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Konan and Sawara Kiri's conversation lasted a long time.
No.
It wasn't so much a 'conversation' as it was a passive reception of entirely new concepts she had never imagined, concerning creation, construction, changing the world, and human relationships.
As a child who grew up in an era of war, Konan was not lacking in the impulse and ideals to change the world, but she was extremely lacking in the methods and paths to do so.
Although Sawara Kiri spoke with her for a long time, she still inexplicably felt that the time was too short, far too short.
She was like a sponge that had been shriveled for a long time, constantly absorbing the moisture overflowing from the depths of the man's heart before her, continuously filling herself.
By the end, she herself didn't know what she was thinking.
Konan only knew that what she had done before, her previous naive ideas, were likely quite absurd and laughable in the presence of these true practitioners of the path.
She had almost forgotten that she was a captured prisoner.
Only at the very end did the conversation conclude with, "Go witness it with your own eyes."
Konan didn't know how she replied; she was somewhat dazed, not even noticing when her body was unchained from the interrogation rack and the ropes removed, her mind a blank.
"Sawara-sama?"
The interrogation Jonin, who had stood like a wooden dummy, silent, since leading Sawara Kiri into the interrogation room, finally spoke cautiously, brushing aside her long hair at her temples, and whispered:
"Are we just going to let her go?"
She couldn't quite understand what had happened.
Since she had led Sawara Kiri into this interrogation room, Sawara had merely exchanged a glance with the woman tied to the interrogation rack, and the woman had fallen into a dazed state as if under a Genjutsu.
And Kiri himself, without a word, directly took off the other party's outer clothing and began drawing and writing on the woman's body with a Sealing brush, finally completing a large, seemingly complex Sealing Technique—she didn't know what that Sealing Technique was for.
Finally, the woman seemed to suddenly awaken, then stared at Sawara with a very complex gaze for a long time.
It was as if there was some unspoken understanding between them; Sawara said nothing and directly unbound all the restraints on the other party.
This was the prisoner she was responsible for.
Sawara just let the person go; what was she supposed to do?
The poor interrogation Jonin fell into confusion.
"Don't worry, I'll follow procedure." Sawara Kiri understood the young Jonin's concern and gently patted her shoulder.
Then, he turned his head and said to Konan, "In consideration of your atonement, we will send you to Konoha's Third Farm for labor reform."
"All the Chakra in your body has been sealed. I advise you not to try any tricks."
"As for how long the labor reform will last, that will depend on your performance."
"Understood, Miss Konan?"
It was only when she heard his words that Konan suddenly snapped out of that blank state of absorbing an excessive amount of knowledge all at once. She looked at him with some astonishment, as if puzzled, and then lowered her head with some doubt to look at her graceful body.
"Labor... reform?" Konan subconsciously repeated this unfamiliar term.
Although not being forced to sacrifice herself was indeed a good thing, she should still be considered a beauty, right?
Even though she had never developed a deeper relationship with either Nagato or Yahiko while in Takigakure, and had rejected all the suitors who appeared around her, this wasn't because she was unaware of her own beauty, but because she still had ideals she was pursuing in her heart.
What's more, the unprecedented knowledge Sawara Kiri possessed also held a fatal attraction for her—compared to how to get out, she now actually wanted to know what kind of undertaking Sawara Kiri was currently accomplishing.
"No, do I not need others to guard me?" she actually asked subconsciously.
Even Konan herself didn't notice that her gaze towards Sawara Kiri contained a brilliance that even her weakened expression couldn't conceal.
The interrogation Jonin beside her narrowed her eyes slightly, somewhat disdainfully.
Sawara Kiri, however, said as if it were obvious, "That's not something you need to know."
"Take her over."
This was said to the young Jonin beside him.
"Yes!"
Before long, Konan, led by the interrogation Ninja beside her, walked out of the gloomy interrogation room.
The moment she breathed fresh air, a strange sense of displacement arose in her heart.
Could it be that she wasn't as important as she had imagined?
The truth, however, was clearly not so.
After leaving the interrogation room, Sawara Kiri turned and took the elevator to the top floor of the new Hokage Building, to the Third Hokage's Assistant Office, next to the Hokage Office.
Namikaze Minato was waiting in his office.
