Clearly, this child was just like her, Nagato, and Yahiko back then—another war orphan from the Land of Rain.
He must have lost his parents during the cleanup operations after she and Nagato killed Hanzō. The resulting chaos must've left him without any means of survival, forcing him to flee the Land of Rain.
Unfortunately, he was too hungry and collapsed on the road. By the time he regained consciousness, he had no strength to move and could only lie there waiting for death.
Thinking this, a wave of guilt and tenderness welled up in Konan's heart, along with a strong sense of empathy.
She had been just like this child once—an orphan due to war, constantly starving and freezing.
Besides, the boy's eyes were just like Yahiko's, and he had such faint chakra he was practically a civilian. All this confirmed Konan's assumption.
She projected all her guilt over the Land of Rain onto this child and decided to bring him back.
Sora had no clue what was going through Konan's mind. All he saw was her standing silently beside him, her striking face flickering with guilt and nostalgia.
If he knew what she was thinking, he'd definitely say: "The torn clothes were because of wild animals, I'm filthy because I've been lying here for two days, the pale face is due to my body being too heavily modified. I used to rely on natural energy to sustain myself, but after I stopped absorbing it, I started burning through my reserves. And the look in my eyes? That's because you're too pretty!"
Sadly, he didn't know any of that. He didn't even realize his appearance had changed—he was just praying Konan wouldn't recognize him.
"Hey hey hey! What are you doing? Stop that, you pervy woman!"
Suddenly, Konan picked him up. Though he was mentally freaking out, he was powerless to stop her.
Watching as they got closer and closer to the Land of Rain, Sora completely gave up on his unrealistic hopes.
His bright eyes were filled with helplessness. He could only leave things to fate.
Before long, Konan brought Sora into the Land of Rain and placed him in a room, then left to find Nagato.
She was careful not to reveal Nagato's true location.
"Damn woman, can't you place me in a more comfortable position?"
His head tilted awkwardly, left arm pinned underneath, body twisted like an octopus—it didn't hurt, but it sure was uncomfortable.
As his eyes darted around, he spotted a large mirror near the bed.
His thoughts immediately ran wild. "Is this Konan's room? Figures she'd have such a big mirror—women love pretty things."
But before he could finish that thought, a horrifying sight made him freeze. Who the hell was that in the mirror?
For a second, he didn't even recognize his own reflection.
His appearance had completely changed. There was bird poop on his forehead. His hair looked like a bird's nest. And his once-dashing ceremonial robes had turned into rags!
He had a million questions, but deep down, he knew—yeah, that was definitely him. The system must've done this.
Then he let out a long sigh of relief. A change in appearance was a good thing. At least now he didn't have to worry about being recognized.
With no threat to his life, his massive ego kicked in. In an instant, he deduced Konan's motivation for bringing him back.
In the original story, young Konan had been incredibly kind—only later did life harden her.
Even then, she still had kindness deep inside. She and the others created the Akatsuki to bring peace to the world. Now, because of him, the Land of Rain had plunged back into war, and Konan likely felt guilty.
Combine that with his current pitiful appearance, and everything made perfect sense.
Now understanding Konan's intentions, Sora stopped worrying and began examining the room.
Meanwhile, Konan arrived at the place where Nagato's real body was hidden.
Creak. She gently pushed the door open and said, "Nagato, I'm back."
"How did it go? Are you hurt?" Nagato's voice was low, but filled with concern.
After Yahiko's death, Konan was his only family.
"The fleeing shinobi are all dead. I'm unharmed," she replied, then hesitated before adding, "I brought back a child who was on the verge of starving to death because of the war."
She then recounted everything that happened with Sora and expressed her desire to take him in.
Nagato frowned at first, but as Konan continued, his expression softened.
Upon learning the boy was a war orphan, a flicker of guilt crossed his eyes—then turned into resolve.
He was working for peace in the shinobi world. A few sacrifices were necessary.
If Sora had witnessed this moment, he might've said: "Ah, the idealism of youth."
It had only been a short while since they'd avenged Yahiko and started recruiting rogue ninjas. Twelve years from now, after dealing with so many backstabbing traitors, they probably would've executed Sora on the spot.
No matter the world, twenty-year-olds simply weren't that calculating.
After Konan finished, Nagato finally said, "Fine. But he's not a member of the Akatsuki."
The Akatsuki's future was filled with S-rank rogues. There was no place for a normal child among them.
This was also for the child's safety—to keep him away from dangerous people.
Nagato added, "You can train him in ninjutsu. If you need techniques, ask me."
Upon hearing that, Konan smiled radiantly. It was as if the endless rain in the Land of Rain had finally lightened.
If this child ended up like this because of them, then she would be the one to make it up to him.
That thought never once questioned the fact that everything she believed was just her own assumption—Sora hadn't said a single word.
Women, when acting on emotion, were truly terrifying!
...
After leaving Nagato, Konan returned to her room carrying a pile of food.
Seeing Sora's pitiful state—especially the bird poop—she smacked her forehead.
She immediately set the food aside and dragged him off for a bath.
"You pervy woman! You've violated my innocence! You better take responsibility!"
Getting a free bath from a beauty, Sora was grinning so hard his face nearly twisted.
Konan, meanwhile, was blushing furiously with embarrassment.
Even though Sora was just seven years old, he was already 140 cm tall. And Konan herself was only nineteen.
After bathing him and putting on new clothes, she tossed him onto the bed and began feeding him.
Though the food was all liquids, Sora was thoroughly satisfied.
Once she was done, Konan left him to rest and went to another room herself. Chasing down disobedient shinobi in the Land of Rain had worn her out.
Not long after she left, Sora suddenly noticed his fingers twitching.
Then slowly, his arms, calves, and thighs began regaining sensation. It wouldn't be long before he could move again.
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