CHAPTER 46

Akatsuki Base

At first, the other party showed no hostility. Bai Ye simply wanted to see if he could earn some goodwill, then ask for directions on how to return home.

In the end, perhaps his favorability had risen too high—Konan took Bai Ye's hand and said she would bring them back to the base, insisting it was too late to travel and that she would personally escort them back to the Land of Fire the following day.

This wasn't because Bai Ye was a child whom Konan deemed incapable of lying; rather, his story was easy to believe, and he spoke with sincerity. More importantly, she believed that no one could have known about their connection to Jiraiya unless it was genuine—this being the first time they'd met, it seemed implausible for anyone to fabricate such a specific story.

Moreover, Konan herself was a gentle and considerate person. That temperament allowed Bai Ye to blend into their group without arousing suspicion.

Yuyan and Yue, watching from the side, were stunned. Bai Ye, who normally cared about nothing but training, had actually managed to worm his way into Konan's good graces with little more than smooth talk.

Seizing the opportunity, Yuyan shamelessly latched onto Konan as well, raising her favorability alongside Bai Ye's.

Yue, on the other hand, was too embarrassed to do such a thing. Yet, she couldn't help but admire both of them—for telling outright lies without so much as a twitch of guilt.

"That's settled then. I'll bring them to the base tonight and personally send them back to the Land of Fire tomorrow."

Konan held Bai Ye's hand in her left and Yuyan's in her right, while Yue timidly followed behind. She explained the situation to Nagato and Yahiko as though their approval were a mere formality.

"I'm Jiraiya's disciple—technically your senior."

Yahiko, always eager to help others, especially anyone related to Jiraiya, approached and kindly took Yue's hand.

Yuyan and Yue were stunned to hear Yahiko mention Jiraiya, but they kept their surprise in check, maintaining composed expressions. At the same time, they finally understood why Bai Ye had earlier claimed to be Jiraiya's disciple. What remained a mystery was how he had known about the connection between Jiraiya and these three.

The longer they spent with Bai Ye, the more questions they had. He seemed increasingly mysterious—not only possessing a strange, unknown physique, but also harboring knowledge beyond his years. His behavior didn't match that of a typical child.

Along the way, Yuyan and Yue remained quiet. It was Bai Ye who chatted actively with Nagato and Yahiko, sharing various stories about Jiraiya. This helped ease the atmosphere and made both parties more comfortable with each other.

Before long, they arrived at the Akatsuki's secret base. Had Bai Ye and the others continued along their original route, they likely would have stumbled upon it eventually.

Only now did Bai Ye understand: no wonder they had been ignored at first, only to be intercepted near the entrance. They had clearly been seen as intruders.

The base itself was well hidden within a mountain, with a nearly invisible entrance. Even if someone had told Bai Ye that the Akatsuki's base was located there, finding the entrance would still have been a challenge—unless Nagato and the others had revealed it on purpose.

"Welcome back, Leader!"

"Boss, you're back already?"

Two Akatsuki members stood guard at the gate. Despite wearing the organization's signature cloaks, their tone toward Yahiko and the others was friendly and informal. It didn't feel like a strict superior-subordinate dynamic.

"Thanks for holding down the fort. We just went to pick up some guests," Yahiko replied with a smile, then introduced Bai Ye and his companions.

As they walked deeper into the base, Bai Ye noticed that every member they passed greeted them warmly. He couldn't help but marvel—this Akatsuki, under Yahiko's leadership, was nothing like the later version he knew.

Back then, under Nagato's rule and after his descent into darkness, Akatsuki had become a nest of killers and fanatics. But now, they felt more like an idealistic organization with camaraderie and shared purpose.

Of course, in terms of raw strength, the later Akatsuki far surpassed the current one. Though its members had no claim to moral high ground, their power was undeniable.

Later, Konan took Yuyan and Yue to bathe, noting how dirty they all were from travel.

Bai Ye had initially been invited as well, but Yuyan and Yue had blushed furiously and clearly opposed the idea. Left with no choice, Bai Ye went off with Nagato and Yahiko instead.

He regretted it deeply. He wasn't particularly interested in Yuyan or Yue—still just bean sprouts in his eyes—but he had always admired Konan, especially back when he watched the anime.

"Hmph. Still sighing? Were you planning to sneak into the bathhouse with me and Yue?"

Yuyan gave Bai Ye a death glare. He had almost succeeded in his plan.

After they'd all bathed, the three were assigned to Konan's room. Though Bai Ye had finally broken into the "girls' inner circle," there were no perks—only tension.

Despite the base being a cave, Konan's room was exquisitely maintained. The floor was reinforced with wooden planks, topped with clean tatami mats. Decorations filled the space—mostly paper origami, likely made by Konan herself.

The only downside was the lack of windows. Even during the day, the room felt dim.

"How do they even have clothes in our size?" Bai Ye asked, noticing Yuyan's glare and trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. He tugged lightly at the bathrobe he'd been given.

"Yeah, I was wondering that too. Doesn't seem like they usually keep kids around."

The naive Yuyan took the bait, completely forgetting her anger and happily chatting with Bai Ye instead.

As for Yue, she had gone silent the moment they entered the room. Upon learning she would be sharing a sleeping space with Bai Ye, her face turned scarlet. She now sat off to the side, lips sealed, looking like she might explode from embarrassment.

The longer they stayed, the redder her face became—until she looked as if water might drip from her skin. It was anyone's guess what she was thinking so intently about.

Konan had left them alone, saying she would prepare supper.

Yahiko and Nagato had gone back to handle organizational matters. Had they not sensed Bai Ye and his companions getting close earlier, they wouldn't have interrupted their work to come check. Normally, they were far too busy.

Meanwhile, while Bai Ye and the others were enjoying their warm reception, Hizashi was still dragging his injured body across the borderlands.

Unable to find any sign of them within the Land of Fire, he expanded his search to the borders of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain.

Eventually, he encountered the Night Clan. From them, he learned that Bai Ye and the others had been headed toward the Land of Grass. He quickly passed this information on to Minato and arranged to meet there.

Unfortunately, both Hizashi and Minato had been searching in the wrong direction. By the time Bai Ye and the others returned to Konoha, the two would likely still be scouring the area.

As a precaution, Kakashi and the others were sent back to Qianyu Town to ensure that, should Bai Ye and his team find a way home, they would not go unnoticed.

After all, the day's events had been strange. No one could determine how the enemy had obtained such precise intelligence.