"You've misunderstood . I ant exactly what I said- 'intimate,' not 'close."" i Terumi clarified with a playful smile, making it clear she didn't misspeak.
"So, i, the Mizukage, is seriously considering soone like , a fourteen-year-old kid? Has she really reached that level of desperation?" Akira couldn't help but inwardly grumble at the situation.
"Hmph, shaless woman!" Konan interjected, clearly unimpressed by i's casual flirting.
"Oh? This lady doesn't seem to have the best personality, does she?" i responded, narrowing her eyes in a dangerous yet composed manner.
"My personality might not be perfect, but yours isn't much better!" Konan shot back, unflinching in the face of i's scrutiny.
Mizukage or not, Konan wasn't about to back down. She was a force in her own right and wasn't intimidated by the title.
"Lately, my hands have been itching for a fight. Want to go a few rounds?" i's tone was laced with challenge, her curiosity piqued by Konan's bravado.
A woman brave enough to stand up to her? That was rare. i couldn't help but wonder who this person was.
"Fine by . I'd like to see just how strong the current Mizukage is," Konan agreed without hesitation. There was no fear in her eyes. After all, few could truly make her uneasy.
"Alright, alright, are you two just going to ignore here?" Akira interrupted, realizing things were escalating too quickly. Sure, he wasn't against a good fight, but the tension between these two won was ruining his al.
"Fine, I'll let it slide this ti-out of respect for you, Akira. But next ti, don't expect to hold back," i relented, leaning back with a sly smile, eyes still locked on Konan.
"You don't need to hold back for my sake. I'll take you on whenever you're ready," Konan replied, unfazed.
"i, if you really think you can take on Konan, you might want to reconsider. It's hard to say who would win that fight," Akira chid in, eyeing the Mizukage with a serious expression.
It wasn't an idle warning either. i was powerful, but Akira was confident that if the two of them went head-to-head, Konan would likely have the upper hand.
His comnt took i by surprise. Could this woman really be so strong that Akira himself wasn't sure of the outco? i's curiosity deepened.
"Oh, Akira, you're drawing conclusions a bit too soon. How do you know I wouldn't match her? Have you even seen what I'm capable of?" i teased, her lips curling into a sly grin.
"Let off this crazy ride, I didn't sign up for this," Akira muttered to himself, exasperated by her relentless flirting.
It was no wonder she was still single. The woman was relentless!
With a sigh, Akira quickly finished his al, deciding that lingering any longer would only give i more material to tease him with.
"This Akira... he's pretty interesting," i mused to herself, watching him with amusent as he stood to leave.
She found him far more fascinating than she'd expected. Strong, yes, but also sharp and... amusing. Not to ntion easy on the eyes, which didn't hurt either.
"If I didn't already have Hinata, you'd know firsthand just how strong this body could be," Akira thought to himself as he headed out. i's constant flirting had gotten under his skin more than he cared to admit.
The body may have its instincts, but controlling those impulses-that's what separated n from boys, right?
After a couple more days of travel, Akira and Konan finally arrived at a large, quiet lake.
"This is it, isn't it? The Three-Tails is down there," i said, her eyes fixed on the still water. Knowing that the creature was hiding beneath the surface, i was itching to act. She wanted to capture it and seal it away before anything else could happen.
"Relax. Let's not do their job for them. Why should we make the first move? Let the Akatsuki do the hard work, then we can take it from them," Akira said calmly, not even glancing at the lake.
"Akira, I like the way you think," i purred, her eyes gleaming as she licked her lips.
Akira's approach was bold. It took guts to suggest waiting for the Akatsuki to do the work, only to swoop in at the last minute and steal the prize. There weren't many who had the nerve to pull that off.
"Who's coming for the Three-Tails?" Konan asked, ignoring i's antics as she turned her attention back to Akira.
"If I'm not mistaken, it'll be Tobi and Kakuzu," Akira answered, his tone sure.
His simulations over the past few days had all pointed to these two mbers of the Akatsuki. He had no reason to doubt his prediction.
"Their team, huh?" Konan nodded, understanding imdiately. With Hidan out of the picture, the Akatsuki had assigned Tobi and Kakuzu to work together.
And it made sense. But Akira was planning to face Tobi, the man who claid to be Madara Uchiha, and still had confidence he could walk away with the Three-Tails?
That was nothing short of audacious.
"Kakuzu... Tobi...?" i echoed, a puzzled expression crossing her face. "I've never heard of either of them."
That wasn't surprising. The Akatsuki had a way of keeping their mbers shrouded in mystery, and those two, in particular, were skilled at staying off the radar.
"They're not exactly the kind of people who make a lot of noise. But trust , they're not to
be underestimated," Akira said, sensing i's curiosity.
Akira knew that i had been wondering about Konan's identity as well. She had seen the way Konan spoke about the Akatsuki, almost as if she knew them personally.
"Well, I have my own information network and Konan... well, she's one of the original mbers of the Akatsuki," Akira explained bluntly, eting i's gaze.
"What?!" i's eyes widened in shock. Konan, one of the originals of the Akatsuki?
That revelation left i montarily speechless. She had no idea that the woman she had been eyeing with suspicion was actually one of the masterminds behind the infamous group. "That's right," Akira confird. "She's not just any mber-she's one of the original three who started it all."
i could hardly believe it. No wonder Konan seed to carry herself with such strength and confidence. But still, how could Akira and Konan even be together now? Shouldn't they be
enemies?
"And yet... how are you two traveling together? How are you even allies?" i asked, still trying to wrap her head around it all.
"Let's get one thing straight: we're not allies. She's my prisoner," Akira corrected with a casual wave of his hand.
"Prisoner?" i furrowed her brow, thinking back on their interactions. Konan certainly didn't behave like any prisoner she'd ever seen.
"Well, yes, technically. But, let's just say, our relationship is... complicated," Akira admitted.
Before i could respond, the sound of footsteps caught their attention. All three of them ducked for cover as Tobi and Kakuzu ca into view.
Kakuzu, as always, was the silent, brooding type. But Tobi... Tobi was a different story altogether. He was rambling on in his usual nonsensical manner, acting like a fool.
"Is this guy even the sa person who claid to be Madara?" Konan muttered, watching Tobi's ridiculous antics with a frown.
"It's almost like he's two different people," she added, unable to believe how drastically his deanor had changed.
"Or maybe... this is who he really is?" Akira said with a quiet chuckle. "Maybe this clownish personality is the real him, and the Madara persona is just an act."
Next bonus chapter if we reach 200 Powerstone
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 270 at patreon/Emiko1.
Reviews
All reviews (0)