It was only when Sawara Kiri pushed open the door and Namikaze Minato, who had been standing by the floor-to-ceiling window watching Konan being led to the farm by others, spoke with some confusion:
"Kiri."
"Her companion is quite dangerous. Is it wise to just leave her out there...?"
Clearly, not only the interrogation Jonin, but even Minato was somewhat puzzled by his actions.
As his friend, he knew a little about the secret that Sawara Kiri, the strongest Ninja in the Ninja World, was privately quite lecherous, even secretly providing a large number of color illustrations for Jiraiya-sama's erotic novels.
However, the previous Sawara Kiri had never let this 'small hobby' interfere with serious matters.
Minato also didn't want to suspect his friend in this regard.
However, the beauty of this female prisoner and Kiri's somewhat subtle attitude made him unable to help but think in that direction.
You brat...?
"Don't worry."
Sawara Kiri reassured him with a smile.
Although he did covet her body, his covetousness was not the same as Jiraiya's.
"You still remember, right?"
"There should be a person with extraordinary stealth abilities accompanying their trio."
"After this woman is captured, the other two will definitely not give up, and there's a high probability they'll come to try and rescue her, led by that person."
Sawara Kiri sat on the sofa and simply explained, "You know, if a battle of our level were to take place in the center of Konoha Village, the economic losses would be too great to compensate."
"Since it's unavoidable, why don't we proactively choose a location with less damage?"
"The farm mainly has labor reform prisoners, and there are relatively few cash crops. The surrounding area is also quite open, making it suitable as a battlefield."
Hearing this, Namikaze Minato finally sat down opposite him, showing an understanding expression.
Indeed.
Although the Village's financial income was much higher than before, after the initial completion of the Village's institutional reform, the economic pressure also increased significantly, far from being solvable by the crude management of the past.
At this thought, Namikaze Minato couldn't help but feel a little guilty for his earlier unreasonable guess, and he scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Sure enough.
Kiri was still Kiri.
"Sorry."
"So that's what it was."
"Did you manage to get anything out of her just now?"
Precisely because he had fought Nagato before and even been at a disadvantage, Namikaze Minato was now one of the very few people among the highest echelons of the Village who were most interested in this information—as for others, the undeveloped Nagato and others were just one of countless minor characters dealt with over the years, far from being as formidable as facing the Akatsuki Organization leader in the original timeline.
Anyway, Sawara Kiri could certainly resolve it easily, as he always had.
"There were some results, I suppose."
Sawara Kiri said, simply recounting the origins of Nagato and his companions and the various events that followed, based on his memory.
Evidently, from the very beginning, his interrogation was not in the real world.
Whether it was the 'crystal ball' he showed Konan, or the various scenes and statements Konan saw, all of it was completed within the range of his Kyōka Suigetsu.
Sensory manipulation had such capabilities.
Chaldea and the Near-Future Lens indeed had the ability to observe the past and future, but it was not as easy as he claimed.
As for real-time observation of Nagato and Yahiko's actions, that was even more absurd.
If he had that power, he would have rushed over and killed Black Zetsu already.
Among the things he said to Konan, the few truths were probably only his refutations of her naive ideals.
However, the rhetoric of nine truths and one lie always worked well.
After his numerous probes, Konan should indeed have been stirred by his words.
However, this didn't mean that she would simply surrender under his 'kingly aura'.
Completely convincing the other party was still a long task.
It still needed more work.
Sawara Kiri was very much looking forward to Konan's reaction after experiencing a period of 'labor reform' and personally seeing the differences between Konoha and other Villages.
His rare Bond Points finally had a source.
Konan, at this moment, was not as relaxed as she had initially imagined.
Although she didn't know what methods Sawara Kiri had used on her body during their conversation, she was indeed as he had said: all the Chakra in her body had been sealed.
Now, although she still retained all the reactions and combat instincts of a powerful Ninja, she could easily take on ten ordinary people, but it was a different story when facing other Ninja.
Since being led to this prison farm, she had been escorted by a female Chunin to the female prisoner area, where she received basic living supplies and two sets of clothes.
As one of the special attention prisoners marked by the higher-ups, she also received a pair of durable arm sleeves, more than others.
When she arrived at the dormitory under the guard's lead, she couldn't help but stare at the drab brick building before her, stunned.
"From now on, you'll live in this dormitory, room 301, bed four."
