Naruto: Awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, and Unify the Ninja World

Seeing Uchiha Shin's expression, Konan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hehehe~ I feel like, Uchiha Shin-sama, you're different from what the rumors say."

"Of course, those are just rumors."

Uchiha Shin waved his hand dismissively, regaining his composure. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "I'm from Konoha. Aren't you afraid, Konan?"

Hearing him mention this, Konan thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Because I think you're not a bad person, big brother. And besides, we were the ones who started this war."

Having grown up in the midst of chaos, Konan understood the nature of conflict. If she had to place blame, her hatred was directed at Hanzō of the Salamander, the man who had initiated the war.

Her parents had likely been casualties of battle, possibly during the skirmishes with the Iron Country.

So when she learned that the infamous "Konoha Thunder God"—the man who had killed Hanzō—was standing before her, she felt something unexpected: gratitude.

Looking at the perceptive young girl before him, Uchiha Shin felt a rare sense of admiration. To think independently at such a young age... she must have endured more than most.

After finishing their meal, Konan fidgeted, looking uneasy. Eventually, she stood up, bowed her head, and said, "Thank you, big brother, for the food. I won't trouble you any longer."

"Konan."

Just as she was about to leave, Uchiha Shin called out, his voice firm.

She immediately froze in place, her body tensing up.

"You should stay here for a while. If you leave now, you have nowhere to go, right?"

"But... wouldn't that be too much trouble for you, big brother?"

Konan hesitated, her gaze drifting around the house. Her lips pressed together, betraying her longing.

She wanted to stay.

Her cold, damp cave was nothing compared to this warm, comfortable shelter.

Understanding her hesitation, Uchiha Shin smirked. "I'll be staying here for a few more days. It's tiring to distribute food alone. You can help, can't you?"

He paused before adding, "And besides, there's something else I need your help with."

Konan's eyes lit up with curiosity. "What is it?!"

If she could help him, she wouldn't feel like a burden.

"I'm looking for someone—a boy with red hair. You've been around here a long time. Have you seen anyone like that?"

Uchiha Shin described the appearance of the person he was searching for. A descendant of the Uzumaki clan, his target would have vibrant red hair.

Konan fell into deep thought.

She tried to recall the people she had encountered but couldn't remember seeing a boy matching that description.

"I haven't seen anyone like that," she admitted. "But I know where children like him might be. There's a street on the west side of the village where kids often steal food. And sometimes, I go to the forest a few hundred meters east of the village—there are a lot of orphans there."

She listed the locations where war orphans tended to gather.

This was invaluable information. Uchiha Shin had been searching methodically, but the nature of war meant that it was easy to overlook people.

"Alright, Konan, get some rest here. I'll go check out those places."

After giving a few instructions, Uchiha Shin left without hesitation.

Konan watched him disappear into the distance. She didn't know what he was planning, but she was relieved she could be of use.

"He's only six years older than me, yet he takes such good care of me..."

A warm feeling spread through her chest. For so long, she had prayed for a normal life, never expecting such a day to come.

Her gaze drifted to a few blank sheets of paper on the wooden table.

Since she could remember, she had always loved origami. It was a habit she had carried even through the harshest of times.

Even though she was only six, her skill with paper folding was remarkable. After over a year without touching paper, her fingers itched with anticipation.

Instinctively, she reached out and began folding.

A rabbit. A crane. A butterfly.

She stared at the delicate creations in her hands.

"If I give these to big brother... will he like them?"

Her face flushed slightly. She wasn't sure why she was nervous. Even as she lay down on the soft bed, her mind was filled with thoughts of her folded animals and what Uchiha Shin might think of them.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Shin arrived at the western street of Amegakure.

This area was far from the wealthiest part of the village. The ongoing war had left it bleak and desolate.

Only a few vendors remained, selling whatever food they had left.

When they noticed Uchiha Shin, their faces filled with fear. Was he a wandering shinobi? A Konoha ninja come to plunder them?

But when they saw his face clearly, their fear faded.

His reputation had spread throughout the village. Everyone knew that the "Konoha Thunder God" would not harm civilians.

Ignoring the wary merchants, Uchiha Shin activated his sensory abilities, expanding his awareness to search for his target.

Unfortunately, he had never encountered Nagato before and did not know his chakra signature. For now, his sensory abilities could only help locate people more easily.

One by one, he pinpointed the presence of children hiding in alleyways. But none of them were Nagato.

"Where the hell is he?"

A thought occurred to him.

"Could his parents still be alive? Is he not wandering yet?"

Uchiha Shin recalled what he knew about Nagato.

During the Second Shinobi World War, two Konoha shinobi had broken into Nagato's home searching for supplies. Mistaking his parents for enemy combatants, they killed them. In his grief, Nagato's latent Rinnegan activated, wiping out the intruders.

Alone, he was forced into a life of wandering.

"Something doesn't add up... Konoha shinobi did raid supplies, but would high-ranking jonin really do something like that?"

Raiding was typically carried out by genin and chunin, the ones with limited rations. Jonin, the elite of the village, would never be desperate for food.

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

"Unless... those Konoha shinobi were being manipulated."

His eyes narrowed.

"If that were the case, everything would make sense."

There was only one person with both the ability and the motive to orchestrate such an event.

Uchiha Madara.

And if Madara had a hand in it, things were going to get even more complicated.

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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones