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Evening had fallen.
Pain remained standing atop the high tower, continuously sensing the chakra transmitted through the falling rain.
Aside from the shinobi out on patrol, there was virtually no one else moving about.
Yet Pain did not let his guard down.
Those intent on causing trouble always preferred to move under the cover of secrecy, and nighttime was precisely the most suitable moment for such activities.
Thus, from this point onward, they had already entered a tedious yet perilous stretch of hours.
Earlier in the day, that masked man calling himself Madara had proposed an idea—to locate the remains of Igawa Takeshi and see if any trace of the Six-Tails' chakra could be extracted from them.
Regarding that suggestion, Pain held no expectations whatsoever.
However, because the Seven-Tails and the Nine-Tails had not yet been absorbed by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he could not recklessly leave the Hidden Rain Village for the Hidden Mist Village in an attempt to force Midorima out of hiding.
The Hidden Mist Village was by no means close to the Hidden Rain. The journey would consume a considerable amount of time, and during that interval, there was a genuine risk of someone launching a surprise attack against their base.
At that point, not only might the Six-Tails remain out of reach, but the Seven-Tails and the Nine-Tails could also potentially be rescued.
Until the matter of the Seven-Tails and Nine-Tails was resolved, he found it very difficult to depart for the Hidden Mist with any peace of mind to flush Midorima out.
He and Konan had deliberated for a long time. Their primary concern was that when opening the Amber Purifying Pot, the Eight-Tails' chakra might seize the opportunity to escape.
If that were to happen, they would likely have to make another trip to the Hidden Cloud Village.
That would be exceedingly disadvantageous.
The two of them had discussed the matter at length, weighing the pros and cons meticulously. In the end, they had decided to seal the Seven-Tails and the Nine-Tails into the Amber Purifying Pot first.
Konan should have already begun the process by now.
Pain reflected silently.
...
Deep within the underground dungeon, Konan stood with an expression that grew increasingly dark and severe.
Four torches were more than enough to illuminate the cell with glaring brightness. The straw that had previously lined the floor had been cleared out of the prison chamber.
In the corner of the cell, there was a hole, barely wide enough for a single person to squeeze through.
"Where are the prisoners?" Konan turned around and addressed the shinobi standing behind her.
"I... I don't..." The shinobi's forehead was drenched in sweat, utterly incapable of offering any coherent explanation.
Just at that moment, another shinobi squeezed his way into the cell, his head bowed low, not daring to meet Konan's piercing gaze.
"Now what is it?" Konan demanded.
"Cough... It's... the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki is also missing."
"I am aware of that." Konan's gaze shifted and settled upon the wall.
Over a dozen bricks had been removed, leaving a gap just large enough for a small child to crawl through.
"Go and report this matter to Lord Pain immediately. I will pursue them," Konan commanded.
"But Lady Konan, how will you track them..."
Seeing that Konan had not yet directed her wrath at them, the guards responsible for watching the prisoners felt an immense wave of relief wash over them. One of them cautiously lifted his head to speak, only to witness countless sheets of paper peeling away from Konan's body. The papers streamed downward, passing through the very same hole in the ground and vanishing into the sewer passage below.
When the other shinobi witnessed every last scrap of paper disappear into the sewer, they immediately spun on their heels and fled the dungeon cell without so much as a backward glance.
...
"Pant... Big sister, are you really okay?" Naruto lay draped over Fu's back, whispering anxiously.
"Don't talk! We're escaping for our lives right now," Fu snapped in a harsh, urgent tone.
A chance discovery had taught her that water possessed the ability to nullify the damage inflicted by the Fire Release: Heavenly Prison curse seal.
To call it a chance discovery was, in truth, somewhat inaccurate. It had actually been an inevitability.
Because during the periods when Mui was absent from the Hidden Rain Village, those shinobi would submerge her into the deep lake.
The moment she was pulled out of that lake, Fu's body would immediately catch fire.
In order to preserve her life, she had been forced to remain in constant contact with water whenever Mui was away.
This had taught her a critical lesson: before completely undoing the cursed jutsu, water was the key to her survival.
The sewers, naturally, did not lack for water. However, that water was utterly filthy.
Murky and foul-smelling.
But if Fu wanted to survive, she had no other choice.
Fortunately, the Hidden Rain Village received an abundance of rainfall, and much of that rainwater was channeled directly into the sewer system. And the final destination of those sewer pipes was singular—the massive deep lake situated within the Hidden Rain Village.
