"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 come to Konoha and meet 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 times 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 formed 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 message.
...
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 me, you all would have safely returned to the Land of Rain by now."
"Don't say that! Whether it's Yahiko, Konan, or me, we would all come 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 time surviving in the Land of Rain.
And more importantly, we're not at the point of despair yet, right?"
Nagato raised his head, meeting Shisui's apologetic gaze as he spoke firmly.
"To be honest, I'm not sure if Kagetsu can find us in time! The flow of time here is chaotic compared to the shinobi world.
Time here is unpredictable. What feels like a long time here might only be the span of a cup of tea in the shinobi world."
Shisui admitted honestly.
This shelter offered some concealment, giving them a bit more time to survive, but without any surprises, that extra time wouldn't change the ultimate outcome they'd face here.
And that outcome 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 memories, they still pursued some desire from deep within.
"So, this is the worst-case scenario, isn't it?"
Though Nagato seemed a bit naive, he wasn't dull. Shisui's words left little room for misunderstanding, and Nagato immediately grasped the unspoken implications.
The flow of time here differed from the outside, sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down.
They had been here for a long time. Although there was no rising and setting of the sun and moon to mark the passage of time, which could cause some confusion about the concept of time, Nagato had calculated in his mind. They should have been here for at least three days.
If time 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 come to search for them.
However, based on their current situation, it seemed more likely that time here flowed more slowly. Without a frame of reference, Nagato and Shisui had no way of determining how much time had passed in the outside world.
If the time disparity was too great, by the time Kagetsu received the intelligence and came 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 came from the pitch-black surroundings outside.
Shisui, whose consciousness was already hazy, didn't notice it, but Nagato, who was still somewhat 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 some wandering spirit that had just entered and hadn't yet been devoured by the Cleaners, lingering here?
****
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