CHAPTER 47

Return

"Bai Ye, Konan has been so kind to us… but we've been lying to her the entire time. I can't help feeling guilty."

At this point, Bai Ye and the others had been escorted near Qianyu Town by Konan. Though Yue was relieved to have returned safely, the weight of their deception since meeting her yesterday still lingered.

Konan had stayed by their side the entire night, clearly worried they wouldn't adapt well to Amegakure's shadowy, rain-drenched atmosphere.

Bai Ye had tried to politely decline her offer to escort them personally that morning—after all, if they happened to encounter Sand shinobi, their lies could unravel in an instant.

Yet no matter how he protested, Konan insisted on seeing them off herself.

On the way, Bai Ye scrambled for a new excuse to justify their presence in the Rain Country. But strangely, they encountered no Sand shinobi along the route. That inconsistency left glaring holes in his story.

Even so, Konan didn't question him. She simply ensured their safe return, then left alone.

The clothes Bai Ye and Yue now wore—black cloaks marked with the signature red cloud—had been sewn by Konan while they slept.

"I didn't intend to deceive her," Bai Ye admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just wanted to ask for directions. Who would've thought she'd be that hospitable?"

It was the first time he had lied since arriving in the Naruto world, and the fact that his lie had been directed at someone so genuinely kind made him uncomfortable, even by his own standards.

"I feel like… if we just told her the truth, Sister Konan might have helped us," Yue muttered. "Isn't Akatsuki supposed to be about helping others and bringing peace?"

Her conscience was clearly weighing her down.

"Alright, don't dwell on it too much," Yuyan said, reaching out to pinch Yue's cheek playfully. "If you really feel bad, just find a way to become Jiraiya's student to make up for it."

"Yes—wait… huh? Me? Become Jiraiya's disciple?" Yue perked up, then quickly shook her head. "That's impossible."

She knew the idea was absurd. Jiraiya had only ever taken a handful of students in his life—and all under extraordinary circumstances linked to the Great Toad Sage's prophecies.

The first trio, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, had been war orphans. Among them, Jiraiya had believed Nagato might be the Child of Prophecy.

Later, he took on Minato Namikaze, deeply impressed by his prodigious talent. Before Minato died during the Nine-Tails' attack, Jiraiya even considered him the prophesied child.

And finally, Jiraiya had trained Naruto, putting his faith in Minato's son and the legacy left to him.

All of Jiraiya's students had immense potential. Yahiko died young, but the others became legends. Yue simply didn't believe she had the same fate.

---

"Hey!"

From the gates of Qianyu Town, Obito waved enthusiastically, running toward them with Kakashi and Rin following close behind.

"Bai Ye! You're okay! Minato-sensei and Hizashi-san are still combing the area near the Land of Grass for you."

Obito had only known them for a short time and argued constantly with Bai Ye—but that didn't stop him from genuinely worrying about their safety.

Upon hearing that Hizashi was also searching for them, Bai Ye and the others finally relaxed. Clearly, things hadn't gone completely off-track.

"I'll have Parker inform Minato-sensei," Kakashi said, forming a hand seal before pressing his palm to the ground.

With a burst of white smoke, a small pug appeared.

"Yo, Kakashi. What's the mission this time?"

Bai Ye was surprised—he hadn't expected Kakashi to be able to summon animals yet. Parker, however, looked younger and smaller than he would in the main timeline.

After Kakashi explained the situation, Parker took off into the forest, heading toward the Land of Grass.

In fact, Kakashi had used Parker to help search for them the day before, but the constant rain in Amegakure had washed away all lingering scents.

---

In the Hokage's Office

Minato's and Hizashi's squads had returned to Konoha after several days, and were now reporting their findings to the Third Hokage.

"The ambush seemed targeted," Hizashi reported. "They were after Yuyan's Byakugan."

The Third Hokage's brow furrowed.

He had chosen this mission because it was supposed to be low-risk—a chance for the younger generation to gain experience. But things had clearly spiraled beyond his expectations.

Had Minato not been sent along, Hizashi's team might not have survived.

"This may have been out of your control, but failure is failure," Hiruzen said sternly after a pause. "Until you prove yourselves further, you won't be assigned dangerous missions."

As he stroked his beard thoughtfully, his eyes rested on each of them in turn.

"I understand, Lord Third," Bai Ye replied quickly, cutting Yuyan off before she could protest.

She scowled under his hand but refrained from contradicting Hiruzen outright. She trusted Bai Ye's judgment—though she didn't yet grasp the hidden message.

The Hokage's meaning was clear: until the nature of this ambush was understood, the Hyūga should remain close to the village. Their talents were too valuable to risk again so soon.

Missions would still come, but only those with predictable, controlled parameters.

After Bai Ye and the others left the office, a masked figure emerged from the shadows to converse privately with the Hokage.

---

Elsewhere in the Village

"She came back alive? Useless Sand trash."

A Root ninja knelt before Danzo, sweat trickling down his temple under the weight of the man's oppressive aura.

"With this failure, Hiruzen will be on high alert," Danzo muttered. "He won't give me another opening so soon."

Danzo and Hiruzen had governed Konoha side-by-side for decades—one in the light, one in the dark. They knew each other's methods intimately.

Often, Hiruzen turned a blind eye to Danzo's actions, so long as they served the village's interests. The difference between them was more in philosophy than purpose.

And when Hiruzen needed someone to do what he could not publicly condone, he turned to Danzo.

But now that the Hokage was clearly watching, Danzo had no choice but to back off—for now.