At the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Upon hearing the news of Yato's departure, many had gathered at the village entrance.
It was clear how highly regarded Yato was among the high-ranking ninja clans.
At the forefront stood Hiruzen, while Danzo remained hidden, observing from the shadows.
The first to speak was Uchiha Kei, the head of the Uchiha Clan and the elder who had interacted most with Yato. Naturally, he had the right to speak first.
"Yato, although the Third Hokage has tasked you with bringing back Tsunade this time..."
"Make sure to prioritize your safety. Don't eat anything suspicious out there."
His words were filled with concern, for no matter how mischievous Yato was, he was still one of the Uchiha.
Hiruzen then added, "Yato, don't feel pressured by Elder Danzo's demands regarding Tsunade."
"There's no rush time-wise. Although it concerns the honor of the Hidden Leaf, you have three months to find her. If necessary, we can explain things to the Sand Village later."Sarutobi Hiruzen's personal thoughts were simple—keeping Uchiha Yato outside the village for a slightly longer period would be beneficial, especially since that guy had been causing quite a bit of trouble within the village.
For the Hokage's higher-ups, there was no advantage in having him around.
If they could use this opportunity to keep Uchiha Yato trapped outside for a year or two, it would be an exceptionally good thing for the Hokage's leadership.
Shimura Danzo naturally agreed with Sarutobi Hiruzen's words wholeheartedly. After all, the longer Uchiha Yato stayed outside, the more opportunities he would have to strike.
Subsequently, many others came forward to express their reluctant farewells and blessings. Even Uchiha Obito and Aburame Ryoma—both of whom had been tormented by Uchiha Yato countless times—came to see him off.
Upon hearing that this harbinger of misfortune was finally leaving, even the Sand Ninja showed up to bid him farewell.
Seeing such a grand send-off, Uchiha Yato was momentarily moved to tears and said,
"Your words make it truly unbearable for me to part with all of you."
Then, abruptly shifting his tone, he turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen and added, "If it's really too much, maybe we should send someone else instead."
"Hokage-sama, I can't bear to leave everyone either. Maybe I should just stay."
The moment these words left his mouth, the expressions of those present—especially Sarutobi Hiruzen and those who had been "lovingly cared for" by Uchiha Yato—instantly changed.
Just as Uchiha Yato was about to continue, he noticed that the crowd had vanished without a trace in an instant.
Only Uchiha Kei, who was too slow to flee, and the rest of the Uchiha Clan remained.
Without saying much more, Uchiha Yato simply gave the clan leader a few final instructions.
The Sand Ninja didn't need to be provoked—if necessary, avoiding them altogether was also an option.
The Hokage's inner circle, especially Shimura Danzo, might try to make things difficult for the Uchiha Clan.
As for other minor details, there was no need to worry too much, since Uchiha Kei possessed the summoning scroll that could call Uchiha Yato back at any time.
After settling these matters, Uchiha Yato set off from the Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire.
According to the intelligence provided by Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade was currently within the borders of the Land of Rain.
Uchiha Yato immediately headed in that direction.
As he passed through the border of the Land of Rain, he spotted three peculiar individuals.
Why describe them as "peculiar"?
Because these three were clad in green frog-like bodysuits, their small and slender frames suggesting they were just children.
Considering the current timeline, their behavior, and the location, Uchiha Yato quickly deduced their identities.
These three were undoubtedly the future leaders of the Akatsuki—Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato.
Their presence piqued Uchiha Yato's interest. If they were here, it meant Jiraiya was likely nearby as well.
Without hesitation, Uchiha Yato called out, "Hey, you three kids—stop right there!"
"This is a robbery!"
Hearing his words, the three children immediately panicked.
Yahiko was the first to regain his composure. Calming himself, he turned to Konan and Nagato and said,
"Don't panic, don't panic!"
He repeated it twice—not just for Konan's sake, but also for Nagato, who was currently paralyzed by fear.
"He's alone. Sensei taught us that as long as the three of us work together, we don't need to be afraid of him."
Hearing Yahiko's words, Konan quickly snapped out of her daze.
In a world ravaged by war, naive children didn't survive long.
If not for Nagato's unique circumstances—being chosen as a pawn by Uchiha Madara—his temperament would have gotten him killed long ago.
Konan immediately activated her signature Ninjutsu to obstruct Uchiha Yato's vision.
Yahiko followed up with a Water Release technique, while Nagato, now composed, also unleashed his own Water Release jutsu.All his current actions were following Yahiko's lead, and it was precisely this trait that made him chosen as a pawn by Uchiha Madara.
Seeing the group's cooperation, Uchiha Yato suddenly felt a surge of playful mischief.
Then, they heard him chant, "Fire Release: Medium-Rare Technique."
This Ninjutsu was a flame Uchiha Yato used for grilling meat.
The fire wasn't intense, but it could sear a steak to medium-rare perfection—hence the name.
However, due to Yato's monstrous Chakra reserves, his output was immense.
Though Nagato also possessed vast Chakra, it paled in comparison to Yato's current level.
Konan, caught in the flames, was instantly overwhelmed, the battle quickly turning one-sided.
Yahiko, a seasoned shinobi, reacted with top-tier reflexes.
Realizing Water Release techniques were ineffective, he seamlessly switched to Earth Release without hesitation, his movements fluid and precise.
Meanwhile, the coordination between Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko was nothing short of breathtaking.
They moved as if sharing one mind, every action and attack flawlessly synchronized, pushing teamwork to its limits.
Yet, against the overwhelmingly powerful and enigmatic Uchiha Yato, they dared not relax for even a second, fighting desperately with everything they had.
Still, the gap in strength proved insurmountable.
Finally, after Yato deliberately held back, the trio barely held out for a grueling three minutes.
But by then, they were exhausted, pushed to the brink of collapse.
At the critical moment, Yato formed hand seals, murmuring an incantation before unleashing a roaring inferno that surged toward them like an enraged dragon.
The scorching flames dyed half the sky crimson, the blistering heat suffocating.
Facing certain death, the three closed their eyes in despair, lowering their weapons and surrendering to their fate.
Then—a sudden shout.
"Ninja Art: Lion's Mane Barrage!"
A storm of white needle-like hair shot toward Yato, forcibly interrupting his Fire Release.
The newcomer revealed himself, declaring,
"How bold! Who dares bully the disciples of the Toad Sage, Jiraiya?"
Seeing him, Yahiko and the others reignited with hope.
Yato, meanwhile, dropped his playful demeanor and greeted, "Long time no see, Jiraiya."
"Weren't you chasing after Tsunade? Since when did you start raising kids?"
Hearing the absurd remark and irreverent greeting, Jiraiya immediately recognized him and snapped,
"You damn bastard—Uchiha Yato, it's you again!"
Yato teased, "Are these your secret love children outside the Hidden Leaf? No wonder you gave up on Tsunade."
"You've hidden them well—they're already this big."
Each word from Yato only stoked Jiraiya's fury, but he refused to be dragged into his rhythm again.
"Enough. Quit messing with me.""These three are children who became orphans during our previous battle in the Rain Hidden Village."
"I took them in as my disciples and have been teaching them here. By the way, why did you leave the village?"
Uchiha Yato dropped his earlier joking demeanor and spoke seriously to Jiraiya.
"Tsunade ran away from her wedding!"