most perfect ninja you've ever carefully trained! (Fifth update!)

Rain-Hidden Village.

Konan sat quietly in Uehara's room.

Since Uehara Naraku grew up and was able to handle tasks and manage the village independently, Konan hadn't had any worries for a long time, but today she was a little uneasy.

A hand suddenly landed on Xiao Nan's shoulder, and a familiar voice entered her ears: "Teacher, what happened?"

"Hmm? Naraku?"

Xiao Nan, who had been somewhat agitated, put away her folded paper again, frowned, and asked, "When did you get back?"

"just."

Uehara Naraku crouched down slightly, glanced at the vase on her bedside table, which held a new bouquet of paper flowers, and couldn't help but chuckle, "Teacher, you've folded new flowers again? Hmm, these are morning glories, finally a flower I recognize..."

It's not easy for Uehara to recognize Konan's paper flowers.

Because Konan likes to fold all sorts of strange things out of white paper, Uehara Naraku rarely knows their names, but wildflowers like morning glories are relatively easy for him to recognize.

Konan glanced at the paper flowers in the vase, then at Uehara Naraku, hesitated for a moment, and her expression gradually turned cold and serious: "Hmm, they're morning glories. Their flower language is illusory and fleeting love..."

"interesting."

Uehara Naraku casually fiddled with the paper flower, then turned to ask, "Did the teacher ask me to come back because there's something you want to tell me privately?"

"have."

Konan stared at Uehara Naraku's face until she saw her disciple looking somewhat confused, then she asked, "Do you... think Mei Terumi of Kirigakure is beautiful?"

Konan was a little nervous. She was worried that Uehara Naraku would announce directly what had happened between him and Terumi Mei, so she decided to test the waters first.

"Yes, it's quite pretty."

Uehara Naraku nodded. He couldn't refute that statement, since he had truly seen Mei Terumi's full appearance, and her emerald green eyes were quite captivating.

Uehara Naraku couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Judging by Terumi Mei's appearance alone, she doesn't look like a thirty-year-old woman at all!"

"..."

Xiao Nan's face darkened as she involuntarily thought about her age. She was already thirty-five years old this year. Did this disciple think she was too old?

After finishing speaking, Uehara Naraku immediately remembered the woman in her thirties beside him and quickly added, "Teacher, you look very young too! You haven't changed much since we first met..."

Xiao Nan didn't continue the topic.

Konan hadn't forgotten the important matter. Taking advantage of Uehara Naraku's slight apology for his mistake, she immediately asked directly, "Did something happen between you and Terumi Mei? Did you two have any contact back in the Land of Grass?"

"Well…"

Uehara Naraku pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I don't think so! After all, we only talked about Akatsuki in private. I used that opportunity to make Terumi Mei believe that I was a friend of Kirigakure."

"Is that so?"

Konan's furrowed brows eased slightly. She pulled out a letter and handed it to Uehara Naraku: "This is her letter. This woman seems to have fallen for you, but I think you two are destined to become enemies in the future. She's ten years older than you..."

"Um."

Uehara Naraku reached out and looked at the letter, nodded indifferently, and unconsciously replied, "Don't worry, teacher, I won't fall in love with any woman."

"That's good."

After letting out a sigh of relief, Konan felt something was amiss and quickly said, "Naraku, you can't. We want you to live a happy life in the future, not to live a lonely one..."

"I'm only twenty years old this year!"

Uehara Naraku glanced helplessly at Konan, then continued looking down at Terumi Mei's letter. After retorting, he changed the subject: "No wonder Konan-sensei misunderstood. Terumi Mei probably wants to get some information about Akatsuki from me!"

If Mei Terumi were to insist on inviting me to the meeting, it would make her feel that I'm being disrespectful to Hanzo of the Salamander, so she's deliberately saying this to lessen Hanzo's dislike of me.

After saying that, Uehara Naraku smiled and added, "Even if she really likes me, I can't be with her. Yesterday, when I was destroying Kirigakure, I almost killed her!"

"..."

Konan looked at Uehara Naraku with a bit of speechlessness.

After a long while, Konan finally asked with some curiosity, "Why haven't they suspected anything about Hanzo's whereabouts yet? After all these years, Hanzo has never shown his face in the ninja world..."

"I'm not quite sure either."

Uehara Naraku shook his head, guessing to himself, "Perhaps it's because they think ninja demigods aren't so easily killed! And I always mention Hanzo's name from time to time, saying that Hanzo is still alive and his strength hasn't declined..."

The fact that the ninja world has not discovered Hanzo's death for so many years is truly a case of blaming Uehara Naraku.

