"Shall we visit Konoha?"
After the subordinates finished scouting the area and gathered all the remaining intelligence, Jiraiya asked Yahiko.
Even as he extended the invitation, Jiraiya felt conflicted. After all, Konoha was currently embroiled in a chaotic war, and the village's atmosphere was far from peaceful or stable.
Jiraiya was especially reluctant to let Yahiko interact with Konoha's leadership at this point, including his own old teacher.
This earth-shattering battle had undoubtedly stirred Konoha's leadership, who were already sensitive due to the ongoing war.
Jiraiya couldn't guarantee that Yahiko's presence would remain completely concealed.
If discovered, Konoha's top brass would likely send people to the Land of Rain to inquire about him and demand more information.
Jiraiya wasn't even sure how long the Rinnegan could be kept a secret.
Given that such a significant battle occurred within the Land of Fire, and under his jurisdiction no less, Jiraiya knew he would be summoned back to the village for questioning.
Since it was unavoidable, Jiraiya decided to bring Yahiko back to Konoha and openly reveal him as his disciple, hoping to prevent any unnecessary trouble.
Of course, Jiraiya had a plan, but he still wanted to respect Yahiko's decision.
If Yahiko was willing to co to Konoha and et the Third Hokage, Jiraiya would wholeheartedly support him. On the other hand, if Yahiko refused, Jiraiya wouldn't be upset.
Aside from a few rare exceptions, Jiraiya was a tolerant person who wouldn't pressure anyone into making difficult choices.
"Maybe in the future. I need to confirm Nagato and Shisui's safety first," Yahiko replied after thinking it over. Although he was tempted to visit Konoha, the thought of Nagato made him shake his head.
In Yahiko's mind, Konoha held an idealized image. Based on his teacher Jiraiya's descriptions, Konoha was a land of prosperity and stability, aside from tis of war.
If possible, Yahiko would love to visit Konoha with Nagato and Konan to experience the village and understand its systems.
But with Nagato missing, Yahiko didn't have the heart to go. What puzzled him most was why White Zetsu, Shisui, and Nagato had all disappeared, leaving only him behind on the battlefield.
"Don't worry. Nagato will be fine! He might even be the child of prophecy destined to change the fate of the ninja world," Jiraiya said, patting Yahiko's shoulder to reassure him.
When they parted ways, Jiraiya ford a contract between a communication toad and Yahiko, telling him that once there was news about Nagato, he could use the toad to relay the ssage.
...
The narrow gap between life and death.
"Yahiko must be very worried about us, right?"
Inside a crude shelter embedded within a stone wall, Nagato hugged his knees tightly, his voice tinged with concern.
He and Shisui had disappeared, leaving Yahiko, who hadn't heard any news from them, likely anxious to the point of despair.
"I'm sorry," Shisui's apologetic voice reached Nagato's ears. "If it weren't for , you all would have safely returned to the Land of Rain by now."
"Don't say that! Whether it's Yahiko, Konan, or , we would all co to help you and Kagetsu if you needed it. We're friends, aren't we?
Besides, Kagetsu saved us before! If it weren't for her, not just Yahiko, but even Konan and I would have had a hard ti surviving in the Land of Rain.
And more importantly, we're not at the point of despair yet, right?"
Nagato raised his head, eting Shisui's apologetic gaze as he spoke firmly.
"To be honest, I'm not sure if Kagetsu can find us in ti! The flow of ti here is chaotic compared to the shinobi world.
Ti here is unpredictable. What feels like a long ti here might only be the span of a cup of tea in the shinobi world."
Shisui admitted honestly.
This shelter offered so concealnt, giving them a bit more ti to survive, but without any surprises, that extra ti wouldn't change the ultimate outco they'd face here.
And that outco was confronting the Cleaners!
Then being devoured, purified, and branded before being sent to the depths of Hueco Mundo's hell.
Shisui had never been to Hueco Mundo, but according to Kagetsu, it was the domain of the dead!
Unlike the peaceful Pure Land, the souls there were restless. While most had lost their mories, they still pursued so desire from deep within.
"So, this is the worst-case scenario, isn't it?"
Though Nagato seed a bit naive, he wasn't dull. Shisui's words left little room for misunderstanding, and Nagato imdiately grasped the unspoken implications.
The flow of ti here differed from the outside, sotis speeding up, sotis slowing down.
They had been here for a long ti. Although there was no rising and setting of the sun and moon to mark the passage of ti, which could cause so confusion about the concept of ti, Nagato had calculated in his mind. They should have been here for at least three days.
If ti flowed faster here compared to the ninja world, then, barring any unexpected events, Yahiko should have already found Kagetsu by now, and Kagetsu should have co to search for them.
However, based on their current situation, it seed more likely that ti here flowed more slowly. Without a fra of reference, Nagato and Shisui had no way of determining how much ti had passed in the outside world.
If the ti disparity was too great, by the ti Kagetsu received the intelligence and ca to find them, they might already be dead here and sent to the realm of the dead—the Hueco Mundo or Hell.
Both of them were in bad condition. After the exhaustion from their earlier battle, Nagato was faring slightly better due to his chakra reserves, which were comparable to a Tailed Beast.
But Shisui, having used both his Mangekyō Sharingan and the Hōgyoku mode consecutively, was utterly drained. After entering this "sanctuary," his body felt completely empty.
If they stayed here any longer without food, Nagato might end up watching Shisui starve to death in front of him.
This strange space, filled with a mix of hope and despair, was the most agonizing and frustrating part of their ordeal.
Amid this torturous waiting, a faint disturbance suddenly ca from the pitch-black surroundings outside.
Shisui, whose consciousness was already hazy, didn't notice it, but Nagato, who was still sowhat alert, sharply sensed it.
Although he couldn't see in the darkness, Nagato's perception automatically sketched out an image of what the sound represented in his mind.
A light-bodied beast?
Were there beasts here?
Could it be so wandering spirit that had just entered and hadn't yet been devoured by the Cleaners, lingering here?
****
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