Seeing Itachi no longer speak, Naruto waved his hand and said, "Alright, that's enough. Disperse, disperse. We'll continue traveling tomorrow."
"But... the contract hasn't been…" Kisame began, only to be interrupted by Naruto, "No need for a contract, I believe in you."
"Got it!"
Kisame nodded firmly, his expression brimming with enthusiasm.
While he would have accepted the so-called contract without complaint, Naruto's outright trust touched him deeply and filled him with gratitude.
As Naruto left, Itachi commented coldly, "Kisame, even if there's no contract, don't make any moves. Remember, Naruto's Sharingan can see through everything about you. Nothing you do will escape his notice."
"No need to remind me. Betrayal hasn't even crossed my mind." Kisame replied calmly.
Naruto's enhancements had doubled his strength, and now, without even resorting to a binding contract, Naruto showed him such unwavering trust. So why would he ever betray him?
Besides, even if Kisame wanted to betray Naruto, Samehada would not agree.
After experiencing the Weapon Blessing, Samehada was so impressed it nearly decided to defect and become Naruto's weapon instead.
The only reason Samehada didn't act on this impulse was Kisame, its current owner, is Naruto's subordinate.
So, should Kisame ever betray Naruto, Samehada would undoubtedly side with Naruto without hesitation.
Which means, in every sense, Kisame had every reason to remain loyal to Naruto.
Meanwhile, back in his room, Naruto let out a deep sigh of relief, 'Acting was exhausting… especially when dealing with two seasoned spies. The pressure was immense.'
'Fortunately, I had the passive Danger Sense ability.'
The rewards from the system had never failed him. Even if Kisame or Samehada tried to conceal their intentions, Naruto would have sensed it.
It was only after confirming that Kisame and Samehada's hostility toward him had completely dissipated that Naruto confidently decided not to use a contract.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have hesitated to use up a contract slot, even if it felt wasteful.
The night passed uneventfully, and by noon the next day, Naruto had enjoyed a satisfying sleep.
Stretching lazily as he got up, Naruto called for Itachi and Kisame to continue their journey.
As for the massive hole in the roof of the hot spring inn? It was still there.
To pass the time on the road, Naruto asked, "Did the innkeeper give you any trouble?"
"I used a Genjutsu." Itachi replied flatly.
Hearing this, Naruto found himself at a loss for words.
'Good grief, what a cold-hearted guy.'
This also served as a reminder to Naruto: while these two seemed obedient now, they were still Missing-nin who killed without a second thought… true villains.
If not for his strength keeping them in check, Naruto might not have been safe himself.
Though he had managed to bluff the two of them yesterday by claiming his Sharingan could see through fate, the truth was, he couldn't.
When using deceptive rhetoric, one must be careful not to deceive oneself.
'It seems that I still need to upgrade my Byakugan to Tenseigan as soon as possible. At that time, I will truly have the ability to see through fate.'
'Unfortunately, the system has removed its beginner's assistance, so obtaining the Tenseigan was now much more challenging.'
"Time is of the essence! Keep up!" Naruto urged.
In order to save time, Naruto had chosen a shortcut through a dense forest. After all, the shortest distance between two points was a straight line.
Anyway, he can fly, so he was unaffected by the terrain. However, this left Itachi and Kisame struggling.
While Naruto glided leisurely through the air, Itachi and Kisame had to sprint at full speed, constantly avoiding the dangers lurking in the forest.
Thankfully, the Land of Rain bordered the Land of Fire. As night began to fall, the three of them finally arrived in the Land of Rain.
The closer they got to Amegakure, the heavier the rain became.
Seeing this, Naruto released Wartortle from the Poke Ball.
Although Wartortle was still gravely injured, its condition had improved slightly from the brink of death it had faced the day before.
"Go, give Kisame a good beating," Naruto commanded.
"Wartortle, Wartortle!"
Wartortle moved sluggishly but determinedly toward Kisame.
"Why me? What did I do wrong?" Kisame complained, though he didn't fight back.
After taking a series of tiny punches from Wartortle, Kisame felt no pain at all, but his reaction was exaggerated.
The real surprise lay in the previously weak Wartortle, which, after unleashing its barrage of little punches, was now brimming with energy.
"As expected of Naruto-kun. Nothing around you is ever simple."
Even though Kisame had been shocked by Naruto countless times, he was still unprepared for such surprises.
They continued their journey and eventually arrived at Amegakure after a short while.
The rainy night left the streets mostly deserted.
As Naruto observed the dilapidated houses of Amegakure, he smiled with satisfaction.
'Now this is what a real village should look like!'
'Compared to this, Konoha seemed more like a sprawling metropolis, far beyond the scale of a typical village.'
"Naruto-kun, should we find an inn first, or head directly to the Akatsuki's base?" Itachi asked.
Naruto smirked playfully and said, "No need for all that trouble. Let's just wait here for a bit. The show's about to start."
The rain in Amegakure is not that simple. Nagato uses the Rain Tiger at Will Technique to inject Chakra into the rain, which allowed him to monitor any changes within the village.
Now that Naruto, an outsider, has come, he will definitely attract Nagato's attention. And with him are Kisame and Itachi. No matter what the considerations are, Nagato will send Konan here to check the specific situation.
Whoosh!
Sure enough, moments later, a figure darted through the rain-soaked night, rapidly approaching.
Naruto's eyes lit up as he caught sight of her.
She wore her hair in a bun adorned with a pale blue paper flower on the right side. Her light blue-purple hair framed a clean, delicate face. Beneath neatly shaped brows, her eyeshadow was a subtle lavender, her irises a pale amber. A lip piercing adorned her lower lip.
She was dressed in the iconic black Akatsuki cloak with red clouds, trimmed in white. Underneath, she wore a zippered, backless top and pale purple fitted pants. Her navel was pierced, and a slashed Amegakure's forehead protector was tied to her right hip.
There was no mistaking her identity: this was Konan, the only female member of the Akatsuki!
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Naruto couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration as he appraised her.
Though he hadn't paid much attention to Konan's appearance in the anime, seeing her up close now gave him a newfound appreciation.
'As expected of a Kunoichi, her figure was incredibly well-maintained.'
Naruto couldn't help but imagine the possibilities for some 'training' in the women's hot springs. He wondered if Konan could challenge his self-control.
Unfortunately, circumstances didn't allow for that at the moment.
Still, Naruto wasn't in a rush. He wasn't planning on leaving the Akatsuki anytime soon, so opportunities for such 'training' would undoubtedly come later.
"Kisame, Itachi, what on earth are you two doing?" Konan demanded, her brows furrowing in displeasure, "You were sent to capture the Kyubi's Jinchuriki, so why you come back with a little girl and a giant turtle?"
She frowned slightly, obviously very dissatisfied with the two of them.
With the Eye of the Moon Plan in its preparatory phase, capturing all the Biju was crucial. If the groundwork wasn't properly laid, she wouldn't trust Kisame and Itachi with such tasks.
"Konan, he is..."
Before Kisame could speak, Naruto interrupted, putting on his most pitiful expression, "Big Sis, these two bad brothers captured me! They're definitely up to no good. Please save me!"
Naruto's delicate, princess-like appearance… enhanced by his rain-soaked golden hair and his pitiable expression, made him look utterly vulnerable.
Even Konan, despite being a woman herself, felt her heart skip a beat at the sheer 'I-need-protecting' aura Naruto exuded.