Chapter 86 (Patreon)

The shinobi from the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone reached Konoha’s main gate at almost the same time.

If they had not remembered why they were there, the two groups might have started fighting on the spot.

The Konoha shinobi guarding the gate did not take them to the Hokage’s office.

Kushina had already prepared a guest compound for the students who had come to study in Konoha.

“Please rest here for now,” Shisui told them. “Hokage-sama already knows you’ve arrived. She’ll come once she finishes her work.”

“If you need anything before then, tell me. I’ll help as long as your request is reasonable.”

“However, let me warn you now. If any of you cause trouble, Konoha will not go easy on you.”

If those words had come from an unknown shinobi, the short-tempered members of the Hidden Cloud might have already lost their tempers.

However, the person standing before them was Shisui of the Body Flicker, whose name was known throughout the shinobi world.

The Cloud shinobi immediately behaved themselves and assured him that they had only come to study. None of them had any intention of causing trouble.

Just before leaving, Shisui turned back toward them.

“Hokage-sama has given Yugito-san permission to meet with you. She should be here soon.”

The Cloud shinobi exchanged glances.

Before they left their village, the Raikage had ordered them to find out how Yugito was doing. If possible, he wanted them to meet her and hear the truth from her own mouth.

They had originally planned to slip out at night and find her in secret.

They had not expected the Hokage to arrange a meeting for them herself.

None of them could understand what the Fifth Hokage was thinking.

Was she really not worried that Yugito might pass information about Konoha to them?

Or had Yugito been kept away from anything important, leaving her with nothing useful to tell them?

The Hidden Stone group was just as confused.

When Yugito arrived alone, without restraints or anyone watching her from nearby, their confusion only grew.

Was this really how Konoha treated a hostage?

Even Konoha’s own villagers did not seem this free.

While the Cloud shinobi spoke with Yugito, the Stone shinobi gathered together and whispered among themselves.

“Do you think Konoha has already placed that Cloud jinchūriki under their control? The Uchiha’s Sharingan can do something like that, can’t it?”

“It’s possible. If that’s true, the Hidden Cloud has lost one of its strongest weapons. But it would also make Konoha even more dangerous.”

“Konoha is already powerful. Adding one more fighter won’t change much. But the Hidden Cloud losing a tailed beast is a different matter. I’d like to see the Raikage’s face when he hears about this.”

There was nothing more satisfying than watching an enemy suffer a loss.

“I don’t recognize anyone from the Hidden Stone, but the Hidden Cloud group…”

Roy stood on top of a nearby wall, trying to identify the members of both teams.

“If I remember correctly, that white-haired girl with dark skin is Mabui. She’ll become the Raikage’s secretary in the future.”

His eyes settled on Mabui, who had pulled Yugito aside to speak with her.

Mabui was only twelve or thirteen years old at the moment. She had yet to become the calm and reliable secretary Roy remembered.

Even so, she already looked much the same as she would as an adult. That was why Roy had recognized her so quickly.

“The Raikage really is bold.”

Roy could not help feeling surprised.

Someone capable of becoming the Raikage’s secretary and mastering a rare jutsu like the Heavenly Transfer Jutsu was clearly important to the Hidden Cloud.

Was A really willing to risk losing her in Konoha?

Or had he sent her with another mission, such as taking Yugito back in secret?

The Heavenly Transfer Jutsu could send objects through the air at the speed of light.

An ordinary human body could not survive being moved at such speed.

The force and heat caused by the air would tear a person apart.

However, there were exceptions.

The Third Raikage had survived the Heavenly Transfer Jutsu through the strength of his body alone.

Later in the original story, the Fourth Raikage and Tsunade had also survived it, with Tsunade relying on the Strength of a Hundred Technique.

If a jinchūriki entered their full tailed beast form, there was a good chance they could survive the transfer as well.

If the Raikage had truly sent Mabui with that plan, it could cause Konoha some trouble.

Without a jinchūriki being held as a hostage, the Raikage would have no reason to hold back. He could openly demand that Konoha release Yugito and the others.

Konoha could detain Mabui and the rest of the Cloud group in return, but that would create another problem.

“A probably didn’t come up with a plan like this himself. If there really is a plan, that old fox Dodai must be behind it.”

Even so, Roy was not worried.

He was already watching them.

If Mabui prepared to use the Heavenly Transfer Jutsu or Yugito began entering her tailed beast form, Roy could stop Yugito’s transformation at once.

He did not believe Mabui would risk transferring Yugito while she was still in her human form.

As long as Mabui hesitated for even a moment, Shisui would have enough time to take them all down.

However, nothing happened.

Yugito finished speaking with the Cloud shinobi, said goodbye, and left the guest compound without incident.

“Was I worrying over nothing?”

“Or has Mabui not learned the Heavenly Transfer Jutsu yet?”

“Maybe she’s wary of Shisui’s Body Flicker and plans to wait until Konoha lowers its guard.”

Roy watched the Cloud shinobi return to their rooms before leaving the compound, those questions still on his mind.

He followed a short distance behind Yugito as she returned home.

Roy noticed nothing unusual about her along the way.

There was only a faint smile on her face after meeting people from her home village.

In truth, the Raikage had never planned to have Mabui take Yugito back.

Dodai had brought up the idea, but A refused to let Mabui take such a risk.

There were only two reasons he had chosen to send her.

First, Mabui had a talent for sealing jutsu.

This was a rare chance for the Hidden Cloud to learn more advanced sealing jutsu. A certainly would not waste it by sending someone who knew nothing about seals.

Second, the Heavenly Transfer Jutsu gave Mabui a quiet and convenient way to send information back to the Hidden Cloud.

That was far safer than trying to steal Yugito away.

Even if Konoha discovered that Mabui had secretly sent information home, they were unlikely to kill her over it.

As long as they confirmed that Konoha was not mistreating Yugito, three years would pass quickly enough.

Dodai knew A’s personality well. Once A rejected the plan, he did not bring it up again.

Kushina returned home from work at noon.

Roy told her about Mabui and explained what he thought the Hidden Cloud might be planning.

After discussing it for a while, they agreed that once the Cloud shinobi saw that Yugito was being treated well, they would probably give up on taking her back by force, even if they had considered it before.

Still, they could not let their guard down completely.

After a short nap, Kushina left to finish the exchange, while Roy remained at home to watch Yugito.

Other than training and resting, Yugito did nothing unusual.

Little Naruto, however, was especially noisy that day.

Uchiha Mikoto had brought Sasuke over to play.

The two babies could not even speak yet, but they nearly started fighting over a toy.

Karin watched from the side, clapping her hands as Naruto and Sasuke pulled the toy back and forth. She seemed to think they were playing some kind of game.

“They really are full of energy,” Kaorui said with a smile.

The smile on Mikoto’s face, however, looked slightly forced.

Kaorui did not notice. She stood up and brought them another toy.

It did not help.

Naruto and Sasuke immediately reached for the same toy again. It was as though the only toy worth playing with was the one the other person wanted.

“Let them fight over it,” Roy said. “They’re not really fighting over the toy.”

Kaorui did not quite understand what he meant, but she stopped trying to separate them.

When Mikoto moved to scold Sasuke, Kaorui held her back as well.