Yahiko and the other two left yet another settlement.
Compared to the first one, however, this time the leader chosen by the people actually approved of their actions.
He even provided them with a horse-drawn cart, stocked with food for their journey.
Someone who genuinely wanted to help save the Land of Rain.
Unfortunately—
People like that were far too rare.
Yahiko lay on the cart, a bright smile on his face.
"As long as we keep this up, we'll be able to save a lot of people."
Nagato, who was driving the cart, spoke quietly,
"Yahiko… did you forget our mission?"
"That idiot definitely forgot," Konan said, rolling her eyes.
"AHHHH—!!"
Yahiko suddenly jolted upright.
"I completely forgot!!!"
As expected.
Nagato and Konan both gave him deadpan looks.
They had come out to train—
Not to rescue people full-time.
If Yahiko kept going like this, when would they ever complete their mission?
By the time they saved every city in the Land of Rain—
It might take years.
Silently, they prayed their teacher would go easy on them.
"What do we do? What do we do?!"
Yahiko started panicking.
They had already been out for months.
Yet they hadn't even encountered a single Rain ninja.
No missions.
No real battles.
They had left exactly as they were—
And remained exactly the same.
Well…
Their chakra had grown a bit.
But that definitely wasn't enough to pass.
"Great and all-powerful Nagato! Think of something!!"
Yahiko turned pleading eyes toward him.
Nagato spread his hands helplessly.
What could he do?
The Rinnegan couldn't turn into a time machine.
Even if they went back in time—
With Yahiko like this, nothing would change.
At that moment—
All three suddenly turned toward the forest.
Four figures stepped out, blocking their path.
A man with a fox-like smile narrowed his eyes and said,
"You're the Akatsuki, right?"
The three exchanged glances—
Then said in unison:
"Rain ninja?!"
The fox-smiled man tilted his head.
"Since you know who we are, come with us."
"Don't resist."
The three of them leapt down from the cart, their expressions turning serious.
Yahiko spoke in a low voice:
"Where are you taking us?"
The man tapped his chin lazily.
"To Amegakure, of course."
"You've got decent talent. Enough to become part of the Rain Village."
"Sorry," Yahiko said firmly.
"We're not interested."
"The Akatsuki doesn't join other organizations."
The man's smile sharpened slightly.
"That's not something you get to refuse."
Unexpectedly—
Yahiko let out a sigh of relief.
"In that case… we don't need to hold back."
The man frowned slightly.
Something felt off about these kids.
He snapped his fingers lightly—
A swarm of bees appeared around him.
Then he waved at the three chūnin beside him.
"Capture them."
Three kids.
Honestly, a genin squad would've been enough.
Sending three chūnin was already overkill—
And yet a jōnin like him had been assigned.
There was no way they could escape.
Just as the bees and the three chūnin charged forward—
The shadow beneath the man suddenly surged upward.
It transformed into a massive mouth—
And swallowed him, along with the swarm of bees.
Gone.
Only the three chūnin remained—
Frozen in confusion.
Before they could react—
Yahiko and the others had already rushed forward.
"One each!"
That shadow—
They knew it all too well.
But the person who wielded it—
Was someone they absolutely did not want to meet right now.
…
The man dropped into a crouch instantly, bracing for an ambush.
But no attack came.
Through his bees, he observed his surroundings.
A black-and-white world.
White was empty void.
Black formed shapes—trees, terrain—
Like a world made entirely of shadows.
"Yo."
Hyuga Arin waved at him casually.
"Long time no see, Jōnin Murakami Hana."
Murakami Hana frowned.
"A Hyuga?"
"Have we met?"
He had no memory of interacting with any Hyuga—
Yet this person knew his name.
"Well, in this form, it's understandable you wouldn't recognize me," Arin said casually.
He wiped his face—
Revealing another appearance.
"Then this face… should be familiar, right?"
Murakami's expression changed instantly.
"Muyu!!"
That face—
How could he forget?
The Konoha spy who assassinated the previous leader—
Uchiha Arin.
Wait—
"No…!"
"You're Hyuga Arin!!"
Realization hit him.
They had all been played.
There was no Uchiha.
This man—
Was a Hyuga all along.
A Hyuga who used Fire Release.
Something unheard of before—
But now infamous.
"Flame Demon… Hyuga Arin!!"
The moment he confirmed Arin's identity—
He turned and ran without hesitation.
Someone who had made a name for himself on the Kumogakure battlefield—
There was no way Murakami could fight him.
As he fled, he bit his finger and slammed it onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!!"
Countless bees flooded the black-and-white world.
His goal—
Delay.
Arin shook his head with mild disappointment.
"Demonic Illusion: Pain Technique."
Instantly—
Every bee convulsed in unbearable agony.
They dropped from the air—
Like a rain of yellow.
Covering the ground.
Murakami sprinted toward the white void—
But no matter how far he ran—
He remained in the same place.
He looked back—
The distance between him and Arin hadn't changed at all.
Not even slightly.
Arin sighed.
"This world is a shadow domain sustained by my chakra."
"The direction you're running toward…"
"Doesn't exist."
"No matter how far you run—"
"You won't escape."
Murakami's face darkened.
Seeing his bees scattered uselessly across the ground, his signature smile vanished.
"What do you want?!" he demanded coldly.
"First? I'm watching a show."
Arin gestured to the side.
A screen displayed the battle outside.
"We haven't seen each other in a while."
"Why not have a chat?"
Who the hell wants to chat with you?!
Murakami's expression hardened.
His eyes shifted toward the screen.
That might be—
The only exit.
As if reading his thoughts, Arin smiled.
"You're right."
"That is the only way out."
"…But."
Black-blue flames ignited in his hand.
"If you try to leave—"
"I'll kill you."
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