28. Konan.

"Here, eat, it will make you feel better." I slowly and gently grab her mud covered hand and wrap her fingers around the berry. I can feel her ice cold fingers shiver under my warm ones.

She looks at the berry in her hands before slowly raising it to her mouth and taking a bite, then another and quickly finishing off the berry.

I pull out a small Rawst berry and pass that to her as well. "Eat this it will make you warm."

She looks at the berry, then at me and tosses it into her mouth. I notice her body violently shiver. Rawst berries are like eating a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup or hot tea. They warm the body up internally.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?" I point towards the slightly empty spot next to the trash can.

She just continues to stare at me.

Not minding the mud or filth i move in and circulate my fire energy to dry my body off from the rain.

She wiggles closer when she feels the warmth.

"Would you like some more food? I have some jerky." I offer digging into my waist pouch and pulling out some strips of meat. Judging by her sunken cheeks she hasn't eaten for a while or isnt eating well. Well if her living space is anything to go by.

I pass a couple of strips of jerky to her and enjoy a few of my own while watching the rain come down from the gloomy gray sky.

Currently I was in rain country in the middle of the second or third shinobi world war. I get them mixed up a bit sometimes.

The person sitting next to me quietly eating jerky and staring at me is Konan, a future S rank ninja who belonged to the terrorist group Akatsuki. Someone who I would love to recruit, not just for her future abilities but due to her loyalty. Following a guy who gained a god complex and wanted to rule the world through pain. Undying loyalty.

Right now however she was a child, living in an alley, starving near some trash cans.

"Can you talk?" I ask the girl, it would be a bit difficult to have a conversation that is completely one sided and recruit her.

It takes a couple of second but.

"...yes.." The voice I so quiet I can barely hear it under the rain.

"That's good, my name is Ryan. I would like to offer you something." I pull out a luxury ball from my pouch. "From where I come from I'm what's called a trainer." I start rolling the ball around in my hand. "A trainer takes in what we call fighters and bonds with them. It's the trainers job to take care of the Fighter, provide them with clothes, training, food, love, warmth. Kind of like a family. Then the Fighter, they guard the trainer, watch his back for enemies, protect him, keep him safe. Do you follow me so far?" I ask the girl.

She nods once to show she follows.

"Great, this is a bond ball." I hold up the ball. "It initiates a small bond between the owner of the ball and the person it catches. You just press the button once to make it big, then once before you toss it at the person or the person can press the button."

I press the button on the Luxury ball and it expands to a fist sized ball.

"Now would you like to come with me and be my fighter? You'll get warm clothes, hot food, a nice place to sleep where it doesn't rain, a family." I can see her eyes shine with some emotions. "All you have to do is press the button and I promise to take care of you. If not I can get up and leave you alone."

She looks at me for a second and I give her a friendly smile.

"....I won't be alone...?" She asks.

"No, I'll be with you and my other partners, we will make sure you are taken care of." I answer honestly.

She seems to look into my soul before slowly raising her hand and touching the button. Her body vanishes in a flash of light. The luxury ball in my hand doesnt even wiggle before signifying a successfully bond which I can feel slightly.

Getting up from the ground I enter the internal world. Rook, Stella and Amber are already waiting for me.

"Master you look so cute!" Amber rushes me before scooping me up and hugging me. I can see the eyes of Rook and Stella light up at my cute little body.

"I know I'm adorable, anyway I have a job for you girls." i hold up the Luxury ball. I had swapped the balls for Amber and Stella to Luxury balls a while back to improve the bond between us.

"Is that our new member?" Rook asks curiously.

I toss out the ball and the dirty looking Konan appears before looking around with the same dead look before spotting me and moving closer.

"Allow me to introduce everyone, these are my other fighters. Amber who is currently hugging me, Stella who is floating and then Rook." I tell Konan. "You should introduce yourself, then these big sisters will get you some new clothes, a hot shower and some hot food."

"....Konan...." She says simply holding onto my shirt.

"Nice to meet you Konan, now let's go get you warm and clean okay?" Amber says with a soft smile.

Konan looks at me for approval.

"You are safe here, nobody will hurt you." I assure her.

"..ok.." Amber picks her up and heads off towards the house to get her cleaned up.

Meanwhile I'm snatched up by Rook. "Your so adorable I just want to hug and squeeze you!" She says peppering my face with kisses.

"I shall allow this." I turn towards Stella. "I have need for your abilities, you can't be seen or heard so change to some clothes that hide you appearance and stay invisible. I'm looking for a person who should live somewhere around here. Red hair, a child, boy, maybe 5 or so years old. He has purple colored eyes with ripples in them. I need to find him and do it undetected. His name is Nagato Uzumaki." I instruct.

Stella nods and her clothes change to hide her appearance before she turns invisible and exits the internal world.