In fact, many people have speculated that Hanzo of the Salamander is too old to move or has already died, but Uehara Naraku always uses Hanzo of the Salamander to make his presence known to everyone in the ninja world.

If a genius ninja with exceptional talent and strength always speaks of Hanzo the Salamander with utmost respect, there will never be any surprises.

Moreover, every time they meet, they bring up the name of Hanzo the Salamander, constantly reminding everyone of Hanzo's existence. Who would doubt that Hanzo the Salamander is dead?

Who would have thought that the murderer who killed Hanzo the Salamander had been calmly expressing his respect for Hanzo the Salamander?

"Time is actually quite tight."

After reading Mei Terumi's letter, Uehara Naraku tapped his arm and said, "A meeting will be held in a week. This time, the meeting will be held in Konoha. It seems necessary to go and attend the meeting to see what kind of conspiracy they have..."

A member of Akatsuki attends a meeting hosted by a major ninja village to discuss Akatsuki's plans for dealing with the organization...

Really...

Absolutely outrageous.

Konan's expression turned serious as she said, "But it would be very dangerous for you. Perhaps we could abandon this meeting, since there are only five tailed beasts left..."

"No, it would be dangerous if we didn't go."

Uehara Naraku shook his head and said softly, "When I was making announcements to the outside world, I mentioned that Amegakure has always advocated for cracking down on Akatsuki. Our absence will definitely arouse their suspicion."

"Naraku, I'm getting more and more worried about you."

Konan extended her hand and habitually helped Uehara Naraku straighten his clothes, her voice softening slightly: "Ever since you became a full member of Akatsuki, you've been carrying out extremely dangerous missions for the organization. I regret agreeing to join you in the first place..."

"teacher."

Uehara Naraku looked down at Konan, reached out and stroked her hair, and said softly, "Akatsuki carries the dreams of Konan-sensei, Nagato-sama, and Yahiko-sama, as well as my father's ideals. I cannot be absent from them."

"no the same."

"Nothing is different."

Uehara Naraku put his arm around Konan's neck and made her lift her head, but he slowly lowered his head and gently pressed his forehead against Konan's.

Uehara Naraku smiled and said, "What Konan-sensei wants is what I want. I am your disciple, and I am now inheriting your will. We will not fail. Believe me, sir."

"..."

Konan stared wide-eyed in astonishment at Uehara Naraku, who was standing right in front of her.

After a moment, Konan gently closed her eyes, slowly stretched out her palm, and wrapped her arms around Uehara's nape, bringing their foreheads closer together.

This disciple was someone she had personally raised.

She poured eight years of her heart and soul into this disciple.

This disciple was one of the most important people to her, and the one she relied on emotionally.

Konan caught a whiff of Uehara Naraku's scent and said in a voice so low it was almost imperceptible, "Actually... you can like someone older than you."

Uehara Naraku caught a whiff of Konan's eyeshadow and said hesitantly, "Actually... the cosmetics used by our Akatsuki members have a rather strong scent."

The two spoke almost in unison.

However, Uehara Naraku's voice was a little louder, and what he said wasn't very pleasant; he was clearly complaining that Konan's makeup was too heavy today.

Konan's face gradually darkened. She slowly released Uehara Naraku's neck, took a few steps back, and said coldly, "Just because you don't like eyeshadow and nail polish doesn't mean others don't. Kakuzu, Uchiha Itachi, Kisame, and Hidan all like them."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

Uehara Naraku nodded, somewhat weary.

Actually, these grown men definitely didn't like it at all, but seeing that the people who joined Akatsuki were all wearing nail polish, they figured they were all qualified ninjas and wouldn't cause trouble for the organization over such a small matter!

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

Uehara Naraku cleverly changed the subject, saying softly, "I'll go see Lord Nagato first and discuss it with him. We can use Kakuzu-senpai's help before this meeting, and we also need to unify our statements within Akatsuki to avoid any trouble during this alliance meeting!"

"…good."

Xiao Nan nodded hastily.

After Uehara Naraku left, Konan breathed a sigh of relief and slowly and carefully stretched out her palm toward the morning glory in the vase.

The bouquet of paper flowers instantly transformed into a piece of white paper and landed in Xiao Nan's hand.

After frowning, Xiao Nan suddenly transformed the bunch of morning glories into a string of paper scraps. The paper scraps danced in her palm and eventually turned into a bunch of foxtail grass by the roadside.

Konan slowly placed the bunch of grass into the vase, her expression returning to its coldness, her voice slightly downcast: "This is the most perfect ninja you've carefully nurtured!"

Two more chapters to go!

(End of this chapter)