Konan opened her eyes and groggily sat down. She felt Rei’s hand in hers, squeezing it gently and her cheeks reddened. She looked at Rei and saw his peacefully sleeping face. His older face. She didn’t know what gripped her but her heart fluttered at the sight and she wanted to be with him. She wanted to…

Rei opened his eyes only to see an older form of Konan looking at him with an expectant, gentle, and loving gaze. He also saw a flicker of love in her eyes but wrote it off as his wishful thinking. ​​

“Hello.” Konan quietly whispered.

“Good morning, Konan.” Rei yawned and rubbed his tired eyes.

It was then that both of them remembered what happened the… ah. How much did they sleep? Hour? Day? Week?

The duo looked at each other awkwardly until Rei shrugged.

“No need to worry about it anymore. It happened.”

Konan nodded and quickly pecked his lips, leaving him staring at her, completely flabbergasted.

“I love you, Rei.” She told him cheerfully.

Rei didn’t even manage to process what he just heard but his heart moved his lips for him.

“I love you too, Konan.”

They continued to smile at each other.

“Well, we should probably start training.” Rei rubbed the back of his head and redirected his stare to the ground, beet-red.

“Un.” Konan agreed as she also couldn’t help but look towards her fumbling hands with crimson cheeks.

The duo distracted themselves with running, sparing, and training their chakra natures for the day.

The evening quickly came and both Rei’s and Konan’s feelings were already calm. They knew what they felt for each other. They also knew they would eventually end with each other. It was inevitable. That was what their minds and hearts were telling them. But neither of them was ready for anything more than a peck on the lips. No matter how explorative they felt. They instead channeled the energy into the training and thankfully it helped.

With a calm mind, Rei remembered why he made the linking seal in the first place.

“It’s such a pity the seal didn’t help you feel the nature energy.”

“Oh?” Konan stopped nibbling on her jerky and gulped down what she had in her mouth. “But… I somehow sense the world differently now.”

“What?”

Rei looked at her bewildered and then a theory appeared in his mind. What if…

He started to conduct many tests and told Konan to do many things and tell him how she felt and found out a very staggering result.

Konan had a more diluted version of his Godly Nature Attunement Talent. She could sense nature chakra but then…

“Konan! Quickly look at your chakra control!” Rei giddily jumped up and down.

Konan nodded and a few seconds later… squealed.

“It’s almost perfect!” In the excitement, she smashed her lips to Rei’s, and the kids kissed for a few moments.

As they separated, Rei gently patted bashful Konan.

“Kissing is ok.” He told her in a whisper.

Konan raised her head hopefully, her eyes met his as she chewed on her lower lip.

“But nothing more than that.”

Konan nodded profusely in happiness and pecked Rei again.

“Now, will you tell me what exactly changed with your chakra control?”

“!” Konan’s face morphed to seriousness.

“I need a lesser amount of chakra for better effect. I can better circle it. I became better at manipulating it. And…”

“And?”

“And I have five times the chakra I had before but my control is even better than it was.”

Konan finished unsurely and Rei’s eyes widened as he instantly felt his own chakra.

He also had five times the amount of what he had before and his control stayed the same. It was still perfect. A lopsided grin appeared on his face.

“Well, Konan-chan. looks like we are on the level of low-chunin with chakra amount!” Rei exclaimed giddily and Konan instantly hugged his torso in happiness. Rei smiled at her and thought.

Guess that means a somewhat diluted version of his Supreme Chakra Control. Check.

After a few moments of relishing their fast growth by patting Konan’s head, Rei took a deep breath.

“Now, the last one.”

Rei took the storage scroll he first learned on and gave it to Konan.

Konan had slight problems with reading and Kanji but Rei did his best to teach her during the year they were together. She knew enough. As she saw the seal and read through the kanji on it, Konan blinked at Rei.

“I understand it.” She whispered to herself.

Konan tried to imitate Rei and learn how to do exploding tags. Even with Rei’s help, she has still been dubbed a Godly Clutz Talent when it came to seals by Rei. It had nothing with her penmanship or knowledge. She had a natural problem or predisposition to fuck-up infusing her intentions with her chakra. It was something that COULD NOT be taught by anyone to her. Konan already accepted she will never learn anything Fuinjutsu related unless she spends supreme effort, resources, and time. And even then she would need teachers, books… She just gave up and decided to focus on her futon.

But now…

Now she looked at the seal and knew… she knew what she did wrong previously. Her mind as if… clicked and she was able to…

Oh, God! She was able to, she knew how to do seals!

Konan shrieked in happiness and Rei found himself toppled to the ground as Konan rubbed her head on his chest.

“Huh, sealing talent. Check.” He mumbled as he tried to regain his breath. “Well, now you will be able to produce your own explosion tags.” He quipped and enjoyed the childish pout on Konan’s face. Rei pinched her cheek with a heartfelt laugh, making her pout more.

With a long ‘Muuuuuu’, Konan nibbled her lower lip in embarrassment.

“Wait… you now feel nature energy, right?” Rei asked for a confirmation.

Konan tilted her head in confusion.

“The energy that is not chakra in the air, plants, everywhere, really. Focus on it. Don’t take any of it into your body but make her senses perceive it.”

Konan nodded and did as Rei told her. She smiled wide when she could feel the world around herself. It was just so… beautiful. She never thought the dull, grey, and rainy world could be so gorgeous. Her hand squeezed Rei’s.

“It’s beautiful.” Konan hugged Rei.

“Yes. I guess it is.” He chuckled. “Now. Up to learn how to hide your chakra?”

Konan nodded enthusiastically. Rei started to explain the principles about coating yourself with nature energy, wearing it as clothes around your chakra and Konan was nodding from time to time.

Then her mind started focusing on the energy around her and she tried to manipulate it.

“Muuuu, I can not move it.” She complained.

“Haha, just keep trying.” Rei encouraged her while making sure to move more nature energy closer to Konan to make it easier for her.

His giddy mind had only one thought and it brought him joy from the future possibilities.

Guess that really meant she had a lesser Nature Talent Attunement Talent!