The sudden shout drew curious looks from the crowd. Nagato and Konan exchanged awkward glances and quietly stepped back, embarrassed by Yahiko's outburst.
White Zetsu froze. He had been caught. But wait, "ghost student who draws poop"? Actually, that sounded kind of cool.
"Hmph! I knew it! You can't hide from me, Yahiko, Lord of the Akatsuki, and, "
Yahiko stood there, hands on his hips, ready to boast, then glanced sideways, sensing something else was coming.
"Wait, where are Nagato and Konan? Nagato! Konan! Nagato…" Yahiko called out anxiously.
When he saw Nagato trying to shrink away and run off, he quickly grabbed him. "What do you think you're doing? Look! I finally found him!"
Standing confidently before the black-haired young man, Yahiko announced proudly, "This is my Akatsuki second-in-command! The academy's top scholar! The very first, Nagato Uzumaki!"
Nagato stayed silent, raising an eyebrow as all eyes turned to him. His toes curled tightly against the ground, and inside he thought, 'Mom, I want to go home… No, I want to return to the Land of Rain.'
"I'm not! I didn't! He's making things up!" he protested quietly.
Nearby, White Zetsu blinked uncertainly. Had he been discovered or not? Maybe only partly? What should he do now?
After a moment, he steeled himself. "How dare you accuse me without proof?" he said sharply.
"If you want to deny it, I'll show you the true power of the Akatsuki!" Yahiko scoffed coldly, ready to remind this so-called "painter" who was really in charge.
"No way! Maybe he's just an impersonator!" Nagato, desperate to get away, forced out, "Everyone knows the 'ghost student' who draws nonsense caused all the trouble. And if he was just some random intruder, do you really think the teachers wouldn't have caught him?"
"Oh? That's true. But…" Yahiko shook his head, staring seriously at White Zetsu. "My gut tells me I'm right. Even if he's not that ghost student, he's definitely connected." Rolling up his sleeves, he added, "Let me check this out first…"
Before he could say more, Nagato suddenly pointed ahead and shouted, "Hey! Yahiko, isn't that your father sneaking around? Let's follow him!"
Without hesitation, Nagato grabbed Yahiko and took off outside. Hearing his father's name sparked Yahiko's curiosity, so he didn't resist.
After the two disappeared from sight, only White Zetsu remained, his expression blank. "Am I… safe now?" he wondered.
He blinked and watched the two kids vanish into the distance, then sighed quietly to himself. Looking around at the people nearby, he thought, Forget it, better to close up shop.
After all this time, he'd only made one sale, and that kid's voice nearly blew his cover. It was best to get out of here.
Though he knew Lord Madara would probably scold him when he got back, after all, he'd snuck out without telling him.
White Zetsu paused as he heard a nearby vendor calling out, "Dango! Dango! Sweet, sweet dango! Try before you buy, delicious or not!"
Holding a handful of coins, he thought, 'maybe I should bring some dango for Lord Madara?'
The idea made his eyes brighten and a smile spread across his face. He bounced over to the stall and said, "Boss, one skewer of dango, please!" He chuckled to himself, if he brought a gift, maybe Lord Madara wouldn't be so mad.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Yahiko and Nagato had finally caught up with their target and spotted Yahiko's father. But his father didn't have his usual cheerful smile. Instead, he looked nervous, wrapped tightly in a thick coat, clutching something close to his chest, and glancing around anxiously.
'What was Dad up to?' Feeling uneasy, the two exchanged wary looks. They crouched low and moved silently, following him carefully.
Konan, on the other hand, had just transformed into a flurry of paper and flown off somewhere unknown. Yahiko and Nagato kept their distance but stayed close, without Nagato's strong sensory skills, they might have lost track of him or been spotted by now.
Yahiko frowned, his eyes serious as he gazed into the hidden alley. "What is Father Mujie doing here? Sneaking around like this… Could he be going somewhere adults go? But this doesn't feel like the right place." He trailed off, puzzled.
Nagato looked confused too, 'how did Yahiko know this wasn't the right place?' But now wasn't the time to question it.
This definitely wasn't a usual spot, and Mujie was sneaking around, clutching something, coming here in secret…
Had they guessed it? Was he trading information about the Land of Grass?
"No! Dad's not that kind of person!" Yahiko's eyes grew red as he shook his head, glaring at Nagato. "He respects Charlie-sensei so much, and Charlie-sensei trusts him. Dad would never do something like this!"
"I know, maybe we're wrong," Nagato said quickly, trying to calm the furious Yahiko. "But maybe we should report this, or find a teacher?"
"No! Dad's not like that!" Yahiko stood up, shouting, "He absolutely isn't!"
"I'll prove it! If he really did, I'll be the one to arrest him myself!" With that, Yahiko spun on his heel and dashed inside.
"Yahiko!" Nagato called after him, but Yahiko didn't answer. Gritting his teeth, Nagato hurried after him.
Meanwhile, in a shadowy alley, the tension hung thick. "You're here?" Mujie asked sharply.
"I'm here!" the white-haired youth replied.
"The stuff I asked for?"
"And what about mine?" Mujie's gaze hardened as he stared at the young man with spiky white hair before him. "Let me see it first. Remember, I'm the one who signed off on this, "
But before Mujie could finish, the youth hesitated and reached into his cloak. Suddenly, a shout rang out from the alley entrance. Mujie froze, his face darkening. "There's a mole. Abort the deal!"
'They were just two kids, why so nervous? We're not doing anything wrong!' But before anyone could react, Mujie stepped forward.
Seeing the two children, his expression shifted to something more complicated. "What are you doing here?"
"Dad, you…" Yahiko's eyes narrowed as he recognized the sudden change in his father. He knew immediately something was off.
Especially the other boy, both he and Nagato recognized him as a shinobi from the Land of Rain, from Konoha no less. Yahiko's voice rose in anger. "How could you do this?!"
Mujie blinked, looking at the wary kids before him. After a pause, he sighed heavily. "You found out?"
"Dad, you…" Yahiko's despair deepened, but he held onto hope. "Come with me to see The lord. Nagato and I will ask for forgiveness!"
"See The lord? Which Lord?" Mujie's lips twitched, and to the boys, it looked like a refusal. He said helplessly, "Forget it. To keep this quiet and avoid making things worse, you two should just sleep it off. When you wake up, you probably won't remember any of this."
He reached out toward them,
Suddenly, "Don't move! You're surrounded!"
Shouts echoed from every direction in the alley. Mujie and Jiraiya looked up to see shinobi crouching and standing all around them, their eyes glowing crimson as they stared down.
Jiraiya's voice was sharp with disbelief, "You betrayed me? Wait, what's going on?"
Mujie's eyes showed confusion. "I don't know either!"
someone than said, "Someone reported you for treason."
"Mujiee, please don't resist!" someone commanded sharply.
"Treason?!" Both Mujie and the other man gasped in shock, staring at each other in disbelief.
Was selling, or even buying, a book really illegal now?