In Shinshin Town, a small village with a legendary reputation in the ninja world, the forest surrounding it is home to the largest number of summoning beasts in the entire ninja world. This forest is known as the Forest of Summoning.
Many ninjas come to this forest in search of a summoning beast, but most leave empty-handed. After all, summoning beasts aren't easy to tame, or else they wouldn't be considered a rare resource. Few ninjas in the ninja world have summoning beasts, and even fewer have powerful ones. Most of the summoning creatures are supportive, like Kakashi's Eight Ninja Dogs.
The summoning beasts from the Three Great Sacred Lands are considered to be at the pinnacle. Previously, when Kimimaro pretended to be an employer visiting the Hidden Cloud Village, he mentioned that he was from Shinshin Town. Now, arriving here feels like fate.
After parting ways with Sasori and Deidara, Kimimaro made his way to Shinshin Town. Deidara was a bit reluctant to see him go, but all he could do was grumble, unable to do anything else.
"Kimimaro, next time we meet, I will have completed my C5! Then, I'll show you something special."
After accepting Deidara's "kindness," Kimimaro arrived at Shinshin Town.
"Senior Konan."
At the entrance of Shinshin Town, Kimimaro greeted Konan, who was waiting for him.
Konan nodded slightly and said, "You arrived quickly."
"Since Senior Konan was waiting for me, I had to speed up. Are you here to capture a summoning beast?"
Kimimaro asked curiously.
"Yes. I heard that a decent summoning beast has appeared here."
Konan confirmed that her goal was indeed a summoning beast. The Animal Path of Pain's Six Paths has the ability to control summoning creatures. Capturing one would increase the Animal Path's strength.
Originally, Nagato and Konan were supposed to operate together, with Nagato hiding nearby and then sending in Pain's Six Paths. However, since she was teaming up with Kimimaro, Konan decided to use this mission as an opportunity to test his strength.
"Shall we head out now?"
"Yes, let's go. I've already located the summoning beast."
After Konan spoke, she turned and walked off, with Kimimaro following behind her.
"She's really cool and aloof," Kimimaro thought to himself, memories of Konan flooding his mind.
In the original work, Konan didn't have much character development aside from her final battle. She seemed more like a follower of Yahiko and Nagato, always acting based on their wills. Such people seem to lack a bit of soul, as they haven't found their own direction.
In this world, there are many people like Konan, who are always being pushed forward by others. Kimimaro shook his head, not dwelling on this too much.
Soon, the two of them entered the Forest of Summoning. This forest was vast, much larger than the Forest of Death.
As soon as they entered, Kimimaro saw many creatures he had never encountered before.
"So this is the Forest of Summoning? It's definitely different from other places—so many strange creatures."
Kimimaro couldn't help but be amazed.
"There are many beasts here, and they're quite hostile toward humans. If we get surrounded, it could be troublesome. Our target this time is a bull. Once we capture it, we can leave."
Konan explained their mission.
A bull.
Kimimaro recalled that one of the Animal Path's summoning creatures was indeed a bull-like creature. It seemed this was the one they were after.
"Understood, Senior Konan."
The two continued walking in silence. Kimimaro wasn't much of a talker, and Konan had little desire to converse with anyone other than Yahiko, Nagato, or Jiraiya. As a result, their journey was quiet.
However, Konan eventually broke the silence.
"Kimimaro, I heard you were trained under Orochimaru. How did you come to master such advanced medical ninjutsu?"
Konan opened up, which was rare for her.
"My Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) isn't an easy Kekkei Genkai to deal with. The stronger it becomes, the more likely it is to cause Kekkai Genkai disease. When I joined Orochimaru, I realized that my illness had already started to manifest."
"So, in order to survive, I threw myself into studying medical ninjutsu. Fortunately, I managed to suppress the disease in the end."
"To survive... Is living in this world really something worth working so hard for?" Konan suddenly reflected.
Like Nagato, after Yahiko's death, she lost interest in the world.
"Of course. As long as you're alive, there's hope. If you die, there's nothing."
"Hope?" Konan scoffed.
To her, hope had ceased to exist in this world a long time ago.
Kimimaro didn't try to persuade her. Forcing one's worldview onto someone else is never effective, as everyone's experiences are different.
Kimimaro's life experiences made him pursue longevity, while some people have no interest in it. That's just the difference between individuals.
Konan's despair wasn't something Kimimaro could resolve with a few words. After all, the ability to change minds with words is a power reserved for main characters, and Kimimaro clearly wasn't skilled in that regard. More importantly, he had no interest in playing the role of a savior.
Before they could continue their conversation, a paper crane landed in Konan's hand.
"I've found it. It's just ahead."
Konan quickened her pace, and Kimimaro followed. Not long after, a massive bull came into view.
"That's the one. It's even bigger than I expected."
Konan glanced at Kimimaro. "I'll leave it to you."
Sensing that Konan wanted to test his strength, Kimimaro raised an eyebrow and responded, "Understood, Senior Konan."
With a swift step, Kimimaro appeared on the bull's back, moving so quickly that the bull didn't even notice.
"Speed type, huh?" Konan thought, surprised by how fast he was.
Standing on the bull's back, Kimimaro quickly drew its attention.
"Moo!" The bull's angry bellow echoed through the forest.
"Quite a temper," Kimimaro muttered, then stomped down with immense force.
*Thud!* His foot landed with a crushing blow, as if carrying the weight of a thousand tons, forcing the massive bull to its knees.
"Moo!" The bull roared even more furiously.
(End of chapter)