Fujiwara Kirito smiled and said, "Do you dislike me so much?"
Konan, her eyes still red from crying, looked at him and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
She wanted to know why Kirito suddenly stopped.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining god-level cooking skills.]
Kirito sighed internally. Who told me to be soft-hearted? I can't stand seeing a woman cry—especially the woman I like.
As the system notification faded from his mind, Kirito gently let go of Konan's slender waist. He reached into his Akatsuki robe, pretending to search, and then pulled out an exquisite small gift box from his system storage. Smiling, he said, "This is for you, as an apology."
He figured that sooner or later, Konan would end up becoming part of his life, just like Mei Terumi. Giving her this now wouldn't hurt.
Konan, still wiping away the last traces of tears, returned to her usual cold expression. She glanced at the small box in his hands and asked indifferently, "What is this?"
"It's something that no woman can refuse. Open it and see for yourself," Kirito said with a grin.
Despite her reservations, Konan opened the small gift box. Inside was a golden ring, crafted from pure gold.
"You..." Konan's face darkened. She stared at Kirito for a moment before her expression became even colder. She raised her hand, preparing to throw the box back at him. She had seen this type of ring before—Mikoto wore one on her left ring finger.
"Don't be so quick to refuse." Kirito caught her wrist, smiling mischievously. "Aren't you curious why Mikoto hasn't aged a day in five years, even though she's nearly forty?"
Konan hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. She had indeed noticed that Mikoto's skin remained smooth and youthful, completely unchanged over the years.
Kirito, masking the ring's true properties, explained, "This isn't just an ordinary ring—it has the ability to preserve youth. While it won't extend your lifespan, it keeps your appearance frozen at the moment you put it on. In other words, as long as you wear it, you'll always look just as beautiful as you do now."
With a knowing look, Kirito added, "There are only five of these rings in existence. I keep one for myself, one for my wife, and two are reserved for Izumi and Qianhua when they turn twenty and stop growing."
"As for this last one… if you don't want it, I'll just give it to Pakura tomorrow."
Just as he was about to put the ring back into the gift box, Konan snatched it from his hands. "It's not that easy. You just offended me, so this is your compensation. But if you try anything again, I won't let you off so easily."
Which woman wouldn't want to stay young forever?
Despite her usual aloof demeanor, Konan couldn't resist the temptation. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she accepted the gift, turning quickly to ascend the stairs.
"Wait," Kirito called after her.
Konan turned back, her grip tightening on the small box. "What now? Do you want to take it back?" She looked at him warily, already preparing to use her Paper Jutsu if necessary.
"No, nothing like that," Kirito chuckled, spreading his right hand. Unbeknownst to Konan, the golden ring was already back in his palm.
"When…?" Konan's eyes widened in shock. She hurriedly opened the gift box, only to find it empty.
Kirito smirked. "Since the very beginning."
He stepped forward, gently taking her hand. Before she could react, he slid the ring onto her left ring finger and kissed it lightly. "It's a perfect fit."
"You bastard!" Konan's face turned crimson with embarrassment. Furious, she transformed her hand into several sharp paper shuriken and flung them at Kirito's face.
Kirito dodged effortlessly, appearing behind her in an instant. Before she could retaliate, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Sooner or later, you'll willingly marry me," he whispered. "This ring will be proof of that. If you don't want to wear it on your finger, you can wear it on a chain around your neck. As long as it touches your skin, it will keep you youthful."
With that, Kirito vanished down the corridor.
Konan stood frozen, her face burning as she stomped her foot in frustration. "That bastard!"
Shortly after Kirito left, a man with long orange hair tied into a ponytail, wearing the signature red cloud and black robe, entered the corridor atop a giant summon. It was the Animal Path of Pain.
"Konan, I heard some noise here, and I sensed both your chakra and Kirito's. What happened?" The Animal Path spoke in his usual expressionless tone.
Konan's face turned even redder. There was no way she could admit that Kirito had kissed her. She instinctively hid her left hand, making sure the golden ring was buried deep in her sleeve. Maintaining her composure, she responded coolly, "Nothing. That guy was just talking nonsense, so I taught him a lesson."
"Be careful next time," Pain's Animal Path warned. "Kirito is powerful, but he's just as unreliable as Jiraiya. You shouldn't be alone with him in the future."
He had long known about Kirito's perverted tendencies. But at the same time, he didn't believe Kirito would actually do anything serious to Konan under his watch. Not with his Rinnegan keeping a constant eye on everything.
After Pain left, Konan let out a sigh of relief. She touched her cheek, recalling Kirito's sudden kiss. Her face turned red again as she clenched her fist. Next time, I'll make him pay!
Meanwhile, Kirito had already returned home.
Using his Observation Haki, he had listened to Konan and Pain's entire conversation from a distance. The corner of his mouth curled up in amusement.
"Come out," he commanded.
Two shadow clones emerged from the darkness. These were clones he had stationed as hidden guards. Each was surrounded by a small barrier that masked their chakra presence. Their job was to ensure the safety of his family.
If anything ever went wrong, they were programmed to instantly teleport his wife and daughter into the system storage for protection.
With a poof, the clones dispersed, and their memories merged with Kirito. Seeing that everything was normal, he smiled and pushed open the door to his home.
The scene before him was warm and peaceful.
Chika sat at the table, reading a scroll about ninja school lessons.
Izumi had just returned from training and was taking a shower—the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom.
Mikoto was in the kitchen, cooking dinner. The dining table was already filled with mouthwatering dishes.
As soon as Chika spotted her father, her big, bright eyes lit up. She immediately abandoned her scroll and ran into Kirito's arms.
(End of this chapter)
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