"Don't try anything funny; we'll be watching you."
That Person, a young female guard who tried to appear serious but still seemed somewhat immature due to her age, quickly left after saying a few words according to regulations.
Once Konan entered the dormitory, she saw two women, one old and one young, already sitting by the bed, chatting about something. Seeing her enter, they both stopped talking and cautiously observed her with sidelong glances.
Konan, however, paid no mind to the gazes of those around her, and walked into the dormitory to put down her clothes and belongings.
'Can even prisoners live in a place like this?'
'How much money must this cost?'
As one of Takigakure's former management, Konan, who was in charge of logistics, always paid the most attention to such matters.
She didn't doubt whether this was a staged act by Sawara Kiri, because when she entered, she had already seen the numerous buildings erected in this prison area.
Although far from the towering skyscrapers in Konoha New City, this was a place where ordinary people lived.
Considering the cost, Konan didn't think that everyone here could enjoy the same treatment of having their Chakra sealed as she did. If they were captured Ninja from enemy Villages, they would surely be housed elsewhere.
Based on Konan's common knowledge, the difference in treatment between Ninja and civilians was so vast that describing it as 'heaven and earth' would not be an exaggeration.
One must know that in the original timeline, when Naruto and other Konoha Ninja could already enjoy the age of electricity, with entertainment like video games and movies, the entire family of Tazuna, the famous bridge builder from the Land of Waves, still lived in small thatched huts by the lake, and most young people made a living by fishing.
This was not only the norm for civilians in the Land of Waves but also for ordinary people in the Land of Fire.
But now, this 'norm' had clearly begun to change.
"You came from outside the city too, didn't you?"
Just as Konan put down her belongings, she heard the younger girl beside her open her mouth curiously.
Noticing Konan's gaze, the dark-skinned girl smiled at her, revealing a set of white teeth: "My name is Akari. I just snuck in with a convoy from outside a few days ago and was immediately caught by those Byakugan users."
"It's just like everyone said, I'm really lucky."
"Lucky?"
Konan's attention was immediately drawn by her words.
This girl, who called herself Akari, looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. She was thin, but her arms had a bit of flesh, and despite being confined to a prison area, she looked elated.
"Huh? Are you a Konoha native?"
Seeing her puzzled expression, Akari's smile diminished considerably.
If she was a local, then she must have committed a crime to be here.
So she was a bad woman.
Konan was not in a hurry, knowing she didn't know how long she would be confined, and there would be plenty of time to learn later.
Soon after she finished tidying up, a 'ding ding ding' sound rang out from the outdoor loudspeaker.
Akari and the middle-aged woman who had been silent stood up and followed the crowd towards a tall building outside.
Konan also followed the crowd, glancing at the words on the building.
Women's Mess Hall.
So it was mealtime.
Without needing guidance, Konan learned from others and lined up, receiving two rice balls and a dish of vegetables at the serving counter. Occasionally, someone who cut in line would be pulled out by Konoha disciplinarians wearing armbands, criticized, educated, and then thrown to the very back of the line.
Although the food wasn't lavish, many of these prisoners, just like her, began to gobble it down before even sitting, and once they finished, they would line up again to wait.
'Rich and powerful.'
Konan could only give this one evaluation of Konoha's actions.
It was a given in the Ninja World that civilians were different from Ninja.
All privileges for Ninja had to be repaid through combat, but these privileges themselves were enough to elevate ordinary people, who were originally civilians, by an entire social class.
This was also why, despite the extremely strict entrance exams for Ninja academies, many parents still sent their five or six-year-old children there—naturally, there were mischievous children like Naruto who wouldn't be expelled, but only those from wealthy or influential families, like Shikamaru and Choji, could remain leisurely in the Ninja Academy.
Those without name or lineage could only fight for their prosperity with their lives.
But now, Konoha was scattering white rice to ordinary people.
Konan thought to herself, but said nothing.
She scanned the surroundings with her tray and strode over to Akari, who was wolfing down her food like everyone else.
Hearing the sound beside her, Akari subconsciously looked up at her, her gaze immediately becoming somewhat wary.
However, upon seeing a rice ball Konan offered, her eyes lit up again.
"Here, I can't eat all this."
"Really?"
Akari looked at her, then quickly took it, bit into it, and said, "You're really nice!"
