After returning to the base, Shigeo Aburame pulled out some gauze and began bandaging Yahiko.
Judging from the wounds, it was clear that Konan had genuinely been angry earlier. Her bite had gone deep enough to draw blood.
Looking at the fine teeth marks on Yahiko's arm, Shigeo smiled and nodded.
"Mm, my little Konan is adorable—even the bite marks she makes are so delicate."
That one sentence instantly calmed Konan, turning her anger into a touch of shyness.
Yahiko, however, was not amused. Grimacing in pain, he retorted immediately,
"If her bite marks are so adorable, why don't you let her bite you? Ow… it hurts so much..."
Shigeo simply shook his head with a smile.
"That's impossible. Even if I wanted her to, Konan wouldn't bite me because she couldn't bear to, right, Konan?"
"Mm!" Konan shyly nodded her agreement.
"..." Yahiko fell silent.
He felt as though he'd just been fed a mouthful of something sweet and cloying, and it was oddly overwhelming.
Once Shigeo finished bandaging Yahiko's arm, Yahiko got up, grabbed the fishing rod by the door, and decided to take a walk by the river to clear his head.
He initially planned to invite Nagato along but saw that his friend was engrossed in reading Jiraiya's book *Tales of a Gutsy Ninja*.
Meanwhile, Shigeo had already picked up a comb and was gently brushing Konan's hair, just as he did every day.
In that moment, Yahiko suddenly felt lonely and found himself missing Jiraiya terribly.
"Sensei..."
He wanted to cry again.
But before he could shed tears, he noticed Shigeo taking out scissors and beginning to trim Konan's bangs.
This sight struck fear into Yahiko.
Over the past three years, he had become all too familiar with Shigeo's hair-cutting "style."
For Konan, he would only trim her bangs, leaving her long hair intact. For Nagato, he would always give him an adorable bowl cut.
But when it came to Yahiko, it all depended on Shigeo's mood.
If Shigeo was in a good mood, Yahiko would also get a bowl cut. If not, his hairstyle might range from "balding monk" to "rat bites" to "typhoon aftermath."
"Sensei just left... Brother Shigeo must be in a bad mood, right?"
Realizing this, Yahiko's face turned pale. Leaving a hurried "I'm going fishing," he bolted out the door without looking back.
Shigeo paid him no mind, finding Yahiko's reaction a bit childish.
"You can run, but you can't hide. When you come back, I'll give you a nice mountain-bandit hairstyle."
After finishing Konan's bangs, Shigeo called Nagato over and expertly gave him a fresh and charming bowl cut.
Without anyone noticing, he pocketed the long strands of hair he had trimmed off. Satisfied, he smiled.
"Another batch of bloodworms replenished."
Nagato's hair was far superior to rations pills as a raw material—hundreds of times better. It saved Shigeo a fortune on supplies over the past three years, amounting to millions of ryo.
And best of all, it was irreplaceable!
While Uzumaki Kushina of Konoha also had red hair, her identity as the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki made her untouchable. Any interaction with her would undoubtedly attract the scrutiny of Konoha's leadership.
Staying in the Land of Rain and harvesting Nagato's hair was a much safer choice.
This was one of the reasons Shigeo decided to stay in the Land of Rain.
The other reason was that the Third Shigeobi World War was about to begin.
Konoha optimistically believed the war would end quickly, but Shigeo knew how naive that assumption was.
The Third Shigeobi World War was an extension of the Second, and the disappearance of the Third Kazekage would be the spark that ignited the conflict, dragging the five great nations into a prolonged war.
This would be a brutal conflict lasting nearly two decades.
Many extraordinary ninja would shine briefly during this time, only to die and become names on gravestones.
Even the legendary Third Raikage, hailed as the "strongest spear," would fall in battle against the Iwa-nin. Others would fare no better.
Victory depended on strength; survival was a matter of luck.
Shigeo was well aware that if he returned to Konoha, he would inevitably be swept into the war, unable to escape.
Judging by Sarutobi Hiruzen's decision to send Jiraiya to fight, pretending to be sick wouldn't work.
When the Hokage issued an order, Shigeo would have no choice but to march to the battlefield.
And if he ended up under a reckless commander, it would mean certain death.
Neither desertion nor surrender would be an option—the Konoha Anbu would ensure that.
By contrast, the Land of Rain had ended its war with Konoha three years ago and had even forced the Land of Iron to withdraw from the battlefield.
Although it was still fighting against Sunagakure and Iwagakure, these were not the main forces of either village, so the pressure wasn't too great.
The main armies of Iwagakure and Sunagakure were locked in battles with Kumogakure and Konoha, leaving only second- and third-tier units in the Land of Rain.
In a few years, as the war intensified, even these units would be redeployed to the front lines, leaving behind only the weakest fighters and the Rain ninja's internal skirmishes.
From every angle, there was no safer place than the Land of Rain.
Shigeo figured that with his abilities, he could ride out the Third Shigeobi World War in safety here.
By then, he would have more options: stay in the Land of Rain or return to the Land of Fire—it would be up to him.
This was the optimal way to survive in the Shigeobi world.
Perfect!
He chuckled to himself, impressed by his own foresight, then patted Nagato on the shoulder.
"All done. Go rinse your hair outside."
"Mm, thank you, Brother Shigeo!"
Nagato thanked him and went outside to rinse his hair, while Konan picked up a broom to sweep up the trimmings. Shigeo, meanwhile, began preparing dinner.
While he was busy, Nagato returned, his hair still damp.
Shigeo tossed him a dry towel. "Dry it off. Don't catch a cold."
"Mm!" Nagato replied, wiping his face before turning to Shigeo.
"Brother Shigeo, I believe peace will come one day, and I want to use my strength to change this country. But I don't know how. Do you have any advice?"
Shigeo initially wanted to say no but hesitated when he saw Nagato's hopeful expression.
"A great leader once said: *We love peace, but peace can only be achieved through struggle. Compromise will lead to destruction.*"
His expression grew serious.
"Weakness invites exploitation; backwardness invites defeat. This is an unchanging truth, even for nations. Do you understand, Nagato?"
"Yes!" Nagato nodded. "You mean that for the Land of Rain to achieve peace, it must first have sufficient military strength, right?"
"That's right. Strength is essential, but it's not the only thing."
Shigeo smiled and gently patted Nagato's shoulder.
"There's a lot more to it. If you're interested, I can explain later. For now, clean the table. When Yahiko gets back, we'll eat."
"Understood, Brother Shigeo!"
*(Chapter ends)*