Yahiko and Hakumen faced each other, tension lingering in the air.
After all, the man before him was a top-tier powerhouse capable of defeating the Yellow Flash.
For a ninja, strength often equated to authority.
"Would Hakumen like a drink?"
Yahiko calmly lifted his cup, gesturing toward the other man.
Hakumen glanced at the cup in Yahiko's hand and replied flatly, "I can't drink yet."
Yahiko smiled. "That's a shame."
With that, he took a sip himself.
Hakumen got straight to the point. "Mr. Yahiko, where is Jiraiya?"
Feigning surprise, Yahiko asked, "Are you referring to Jiraiya-sensei?"
"Are you playing dumb, Mr. Yahiko?"
Yahiko chuckled. "Hakumen words are quite puzzling. I haven't seen Jiraiya-sensei in a long time. I'd also love to know where he is."
Hakumen pressed further. "Then who was sitting here just now?"
Yahiko continued his act. "No one was here just now, wasn't I drinking alone?"
Hakumen narrowed his glowing white eyes, locking onto Yahiko with an intense gaze.
Yahiko, however, remained composed, taking another sip of his drink.
"Mr. Yahiko, being alone in a foreign land is quite dangerous."
Yahiko smiled warmly. "Hakumen is right. Before setting out, I was worried about running into trouble. But now that I've met you, I feel much safer. After all, you're the man who defeated the Yellow Flash."
Hakumen suddenly let out a short laugh. "It seems Mr. Yahiko hasn't understood my meaning."
Yahiko's heart skipped a beat.
Could Hakumen really intend to make a move against him?
No matter what, he was still a leader of Amegakure…
Just as chaotic thoughts filled his mind, Hakumen suddenly stood up.
"It seems I was mistaken earlier. Since there's no trace of Jiraiya, I shall take my leave," Hakumen said.
Yahiko was taken aback—he had fully prepared himself for a prolonged exchange with Hakumen.
Yet, after a courteous bow, Hakumen simply turned and headed toward the entrance of the izakaya.
"Take care, Hakumen," Yahiko could only say.
Was he really going to let him go this easily?
As Hakumen's figure disappeared beyond the doorway, Yahiko remained seated, deep in thought.
He hadn't noticed being followed at all.
While he was aware that his strength was on par with that of a Jonin, against someone of Hakumen's caliber, he was clearly outmatched.
In hindsight, he should have brought Nagato along…
It was clear now—Konoha had set its sights on Jiraiya-sensei.
He needed to find a way to help his teacher completely escape their pursuit.
Yahiko sat there for a long time, contemplating.
Then, finishing the last sip of his drink, he finally rose to leave.
However, the very moment he stepped out of the izakaya, a sharp pain shot through the back of his neck, as if he had been struck by a heavy blow.
His vision spun wildly before everything went dark.
He had no idea how much time had passed when he slowly regained consciousness.
His head felt groggy, and pain radiated from the back of his neck.
"Yo, you're finally awake."
A sinister voice suddenly sounded beside him, snapping Yahiko to full alertness.
He quickly opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings.
He found himself inside a dimly lit room, his entire body bound to a platform by iron chains.
Sealing jutsu markings had also been placed on him.
Standing nearby were three unfamiliar figures, each with a fierce and menacing expression.
Around them were numerous torture devices.
Yahiko steadied himself and asked, "Where is this?"
One of the men, his face covered in thick scars, grinned wickedly and said, "This is hell!"
A sinking feeling crept into Yahiko's heart—he had a bad premonition about what was going to happen next.
.............
Amegakure.
It had been nearly a week since their leader left, yet there was no sign of his return.
This made Konan and Nagato increasingly anxious.
But they had no idea where Yahiko had gone.
Even if they wanted to search for him, there were no clues to follow.
Konan summoned the Amegakure ninja responsible for communications and asked about their method of contacting Jiraiya, only to discover that such communication was typically one-way.
"What do we do now?" Nagato asked Konan.
"He's probably fine. Yahiko is likely busy handling matters related to Jiraiya-sensei and is just unable to return for now," Konan replied.
She was trying to reassure Nagato, but also herself.
"Should we send people to look for him?"
But the ninja world was vast—where would they even begin the search?
Konan felt a headache.
"…Search the surrounding countries," she finally decided. "For now, we should keep this confidential."