It had been a long time since anyone had said that to her.
Konan was someone who had experienced hardship and wouldn't waste food like the children of Ninja clans. While slowly eating her meal, she spoke, "How did you get in here? This is a place for prisoners."
"What does it matter?" Akari said carelessly, "I heard people in the Village say that as long as you don't get a pass and get caught entering the city, you'll be sent here. You work a little every day, and then you can eat a lot of white rice, which is usually used for taxes. I've only eaten a small bowl of it once in my life, when I was six. Here, I eat it every day."
Mid-sentence, Akari's expression turned gloomy: "But without a pass, you're only locked up for a month. Half of that time has almost passed, and if I want to find work in Konoha after that, I need a temporary residence permit! I can't stay at all…"
"Why? Didn't anyone in Konoha hire you?" Konan asked, confused.
"They say no child labor, and if they're caught, they'll be fined a lot of money. And the living places are very expensive. The prison area is better."
That was true.
Konan thought to herself.
For civilians, perhaps even Konoha's prison was countless times better than their homes.
After all, here they didn't have to face greedy nobles and tax collectors from various regions.
However, the reason why the Ninja World's welfare hadn't extended to ordinary people wasn't because they didn't want to, but because there simply weren't enough resources.
Where did Konoha get the food and resources to feed even these civilians?
When Konan voiced this doubt, she was met with Akari's mysterious smile.
"You probably haven't seen it either, have you?"
"Those Ninja-sama's Ninjutsu!"
"Ninjutsu?"
Konan's confusion deepened.
What Ninjutsu could increase land production?
"You'll know later."
The conversation then drifted to fantastical topics as Akari wolfed down her food and made small talk. Konan responded intermittently, and various interesting rural anecdotes from the peaceful era she had never experienced before went in one ear and out the other. Although those small things were a scene she had longed for but couldn't reach in her youth, now that she actually heard them, she wasn't that interested.
Konan's short life had been far more eventful than anything that happened in a small Village.
It wasn't until the 'ding ding ding' bell rang again that the two of them followed the crowd to another field.
The prisoners in the women's area were divided into small teams and assigned to numbered plots of land. Each person was given a small bag of seeds—Konan couldn't tell if they were rapeseed or bean seeds.
A few 'seniors' demonstrated how to plant for those who were new to farming, and she learned after watching once.
It wasn't difficult, just purely hard work.
After a while longer, Akari tugged at her sleeve, pointing her chin towards the distance:
"Konan, look!"
"That Ninja-sama is about to use a Jutsu!"
Konan's unfocused pupils, lost in thought, finally refocused.
The Konoha Ninja who came to this plot of land were clearly an entire team, even younger than Akari, but already quite skilled.
The Ninja of that team spread out to various plots of land. Their hand seals were quite long, over forty of them, clearly not suitable for direct combat.
However, with a shout, the entire earth began to churn.
"Earth Release: Mound-Forming Technique!"
The plots of land before them surged like waves, rising and falling in succession. Dry soil and grass roots on the surface were lifted into the sky, while the darker, deeper soil surged to the upper layer, crashing down heavily, autonomously forming mounds as if alive.
"Oh—!"
Although it was only a C-rank or B-rank Ninjutsu, it made Akari, beside Konan, gasp with an 'O' shaped mouth as if she had seen a miracle.
For a farm girl, having this heavy, year-long task completed in an instant was far more useful than tricks like spitting fire or summoning a pool of water.
Was there any difficulty in this?
Was this the secret to Konoha's increased food supply?
Konan, who had never touched the land, couldn't understand; she simply watched.
After all this was done, she systematically followed the team, sticking her feet into the mud and slowly bending down to plant, as if trying to uncover some secret from this action.
However, even after she dragged her slightly tired body back to the dormitory with the almost-collapsed Akari and took a shower, she still couldn't understand what was so remarkable about it.
Nevertheless, because of Sawara Kiri's words, she remained attentive.
Taking advantage of the time before bed, she requested paper and a pen from the guard and sat on the bed to record her thoughts for the day.
She sat on the bed, staring at the blank paper, pondering for a long time. Recalling everything she had heard and experienced from Sawara Kiri today, Konan didn't know how to begin writing.
Ultimately, she left herself with a question.
"What exactly is the world like in Sawara Kiri's eyes?"
"I want to know."
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