Driven by the desperate will to live, Fu risked her very life by utilizing her chakra. She propelled herself swiftly through the water, dragging Naruto along with her.
She did not know precisely where the flowing water would ultimately lead. She only knew that the water's eventual destination had to be that deep lake. Without any further deliberation, she followed the current with all her might, pushing herself to the limit.
As for why she absolutely had to reach the deep lake, it was simply because it was the only location she was familiar with.
Everything else would have to be figured out once they arrived at the lake.
The moment the two of them followed the sewer channel and plunged into the expansive depths of the deep lake, the suffocating tension in Fu's nerves instantly eased considerably.
She burst through the surface of the lake and drew in a deep, ragged breath.
Raindrops pelted her face. The sensation of fresh air and the intoxicating scent of freedom washed over her.
She glanced at Naruto, who was beside her. The boy had just finished spitting out several mouthfuls of the foul sewage, his face twisted into an expression of utter disgust. But when he noticed Fu looking at him, a grin immediately spread across his face.
It was a smile of pure, unadulterated joy.
And that very same feeling echoed within her own heart.
"Thank you," Fu said with a smile.
"I didn't do anything. You're the one who carried me out," Naruto replied, his eyes crinkling as his smile widened brilliantly.
The oppressive gloom that had been weighing on his heart for so long dissipated significantly in that moment.
"But we can't relax just yet. Escaping from here entirely won't be that simple," Fu said, her thoughts turning to the challenges that still lay ahead. A shadow of worry crossed her face.
She was not certain what her next move should be once she left the confines of the deep lake.
The moment she was separated from water, the Heavenly Prison curse would begin to inflict its damage upon her, burning her until she was consumed by flames.
She did not know whether the falling rain itself would be sufficient to counteract the damage caused by this cursed technique.
Fu lifted her head, gazing up into the night sky.
At some unknown point, the rain had actually stopped falling.
But just moments ago, it had still been raining...
A shock of alarm shot through Fu's heart, her expression shifting drastically.
The rain had ceased, which meant it would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for her to leave this lake.
To take it a step further—
She could not escape from the Hidden Rain Village.
"Naruto..." Fu murmured.
"Yeah?"
"I probably won't be able to get out of here." Fu gritted her teeth, her fists clenching tightly. "You... you need to run. Now."
"Why?" Naruto asked, bewildered.
"Don't ask questions!"
Fu was about to urge Naruto to flee immediately when, at that very instant, countless sheets of white paper came flying in from every direction, gathering and swirling directly above their heads.
Naruto and Fu both raised their heads to look up at the sky, watching as the myriad sheets of paper converged together. From within the swirling mass, a woman bearing the visage of an angel materialized into their view.
"Though I have no idea how you two managed this, I can tell you with absolute certainty—neither of you is leaving here," Konan declared. She pointed her finger at the pair, and dozens of razor-sharp paper shuriken hurtled towards them in a ferocious assault.
Fu immediately shoved Naruto away with all her strength, roaring at him, "Get out of here! Now!"
Naruto tried to turn back, but a massive surge of water forcibly pushed him further away, the distance between him and Fu growing by the second.
"I told you, both of you are staying right here," Konan stated coldly.
"And I told you, he is leaving!" Fu shouted back defiantly.
"With just your strength?!" Konan sneered.
"Yes. I will make sure he goes." Fu let out a thunderous cry. Chakra began to pour out of her body in an unending torrent. Her form gradually blurred and distorted, transforming into a massive, crimson-hued monstrous creature.
"Listen to me, Naruto. These people want to capture the tailed beasts to seize the energy they desire. And we, as jinchuriki, have the solemn duty to protect that power from falling into the hands of evil. Therefore, no matter what happens, you must escape. You cannot let them catch you. For this cause, I am prepared to die!"
Fu opened her mouth wide, and a dense, pitch-black sphere began to coalesce and concentrate within her jaws.
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"
The black sphere was launched at a blinding speed. Konan was forced to instantly disperse, her body scattering into countless individual sheets of paper.
A portion of those paper sheets were caught in the blast of the Tailed Beast Bomb and reduced to ash. But the vast majority of the papers swiftly reassembled, reforming Konan's figure once more.
Fu turned her gaze back towards Naruto. "Do you see now? You are utterly useless in this fight. So, go. Hurry!"