Naruto: Ero-ninja

Blast from the past: Mito

Konan felt torn between being happy or being embarrassed as Naruto continued carry her over the lake that surrounded Ame. Embarrassment won the day causing her to say, "I am uninjured Naruto. I can walk."

"I know," was the simple reply of the man she had taken as a lover, although they had only enjoyed a single night together. Something, Konan's body tried to remind her of, although she managed to suppress the feelings welling up inside her from being in his arms. She wasn't quite sure why she did, but guessed it was because of the amount of time that they had remained apart. Only able to communicate sporadically, due to her writing notes on Akatsuki's movements and then having to use her jutsu to get them to Konoha. Usually with the sheets of paper taking on the form of a butterfly as they made their journey.

At first her letters had merely contained information that would allow Naruto's allies to dismantle the organization which was sustained not only by missions performed by the nine S-class missing-nin that had been members. But by a huge and secret criminal organization which had allowed Akatsuki to take missions at such a huge discount thus allowing them to operate in different countries that normally hired the Shinobi Villages in order that they could gather intelligence on their targets. It was that criminal element that Jiraiya had targeted and ultimately ended his task with the confrontation between Kakuzu and him. The Sannin's killing of the ancient Taki-nin had been a particular hard blow to Akatsuki due to his self-appointed task of being the treasurer of the group. With him dead, the many side-deals that he had made to make Akatsuki not only function, but thrive despite the bare minimum of funds the group took in from actual missions, quickly fell through. A matter only made worse due to the Toad Sage targeting them due to their ties to the mercenary group.

Yet, soon the letters also became a lifeline that kept her connection to Naruto from turning into one of a handler and his spy. Konan remembered that after several exchanges, with the replies general coming from a combination of Yuugao and Anko as they would ask for information on certain matters they were dealing with in order to learn if Akatsuki was somehow connected, Naruto had gotten involved.

Konan looked up from her spot in his arms to see him staring forward and felt a small smile appear, which quickly disappeared when he looked down at her. The smile though had been due to the female member of Akatsuki remembering how after reading through several pages of notes from the two women. She had turned to the last page to see a handwritten note from Naruto. Unlike the pages that had come before, Naruto had simply given her a heartwarming rundown of events he thought she might like to know. None of the things he had talked about had to do with his ambition except on the off chance that he mentioned some woman that he had charmed and was now aiding him. But then it was just him letting her know about another woman that she was connected to through him.

Konan had finished the first letter and upon realizing he had wanted a response she had been struck with a fit of nerves that she supposed had she had a happier childhood she would have experienced then. Feeling very much like a schoolgirl, whose crush had given her a note and now expected a response, she had fretted about what to write. In the end she had come up with something, but had felt it was probably rather lacking as despite what they had shared together, she had originally done it to put his mind at ease due to the control he had gained over her. Therefore, she had kept her defenses up as while she had joined him because he had rekindled her spirit and as a result the belief that Yahiko's way of creating peace was the right one, she didn't necessarily want to grow too attached should reality once more crush another idealistic dreamer. However, despite her intentions Naruto had seized on the few peeks behind her defenses her letter had contained and used them to make the cracks wider. Before she knew it she was responding to him openly and was sharing things she hadn't even told Nagato. Details about her such as her hobbies began to find their way into her letters, which Naruto would then use to build connections not to just him, but to the other women in his life. For instance, besides her obvious enjoyment of origami, she learned that Hinata also shared her interest in flower pressing. A comment about how her favorite food was flame-broiled fish, had resulted Naruto in informing her that the best fish he had ever eaten was in Sea Country and had been caught by a woman named Isaribi. He had promised to take her one day so she could see for herself.