"Naruto-kun, what are your plans next?"
Itachi inquired.
"Let's talk about it tomorrow. We've been traveling all day, let's take a rest first."
Naruto replied, waving a hand and heading toward the tower.
Seeing this, Itachi and Kisame exchanged glances but said nothing more.
Naruto wasn't entirely sure if the tower had proper accommodations for resting. However, he knew this was the perfect chance to connect with Konan.
To clarify, Naruto's reason for visiting Konan late at night wasn't driven by any inappropriate intentions. His goal was simple: to complete a sign-in.
If Naruto missed this opportunity, the chances of him being able to enter Konan's room later, when they got more familiar, would drop to almost zero.
Whoosh!
With a flash, Naruto's figure suddenly disappeared from where he was, and when he appeared again, he was already in an unfamiliar room.
Contrary to his expectations of a cold and damp environment, the room was warm and cozy, with just the right level of humidity and a faint orchid fragrance lingering in the air.
Naruto couldn't help but take a deep breath to savor it.
However, halfway through his breath, he felt the cold tip of a kunai press against the back of his neck.
"Don't move!"
Hearing Konan's voice, Naruto immediately raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, "Big Sis, it's me, Uzumaki Naruto."
"How did you know this was my room?"
Konan asked, slightly relaxing her grip on the kunai.
"I was worried about getting lost earlier, so when I handed back the paper tags, I marked one with a Flying Thunder God's mark. Turns out it came in handy?"
As he spoke, he began to turn around, but midway through, he felt the kunai dig into his neck again.
"Big Sis, what are you doing?"
Naruto frowned.
'Based on Konan's personality, she shouldn't be this wary of me. Had I accidentally exposed something?'
'But that didn't seem right…'
Just as Naruto was puzzling over it, he heard the faint rustle of fabric. Looking around, he noticed a coat hanging on a rack and a large bath filled with water nearby. Suddenly, it all clicked.
'It turns out that Konan was preparing to take a bath, and she was obviously not wearing any clothes!'
'It all made sense… If Konan had been dressed, the paper I marked would have remained on her. In that case, using the Flying Thunder God Technique would've caused me to appear right on her instead of in the room.'
Realizing this, Naruto quickly apologized, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude, and I didn't see anything, I swear."
"At least you know your place." Konan replied coldly, "Alright, you can turn around now."
Naruto turned to see that Konan had already donned the Akatsuki's cloak. Still, he knew that with such little time, she'd only thrown it over herself without fully dressing.
Thanks to his sensory abilities, which is akin to the Byakugan's all-encompassing view, Naruto could discern everything clearly despite facing away.
However, being the gentleman he was, Naruto focused on maintaining decorum. He was more worried about Konan possibly lashing out in embarrassment.
That said, credit where it's due… 'Konan's figure was simply impeccable.'
"Now, explain yourself! Why are you here in the middle of the night? Don't think you can brush this off by claiming you were lost." Konan demanded icily.
Even though Naruto appeared young and had a more delicate look, Konan remained wary. He was, after all, a guy, and she couldn't rule out he has ulterior motives.
Naruto scratched his head and explained, "Big Sis, it's like this… I was looking for a place to sleep. When I got back to the tower, I saw that most of the rooms were locked, and I didn't want to enter without permission. So, I figured you could help me find a good spot to stay. I mean, I'm the second-in-command now, right? I should at least have decent accommodations, preferably near the leader's room. That way, if anything comes up, I can coordinate with him immediately."
Since she asked, Naruto decided not to hold back.
After signing in at Konan's room, he would go to sign in at Pain's room.
Naruto wasn't going to miss any chance to sign in.
"The leader lives alone at the very top. There's only one room there. How about this? The room next to mine is empty, so you can stay there for now."
Konan thought about it and said, "But it's a bit damp and lacks basic amenities. You'll need to clean it up yourself later. For tonight, just make do."
"Make do? No way!" Naruto waved his hand repeatedly.
To successfully sign in, he needed to remain in the room for an hour. If Konan pushed him out now, it would ruin his plan. Seizing the chance, he decided to stall for time.
Konan and said, "If you don't want to make do, then go to the village and find an inn. But the organization's funds are tight, so you'll have to pay from your own pocket."
"Pay out of my own pocket? I'm the second-in-command!"
Naruto protested before trying to negotiate, "How about you let me crash here for just one night? Tomorrow, I'll fix up the room next door?"
"You wish! Now hurry up and leave." Konan started pushing him toward the door.
Seeing that Konan was displeased, Naruto quickly changed the topic, "Big Sis, I'm new here and don't know much about the organization. How about you tell me about it? Don't worry, I'll leave right after listening."
"… Fine." Konan agreed reluctantly.
Since it was a legitimate question, she couldn't refuse. So Konan began explaining, "Currently, the Akatsuki..."
Konan talked incessantly, and Naruto nodded in agreement from time to time, but he didn't listen at all.
Konan went on in detail, describing everything from the organization's founding principles and development to the information about its members. Naruto nodded along as if he were engaged, though he didn't listen at all.
It wasn't that he wasn't interested… it was just that he already knew everything. From the organization's founding by Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, to its history and future events, Naruto had seen it all in the anime.
Frankly, he probably knew more about the Akatsuki than Konan herself.
As her lengthy explanation continued, Naruto nearly drifted off. Suddenly, a system prompt in his mind jolted him awake.
"What's wrong?" Konan asked, noticing his reaction.
Naruto waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. I've just been so tense recently over the whole Wartortle incident. Now that I'm finally relaxing, the fatigue is catching up to me. How about we continue this tomorrow? I'm too tired to focus right now."
Hearing that Naruto was stressed about his companions, Konan's attitude softened. The coldness and wariness in her tone disappeared, "If that's the case, then go rest right away."
"Alright, I won't disturb you any longer. Goodnight, Big Sis."
With a wave of his hand, Naruto walked out of the room.
When he came to the next room and opened the door, he was immediately greeted by the pungent smell of mildew… a result of it being uninhabited for a long time.
"Ugh!"
Naruto gagged, unable to bear it. Without hesitation, he disappeared in a flash of golden light using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Of course, he hadn't only left a mark on Konan's paper… he'd also placed backups on Kisame and Itachi.
Moments later, Naruto reappeared in a cleaner environment.
"Naruto-kun, why are you here?"
Itachi, who is lying on a futon and about to sleep, sat up upon sensing the disturbance.
"I have no place to sleep, so I'm crashing here for the night. Don't mind me; go back to sleep." Naruto replied casually, then pulled out a bedding set from the system inventory.
Since his system inventory had plenty of unused space, Naruto had stocked up on supplies before leaving Konoha. Thanks to the inventory's time-freezing preservation, his items remained as fresh as ever. Even if he were stranded on a deserted island, he'd be able to live comfortably for years.
Rustle!
After laying down the futon, Naruto opened the system panel expectantly, but what he saw made him sit up in shock.
He hadn't expected this at all… the sign-in rewards weren't just one item, they were...