However, despite their efforts to contain the news, word of Yahiko's disappearance had already spread throughout Amegakure.
Many ninja came forward, asking where their leader had gone.
Yahiko had a high reputation in Amegakure—most of its people were his devoted followers.
The news of his disappearance quickly stirred unrest, with many growing agitated.
Konan and Nagato had no choice but to step forward to calm the masses and maintain order.
Fortunately, Nagato's presence carried great authority in Amegakure, where he was revered as the savior of the ninja world.
They fabricated a lie, claiming that Yahiko was merely training in seclusion to master a new jutsu and was temporarily unavailable.
But such an excuse could only maintain peace for so long.
If Yahiko did not return soon, the truth would inevitably come to light.
Konan had considered seeking Konoha's help, but knowing that Yahiko had gone to meet Jiraiya, she quickly dismissed the idea.
Three more days passed.
No matter how much Nagato and Konan tried to suppress the information, rumors of Yahiko's disappearance had begun spreading beyond Amegakure and into the greater ninja world.
..............
Konoha, Hokage Office.
An Anbu operative suddenly delivered a small note to Makoto.
He reported that a ninja hawk had been circling above Konoha's main gate for a long time before finally landing.
The note was tied to its claw.
The message contained only a single sentence:
"You release him, and I will turn myself in."
Still daring to negotiate with me?
Makoto let out a disdainful chuckle, then casually tossed the note into the nearby trash bin before returning to his work.
The next day, Konoha dispatched an emissary team to Amegakure, delivering a message on behalf of the Hokage.
They declared Konoha's willingness to assist Amegakure in searching for Yahiko.
Notices were already being posted across the Land of Fire, seeking information about the missing Amegakure leader.
Surrounding smaller nations were also encouraged to do the same.
This outright confirmed the rumors that the leader of Amegakure had gone missing.
Konan and Nagato had never wanted things to escalate like this—this would only throw Amegakure into chaos.
Yet Konoha completely disregarded their wishes.
Konoha's actions made them increasingly suspicious.
Was this all part of a scheme orchestrated in secret?
At that moment, Jiraiya arrived in Amegakure without a sound, meeting with Konan and Nagato.
"Jiraiya-sensei! You're safe!"
The two were overjoyed to see him.
Jiraiya sighed. "I'm fine, but Yahiko has fallen into the Hokage's hands."
He then recounted what had happened when he met Yahiko—how Hyuga Hakumen had tracked them, and how Yahiko disappeared afterward.
There was no doubt that Yahiko had been captured.
At first, Jiraiya had believed Konoha would consider Yahiko's status and their village's close ties.
But he had been wrong.
"So it really was them!" Nagato slammed his hand against the table, his fury boiling over. "I'm going to Konoha right now and getting Yahiko back!"
Konan immediately blocked his path. "Don't be reckless! Nagato, do you want all our efforts over the years to be wasted?"
"Then what about Yahiko?!"
Jiraiya spoke up. "That's exactly why I came—to find a way to save him."
Both Konan and Nagato fell silent.
Jiraiya pondered for a moment before saying, "The Hokage is doing this to lure me out. The only way to get them to release Yahiko… is for me to turn myself in."
"What…?"
Konan and Nagato were both taken aback.
Jiraiya reassured them, "Don't panic. This is the only way."
Nagato's expression shifted between pale and livid as he said, "Let's expose Konoha for kidnapping Yahiko! They're the ones in the wrong—we'll let the world see their ugly true colors!"
Jiraiya shook his head. "We have no proof. Besides, doing that would be like declaring war on Konoha, putting Amegakure directly against them. That would be a disaster for your village."
"But we can't just let you walk to your death, Jiraiya-sensei!"
Jiraiya chuckled softly. "This all started because of me. Even though I'm a rogue ninja now, the Hokage might not kill me outright. And even if they try, I have a way to escape."
Breaking out of Konoha by force wasn't an option.
Even a single Tower of Solarity was enough to suppress him.
The only feasible method was space-time ninjutsu.
Mount Myoboku's Reverse Summoning Technique.
He had used it once before to escape.
Whether Konoha had prepared countermeasures against it, he didn't know.
But it was his only hope.
A slim hope.
Jiraiya had already mentally prepared himself for the worst.
But he didn't tell Konan or Nagato that.
--------------
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