382 So much Hatred

Hidden Leaf Village (15 mins ago)

"Now that's something my readers are going to go crazy about. I am sure that Kakashi will be crying tears of joy as he reads this chapter." Jiraya thought as she was writing something in his book.

He then stopped writing and stretching his back he looked out of the window. The green garden, the tree and the cool air. He then looked around the house and said "Even though I hardly live here, they really do maintain it quite well. I guess Tsunade does care about me more than she would like to admit."

Just as Jiraya had finished taking a break and was getting back to writing in his book, he heard a knock on the door.

"Looks like Naruto is back after completing his mission. He must he hungry for some Ramen. I better get a treat from him. As his sensei, the least he can do is buy me a bowl of Miso Soup Ramen." Jiraya said as he walked to open the door.

Seeing Naruto stand at the door he said "I knew it must have been you. How did it go?"

Jiraya asked with a wide smile on his face but Naruto's expression was quite serious.

'Oh yes...how did I forget that 6 of his friends have gotten kidnapped. He must have been upset because of that.' Jiraya thought.

"Sensei...there is something I need to ask." Naruto said making Jiraya sigh.

"What is it Naruto?" He asked.

"Do you know someone named Konan ? A girl with blue hair?" Naruto asked and just as he had feared, Jiraya's expression changed drastically.

"Konan? Blue hair? Of course I know her. How do you know her? Has she come to the village?" Jiraya asked questions with a big and excited smile on his face.

This caused Naruto's heart to sink a little. It made it even harder to tell him the truth. Seeing that Naruto wasn't speaking a single word, Jiraya asked again "Tell me Naruto? Where is she? Is she in the Hidden leaf?"

Naruto didn't say anything and just nodded which made Jiraya's smile even bigger. "Really? that's great. She sure took her time to come to the hidden leaf. She should have come years ago. Are those two idiots Yahiko and Nagato with him?" Jiraya asked. Naruto didn't know who these two were so he just shook his head sideways saying no. 

"Oh? They are going to make me wait more then...ha...not a problem let's meet Konan for now. She must have grown a lot. It has been so many years since I left them there." Jiraya reminised.

Seeing that Jiraya was ready to meet her, Naruto decided to take her to Konan first and then explain or maybe he wouldn't even need to explain.

"Let's go meet her sensei." Naruto said as he turned around and started walking away.

"Hey wait for me Naruto...didn't you come to get me." Jiraya shouted as he quickly put on his slippers and started following Naruto. For a while he kept talking about his old time and a little of Konan.

"Huh? Why are we going to the Hokage buillding? Is she with Tsunade." Jiraya asked as he looked up at Tsunade's office but to his surprise instead of taking the stairs up that go the Hokage office, he started walking down toward the isolated prisons.

The smile on Jiraiya's face faded as he realized that they were walking toward the prison. "Naruto why is Konan in prison? She can't even hurt a fly. She is a girl with a pure soul Naruto."

Naruto who was still walking in front clenched his teeth as he heard this. He didn't want the walk to her cell to end because he knew that Jiraya was going to be heart broken soon but the doors to her cell eventually came and he saw Aoba talking to 2 people in black clothes.

"It is the Hokage's orders. She is to remain here." Aoba said.

"She is too dangerous of a criminal to be kept in a place like this. Danzo sama's orders are for her to be handed over to the Root." One of the men in black said.

"Are you saying that Elder Danzo's words are superior to that of Lady Tsunade?" Aoba asked to which the man in black looked enraged and was about to say something when he looked to the side toward Naruto and Jiraya.

'Tsk' he clicked his tongue and turned around "Come on...we must report this to Danzo sama." the man said and they both left.

Jiraya was about to enquire was this was about but he had always maintained his distance from the village politics and especially the matters related to the village elders. He did come to know that after elder Homura and Koharu went missing, the resistance from the council of elders had been reduced to a great extent.

"We are here." Naruto's voice brought him back from his thoughts and he stepped ahead toward one of the prison cells. The walls of the cell and even the bars of the gate had various paper talismans on them.

"What are these for?" Jiraya asked as he stretched his hand to touch one of the talismans but Aoba stopped him. "Jiraya-sama don't tamper with them. They are in place to stop her from escaping."

Jiraya laughed as he heard that and said "Haha...don't worry. Konan would never do such thing. She...." As he was saying, he heard footsteps and looked back inside the cell and saw Konan step out in the light. The smile of Jiraya's face widened for a second as he saw the sweet little Konan as a lady but then the smile vanished just as fast when he saw what she was wearing. It was the robe of the Akatsuki.

"Why is she wearing the Akatsuki robe?" Jiraya asked fully knowing why but he just didn't want it to be true.

"She is the Akatsuki member that we brought back as our prisoner and seems like she is important enough for them to trade against Team Kurenai and Asuma." Aoba said.

Jiraya looked at Konan whose expression didn't change at all. "This can't be right. Why would you join the Akatsuki. A mercenary organization that used to hunt people for money and is now chasing behind the tailed beasts. What are you thinking by joining them Konan? Do Nagato and Yahiko know about this?"

"I don't have anything to talk to you about Jiraya sensei." Konan said and was turning around when Jiraya shouted "Look me in the eyes Konan and tell me the reason for doing this. Why did you join such a villainous organization?"

Naruto and the others were shocked seeing scenario. Naruto for one who had roamed with Jiraya for the past 2-3 years had never seen him behave like this much less shout angryly.

Konan on the other hand who was going to the darkest part of the cell looked at Jiraya with cold eyes and said "I didn't join the Akatsuki...I was one of the members who created it. The Akatsuki is just the reflection of the cruetly cast by your village and the other 4 great villages on the shinobi world. All these decades it were your villages fighting among yourselves but the ones suffering were us...no matter who wins or loses our lands and our homes were the battle grounds."

Naruto and Aoba had never expected an answer like this and the fact about Konan being one of the founders of the Akatsuki was a shocking fact for them. It did make some sense now as to why Tobi had agreed for the prisoner exchange when Yami and the others had kidnapped Konan.

Naruto stepped ahead and held the bars of the prison tightly and asked "And the conclusion you all came to after seeing all the death and destruction was to create destruction of your own. You people have not only killed shinobis of the 5 great villages but also those civilians. If it wasn't for Yami and Gaara, you all would have destroyed the entire hidden sand and killed every civilian living in it." 

"Peace can only be achieved when everyone understands what Pain truly is. And in time you all will understand that." Konan said as she walked off.

Jiraya looked to the side at the conflicted face of Naruto. Naruto knew what the worst of humanity was and he was alive to see a lot more of it. Jiraya then turned to Aoba and said "The Akatsuki will definately make a move during the meeting. Heighten the security and make sure that she is kept here and not handed over to Danzo." 

"Yes we have strict orders from Lady Tsunade to keep her here." Aoba said and left.

"Naruto...we do not have much time. Let's go." Jiraya said as he walked off in a hurry. Looking at the darkness where Konan disappeared and then at his sensei's back, Naruto stood still for a few seconds trying to convince himself that no matter how right Konan was, what she was doing was wrong.

After a few seconds, Naruto heard a voice echo through the stairs "Naruto? Are you coming?" 

"Coming Sensei." Naruto shouted and ran off towards the stairs to go up from the basement.

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